The development of the 35-mm or “candid” camera by Oskar Barnack of the Ernst Leitz company.
According to "The Development
of 35mm Photography"
An early 35mm still camera was the
Tourist Multiple from 1914 with standard 35mm film for 750 exposures that
utilized the 18x24mm so-called half frame like 35mm motion picture cameras
did. Several cameras that were adapted from motion picture photography
for still use were also created around the same time. However, the prototype
Ur-Leica (invented by Oskar Barnack while working for Ernst Leitz) from
1913 used the standard 24x36mm image size on standard, 35mm film. It was
different and it lead to a revolution in camera design.
Oskar
Barnack
As early as 1905, he had the idea
of reducing the format of negatives and then enlarging the photographs
after they had been exposed. As development manager at Leica, he was able
to put his theory into practice. He took an instrument for taking exposure
samples for cinema film and turned it into the world's first 35 mm camera:
the 'Ur-Leica'.
The
History of Leica
The history of Leica - a summary
of the most important milestones.
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