Direct View Finder for a Box Camera
Disappointment in the taking of pictures with a small camera is often caused by the inability of the photographer to obtain an accurate view of what he is photographing. If, instead of the small view finder on the camera, the device illustrated is used, a view of the resultant photograph may be obtained, right side up, and of nearly the same size as the finished print.
Sight through the Eyepiece for a Direct View of the Object Photographed, Thus Insuring More Nearly the Accuracy of the Result
The distance from the lens of the camera to the front surface of the plate or film must be determined. In the camera shown this was 4¹⁄₂ in. The distance from the small metal eyepiece, when it is in place on the box, to the inner side of the opposite end of the box must be made ¹⁄₂ in. shorter than this measurement. This will cause the box to be shorter than the camera.
The box is constructed so that the sides extend above the top and engage the camera. The view-finder eyepiece is made from a flat piece of sheet metal, laid out as shown, and bent into the desired shape. It is fixed over the center of the end of the box. The sight hole must be ¹⁄₃₂ in. in diameter. By sighting through the small opening in the eyepiece an unobstructed view of the prospective photograph is obtained.—Contributed by A. S. Thomas, Amherstburg, Ont.