Don't underestimate that plastic lens...

Now I must admit, I didn't expect amazing results from the Fulvueflex Synchroflash. When you read about it online it seems history has judged it a bit of a poor decision on Ensign's part, not really consistent with their brand. Right enough it's the only Ful-Vue camera to have a plastic lens and feels cheap to the touch. It's significantly lighter than the others.

However, when I developed the roll of film I shot on this camera I saw this:

 

The film was Kodak Ektar 100, professional grade film that excels at taking landscapes. Loading film of this calibre into essentially a toy camera felt a bit wrong at the time, but I was clearly too quick to judge the Fulvueflex because, well, look! The picture is gorgeous.

Here are some more of the roll:

So there you go. The Fulvueflex demonstrating that it isn't fancy expensive kit that takes great photos. It also performed very respectably at my wedding last month, so I'm no longer hesitant about grabbing this camera as I leave the house. In fact, on a recent trip to Bristol, this was my go to box camera as I was flying and mindful of my weight limit. I look forward to seeing the results.

Box Cameras and Wedding Snaps

Captured on the Kodak Brownie Cresta III, Fuji Pro 400H

A few weeks ago my partner and I got married in a beautiful ceremony at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. Instead of the usual photo-booth option for the wedding guests, we decided we'd share our passion for vintage cameras and set up a box camera station, where guests could use box cameras to take snapshots of the day. It went down a storm. The novelty of shooting film again would certainly have been a memorable part of the day, and the best part was uploading the images a few weeks later for all to see their handy work.

It was impossible to predict  beforehand what sort of weather and lighting conditions we'd have, so we just went for ISO 400, one of the more versatile films that can handle most conditions. We had a mix of Fuji Pro 400H and Lomography 400, and both performed well.

Garden snaps, captured on the Kodak Brownie Cresta III, Fuji Pro 400H

Most of the wedding guests hadn't shot a film camera for a very long time, and for many a waist level viewfinder was totally new territory. For the most part the pictures came out well. There were one or two instances where people forgot to wind on, resulting in some interesting double and triple exposures. Nevertheless, we have some lovely snapshots to remember the day. The cameras used were:
Ful-Vues model 1, 1.5, 2, and Fulvueflex Synchroflash, Kodak Brownie Cresta III, Ilford Envoy, and an Agfa Clack. 

Here are some of the results.

Captured on the Ensign Fulvueflex Synchroflash, Lomography 400.

Captured on the model 1 Ensign Ful-Vue, Fuji Pro 400H

Triple Exposure, captured on the Ensign Fulvueflex Synchroflash, Lomography 400

Double exposure, captured on the model 1 Ensign Ful-Vue, Fuji Pro 400H

Double exposure, captured on the model 1 Ensign Ful-Vue, Fuji Pro 400H

Captured on the model 1 Ensign Ful-Vue, Fuji Pro 400H

Captured on the Kodak Brownie Cresta III, Fuji Pro 400H

Captured on the Ensign Fulvueflex Synchroflash, Lomography 400

Captured on the Kodak Brownie Cresta III, Fuji Pro 400H

Captured on the Ensign Fulvueflex Synchroflash, Lomography 400

Test Shots on the Ful-Vue 1.5

Some test shots taken on the Ful-Vue 1.5 (my own name for the model that came between the first version and the model II. It was a particularly sunny day in Inverness. Definitely EV15 for most of the shots. This was a little bright for my Kodak Ektar 100 film so some of the shots were a little overexposed. Meh. Just happy I got some pictures. Some of them are pretty sharp too.

A family enjoying their ice cream. Whilst not the easiest camera to use for street photography it's pretty effective as people generaly don't notice the camera at waist level, particulalry if you're looking the other way while shooting.

Ok a bit overexposed but I like this picture. It's pretty sharp, the reflections in the water are lovely, I captured two seagulls, and it's your quintessential box camera snapshot - a nice scene from a special day out.

Another nice capture of Inverness from a high vantage point. Because the camera was sitting on a ledge it was nice and still,so the buildings came out nice and sharp.

The unicorn statue in Falcon Square. Hand held. Pretty good results.

