F24 camera facts for kids
The F24 camera was a special British camera from the 1920s. It was used by the British and their allies for aerial reconnaissance, which means taking pictures from airplanes to gather information. This camera was used for a long time, even into the mid-1950s!
Contents
How the F24 Camera Was Designed
The first ideas for the F24 camera came from the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough. It was first used in 1925. Most of the detailed design and building was done by Williamson Manufacturing Company Ltd in London.
The F24 was made to be lighter and smaller than an older camera called the F8. This made it easier to use in airplanes.
What are the F24's Main Parts?
The F24 camera had a few main parts:
- A body with a special roller blind shutter. This shutter controls how long light hits the film.
- A gearbox to help the camera work smoothly.
- A film magazine that held the film.
- A lens cone with the camera's lens.
The camera used roll film that was 5 inches wide. Each film magazine could hold enough film for up to 250 pictures! The camera could take pictures very quickly, from 1/100th of a second to 1/1000th of a second.
Lenses and How They Changed
Around 1940, many F24 cameras used a Dallmeyer Pentac lens. This lens was 8 inches long and let in a lot of light. The camera could be held by hand using a special handle, or it could be fixed inside the plane and controlled by a motor. A hand-held F24 camera weighed about 20 pounds.
Before 1940, other lenses were available, including shorter ones. Later, longer lenses were added:
- A 14-inch lens in 1937.
- A 20-inch lens in late 1940.
- A very long 36-inch lens in 1942.
These longer lenses helped pilots take more detailed pictures from very high up in the sky.
Other Companies and New Versions
During World War II, another company called Vinten also made the F24 camera. An American company, Eastman Kodak, made a lighter version called the K-24 for the US forces.
In 1942, the F24 camera was improved and became the F52. This new camera used a larger film size and could hold up to 500 pictures. It was even better for using the very long 36-inch and 40-inch lenses.
The F24 Camera in Action
The F24 camera was very important during World War II. It was installed in many different types of airplanes to help gather information for the military.
Some of the aircraft that used the F24 camera included:
- Avenger
- Blenheim
- Catalina
- Corsair
- Halifax
- Hellcat
- Hudson
- Hurricane
- Lancaster
- Liberator
- Lysander
- Maryland
- Meteor FR.9
- Mitchell
- Mosquito
- Mustang
- Spitfire
- Stinson
- Stirling
- Sunderland
- Wellington
See also
- Aerial photography
- Aerial reconnaissance
- Fairchild K-20
