Timothy Campbell Photography

Half-frame cameras

Half frame cameras are one of the most varied and unusually designed cameras of them all. Most use a standard 35mm cassette, but only take images that are 18x24mm (hence ‘half frame’). The main benefit is that you get twice the number of shots from each film – although it doubles the cost of printing! Very popular in the early to mid 1960s (although examples of cameras using this frame size go back to the earliest days 35mm cine film) these cameras can still be used today and the best of them are capable of excellent quality images. Many have built in selenium light meters, which most likely will be dead or unreliable but as they are rarely coupled to the shutter/aperture this is not a problem – in any case a handheld light meter should always be used for proper photography… right?!