There was a little more cloud cover when I took this so the colours were captured better. I was sitting right opposite this gentleman when I took the photo, but he didn't even notice because the camera was sitting on my lap and I was looking the other way.

Another shot from a bench on Inverness High Street. Nice sharp detail.

A nice snapshot of one of the bridges over the river. Hand held. Not totally sharp but not bad.

So, the photos are a little overexposed, but I'm not too fussed. I don't doubt it's the sort of thing that could be fixed in Lightroom or similar software, but I much prefer capturing memories to airbrushing them. Besides, the lesson from this photoshoot is to seek out shadier subjects on a day as bright as this when shooting ISO 100 film. I was set up for EV 12. Would have been better shooting ISO 25. Some of the blurrier photos I took also remind me how hard it is to keep the cameras steady when shooting, particularly if trying to shoot quickly as is necessary in street photography. My most successful captures were those where I could rest the camera on something.

All in all a fun day shooting a Ful-Vue. :)

Getting to Grips with Light Part 2: Light Meters

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

If gauging the light doesn't come naturally to you, or you are new to photography and not yet adept at recognising exposure values, then a light meter will make life a lot easier. Nowadays cameras have built in light meters that warn you if you're about to under- or over-expose an image, but with box cameras you'll need a separate bit of kit.

An obvious, and often free solution, is to download a light meter application on your phone. These can take pretty accurate readings of the light and you can either use them to read a scene and see if your camera settings are capable of shooting it, or, you can dial in your camera settings and then point your meter at subjects until you find one at the desired exposure value.

We saw in Getting to Grips with Light Part 1 that the film ISO will determine the light conditions in which your box camera will perform best. If the camera is set to shoot optimally at EV14 therefore, that's the exposure value you want to shoot in. Do not get hung up about shooting in perfect conditions though. That way madness lies and you'll be frustrated at all the shots you want to take but "can't". Film latitude is such that you can shoot in sub-optimal conditions without worrying too much. You'll still get good shots one stop either way. So, if you're set up to shoot at EV14, you'll still get good results at EV13 or EV15. Beyond this you'll get usable results. So you can still shoot at EV12 up to around EV17 (film is more forgiving if you overexpose - try and avoid underexposing by more than two stops, the results won't be great). Note: Slide film is less forgiving. Don't go more than one stop over or under.

Best advice is just to go out and shoot test rolls. The results will show just how far you can push your luck.

My Ikophot light meter

It may be however, that you don't want to use a mobile app and would prefer a more old-school approach (you are shooting analogue after all, some of these box cameras are nearly a century old). I'm going to make some assumptions now:

1. You already have a vintage light meter, which may well have come with the camera when you bought/inherited it.
2. You are keen to buy a light meter and want a nice vintage one to complement your vintage box camera.

I may be wrong, and you may already have/want a modern digital light meter, in which case, you'll probably find the information about how they work in this article helpful.

If I'm right though I can totally relate, because I bought a vintage model very cheaply and am delighted with it. Most of my Ful-Vues are from the 50s, so I searched for a period correct light meter to use with them. There are loads of different vintage makes available, and they are frequently listed on eBay and usually don't cost much. They are a nice piece of history to complement the one you're shooting with.

BUT...

Beware. There are a lot of variables in meter design, in terms of how they measure the light, how sturdy they are etc. This is a good article to read on the topic. Also, as with any second hand purchase there is a risk that the meter may no longer work. Some of them are rather old after all. If purchasing on a site such as eBay, look for item descriptions that say whether the thing is working or not.

If you want one that will work without batteries then you may want a photoelectric selenium cell meter. That's the sort I have. I have an Ikophot Rapid (above). Cadmium sulphide readers are more sensitive and may give more accurate readings, but battery availability may be an issue. According to this article on Analogue Wonderland, a good choice is the Sekonic L308, as it takes normal batteries and is highly reliable. Of course, it comes with a higher price tag.

Note: If you go for an Ikophot make sure it has its slide-on flat diffuser for incident light readings.

There are loads of different makes and models out there. This is a good primer. You can also look to contemporary literature for guidance. The book on the left came free with another purchase I made on eBay, but has some really good tips for how to use the different types of light meter in different lighting conditions.

