Kodak Brownie Bull's-Eye Camera
One of my old film cameras is a Kodak Brownie Bull’s-Eye. They were sold from 1954 until 1960, so roughly fifty years ago.
In the advertising materials Kodak makes a big deal of the lens being coated, and the fact that this camera has a lens which has two elements. In other words two layers of glass.
Even the very cheapest cameras today use c
oated lenses. The surface coatings really do help.
One thing that I find fascinating is the two element lens. Many quality non-zoom lenses (prime lenses) have eight elements or layers of glass nowadays. My favorite Nikon lens has 15 elements, and the lens that I normally put on my cheapo Nikon digital SLR camera when I am going out to walk the dog is a Tamron brand of zoom lens which has sixteen elements.
Lens technology has improved during the last 50 years, especially zoom lenses. A couple of other things really pop out at me. Virtually all cameras have built in strobe lights now. In fact flash bulbs are just about impossible to find.
In the advertising materials Kodak makes a big deal of the lens being coated, and the fact that this camera has a lens which has two elements. In other words two layers of glass.
Even the very cheapest cameras today use c
oated lenses. The surface coatings really do help.One thing that I find fascinating is the two element lens. Many quality non-zoom lenses (prime lenses) have eight elements or layers of glass nowadays. My favorite Nikon lens has 15 elements, and the lens that I normally put on my cheapo Nikon digital SLR camera when I am going out to walk the dog is a Tamron brand of zoom lens which has sixteen elements.
Lens technology has improved during the last 50 years, especially zoom lenses. A couple of other things really pop out at me. Virtually all cameras have built in strobe lights now. In fact flash bulbs are just about impossible to find.
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The other thing is that this camera used a roll of film which provided you with 8 shots. I remember how important each shot was back then. Now with 8 gb memory cards common, it really is not at all out of the ordinary for me to take 150 or 200 pictures, and only end up using one or two of the pictures. Or often even delete them all.
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I shot a lot of "quality through quantity" photography back in the days of 35mm film and chemicals, but it sure is easier to do now.
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