Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

The AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER p 6 C1MEMATOGRAPHER o October 4th, 1933 [ lUlw W MaifezialS Viewed Reviewed by J.E$. Soho Enlarger for Amateurs. The Soho Electric Enlarger (Boardman’s Patent), a handy piece of apparatus which can be used with equal convenience as a horizontal enlarger or an upright one, has been remodelled so as to give more illumination. Its new lamphouse is on bigger and better lines than the old one. For an enlarger of its resources — it has a bellows extension of 12 inches, for instance — it shuts up into remarkably small dimensions, a point in its favour in these days of small houses and flats, where the old-fashioned hori¬ zontal enlarger would almost fill the room when extended for work. This enlarger, which is of the condenserless type, now takes a x 00-watt gas-filled lamp. The interior of the lamphouse is painted white to give a generous reflected light from the lamp, and in addition a band of mirrors two inches wide, which line the lamphouse, even up the light and make the most of it. An opalescent screen diffuses the light which falls on the negative, thereby cutting out scratch-marks. Incidentally, a 150-watt lamp can be used, but a 100-watt bulb is recommended, and that is the one for which the apparatus is designed. There is an adjustment for various makes of lamps, and the lamphouse is lifted off quite easily for adjustment or for dismantling. A number of its users, however, will. I am sure, mount it on the wall — four ordinary screws and a screwdriver are all that are needed to do this — and keep it as a permanent fitting in the dark-room, ready for use in a twink. It occupies very little room in this position, and 20x16 enlarge¬ ments are made with ease and reasonable speed. The lamphouse seems to be adequately ventilated. Either a Soho f/6.3 anastigmat or a Soho f/4.5 is the optical equipment. A series of wooden masks is supplied. The standard mask is the quarter-plate, but there are also stout masks for films in V.P., 2^x3^ or 4^x2^ sizes. And for those who still cling to the 5X4 in. plate, it has the merit that it will take 5X4 plates and films comfortably if you do not want the extreme edges of the negative. The lamphouse and bellows are mounted on two metal rods which in their turn slide on two longer metal rods, and the whole thing stands firmly on two bridges or brackets, with good focussing devices. Made by Soho, Ltd. (Soho Square, W.i), it costs £7 17s. 6d. with f/6.3 anastigmat, and £11 2s. 6d. with an f/4.5. The “ Vauxhall’’ Camera. A neat folding hand or stand camera in i\ x 3-i size produced with an eye on the man who does not shut down his photography in September, is a special autumn line of the Camera and Gramophone Co. (320, Vauxhall Bridge Road, S.W.). Though it is equipped with a delayed-action Compur shutter and a Meyer f/2.9 Trioplan lens its price, with three single metal plate-holders, has been kept as low as £8 18s. 6d. It is the f/2.9 lens which makes this camera an instrument for the winter photographer, the indoor portrait worker, the “ still-life ” man, and the tabletop enthusiast — all work which has increased greatly now that we have fast pan. material to play with. The camera, which is of light metal, has double extension, a rigid U-front with rising front and cross front, both worked by screw movements. It has a brilliant finder and a good wire-frame finder with back-sight. Its dimensions are 5J inches high, 3I wide and if thickness. A good /little instrument. The “ Perkeo.” The new little " Perkeo ” camera of the Voigtlander firm, distributed in Britain by Messrs. Peeling and Van Neck (Holborn Circus, E.C.), takes the popular 3X4 cm. size — 16 negatives on a vest-pocket film. It has many good points. First it has a serviceable optical view-finder of tubular shape fixed on top of the body, which compels the eye-level point of view (and a good thing, too). The focussing, which is on the up-to-date Voigtlander system, can be done before the camera is opened. You set a dial on the frame of the camera to the right distance, and when the camera opens, at the pressure of a button, it sets itself for that distance automatically. It closes auto¬ matically, also, with a really smooth movement. There is nothing complicated or erratic in either movement, and it is just a neat reliable device. Both the focussing knob and the film-winding button have a raised edge with a ladder-pattern collar, which renders these movements easy, even if you choose to operate your camera when you are wearing gloves — a point which may appeal to women. This is really a dainty camera, in spite of its stoutlybuilt body. It measures only 4^ inches in length by 2% in width and ij in depth at its thickest part. It will go into a woman’s handbag or a hiker’s pocket. Loading is as easy as Voigtlanders can make it — which means that it really is simple, and the camera has four air valves, well light-trapped, to ensure that the automatic opening does not suck the bellows inwards. With Embezet shutter and f/4.5 Skopar. anastigmat, £7 15s. ; with Compur shutter and f/3.5 Skopar, £10 17s. 6d. ; and with Heliar f/3.5 and Compur shutter, £12 15s. Which¬ ever model is chosen the buyer cannot make a wrong choice if he is seeking a 3 X 4 cm. camera for serious negative¬ making and good picture-making. 26 323