Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1937)

December 22nd, 1937 Thi amateur photographer t» 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER a Letters to the Editor — (continued) joints, necessarily of somewhat light construction, tend to wear in use, with a resultant loss in focal accuracy. In the “ Xit ” camera there were only two hinges (on the wings supporting the lens front in the open position) and these had such long bearing surfaces that wear was quite negligible. The extreme simplicity of this design would greatly assist factory adjustments, and once accurately made, these should remain so, even after years of use of the camera. A modern edition of the " Xit ” for a 2^-in. square picture would need a lens of fully 4 in. focal length, to give the extra covering power necessitated by the rising front when used. Any good f/4.5 anastigmat with such a shutter as the “ Klio,” and mounted in a focussing flange with a well-graduated dis¬ tance scale, would meet all reasonable requirements. I must confess to having considerable doubts as to the desirability of the widely used “ front cell focussing ” of highly corrected lenses ; it is, I think, a compromise policy dictated mainly by the requirements of coupled range-finders. The unusually long focus lens for a 2^-in. square picture would, as an incidental advantage, tend to improve "perspec¬ tive.” I venture to think that a camera such as I have suggested above might be appreciated by those who value simplicity, strength, efficiency and long-lasting accuracy above ultra¬ lightness and compactness. A separate range-finder mounted on the body would be a very useful addition, and this, combined with a fully graduated focussing scale and an accurate optical view-finder, would provide an instrument capable of tackling practically any subject within reason. If the rising front were graduated at two or three points in terms of picture width, a little practice would soon enable the user to estimate with reasonable accuracy the effect of its use ; alternatively, a specially designed finder might be provided. — Yours, etc., D. F. NICHOLL. CONTACT OR ENLARGEMENT? Sir, — The delightful letter from (I am sure Miss) Dolly Varden in your issue of November 24th is good reading. Trudging along the open road “ with a wind on the heath ” carrying a half-plate outfit with three double dark slides, she evidently seeks strength and encouragement from Newman’s hymn, “ Lead Kindly Light.” Doubtless she needs all the strength she can get to cheer her dragging footsteps burdened with such a load. There are two lines in the same hymn which aptly describe the half-plate enthusiast : “ I am far from home,” and “ One step enough for me.” Surely it is the miniaturist, free and unburdened, who rejoices in “ the fell, the glen, the moor, the fen, the crag and torrent ” (to quote from her letter). Years ago I advertised my half-plate outfit with three double dark slides, but I could not get enough to pay carriage on it, and to-day it is somewhere in the garage along with my pushbike and the family perambulator. I think I will look it out and offer it to " The A.P.” to be given as a prize for the best contact print. With all good wishes for your splendid paper. — Yours, etc., A. T. WALLIS. The Week’s Meetings Wednesday, December 22nd. Darlington C.C. Exhibition of “ Outings Prints Competitions.” Dennistoun C.C. Visit to “ Daily Record.” Foreign Portfolio. Hinckley and D.P.S. “ The Amateur Photographer ” 1937 Prize Slides. Mountain Ash C.C. Beginners’ Mistakes — general discussion. Northallerton and D.P. and Cin4 S. Leeds C.C. Portfolio. Partick C.C. G.D.U. Portfolio. Thursday, December 23rd. Blyth and D.C.C, Enlarging Demonstration for Beginners. Coatbridge P.A. Scottish Photo Circle Portfolio. Hampshire House P.S. “ Light Filters and their Uses.” J. Ainger Hall. Hull P.S. Question and Answer Evening. Kinning Park Co-op. C.C. G.D.U. Portfolio and S.P.F. Foreign Portfolio. Oldham P.S. 1937 Competition Prints. Friday, December 24th. Todmorden P.S. Christmas Eve Social. Monday, December 27th. Oldham Equitable P.S. Enlarging with “ Bromesko.” Societies will have their meetings announced here if the syllabus is sent to us at the beginning of the session or from time to time . Tuesday, December 28th. Beckenham P.S. Print and Slide Competition. Hackney P.S. Outings Competition (Slides). Hounslow P.S. Informal Meeting. Luton and D.C.C. Exhibition Preparations. Oldham P.S. Council Meeting. Stafford P.S. *' The Amateur Photographer ” Prize Slides (1937). Stockport P.S. “ Bromoil Demonstration.” C. A. Barnes. Swansea C.C. Social Evening. Wednesday, December 29th. Brighton and Hove C.C. Alliance