The Half Frame
GroupThe Half Frame
GroupFounded by Fred &
Pam Adcock, 16 Havelock Road, Hucclecote, Gloucester GL3 3PG
Tel: 01452-610709
Half frame cameras use standard 35mm film (apart from a few which used the Agfa Karat Rapid cassette), but instead of a negative format of 36mm x 24mm they use a format of 18mm x 24mm. They are sometimes referred to as 'single frame' cameras, because the popular full frame 35mm format is actually double the size of the original 35mm cine film format.
The earliest half frame camera was the Lleo of 1908, but the format did not become common until the 1960's. In an era of Mini cars and mini skirts the smaller format and consequently smaller cameras were popular during the 60's and early 70's, but sadly then went into decline. The most recent half frame camera to be put into production was the Yashica Samurai, but this range has now been discontinued after making little impact on the market. Olympus was the company most responsible for the popularisation of half frame, with its Pen cameras. These ranged from simple point and shoot models to the Pen F single lens reflex system camera. All were very high quality cameras with excellent optics.
Original
Olympus Pen dwarfed by a Bronica ETRSi film back
The small format of the negative means that the cameras themselves can be smaller than conventional full frame 35mm cameras. In addition, the smaller negative also means a shorter focal length lens, which reduces the bulk and weight of the lens significantly, resulting in much slimmer cameras. Although the negative is only half the size of the full frame 35mm negative, the proportions are much more suitable for many subjects, resulting in better utilisation of the negative area.
The Half Frame Group has produced a booklet summarising the technical details of all the known half frame cameras which have ever been produced ("The Half Frame Camera 1908 - 1989", The Half Frame Group, October 1996. Available from Fred Adcock at the address at the top of this page, price 3.00 pounds including UK postage).
The Half Frame life cycle:
On the left, the camera that started the interest in half frame,
the Olympus Pen. Centre: A later, higher specification, Olympus
Pen - the Pen D. Right: Last of the line - the Yashica Samurai Z,
the last half frame camera to be introduced.
Although there are no longer any half frame cameras in production, many of the old cameras have survived and are still in use. The cameras were almost all of a good quality and had excellent optics, and are still capable of producing high superb results. The Half Frame Group exists for enthusiasts of this format, whether they are primarily collectors or photographers. The Group produces a magazine, The Half Framer, three times a year in January, May and September, and organises competitions and exhibitions of members' work. The Half Framer varies from 20 - 28 A4 pages in each issue, and contains reprints of articles from the heyday of half frame - the 1960's and 70's - articles by members on their use of the cameras, technical information, and 'The HFG Mart', which provides a means of buyers and sellers being put in touch with one another.
Membership of The Half Frame Group costs only 7.00 pounds per year UK, 9.00 pounds elsewhere. To join The Half Frame Group, or for more information, please contact Fred Adcock at the address shown above. Email sent to halffg@mwfree.net will be passed on to Fred, who does not have an email address.
Image produced on a Yashica Samurai Z half frame camera
Copyright (C)1999 Ferrets Anonymous
URL: http://www.users.mwfree.net/~halffg/intro.html
Last updated 28 November 1999