g BIRD STUDIES WITH A CAMERA 



will, it seems probable, be better served by the re- 

 flecting camera described below, while as a finder 

 alone its place may be taken by the " iconoscope " 

 and other of the prism finders, the brilliant image 

 cast by which is such a striking and satisfactory 

 improvement on the hazy outlines given by the 

 average so-called " finder." 



For use as a hand- box only two kinds of camera 

 are available, for it must be borne in mind that 

 the set-focus or short-focus, wide angle " snap-shot " 

 cameras, so popular among the button-pressing fra- 

 ternity, are not adapted to the wants of the bird 

 photographer, who must therefore avail himself of 

 either a- twin-lens or a reflecting camera. 



Twin-lens cameras are manufactured by several 

 well-known firms, but the trade size is of too short 

 focus to be desirable. In this type of camera two 

 lenses of equal foci are employed. They are set one 

 above the other in bellows, which move as one. The 

 lower lens makes the picture, the upper projects a 

 duplicate of the image cast by the lower lens to a 

 mirror set at an angle of forty-five degrees to the 

 plane of the plate, whence it is reflected upward to 

 a ground glass, which is protected by a hood, on top 

 of the camera. 



To focus perfectly the lenses should be " matched " 

 or "paired" in short, interchangeable thereby 

 greatly increasing the cost of the camera, which is 

 also rendered objectionable by its large size. 



The reflecting camera possesses all the advan- 

 tages of the twin-lens, but requires only one lens, 

 and when in use is not materially larger than the 

 ordinary 4X5 long- focus box. 