I was also lucky in stumbling across a Focal Press guide to using the Ikophot. It's full of tips for how to use my light meter and shows example photos with correct camera settings.  Books like these are great for providing you with some mini projects to you hone your skills as a photographer. For example they school you in large shadow areas, allowing for bright skies, flat subjects, contrasty subjects, indoor lighting etc. If you become adept at metering in all these situations, ok the box camera won't be set up to shoot in all possible light conditions, but if you know in advance what conditions you'll be shooting in you can plan ahead.

You may be wondering why you should practise metering in scenarios better suited to an SLR. It's all about honing skills. The better practised you are at metering different lighting scenarios, the more automatic it will become, and pretty soon you'll be able to just look at a scene and know if your box camera can shoot it. A light meter is a tool, and there's more to using them than just pointing them at a subject. Mastery of using a light meter will require regular practice. That's why the Ikophot guide on the right is 96 pages long! Master your metering and take better photos.

1939 Advert for the Ful-Vue

I saw these adverts, which are just newspaper cuttings, on eBay and couldn't resist. I think they're fantastic. Be sure of getting 12 perfect pictures from every roll eh? Well the pics on my first test shoot weren't all perfect, but that was down to photographer error. Hands not steady enough and one accidental double exposure! At least no one lost their head. See if I do better next time.

Getting to Grips with Light - Sunny F16 Rule

Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash

The 'Sunny F16' rule is there to help you work out whether the shot you want to take will expose correctly when you don't have a light meter to hand. It's a simple rule that applies in clear, sunny conditions (EV15). It states that if you are taking a shot with the aperture set to F16, the shutter speed should roughly match that of your film. In other words, in high noon sun with no clouds (EV15), when shooting at F16 with an ISO of 100, the shutter speed should be about 1/100th of a second. Or, if the ISO is 25, the shutter speed should be about 1/25th of a second. Simple.

Now, of course, with box cameras we cannot adjust our settings, and most have wider apertures than F16, and more often than not the light conditions are overcast...Bear with me. The rule still has some use.

I've written before about exposure values in my post about film speeds, and the sunny F16 rule is another neat trick to make sure you have the right conditions, or the right camera for the job. There's a good argument for having more than one box camera loaded with different film speeds so you can grab the one set up correctly for the light conditions (particularly as they are so cheap on eBay). I have four Ful-Vue cameras, so in theory I could put a different film speed in each of them (actually that's a good idea, why haven't I done that yet?)

Anyway, back to the point. To illustrate we'll assume we're shooting with a Ful-Vue camera with an aperture of F11 and a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second. 

To keep things simple, we're going to assume that the camera and selected film are the only tools at our disposal (no neutral density filters, we'll get to that in another post), and for the purposes of this example we are not going to push or pull the film in development (again, we get to that later).

If, hypothetically speaking, we were shooting a subject at EV15, and the camera had an aperture of F16, then the correct film speed would be ISO 30 to match the fixed shutter speed. You can't buy ISO 30 film, so you're left with a choice of ISO 25 or 50. To be honest either would work fine. ISO 50 might overexpose a little, but film latitude is such that that shouldn't be an issue, similarly ISO 25 isn't going to be too far out at 1/30th  of a second either.

Let's assume we're loaded with ISO 50 film. The aperture size is F11, which is one stop of light greater than F16. This means that to correctly expose the film we now need to toggle one of the other variables. By increasing the stop to F11, we now technically need to decrease the shutter speed one stop to 1/60th of a second...but of course we can't do that. What we need to do instead is toggle the ISO, which is easy on a digital camera, harder on a film camera. Here you have four options:

1)Take the shot. It may be mildly overexposed. No big deal.
2)Find a different subject in weaker light that will expose correctly.
3)Use a different box camera loaded with ISO 25 film and the same shutter speed and aperture.
4)Use a different box camera with completely different settings to correctly expose the image.

Disclaimer: I am not suggesting you travel with 4 box cameras at all times to be ready for most light eventualities. Watch the forecast or look out the window. Choose the best bet, and take your chances, or, if your camera bag will take two cameras hedge your bets.

