Manufacturers : Cameras and optics : Film cameras

A film camera is a device used to take pictures, usually consisting of a light-tight box, a film holder, a shutter to admit a measured quantity of light and a lens to focus the image. Although the current camera technology is now focused on the digital camera which provides improved convenience, yet the conventional cameras, such as the single-lens camera, the automatic camera, microfilm camera, and the disposal camera, still have their own market. Single-lens camera facilitates the adjusting of focus, shutter, and photo-taking head better and allows a variety of the photographing operations. Automatic camera (fools camera) operates extremely easily and is widely used for its convenience. Microfilm camera is used for photographing original images recorded in documents of various forms on a microfilm. The microfilm camera basically comprises a document table supporting the documents mentioned above and a camera head disposed above the document table. The disposable camera at lower price solves the embarrassing situation wherein a camera is not available but is immediately needed. Disposable cameras are available which utilize a variety of film formats, including conventional 35 mm films. A "roll" of such film consists of a length of film prewound in a generally cylindrical housing or film cartridge or cassette.

A camera generally has a cartridge chamber for housing a film cartridge and a film take-up chamber for housing film taken up from the film cartridge. A lens barrel is disposed between the cartridge chamber and the film take-up chamber. A spool serving as a winding shaft of the film is disposed in the cartridge chamber. The spool of the cartridge chamber and a spool of the cartridge are rotated so as to deliver the film. Film in the film cartridge is manually or automatically loaded into the camera. Images are then recorded on the film after which the film is rewound into the film cartridge. Image recording typically is performed by sequentially projecting optical images onto photographic film. Photons strike light-sensitive chemical grains in the photographic film to form latent images. The latent images are later developed by chemical processing to be viewed directly (as slides) or print on photographic paper. Commonly used photographic films include 135 films, 120 films, 110 films and APS films, among which 135 films are the most popular films. 120 films are mainly used for commercial purposes because of their high quality and larger sizes.