The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (March 1893)

Here we give you two pages ¢ If yo wish to know more about our fF 2 W. I. CHADWICK, 2, St. Mary’s Street, MANCHESTER. It is all very well to examine and perhaps admire a Magazine Camera at a dealer's shop or even at home, but practical work in ‘ the field” ts the only safe way to test it. Imagine carrying a Magazine Camera for a day over a dusty road; and then imagine the bother with sheathes, or paper-backed plates. But that ts not all. Did you ever know a cyclist to be satisfied with his ‘‘ Machine” for more than a year? My experience of cyclists is, that they are always changing, and it is quite amusing to hear their arguments in favour of every new machine they get. Well, it is just about the same with Hand Camera men—or worse. I never knew a man yet who was satisfied with a Magazine Hand Camera for more than a season Of course, they were delighted when they got their last ‘ latest novelty,” and sang its praises for a week or two; but something goes wrong, and they wish to part with it to get another of a different pattern. Now how is it the same thing docs not apply in the case of ordinary Cameras ? Why, because there is no bother with magazines or trouble with unnecessary complications. When a man buys a good Halj-plate or a Whole-plate Camera he is usually satisfied for years, his only trouble then is the weight; but with one of my Patent Landscape Cameras he has no trouble at all, for he knows that he has the lightest practical Camera on earth. (For particulars see Catalogue.) My Hand Camera is provided with Dark Slides, because they are the most practical of all plate holders. Originally Barnett’s Patent Dark Slides were supplied with the Practical Hand Camera, but for small sizes, such as +-plate, Scott's Patent Dark Slide posseses some advantages, especially for Hand Cameras, so frequently used by beginners. It is now impossible for even an experienced person to light-fog a plate by accident, as by an ingenious spring arrangement the aperture for the shutter of the Dark Slide is automatically closed on the removal of the shutter. The Scott Dark Slides are in many respects like Barnett’s; they are single, each containing one plate—a great advantage, and prevents the possibility of exposing the same plate twice as with double slides. They occupy the same space as Barnett’s and fit the same grooves, but they are a little lighter (1 doz. }-plate size weigh 1} lbs., or 1} ozs. each). There is no limit to the number of plates that may be exposed, for these slides are incxpensive, and if we know beforehand, as we often do, that we are not likely to require more than three or four plates, say on a walk on the pier or promenade, we can go out with as many as we like, say two or three, four or five, or half-a-dozen in the pocket, or twenty if we like, and there is NO FEAR OF A PLATE “STICKING” HALF WAY” as in Magazine Cameras, and no bother with sheathes or paper-backed plates. Neat little slide cases are provided when. necessary See price List, page 8.) Films or Plates can be used with equal advantage in these Dark Slides. (See ulm Carriers, page 8.) My Camera is not a fixed focus instrument, because a fixed focus is not the best, as a very elementary study of photographic optics will show. It is all very well for some tradesmen to say that with “ their fixed focus apparatus all objects at 9 feet and beyond are in focus:”’ of course, this is quite possible under certain conditions, but the assertion is apt to mislead. It is a fact that the shorter the focus of the lens (which implies the smaller the picture), or the smaller the diaphragm Telegraph Address—* STEREO, MANCHESTER.” The Optical Magic Lantern Journal, March 1st, 1898.