Here is an illustration. Let's assume I do load each of the four Ful-Vue cameras with a different film speed. They would then each be optimal for different exposure values:

Ful-Vue Exposure Values
F11 1/30th ISO 200 = EV11 (subjects in deep shade)
F11 1/30th ISO 100 = EV12 (subjects in open shade/heavy overcast)
F11 1/30th ISO 50 = EV13 (subjects in cloudy-bright light - no shadows)
F11 1/30th ISO 25 = EV14 (subjects in weak, hazy sun)

So, as you can see, none of these cameras is actually correctly set up for EV15, or sunny F16 conditions. I do have another box camera though with a bit more versatility, my Balda Baldixette, which has 2 apertures. You can see it's EV options here:


Baldixette Exposure Values
F9 1/60th ISO 200 = EV11 (subjects in deep shade)
F9 1/60th ISO 100 = EV12 (subjects in open shade/heavy overcast)
F9 1/60th ISO 50 = EV13 (subjects in cloudy-bright light - no shadows)
F9 1/60th ISO 25 = EV14 (subjects in weak, hazy sun)

F16 1/60 ISO 200 = EV13 (subjects in cloudy-bright light - no shadows)
F16 1/60 ISO 100 = EV14 (subjects in weak, hazy sun)
F16 1/60 ISO 50 = EV15 (subjects in bright or hazy sun - sunny F16 rule)
F16 1/60 ISO 25 = EV16 (subjects in bright daylight on sand or snow)

So, to get perfect shots at EV15, I should leave my Ful-Vue cameras at home, grab my Baldixette, load it with with ISO 50 film and shoot it at F16.

Disclaimer: I do not own four Baldixettes, I'd still have to pick a film speed, shoot with it, then reload.

Interestingly, if you look at the exposure values available when shooting at F9, they are identical to those offered by the Ful-Vue cameras. This is thanks to the Baldixette's faster shutter speed. So it would make the most sense for me to load the Baldixette with either ISO 50 or 25 to allow it to shoot at exposure values beyond the range of the Ful-Vues. This is handy to know as it means if I want to shoot in the snow in bright sun, I should choose the Baldixette at ISO 25.

What's the point of all this?

Again, this is a way of using knowledge of exposure values and a longstanding film photography rule to make good choices about exposures. Ask two questions:
What are the light conditions?
Is this the right camera for the job?

If you have only one box camera then you need to:

1. Be stricter about maybe not taking the shot.
2. Not get hung up about maybe overexposing a little. 
3. Get good at recognising light conditions, particularly the ones your camera is set up for.

If you want to play around with different camera settings to experiment with resulting exposure values, check out this site.

Fulvueflex Instructions

I was scanning Ebay recently, as I do from time to time in case there is any Ful-Vue memorabilia or accessories for sale at a sensible price. Happily, I stumbled across someone who was selling a Fulvueflex with its original box and instructions. Sadly, at the price they were asking I couldn't justify buying it just to get my hands on the box and instructions, but the photos did let me have a glance at what the instructions had to say, which was interesting. Here was what I managed to make out:

You will notice the robust construction of this model in a new material, high impact polystyrene which will not deteriorate with age and is virtually unbreakable.

A full set of accessories is available for those who wish to make the fullest use of their Fulvueflex. These include an Ever-ready carrying case, a capacitor flash unit, sky filter, close up lens and an eye-level frame viewfinder.

The Fulvueflex takes 12 2¼” square (6 x 6 cm.) pictures on 120 size film.

The all-distance Astaross lens is adjusted to give excellent results from as close as 6 feet to distant views.

Other guidelines refer to the accessories available for the camera.

Lens Hood: Rememberthe general rule of taking a picture with the sun to one side of you; but if you do have to 'shoot' into the sun the Fulvueflex Lens Hood will help to obtain a satisfactory picture.

Colour Filter: By contrasting the cloud against the blue sky the colour filter adds the final touch to your countryside and seaside views.

 Close-Up Lens: Endeavour to keep the subject matter lower down in the viewfinder so as to avoid cutting off. This lens allows you to be as close to your subject as 3 ft.

