Let us first try with two lenses

Date: 20 January 2024 By: Anton van Zyl

Following last week’s article, several readers have expressed interest in our vintage-photography challenge. With this challenge, we aim to inspire our readers to use cameras that are 50 or more years old and capture stunning images.

To get the shutters clicking, we are starting the challenge with a Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) session. In this first session, participants may only use TLR cameras to capture their images. For those without a TLR, feel free to use some of the cameras from our collection; we have at least 10 cameras that should still produce excellent photos.

TLR cameras, also known as ‘two-eyed’ cameras, utilise two lenses – one for focusing and the other for taking pictures. The lenses are mostly identical in terms of “speed” (i.e. lens opening), with one lens mounted above the other. The upper lens projects the incoming image via a mirror up to the reflex finder’s ground-glass focusing screen, while the lower one projects the image into the camera’s dark chamber and onto the film plane.

The earliest known TLR example dates back to 1880, made by R&J Beck of London for the Kew Observatory in West London. Few TLR cameras from the 19^th century have survived, and whether any made their way to South Africa is doubtful.

Only in the late 1920s did the Franke and Heidecke Company of Germany decide to adapt their stereo cameras into TLR cameras. The Rolleiflex, born in 1929, marked the end of bulkier cameras such as the Graflex. This lightweight and easy-to-use camera was quickly followed by manufacturers such as Voigtländer and Zeiss.

(In the collection of cameras at the Zoutpansberger, we have a Voigtländer Brilliant of 1932.)

The provisional date set for the first workshop is Saturday, 27 January. Enthusiasts will gather at the offices of the Zoutpansberger, allowing time for the photographers to view the 200-plus cameras on display. After a quick get-to-know-your-camera session, the group can set off to take some photos.

Those interested in joining the session should contact Anton or Andries at 015-5164996 or send an email to [email protected]. Participants with vintage cameras can bring them along, or they can use a camera from the collection. Bring your own film, or we can collectively purchase some. The film needed for the first session is 120 format, either Ilford FP4 or Ilford HP5, costing around R200 per roll. The film can be locally developed (we have some Paterson developing tanks), and if everyone contributes to the cost of developer and fixer, no more than about R50 per roll should be added to the cost.

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Anton van Zyl

Anton van Zyl has been with the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror since 1990. He graduated from the Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg) and obtained a BA Communications degree. He is a founder member of the Association of Independent Publishers.

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