ICA TRONA No. 212 Plates and film packs User manual

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     Instructior?s
        f or  using    the
((TROlVA)'
CAMER A
        lVo. 212
for Plates 4t ,x3r   r " and Film Packs





                  p|R.E,.SpnNgcA COMPANY

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      '     BEFORE
US/]VG THE CAMERA
  Read the instructions carefully with the
camera before you and make yourself familiar
with all the various movements, shutter ado
                                                      lessjustments &c. By so doing, you are
likely to make any mistake when making your
first exposures.
                                         be Do not use force. No force need
applied in working any movements or adjust'
ments of the camera or shutter, all parts are
carefully adjusted and tested and if any slight
hitch occurs, you may find that you are not
handling the instrument quite correctly.
  To open the camera. Press on the corlz
cealed button on the side of the camera near
the handle. The baseboard will then spring out
and should be drawn down until it snaps into
position. The camera front should then be ex'
tended by pressing the two knobs GG towards
each other and drawing out until stopped by
the infinity catch.
  Focusing. The lens is now in a position
for photographing objects at infinity (about
100 feet or more).

Nearer objects should be focused by using
         the focusing scrcw Z.
          This screw is locked when the camera is
               first opened and is released by outward pressure
        on the focusing lock Y.
       A focusing screen with deep hood is pro,
         vided and for very accurate focusing or stand
          works should be used in preference to the scale.
          The double Extension of the Trorra allows
        the use of the single combination or of a
         supplementary lens, considerably increasing
         the size of image.
           In the case of convertible lenses which admit
           of the use of the single combination, the bellows
          extension is sufficient to admit of focusins on
          objects only a few feet away with the single
          combination.
        The front should be drawn out over the
          infinity stop and scale as far as it will go
        and then further extended by means of the
          focusing screw.
         The finders. The well known "Brilliant"
        or reflecting finder calls for no special ex,
         planation. It  is normally in position for a
          vertical picture and turns on a pivot for
          landscape pictures.
         Take care that it is returned fo ifs normal
          position before closing the camera,
         The Trona camera has in addition to the
           Brilliant finder a direct vision or "lconometer"
          finder which consists of a wire frame at the
          front and peeprsight at the back of the camera.
       The wire frame is hinged on one side and is
       swung into position as required. The sight
           is directly behind the wire frame and should
       be used as close to the eye as possible.
         The advantages of the "Iconometer" finder
       when raising the camera above walls, hedges


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and other obstacles, are obvious, another point
of importance is that the view is photographed
at eye level.
  The rising front. The fLont is raised per,
pendicularly by the screw Fr. This movement
is very useful when photographing high buil,
dings &c., or rvhen  it becomes necessary to
reducc foreground
  ?fte cross fronf has the same use for hori,
zontal pictures and is nroved by loosening the
screw P and sliding along.
  Important Be sure that the front is in its
normal position with the white dots opposite
each other before closing the camera.
  Closing the camera. Compactness being a
feature of the Trona camera, each part and
fitting is placed in the smallest space possible;
it is necessary therefore to see that everything
is in its normal position before attempting to
close the camera. Then press in the two
knobs GG, push back the front as far as it
will go and by depressing the two side strnts,
the baseboard will  close readily; if  it does
not close easily, do not use force, look again
and make sure that the parts are in  their
proper positions.
   Plate holders of the single metal type and
FiIm Pack adapters are used with the Trona
and fit in place of the focusing screen. The
plates must be inserted in the darkroom but
an examination of the holders should be made
beflore loading to see exactly how the plates
will bc insetted.
 A spring with two projections is pressed
back with the thumb, the plate is then inserted
by slipping under the rebate at the other end
and pressed while the spring is released. The
two projections then cover and keep the plate
in position.

General Suggesfions
        What has been said up to this point has
           special reference to the operation of the Trona
        Camera. These further suggestions apply not
        only to the Trona, but generally to all small
          plate cameras.
           I{eep  camera and  lens free from  dusf.
          Dirt and dust are enemies ofthe photographer-
          especially dust, and especially to the user of
        a small camera. Dust is particularly annoying,
        not to say disastrous to good results, in the
         case of small camera negatives. For where in
          contact prints a few dust marks on the negative
        may do no harm, when an enlargement  is made
         every dust mark is enlarged, and makes an
         ugly blemish on the print. Be careful, there,
           fore, frequently to dust out the inside of the
         camera with a clean, lintless cloth or cam'els,
          hair brush, or both. The lenses should also
         be kept clean, and should be unscrewed from
           their mounting occasionally, and carefully and
         gently wiped off with a soft cloth (an old
        but clean linen handkerchief is good) and
         afterward dusted with a camel's,hair brush.
       Be very careful not to scratch the lenses.
          Important to focus correctly,  It  is  a
        good plan to train one's ability at focusing
        before depending on the scale in  actually
       making exposures. With the camera on a          I
         tripod or other firm support, open the lens
       and focus for various distances. Select some           t
          object that you judge to be ten feet from the
         camera, set the focus by scale at ten feet, and
       then see by looking at the ground glass
         whether your guess rvvas a good one. Do this
           for longer and shorter distances, verifying your
        judgment with a tape measure; and after a
             little practice of this kind your ability to judge
          distances will be greatly improved.