Ever-Ready Camera Case: Apart from offering protection it is also a convenient method of carrying your model. The adjustable neck strap allows comfort in use and assists the steadiness of the instrument during exposure.

On the move.
 The shutter of your Fulvueflex camera opens for a very short period, 1/40th second. This is quite fast enough to 'stop' any slow-moving subject, provided the movement is toward or away from the camera. A clip-on eye-level viewfinder is available as an extra accessoryand is recommended for use under these conditions, at sports meetings, etc.

 So, there was an eye-level frame viewfinder! You learn something new every day. It also focuses as close as 6 feet, which I didn't know before. It can't get as close as the other models then (naturally as the others had pull-out/screw mounts to allow close-ups at 3 feet, whereas the Fulvueflex needed a close-up lens). I don't know if I have a Fulvueflex lens hood, but I do have a lens hood that fits the camera. I shall take their advice when shooting into the sun. I also didn't realise this camera has a faster shutter speed than the earlier models. 1/40 as opposed to 1/30.

I can't see me stumbling across an eye-level frame viewfinder for a Fulvueflex on eBay anytime soon, but one can hope. At least I found a picture of one.

Film Speeds

So when taking a photo you need a camera, obviously, but you also need film and there are a lot of different makes and speeds out there. It can be hard to know where to start.This blog is about box camera photography, so we'll focus on medium format film here.

Your box camera may have come with its original instructions or it may have labels on the inside that recommend certain film types for that model. The chances are the recommended film isn't available anymore (some of these cameras are pretty old after all). Film gets discontinued, so don't worry if the camera says "for use with 'x' film". You can use other makes, and naturally these recommendations favoured the makers own-brand films to boost sales. Funnily enough Kodak recommended Kodak film while Ilford recommended Ilford film (see above). You can see a list of discontinued films here. For example, in my copy of How to Make Good Pictures, produced by Kodak (1951), for box cameras it says:

With a box camera and ordinary film, snapshots are best made in bright sunlight, though with Kodak 'Verichrome Film' [discontinued] satisfactory results can be obtained in the open or 'bright' shade and on days of hazy sunshine. In the early morning and late afternoon, the light tends to contain a higher proportion of red than it does in the middle of the day. The sun may appear to be bright, but its light is not strong at these hours as it is filtered through much of the earth's surface haze. 'Kodak' panchromatic films - 'Panatomic'-X [discontinued] and 'Super-XX' [discontinued] are of great help at such times because they are sensitive to red.

So, don't go looking for those Kodak films. One of my Ful-Vue cameras came with its original instructions. It very clearly states I should be using Ensign 120 film (Ensign Ultrachrome Film in fact), which of course is discontinued. Bear in mind also with some of the older cameras that manufacturers would have expected consumers to take black and white snapshots. We can still do that of course, but colour film is widely available now, so some more modern film guidelines are necessary.

Let's start with speed
When we talk about film speed we mean its sensitivity to light. Some are very sensitive, and some less so, making each type useful in different situations. Slow speeds require more exposure to light. Fast speeds require less exposure to light. Let's imagine some hypothetical photo subjects. First, a snowscape in really strong daylight. If your film is super sensitive to light then all that brightness will overexpose your image. A slow speed film will work better. Next, a dimly lit room. It will take an age to correctly expose with a slow speed film. A faster film is needed here. There is a trade off when using fast speeds however. They produce more noise. Noise is that snowy effect you sometimes get on the television. It makes the pictures a bit grainy, and becomes more noticeable if the picture is enlarged.

Film speeds are measured in ISO, though on older cameras it is more likely to be ASA (the terms are interchangeable).
Slow speeds: 200 ISO or lower
Medium Speed: 400 ISO
Fast Speed: 800 ISO or higher

Slow speeds capture details more effectively, making them ideal if you want to enlarge your images.
Use on very bright days and on subjects that aren't moving. The exception to this rule is night photography, where long exposures are taken with slow film to reduce noise. Generally these speeds are great for sunny landscapes and portrait photography, particularly when a shallow depth of field is required. 

 
The medium speed film will handle overcast conditions better and would be a better choice for pictures indoors.  This speed allows the use of faster shutter speeds, reducing motion blur.

