Old Vintage Cameras: Vintage 35mm Film Cameras

Kodak Automatic 35 Film Camera

Kodak Automatic 35 Film Camera

$49.95

Leica Bindomat E Leitz 35mm

Leica Bindomat E Leitz 35mm

$40.99

Pentax IQ Zoom 160 35mm Camera

Pentax IQ Zoom 160 35mm Camera

$44.99

Yashica Copal Rare Yashicaflex TLR Camera

Yashica Copal Rare Yashicaflex TLR Camera

$179.55

Argus Cintar C Series Collectible Camera

Argus Cintar C Series Collectible Camera

$37.99

Focal Panarama Illuminated Slide Viewer

Focal Panarama Illuminated Slide Viewer

$10.75

Adox German Film Camera

Adox German Film Camera

$49.95

Yashica Auto Focus S Film Camera

Yashica Auto Focus S Film Camera

$49.95

Argus C3 Vintage Camera

Argus C3 Vintage Camera

$49.95

Cabin Manon Vintage Slide Projector

Cabin Manon Vintage Slide Projector

$59.95

Tru Vue Viewer Set with 6 Filmstrips

Tru Vue Viewer Set with 6 Filmstrips

$79.95

Argus C Twenty Vintage Film Camera

Argus C Twenty Vintage Film Camera

$59.95

Old Grand Dad Promo Film Camera

Old Grand Dad Promo Film Camera

$29.95

What is a Camera Obscura?

The camera obscura (Latin; camera = vaulted chamber | obscura = dark, thus darkened chamber or room) is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side. Light from an external scene passes through the hole and strikes a surface inside where it is reproduced, upside-down, but with color and perspective preserved. The image can be projected onto paper, and can then be traced to produce a highly accurate representation. Using mirrors, as in the 18th century overhead version (illustrated in the History section below), it is possible to project a right-side-up image. Another more portable type is a box with an angled mirror projecting onto tracing paper placed on the glass top, the image being upright as viewed from the back. As a pinhole is made smaller, the image gets sharper, but the projected image becomes dimmer. With too small a pinhole the sharpness again becomes worse due to diffraction. Some practical camera obscuras use a lens rather than a pinhole because it allows a larger aperture, giving a usable brightness while maintaining focus.