View camera

[1] This type of camera was developed during the era of the daguerreotype[2] (1840s–1850s) and is still in use, some using drive mechanisms for movement (rather than loosen-move-tighten), more scale markings, and/or more spirit levels.

It comprises a flexible bellows that forms a light-tight seal between two adjustable standards, one of which holds a lens, and the other a ground glass or a photographic film holder or a digital back.

Also, as use of view cameras declines in favor of digital photography, these movements are simulated using computer software.

To avoid this apparent distortion, a wide-angle lens gets more of the building in, but includes more of the foreground and alters the perspective.

In Figure a) below (images are upside down, as a photographer would see them on the ground glass of a view camera), the lens has been shifted down (fall).

In Figure b), the lens has been shifted up (rise): the top of the tower is now inside the area captured on film, at the sacrifice of unwanted green foreground.

However, tilt has a strong effect on the depth of field by drastically altering its shape, making it asymmetrical.

Only testing a given scene, or experience, shows whether tilting is better than leaving the standards neutral and relying on the aperture alone to achieve the desired depth of field.

See Merklinger[8] and Luong[9] for extensive discussions on determining the optimal tilt (if any) in challenging situations.

Thus, the scene most likely to benefit from tilting is short in the front and expands to a greater height or thickness toward the horizon.

Small and medium format cameras have fixed bodies that do not allow for misalignment of the film and lens planes, intentionally or not.

Tilt/shift (“TS”) or perspective control (“PC”) lenses that provide limited movements for these cameras can be purchased from a number of lens makers.

The price of a new Canon TS-E or Nikon PC-E lens is comparable to that of a good used large-format camera, which offers a much greater range of adjustment.

For example, swing can help achieve sharp focus along the entire length of a picket fence that is not parallel to the film plane.

When a lens is a certain distance (its focal length) away from the film, distant objects, such as faraway mountains, are in focus.

One reason to swing or tilt the rear standard is to keep the film plane parallel to the face of the subject.

Another reason to swing or tilt the rear standard is to control apparent convergence of lines when shooting subjects at an angle.

[citation needed] The only thing that truly controls perspective is the location of the camera in relation to the objects in the frame.

A 300 mm lens may give a different angle of view (either over 31° or over 57°), depending on whether it was designed to cover a 4×5 or 8×10 image area.

Very long focus lenses may require that the camera be fitted with special extra-long rails and bellows.

Very short focal length wide-angle lenses may require that the standards be closer together than a normal concertina-folded bellows allows.

Zoom lenses are not used in view camera photography, as there is no need for rapid and continuous change of focal length with static subjects, and the price, size, weight, and complexity would be excessive.

These are popular with field photographers who can save weight by carrying one convertible lens rather than two or three lenses of different focal lengths.

Soft focus lenses introduce spherical aberration deliberately into the optical formula for an ethereal effect considered pleasing, and flattering to subjects with less than perfect complexions.

To operate the view camera, the photographer opens the shutter on the lens to focus and compose the image on a ground glass plate on the rear standard.

Often, a photographer uses a magnifying lens, usually a high quality loupe, to critically focus the image.

Sheet film holders are generally interchangeable between various brands and models of view cameras, adhering to de facto standards.

The entire film holder/back assembly is often an industry standard Graflex back, removable so accessories like roll-film holders and digital imagers can be used without altering focus.

For example, slow setup and composure time allow the photographer to better visualize the image before making an exposure.

The shallow depth of field can be used to emphasize certain details and deemphasize others (in bokeh style, for example), especially combined with camera movements.