Fast speed film is needed for poor light conditions, such as dimly lit interiors, particularly when using a zoom lens. It is also required for fast action shots and freezes moving subjects.

Ok, so that's a general overview of when different ISO types are used, but of course, not all shooting conditions are relevant to box cameras. They don't shoot very close up, and their slow shutter speeds make freezing fast movement impossible. You can't open up their apertures either, so forget about shallow depth of field. The focus of the lens is set in factory to make sure everything is sharp.

There are three elements that determine the correct exposure of a subject. The aperture, the shutter speed, and the ISO. Now, on a DSLR camera, you can toggle all three of these settings so the camera can be used in all kinds of situations. On a box camera you can't toggle any of them. Once the film is loaded you are stuck with that particular ISO until you load the next roll. The shutter speed is fixed at probably 1/30th of a second depending on the camera, and usually there is only one choice of aperture, likely F11. You might be lucky and have two apertures to play with. So, you can't adjust the camera to suit the conditions, at least not without some clever filters. Instead you have to adjust the conditions. This might mean moving to a sunnier spot, using artificial lighting to brighten your subject, asking the subject to stay still for a moment (unless it's a moving vehicle) or just admitting that the sun is too low and to take the shot another time.

One way to determine whether to take the shot or not is to work out the exposure value. This is a number that is attributed to the specific ISO, shutter speed, and aperture combination that you are using. As it is fixed on a box camera it is pretty easy to work out and remember while shooting. Our hypothetical camera has an aperture of F11 and a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second. Let's assume it has ISO 100 film in it. This would mean the lowest light conditions in which the camera could still shoot would be EV12. You can work this out using this fantastic Exposure Value Computer on Fred Parker's site. Read his whole article if you want to understand this topic better. EV12 corresponds with heavy overcast conditions. If the light is dimmer than this the picture will underexpose. At ISO 50, the camera could shoot at EV13, which corresponds with cloudy bright light. ISO 25 would let the camera shoot at EV 14, or in hazy sun. Funnily enough, EV12 and EV13 are the two settings available on my Kodak Brownie Cresta 3, so these were clearly the conditions considered optimal for that particular model.

Of course, the early literature recommended that these cameras be used in full sun, which seems to go against the guidelines above. Remember these guidelines were written 50, 60+ years ago and film reactivity has improved since then. ISO 50 and 100 were considered "fast" films, and it was presumed that consumers would be taking snapshots on ISO 25 or 50, hence they'd need to shoot in bright conditions.  You can still shoot in full sun with modern film. Film latitude is such that an overexposure of one or two stops will not ruin the picture. It'll be fine. Just take the shot.

Regarding medium speed film. At ISO 400 our hypothetical camera could potentially shoot at EV10, basically after sunset. However, unless you want to shoot all your pictures in those light conditions, you will find that your other daytime shots will be overexposed.

There is one factor that muddies all this clarity, however, and that is the 'Time' setting which is common on box cameras. This lets you do long exposures (with a tripod of course). This means you can use slower films in poorer light conditions. If you want to experiment with light painting, or even effects like star streak, you can use a slow film in your box camera after dark with this shutter setting.

What does it all mean then?
It means before you choose your film think about the likely subjects you will take with it. Box cameras can take portraits, candid shots, long exposures at night, landscapes, cityscapes, still life, and under the right condition they can shoot indoors. In fact, they can take moving subjects provided they are the correct distance away, but that's a post for another day.
 

It is unlikely that you will ever "need" fast film, though never say never. For the most part you will shoot between  EV12 and EV15, which means slow film, probably ISO 100, 50 or 25. Then again if, interiors with natural window lighting are your bag, medium speeds will be your film of choice.

Great, now which brand do I buy?
The best advice is to experiment. Check out the Box Camera Revolution group on Flickr. More often than not people mention the film they use in their photo descriptions. If you see a photo you like, make a note of the film it was taken with.

