The theory behind making moving images was known long before the advent of photography, but the introduction of photographic processes, able to capture a fleeting moment in a fraction of a second, soon led early pioneers to think about what was originally known as animated photography. This book tells the story of those early years, from the nineteenth century onwards, when movie cameras were used only by professional film-makers. It then describes the advent of various forms of amateur cine equipment, before finishing with a return to more professional cameras and how their technology was adapted, often in unexpected ways, for the amateur film-maker. The development of these cameras and the technologies that revolutionised future dseign, as well as the sometimes impractical ideas that flourished briefly before falling by the wayside, all build into a fascinating history of an invention that led to a popular hobby for many and a major industry that touched us all.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Early pioneers; The advent of amateur cine; The 8mm boom years; Professional influences; Further information.

Author Biography

John Wade began collecting still cameras in 1972, an interest which eventually led him to a fascination of cine equipment. A former editor of 'Photography' magazine, he is now a full-time freelance writer and photographs who has written six books and many articles about classic and collectable cameras for most of the British photographic press, as well as for antique and collecting magazines.