How the 35mm SLR revolutionalized photography

SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. This new type of technology founded in 1936 introduced a mirror system inside the camera, which allowed the user to see exactly what the lens saw. Basically, the same lens that is being used for viewing is also being used for taking the pictures. Professor Nordell sums this up nicely by saying "What you see is what you get".

This was a major breakthrough as before the SLR was introduced, the user had to look through a separate viewfinder, meaning that they would never see the exact preview of what they were taking a picture of. This was exceptionally hard when using zoom lens to get an accurate picture of their subject.

The first SLR camera was introduced in 1936 by a company called Ihagee. The camera featured a mirror, which directed the image from the lens into the viewfinder, and when the shutter release was pressed – the image would be redirected through the camera and onto the 35mm film.

Interestingly, although Ihagee were the first company to produce the 35mm SLR camera, they were not the first to think of it. “The first 35mm SLR prototype was a Soviet Union camera named Sport (Спорт) in 1934. Unfortunately it didn't go into production for another three years, so Ihagee stepped in first.”, says blogger Ciao. 

Image source - http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras/exakta0.jpg

The 35mm SLR changed photojournalism as it allowed photographers to change between a selection of lenses, which fit onto the same camera. This would be perfect for a photojournalist if he or she went to an event to get some pictures and needed a variety of focal lengths in order to get different photos. An example of this might be if a photojournalist is taking a picture in a protest, and they take a few different types of lenses with them. They may have a wide-angle lens to capture the whole scene from a distance, but then decide to change to a zoom lens in order to capture close up action or the emotions on the faces of the protestors. Not only do zoom lenses allow you to view a subject like you were standing right in front of it, but it also might allow the photojournalist to capture an event from a safe distance. This could be useful in war photography when a photojournalist would like to remain at a safe distance but still be able to capture those action shots. This would have been perfect for Robert Capa, who was known for his photographs taken on D-day. Capa risked his life on the front line in order to get shots of the war, for well-known LIFE magazine. Capa once said "If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough."

Although this may have been correct at the time, this was before zoom lenses were readily available!

Another advantage of the SLR camera to photojournalist is that because it allowed you to view exactly what the camera would capture, they would be able to take more shots of the event knowing that what they are shooting is correct. This would mean that the photojournalist would not have to take as many pictures in order to get that correct shot. This would save a lot of time when post-viewing or editing the pictures as they would not have to search through to find a photograph that accurately captured the subject.

The SLR was also somewhat compact, compared to earlier cameras, so it allowed the photographer to carry it round with ease and even take it out quickly in the case of an unexpected event. 

When comparing the 35mm SLR camera to today’s choice of camera, it is easy to say that it is more convenient to use a modern DSLR.

Not only does a DSLR allow you to take as many shots as your SD card can fit, but you are able to instantly look back at your photos through the built in screen.

Technology has come along way since 1936, and now the modern DSLR is so advanced that the user is able to edit photographs directly from the camera and even upload them to the Internet.

When taking my photographic image (below), I realized how much longer it would have taken to process and develop it if I were using a regular, non-digital SLR. 

 Photo By - James Worrall

With my photograph, which I took in New York City this weekend, I was able to transfer it onto my computer instantly, ready to be touched up and uploaded onto my blog. I also discovered how easy it is by using autofocus, compared to having to manually focus with an old SLR. It is hard to see through the viewfinder that every single detail is focused, so unless you are shooting something at infinite focus, or up close, it would be very difficult to ensure you are shooting a sharp image.