Pointing the camera

Instant photography meant changes to working practices. The camera could leave the tripod, which meant a permanent field of view was necessary, both in order to frame the subject and to bring it into focus.

The simplest solution was to place two cameras both equipped with the same lens one on top of the other, one for framing, and the other for taking the picture. Even so, a slight difference between the two images persisted.

From then on, manufacturers dreamt up various viewfinders, from simple frames to more complex optical systems, even adopting the solution of a second lens which reflected the image to a plane above the camera via a mirror set at 45°.

The culmination of this system was the reflex viewfinder, or the use of a retractable mirror placed behind the taking lens, allowing the photographer to see precisely the image that would be photographed before it was taken, because the shutter was released to allow light to expose the sensitive plate.