Who designed the SLR?

[Canis Vulpes]

In my lifetime it has become common knowledge that Philips designed the CD and JVC the VHS system but which company designed the SLR system?

And...just to show my age it was Philips that designed the compact cassette! (music tape)

[Saphire]

The first ever SLR was made in Germany in 1937 the exakta. I have recently sold a later model at a car boot.

[Canis Vulpes]

Was the design patented like the CD or VHS then licenced to any company wanting to manufacture the design?

I am trying to work out how and why several companies are making cameras to a similar design - where and how did this come about?

[Saphire]

Stephen, I think the exacta that I had did have a patent on the bottom but can't remember by whom.

[Adey Baker]

Didn't J-H Lartigue use a large-format SLR to (accidentally) get that 'oval'-wheeled shot of a moving car in the early 1900s?

I reckon the Russians made the first 35mm SLR but the Exacta was the first 'proper' system with interchangeable lenses etc.

[Don Hoey]

Foxy, here is a link to the history of the SLR. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...um_format_SLRs

I think we have become used to modern lightweight materials and so probably forget the limitations that early designers were faced with.

I remember the Topcon 35mm SLR of the mid 60's. Mirror shock and noise when tripping the shutter was plain frightening.

Don

[sassan]

Good job Don. I was going to give the same exact link.

And yes, we have come through a long way as we stand today with SLR.

Stephen if you like to have a first hand experience on the SLRs and you have enough friends with older cameras or have access to a local shop with variety of second hand stuff, check the F line of Nikon, from the father F to F-2 with various prisms, legendary F-3, modern F4 or F5 then the D line. You see for yourself how much is achieved from the days when meter and diaphragm was not / mechanically coupled to the days that put the battery in and leave the camera in hand of 4 year old for many excellent pictures...

To make a long story short;

-The fenestra cameras with a pin hole and sensitive material on the other end (Includeing a real human painter) was the Renaissance in image creation.
-Lens added the sharpness and speed, when shutter was inside the lens or next to rear end. So you could not use this lens to see the subject unless you had a large format with option of changing the back.
-Box camera made photography mobile and easy when 2 mirrors at 45 degree one on either side of body, helped with landscape and portrait view finder a better choice than guess estimate.
-Range finders and Twin Lens Reflex TLR made the next break through for focusing.
-This was further enhance with split image screen or a similar focusing assist on TLR. Still what you see was not what you get (Paradox error). Exposure was a different story back then.
-SLRs did that. The ingenuity was to use 45 degree mirror plus a pentaprism that made image not only upside, right but Right to left corrected. A huge breakthrough for its time. This could happened because the shutter was now a curtain just in front of film, far away from lens and therefore same light passing through lens could be used for both being seen by photographer and be recorded on the film, when mirror is lifted up and curtains mover one after the other at a certain adjustable gap that determines shutter speed. Obviously the added benefit was also that lenses could be changed over the same body, initially when everyone was Innocent on a 42mm screw thread (Universal mount) and then bayonet as manufacturer got greedy and more self-fish to let their lens be used over some one else's body. Gush I miss my father's Zeiss Ikon Electorwhatever camera of those dates that was forbidden for me and was enjoyed by me when Dad wasn't around).
-Then Fancy things start to happen, lens coupling F and meter, an image that would not make you dizzy once subject or camera starts to move, made view finder very close to final result on film i.e. 100% reproduction on film, of what you see in view finder (WYSIWYG), F-3 is a good example.
-Then a computer chips inside the camera could make logical thinking for right exposure based on several options set by photographer.
-Manual focusing got auto
-And lastly and Mostly, film got replaced by sensors and you have the pleasure of DSLR photography at fraction of cost and labor otherwise needed to produce an equal image.

Hope this helped.

[Don Hoey]

Gosh there's a history lesson Sassan but so true. We tend to forget how rapid progress has been since 1980's.

Originally Posted by Stephen Fox

Was the design patented like the CD or VHS then licenced to any company wanting to manufacture the design?

I am trying to work out how and why several companies are making cameras to a similar design - where and how did this come about?

It seems from a bit of research that after WWII all German patents were made public as part of war restitution. So no licencing problems.

As to the reason for the similarity of design it probably comes down to affordability. In the 60's very few SLR's were around as they were unaffordable to most. To example that my first Nikkormat ( 1967 ) equalled 16 weeks wages. Pentax Spotmatic ( 1969 ) 10 weeks wages. By the time the 70's arrived, with greater spending power the SLR was the thing to have if you were a serious 35mm enthusiast.

An SLR camera was the natural progression from using a Reflex Housing with a 35mm rangefinder. The reason for the reflex housing was that it was the only real way of accurately using long lenses with a rangefinder camera. This fitted between the camera body and the lens. Link to pic of one http://www003.upp.so-net.ne.jp/sp5/nks/nlr1825E.htm

Really showing my age now

Don

[Don Hoey]

Here is a pic of rangefinder / long lens ( 500mm ) set up. Not much chance at an airshow ( fast jets ) with this. Remember this lens is not auto diaphragm and camera does not have TTL metering.

http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/.../500Nikkor.htm


Don

[ollieholmes]

Originally Posted by Don Hoey

Here is a pic of rangefinder / long lens ( 500mm ) set up. Not much chance at an airshow ( fast jets ) with this. Remember this lens is not auto diaphragm and camera does not have TTL metering.

http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/.../500Nikkor.htm


Don

That is one big lens. I agree totaly impractical for an airshow. Just as a comparison Nikons new 500mm prime weighs 3.4kgs and costs £5,299.99.