Single-lens reflex camera

1884

Smith's Monocular Duplex (U.S., 1884).

1920

SLRs for smaller exposure formats were launched in the 1920s by several camera makers.

1930

Early focal-plane shutters designed from the 1930s onwards usually consisted of two curtains that travelled horizontally across the film gate: an opening shutter curtain followed by a closing shutter curtain.

1934

The Soviet Спорт (“Sport”), also a 24 mm by 36 mm image size, was prototyped in 1934 and went to market in 1937.

1935

The first 35 mm SLR available to the mass market, Leica's PLOOT reflex housing along with a 200 mm f4.5 lens paired to a 35 mm rangefinder camera body, debuted in 1935.

1936

Nüchterlein's Kine Exakta (Germany, 1936) was the first integrated 35 mm SLR to enter the market.

1937

The Soviet Спорт (“Sport”), also a 24 mm by 36 mm image size, was prototyped in 1934 and went to market in 1937.

1943

The first eye-level SLR viewfinder was patented in Hungary on August 23, 1943 by Jenő Dulovits, who then designed the first 35 mm camera with one, the Duflex, which used a system of mirrors to provide a laterally correct, upright image in the eye-level viewfinder.

1946

Some of these cameras were full-frame; some were half-frame, and at least one Robot camera produced an unusual square-sized image on the 35 mm frame. The Mercury II, produced in 1946, also used a rotary shutter.

1948

The Duflex, which went into serial production in 1948, was also the world's first SLR with an instant-return (a.k.a.

autoreturn) mirror. The first commercially produced SLR that employed a roof pentaprism was the Italian Rectaflex A.1000, shown in full working condition on Milan fair April 1948 and produced from September the same year, thus being on the market one year before the east German Zeiss Ikon VEB Contax S, announced on May 20, 1949, produced from September. The Japanese adopted and further developed the SLR.

1949

autoreturn) mirror. The first commercially produced SLR that employed a roof pentaprism was the Italian Rectaflex A.1000, shown in full working condition on Milan fair April 1948 and produced from September the same year, thus being on the market one year before the east German Zeiss Ikon VEB Contax S, announced on May 20, 1949, produced from September. The Japanese adopted and further developed the SLR.

1950

Vertical shutters became very common in the 1980s (though Konica, Mamiya, and Copal first pioneered their use in the 1950s and 1960s, and are almost exclusively used for new cameras.

1952

In 1952, Asahi developed the Asahiflex and in 1954, the Asahiflex IIB.

1954

In 1952, Asahi developed the Asahiflex and in 1954, the Asahiflex IIB.

1955

With this camera also appeared the first Instant-return mirror. The first Japanese pentaprism SLR was the 1955 Miranda T, followed by the Asahi Pentax, Minolta SR-2, Zunow, Nikon F and the Yashica Pentamatic.

1957

In 1957, the Asahi Pentax combined the fixed pentaprism and the right-hand thumb wind lever.

1959

Nikon, Canon and Yashica introduced their first SLRs in 1959 (the F, Canonflex, and Pentamatic, respectively). === Through-the-lens light metering === As a small matter of history, the first 35 mm camera (non-SLR) to feature through the lens light metering may have been Nikon, with a prototype rangefinder camera, the SPX.

1960

The camera was shown at the 1960 photokina show.

For example, almost all Nikon lenses from the 1960s and later still function on the current Nikon bodies, only lacking autofocus.

Vertical shutters became very common in the 1980s (though Konica, Mamiya, and Copal first pioneered their use in the 1950s and 1960s, and are almost exclusively used for new cameras.

1963

However, the first Through-the-lens (TTL) light metering SLR on the market was the 1963 Topcon RE Super, which had the CdS metering cell placed behind the reflex mirror.

1965

Another clever design appeared in 1965, the Canon Pellix employing a pellicle mirror that is semi-transparent, placing the meter cell on an arm swinging into the lightpass behind the mirror for meter reading. Mamiya Sekor came out with cameras such as the Mamiya Sekor TL and various other versions.

In the case of the above-mentioned Kowa and Topcon, automation was semi-automatic, where the camera's CDs meter would select the correct aperture only. Autoexposure, technically known as semi-automatic exposure, where the camera's metering system chooses either the shutter speed or the aperture, was finally introduced by the Savoyflex and popularized by Konishiroku in the 1965 Konica Auto-Reflex.

1970

Rollei later switched to a camera system of leaf-shutter design (e.g., the 6006 and 6008 reflexes) and their current medium-format SLRs are now all of the between-the-lens shutter design. == Further developments == Since the technology became widespread in the 1970s, SLRs have become the main photographic instrument used by dedicated amateur photographers and professionals.

1976

Yashica, another screw-mount camera manufacturer, soon followed. Canon, which produced the FD lens mount (known as the breech-mount; a unique lens mounting system that combines the advantages of screw-mount and bayonet-mount) introduced their shutter priority 35 mm SLR, the Canon EF in 1976 or so.

1980

Vertical shutters became very common in the 1980s (though Konica, Mamiya, and Copal first pioneered their use in the 1950s and 1960s, and are almost exclusively used for new cameras.

1981

Other manufacturers soon followed with Nikon introducing the FA, Minolta introducing the X-700 in 1981, and Pentax introducing the Super Program.

1982

Later, Nikon again pioneered the use of titanium for vertical shutters, using a special honeycomb pattern on the blades to reduce their weight and achieve world-record speeds in 1982 of second for non-sync shooting, and with x-sync.

1990

This permits accurate viewing, composing and focusing, especially useful with interchangeable lenses. Up until the 1990s, SLR was the most advanced photographic preview system available, but the recent development and refinement of digital imaging technology with an on-camera live LCD preview screen has overshadowed SLR's popularity.

2001

New York: Aperture, 2001.

2002

Nassa Watch Gallery, 2002.

2006

Konica Minolta did the same, and after having bought Konica Minolta's camera division in 2006 Sony continue using the Minolta AF lens mount in their DSLRs, including cameras built around a semi-transparent fixed mirror.




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