340 T. V. Shcherbakova 



THE WELL CAMERA 



Photography of wells was first carried out by D. G. Atwood in 1907 (^). 

 Ho^v"ever, this work had no great practical significance. 



In 1924 Reinhold in Holland made a camera for examining the walls 

 of artesian wells of large diameter (-). The camera permits several hundred 

 photographs to be obtained. Simultaneously Avith photography of the well 

 wall the position of a compass is fixed, permitting determination of the 

 elements of the bed sequence. The instrument is lowered in the tubes 

 which are used to replace the drilling fluid by clear Avater. 



In reference (9) there is a description of a well caxnera used in the U.S.A. 

 The camera consists of two parts. One of them is filled with clear water and 

 contains an electric lamp to illuminate the object, an inclined mirror and 

 a viewing window; the actual camera and a winding mechanism are located 

 in the other part. Photography is carried out with a 16 mm cine-film and 

 450 shots can be taken. The camera is lowered into the well on a cable; 

 a spring presses the side of the instrument where the viewing window is 

 situated to the Avail of the well. 



In the Soviet Union development of a Avell camera was undertaken in 

 1935 at the Central Scientific Research Institute of Geological Survey but 

 was not concluded. 



Since 1954 in investigations of shallow dry wells horoscopes (^) have 

 been vised, consisting of a light source and mirror directing the image 

 of the Avell Avail to an observer situated at the mouth of the well. 



In 1955 at the All -Union Scientific Research Institute for Geophysics 

 an experimental model of a well camera Avas designed and constructed. 

 Its technical featiu'es are the folloAving: 



(1) The camera is lowered on a three-strand coring cable. 



(2) The winding mechanism of a photo -inclinometer is vised as the Avinding 

 mechanism; the Avidth of the film is 35 mm, frame dimension 18 mm by 

 13 mm, and the number of frames about 120. 



(3) The size of the viewing windoAv is 5.7 cm X 4 cm. 



(4) The size of instrument is: length 1.5 m, diameter (Avithout spring) 

 70 mm, Aveight 50 kg. 



Fig. 7 shoAvs a general view of the well camera, in the loAver part of Avhich 

 the light source, mirror and AdcAving AvindoAv are located. 



The light source consists of three type SM-29 bulbs (the light flux from 

 each lamp is 28 lumens) equipped with hoods to protect the camera, situated 

 in the upper part, from the direct light of the bulbs. Light from the bulbs 

 passes by way of the mirror and viewing Avindow on to the Avail of the Avell. 