Common Film Brands

Black & White
Ilford
Fomapan 100 Classic
Kodak T-Max 100
Rollei
Catlabs X Film 80

Colour
Lomography
Kodak Ektar 100
Fuji Provia, Velvia, Acros,

620 Film
If you have one of the many Kodak Brownie box camera models out there then there's a good chance it takes 620 film. That said, so does the Ful-Vue Super. Though not as easy to get hold of as 120 film, you can find it at the following sources:
Analogue Wonderland 
Nik & Trick 

127 Film
Ok, so your box camera needs an obscure 127 film. Thankfully you can find it here:
Nik & Trick
Analogue Wonderland


I hope that clarifies the difference between film speeds and makes you feel more confident about loading your box camera and shooting photos with it. The best way to get to grips with this subject is to shoot film and learn from the results. Just remember to keep the camera still when you take the shot.

About Box Cameras in General

Left to Right: Balda Baldixette, Agfa Clack, Ensign Ful-Vue, Ilford Envoy, Kodak Cresta III

So what distinguishes box cameras from other cameras? 

Yes, they're lightproof boxes, but then so are all cameras. Really the defining feature of the box camera is its simplicity. There are a lot of makes and models out there, and all have some unique distinguishing features, but on the whole a box camera comes with a fixed focus lens, one or maybe two apertures, and one shutter speed. They are the no frills, budget point and shoots of their time. They were intentionally simple to allow absolutely anyone to take snapshots. There are things they absolutely cannot do, like macro photography, close up portraits, low light images (unless they have a flash) or super fast action shots, and there are things they do really well, such as landscapes, architecture, candid photography, portraits, double exposures, long exposures, you get the idea.


The 'boxiness' varies from camera to camera, as is clear from the photo on the left. The Baldixette (bottom right) looks more like a compact camera, but on closer inspection it is very much a box camera, just one with very nice styling. It has one shutter speed of 1/60th of a second, which is actually pretty quick for a box camera, and has two apertures, F9 and F16. Pretty simple.

Lenses
No interchangeable lenses here. Just the one. The question is, will it be glass or plastic? Ok, so the lens won't be amazing, but it also won't take bad photos. Box cameras more often than not had single element meniscus lenses. The only one pictured above that doesn't is the Baldixette, which has two elements and should be sharper. Some cameras have curved film planes (like the Kodak Cresta III and Ilford Envoy) to compensate for the curvature of field of the lens. This should give a sharper picture. Some cameras have plastic lenses, such as the Cresta III and the Fulvueflex. This may well place them in the toy camera category for some, but they are still capable of taking good photos. You can expect some vignetting in images taken with box camera lenses, which, depending on your outlook, may be a desirable effect. You can't expect super sharp images from a box camera, but you can expect sharp images. Some lenses may be softer than others.

Viewfinders
Box cameras can have waist level or eye level viewfinders. The Ful-View is the only camera in the photo to have a waist level viewfinder. As viewfinders go it is fantastic. It's enormous. Composing with it is easy. The Baldixette on the other hand, well, look at the photo. It's challenging if you wear glasses.

Baldixette Viewfinder

Ful-Vue Viewfinder

 Focusing
There's no zooming in on your subject matter with one of these cameras, unless you physically move the camera closer of course. You are typically lumbered with fixed focus, or all-distance focusing as it was otherwise called. With a Ful-Vue you can get as close to your subject as 3 feet. Any closer and the picture will be out of focus. This is made possible by the two-position focusing mount. When pulled out, the lens will focus on anything from 3-10 feet. When pushed back in it will focus on anything from 10 feet to infinity. Some earlier box cameras that couldn't do this had accessory portrait attachments that would let you focus this close to the subject. Some of the later Ful-Vue models replaced the two position mount with a screw mount that did the same thing. Many box cameras had similar close focusing options. Some, like the Agfa Clack and Kodak Cresta III had close-up lenses that swung into place when wanted.

Ilford Envoy lens mount: For faces pull out, for places push in.

Agfa Clack focus options: 3-10 feet, or 10 feet to infinity. The built in close up lens has a yellow filter too. Handy for portrait photography in black and white. This all swings into place when you select the close-up range.

Apertures
If you're uncertain of the aperture of your box camera F11 is a good guess. It's pretty common. Some box cameras offer the luxury of a second aperture though, making them a little more versatile. The Agfa Clack, pictured immediately above, has two apertures, F11 and F12.5. To select the aperture you want you slide the lever to either the sunny position or the cloudy position. This moves a rotating plate into place with your aperture of choice.

