This camera was given to me by my paternal grandfather, many years ago, in the 1960’s. I’m not even sure you could get film for it then.
Panasonic G1, Konica 50mm f/1.4, ISO 100, 3.2 sec
The front lens coupled to a billows extends out on a pair of slide rails making the contraption look like an old steam engine. The viewfinder extends up on the top right of the lens like a smokestack. To use it the photographer looked down into the prism and pointed and shot, so to speak.
Panasonic G1, Konica 55mm MACRO f/3.5, ISO 100, 20 sec
The control pannel is clustered around the lens: shutter speed on top (1/25, 1/50 and 1/100th of a second) and aperture along the bottom (f/4, 8, 16, 32 and 64). Focus was accomplished by extending the billows in or out along the slider. The shutter release is top right of the lens.
The front reveals some other information: then the leading-edge technology was ball bearing shutters; the first patent was issued in 1910 and subsequently in 1913. This model of the camera was in production between 1916 and 1927 and sold for $27 [1]. Clearly the pace of technology evolution was much slower than today.
Yet, with all that has changed in the technology of making an image there is one thing that remains the same with the camera of 100 years ago and today.
Panasonic G1, Konica 50mm f/1.4, ISO 100, 1/20 sec
It’s the tripod: the screw size is the same
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