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Special Cameras and Equipment

WHAT IS A CAMERA?

A traditional camera, from a room-size camera obscura to the latest hand-held automatic, is essentially a light-tight box. A hole (aperture) is made at one end to admit light, and some light-sensitive material (usually film) is placed inside the box opposite the hole. The camera's purpose is to enable the light to form an image on the film. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, but most modern cameras have the same basic components. These include the following:

•   A viewing system that allows accurate composition of the image.

•   A lens, instead of a hole, that focuses the rays of light to form a sharp image at the back of the camera. This image is upside down and backward. ...

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