Slides, 1937. Croydon C.C. Discussion on Prints and Slides. G.E. Mechanics’ Inst. P.S. Open Night. Ilford P.S. Print Competition. Letchworth C.C. ” Ordinary, Chrome and Panchromatic Photography.” Mountain Ash C.C. Competition — Portrait — Artificial Light. South Essex C.C. Nominations and Notices of Motion. S. Suburban and Catford P.S. Cin£ Evening (16-mm.). H. E. Isard. Exhibitions and Competitions CURRENT AND FUTURE. The name and address in brackets indicates to whom to apply for farther particulars . The Amateur Photographer Monthly Competitions for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Workers. — Entries, December 31. Rules in issue of November 24. Wallace Heaton Competition. Cash prizes every week. — Open to readers of The Amateur Photographer. Full particulars in advertisement page in this issue. Winter Snapshot Competition for users of the Purina Special Camera. £ 100 in cash prizes. — Particulars and entry forms from R. F. Hunter Ltd., 51, Gray’s Inn Road, W.C.i. Bertram Mills’ Circus Competition. — Cash prizes for photographs taken during the performances from December 22 to January 25. Extra prizes for winning prints by readers of “ The A.P.” Particulars in “ A.P.” dated December 8. International Photographic Exhibition in Debrecen (Hungary). — Open, January. (Aszmann Ferenc, Fer¬ enc Josef ut, 27, Debrecen, Hungary.) Xle International Fotosalon “ Iris.” — Open, Janu¬ ary, 1938. (F. Geeraerts, Brederodestr, 22, Antwerp, Belgium.) Preston S.S. (P.S.) Thirteenth Annual Open Photo¬ graphic Exhibition. — Entry forms, January 7 : exhibits, January 14. (F. Wells, 65, Powis Road, Preston, Lancs.) Second Indian International Salon of Photographic Art. — Entries, January 15 ; open, March. (N. B. Cooper, Hon. Sec., Camera Pictorialists of Bombay, 33, Nicol Road, Ballard Estate, Bombay, India.) Aberdeen P.A. International Exhibition of Photo¬ graphic Art. — Entries, January 15 ; open, February 5-26. (Miss Hilda M. Bailey, 63, Watson Street, Aberdeen.) Stockton-on-Tees and D.C.C. First Annual Salon of Photography. — Entries, January 15 ; open, February 7-9, inclusive. (J. Greenwell, 9, Birkley Road, Norton-on-Tees.) Nottingham and Notts P.S. 34th Annual Exhibition. — Entries, January 21 ; open, February 7-12. (T. G. Earp, 14, Brushfield Street, Hyson Green, Notting¬ ham.) Leicester and Leicestershire Photographic Society’s International Exhibition of Pictorial Photography. — February 21-March 12. Last day for entries, January 29. (H. Foscutt, 19, Doncaster Road, Leicester.) Ilford P.S. International Exhibition of Photography. — Entries, January 31 ; open, March 7-12. (H. D. J. Cole, 11, Woodlands Road, Ilford, Essex.) L.M.S. (London) P.S. 13th Annual Exhibition. — Entries, February 1 ; open, March 7-12. (Hon. Exhibition Secretary, L.M.S. (London) Photographic Society, 1, Euston Square, London, N.W.i.) Birmingham P.S. 47th Annual Exhibition. — Entry forms, February 3 ; exhibits, February 5 ; open, February 26-March 12. (E. H. Bellamy, 20, Waterloo Street, Birmingham, 2.) City of London and Cripplegate P.S. Thirty-third Annual Photographic Exhibition. — Entries, Monday, February 7; open. March 7-12. (R. C. Dye, The Flats, Chesham Road, Wigginton, Tring, Herts.) Southampton C.C. Open Exhibition. — Entries February 14 ; open, February 28-March 19. (Cecil Chandless, F’cn. Exhibition Sec., Southampton C.C. 30, Carlton Crescent, Southampton.) Runcorn C.C. Open Exhibition. — Entries, February 18 ; open, March 23-26. (R. J. Edwards, 1, Waterloo Road, Runcorn, Cheshire.) Australian Commemorative Salon of Photography (Sydney). — Entries, February 25 ; open, April. (Hon. Exhibition Secretary, H. V. Leckie, 30, Pitt Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.) Edinburgh Photographic Society 76th Annual Open Exhibition. — Open, March 9-April 2 ; entries, Februan 28. (John S. Rodger, 16, Royal Terrace, Edinburgh.) Scottish Photographic Federation 30th Scottish National Salcn. — Entries, March 2 ; open, April 2-16. (Percy H. Cartwright, 52, High Street, Galashiels, Scotland.) Bishop Auckland P.S. Annual Salon. — Entries, March 7 ; open, March 16-19. (W. G. Ridley, 19, Ravensworth Avenue, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham.) Hackney P.S. 49th Annual Exhibition. — Entries, March 7 ; open, March 30-April 2. (W alter Selfe, 9, Fairlight Avenue, Woodford Green, Essex.) Derby Railway Institute P.S. Twenty-third Annual Exhibition. — Entries, March 31 ; open, April 25-30 (J Radford, Downderry, Spinney Road, Chaddesdon, Derby.) XVI le Salon International de Fhotographie de Belgique. — Entries, April 1 ; open, May-October, (J. Lejeune, 70, Avenue Van Becelaere, Boitsfort, Brussels, Belgium.) 30 713