 The Kodak Cresta III (above) offers a choice of two apertures, but they are labelled as exposure values rather than F-stops. You can choose betwen exposure values 12 or 13 (F11 and F12). The Baldixette offers F9 and F16.

Shutter Speeds

Slow. Pretty slow. Don't take a box camera to a race track unless you think the resulting blurry images better convey the speed. My Ful-Vue cameras each offer 1/30th of a second, as does the Clack. The Ilford Envoy and the Cresta III offer 1/40th of a second. The Baldixette tops the charts at a whopping 1/60th of a second. I'm sure there will be other shutter speeds out there. Be sure to research any box camera before you purchase it. Don't be disheartened though. It's better to work with the limitations of these cameras than against them. They are great landscape cameras because on the whole mountains and architecture don't move very fast.  Choose your subjects wisely.

Shutter Releases

These things are all over the place. If you are used to clicking a button on the right of the top plate then box camera shutter releases may take some getting used to (unless you have a Baldixette or Envoy, then the button is in the same place). More often than not you don't press a button. Instead you pull or push a small lever somewhere near the lens mount with your thumb or finger. The release may also be on the side, or a button on the front of the box. 

 Other Features, Bells and Whistles

Err, well, bells and whistles aren't really part of box camera photography, but you do occasionally find some neat features. Some boxes come with tripod sockets, like the Clack, which is actually a massive plus because one of the most challenging aspects of box camera photography is keeping the cameras steady. This is super important given their slow shutter speeds so tripod sockets are a real asset. Bulb and Time settings are also common, which is handy for long exposures. Many have flash sockets, further increasing their versatility. The Baldixette has an accessory shoe, which means I can attach an accessory viewfinder or rangefinder, which I'm probably going to need given the size of its viewfinder. Some, like the Baldixette, have ISO reminders, which is super helpful when the camera hasn't been used for a while and you've forgotten which film it is loaded with. My plastic fantastic Fulvueflex (below) has a threaded lens mount, which will take a step up adapter, which means I can use it with filters, giving it more creative potential than the other cameras in my collection. And there are other features out there, like double exposure prevention if you're not into that kind of photography. Something quite neat about the Ilford Envoy is it will take both 120 and 620 film. It also shoots 6x9cm exposures, unlike the others which shoot 6x6cm. On the whole though, the cameras are pretty similar. The main distinguishing features are cosmetic.

 Considerations when choosing a box camera
I hope this blog post has helped illustrate what a box camera can offer, which is a lot more than it may seem upon first glance. If the thought of a camera without a built in light meter, full complement of apertures and shutter speeds, no variable ISO settings, no zoom lenses, and no immediate way to upload to Instagram makes you shudder then this kind of photography probably isn't for you. If you think about it, these cameras were meant for people to take holiday snaps and fill family albums. They can't be that restrictive then. Nobody would have bought a camera that couldn't be used indoors, to take portraits, or one that needed a very specific level of daylight to function. Imagine waiting for optimal sunshine in the UK. Don't get hung up on the restrictions. If the light conditions aren't perfect for your shutter speed, aperture, or ISO you'll probably still get a decent photo. Film is pretty forgiving in terms of exposure latitude. Just use some common sense. If the sun is getting low hold off. Or use a flash.

Some questions to ask:
Would I be comfortable using a waist level finder? Or, would I prefer an eye level finder?
Do I need a tripod socket? If taking long exposures it's a definite plus.
Do I want more apertures than one?
Is taking close-up portraits important to me?
Do I want Time/Bulb settings?
Do I want to do flash photography?
Do I want to shoot 6x6cm or 6x9cm exposures? The difference between 12 and 8 exposures per roll of film.
What film does it take? Is it readily available? Steer clear of 127 film. 120 is the easiest to find, followed by 620.

Choose your box camera and then go shooting with it. Let its limitations challenge you to find the right shot.

If you want some inspiration and to see what other people are doing with their box cameras, check out the Box Camera Revolution group on Flickr.