Folding Twin Lens - Antique and Vintage Cameras

Folding Twin Lens

1912

Thornton-Pickard Manufacturing Co. Ltd

Altrincham

England

Image of Folding Twin Lens

Lens:
f6.3, 5" Ross Homocentric, iris diaphragm to f32. Serial no. 68401 .

Viewing Lens: Thornton-Pickard Pantoplanat.

Shutter:
Koilos, speeds 1 - 1/300, B, T.

Construction:
Morocco leather covered mahogany body, Duralumin bed.

Format:
2 ½" x 3 ½" plates held in single metal slides.

Focusing:
Bellows to c. 3 feet.

Movements:
Rise and cross front.

With:
Five slides.

This is an unusual, though not unique, style of camera, the patent describes a horizontally orientated camera, the production model has the twin lenses arranged vertically with the folding bed moved to the shorter side of the body. Illustrations show the camera fitted with a focusing scale and with the focusing knob on the other side of the bed. Oddly a view-finder was not included. Several lenses could be fitted, the viewing lens was either a T-P Pantoplanat or an anastigmat similar to the taking lens.

The camera did not prove popular; a plate camera with separate viewing lens does not have many advantages. If the photographer wanted to use a focusing screen a tripod would normally be used and the time taken to change the plate holder was immaterial, if used for hand-held exposures the eye-level focusing screen was quite difficult to use. Twin lens models came into their own when fitted with a reflex mirror and roll-film was used.

References & Notes:
BP 40/1912. BJA 1913, pp. 214, 714. BJA 1914, p. 224.

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