1902 Animal Photography 139 



naturalist photographers as are named above has been done 

 with a stand-camera. Now it will be argued that hand- 

 cameras can be purchased to focus, and that they also can 

 be fixed on a stand. Yes, but can they be found to rack 

 out to double the focus of the lens ? The usual focussing 

 movement is much slighter than this. There is one type of 

 hand - camera which comes much nearer the naturalist's 

 requirements, and may be worth consideration for those 

 with a deep purse. This is the reflecting type, in which the 

 full-sized image is focussed up to the time of exposure, and 

 is therefore suitable for outdoor work in a good light. A 

 "twin-lens " camera has a similar advantage, but is terribly 

 bulky. In both these cases, however, the degree of racking 

 out should be investigated. 



On the whole, I should advise the purchase of a modern 

 bellows-body stand-camera with long extension, three double 

 slides, a light wooden twofold sliding-leg tripod (not three- 

 fold), and a shutter with a pneumatic release. The shutter 

 may be the " unicum " type, or the time and instantaneous- 

 blind pattern. A camera of this description can always be 

 used as a hand-camera if a finder be fastened to it, and as a 

 matter of fact those hand-cameras which rack out sufficiently 

 are not more convenient for hand work than this will be. 



The size is the next point for consideration. Where 

 lantern-slides are the main object the small " quarter-plate " 

 size will be the most suitable, and the weight is much less 

 for carrying about. But for book illustration and album 

 work this size is rather small, and the popular half-plate 

 size is advisable. The blind-shutter had better be fixed 

 behind the lens so as to be part of the camera, instead of in 

 its more common position on the hood. An extra long 

 length of tubing is sometimes convenient, so that the camera 

 may be placed in position and focussed upon a point where 

 a bird or animal is expected to alight, while the photo- 

 grapher lies in a near and convenient hiding-place ready to 

 press the air-ball connected with the shutter. In such a 

 case the camera is masked with a green cloth or a heap of 

 straw or twigs. 



The selection of a lens is important. As a rule, it should 

 be of longer focus than that usually assigned for the size of 



