XPost: alt.photography   
   From: hook@yahoo.com   
      
   On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:41:41 -0400, dadiOH wrote:   
      
   > RichD wrote:   
   >> What does 'single lens reflex' mean?  Where/who/why   
   >> does this term come from?   
   >   
   > It is a camera with one lens as opposed to two (which is a twin lens   
   > reflex - one lens for taking, the other for viewing).   
   >   
   > It is a "reflex" because the light from the lens bounces off a mirror to a   
   > ground glass for vertical viewing and focusing; later, another mirror or   
   > prism was added so the image could be viewed horizontally through an   
   > eyelevel finder.   
   >   
   > The term has been used for cameras of that type since before I was born and   
   > I am 78.  Initially, they were large format (3 1/4 x 4 1/4 and 4 x 5)   
   > cameras.  The Graflex was one such much used by press photographers; also by   
   > sports photographers, often with a 40" lens.   
      
   My first serious camera was an Ensign Houghton Butcher Single   
   Lens Reflex. Acquired in 1940 when I was 14 years old and had   
   my first full time job.   
   focal plane shutter that was an adjustable blind with a slot   
   and varable spring to set exposure, 120 film size with a mask   
   that could enable 2-1/4x2-1/4 inch exposures.   
      
   > The first 35mm SLR I know of was the Exacta in the early 30s.  Post WW2   
   > (late 40s), it became the Kine Exacta and it and its little brother, the   
   > Exa, sported eyelevel finders.  The first eyelevel 35mm SLR with a   
   > pentaprism was the Contax S.   
      
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