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        Using single combination of ,lens. Some
        lenses admit of the front or rear half of the
       lens being used alone at approximately twice
       the focal length of the complete lens. This
        results in an image of any particular object
       twice as large as that given by the double
       lens. If the single lens is twice the focal
       length of the doublet,  it will have only one,
       fourth the speed at the same actual lens,
      opening. For instance, if the lens,opening ist
      marked F 8 for the doublet, the same opening
      becomes F 16 at twice the focal length.
       Use of the fiLm pack. The pack provides
       perhaps the most convenient form of daylight
       loading film. It is certainly more quickly loaded
       than roll film, and the changing oI film between
       exposures is at least as quickly effected. Then
      above all is the advantage, the pack affords, of
      ground glass focusing when desired -  this
      being particularly valuable in such cameras
       as the Trona whose long bellows extension
     can be used for close range work only
     when the operator can focus on the ground
         glass.
         Certain characteristics of film pack must be
     borne in mind, however, +nd certain pre,
       cautions observed, to get best results. Film
      does not and cannot be expected, because of
         its flexible nature, to present such a perfectly
          flat, plane surface as does a glass plate. There,
       fore it is advisable, when using film packs, to
     employ a rather smaller lens opening than
      would be used with a plate - the added depth
      thus obtained compensating to a large degree
       for any slight unevenness in the film surface.
          It  is well, also, not to leave the slide out of
      the film pack holder any longer than neces,
       sary, for this allows more air to reach the
       film.  If the air is warm and damp, the film

that is exposed to it will absorb moisture, and
            will swell, thus causing it to bulge out. This
         may be overcome to a certain extent by changing
         the film, that is, drawing a new section into
           position, just before instead of just after the
         exposure. If the film pack holder slide  is
         withdrawn before the bellows is extended,
         the suction caused by extending the bellows
           is apt to cause the film to bulge.

          Exposure Suggestions
           Right exposure lies at the very foundation
         of all successful photography. The following
         are exposures for common subjects that will
          probably be not far out of the way. They
        are calculated for a lens opening of F 6.1
       and should give fairly full light action on
           fast lilm or plates.
      OUTDOORS
             Intense sunlight, no shadow detail required,
        such as open landscapes or views on the
          water, l/166 second.
             Bright sunlight, open view, but some shadow
           detail required, 1t56 second.
         Open view in light that would be called
         "cloudy bright", or view with near objects
          lighted by sun, but containing more or less
        shadow detail which should be plainly shown,
             l/ro to 1/25 second.
          Under trees or on porch, where principal
         part of view is in shadow, whether partly
          illuminated by direct sunlight or not, l/s to
             1/16         second                         fofkoS,,rS
      TNDOORS
             Portrait near window, well lighted and
          using reflector or having light from windows.
        on two sides, l/s to 1 second'





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   Interior view, well lighted by two or more
windows, light not shut off by trees or other
objects,'2 to l0 seconds.
  In the case of interior views it is rrsually
advisable for the sake of depth (securing both
near and distant objects sharply focused) to
use a stop not larger than F 16 and lengthen
the exposure accordingly. Remember that each
successively smaller stop requires a doubling
of the exposute, so that rvith F 16 a well
lighted room would require an exposure of
12 seconds to I minute. Most interiors require
much longer exposure than that.
  Overexposure isn't nearly so much to be
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      'feared as underexposure in the great majority
of subjects.
   F'ortunately  for the photographer who cannot
always determine the absolutely correct exz
posure for the particular subject, the plate or
{ilm provides considerable latitude. If the right
exposure for a given subject were, let us say,
one second, probably anything from half a
second to four seconds would give a very
satisfactory  result.
  Camera should b'e held steady. Much of
the amateur photographer's troublc can be
traced to an unsteadiness of the camera at the
instant of exposure. This results inevitably in
a blurring of the details of the picture. It
is especially important in the case of small
negatives from which enlargements may be
desired, that the camera be very steady when
the exposure is rnade. The use of the wire
or antinous release is less likely to jar the
camera than the trigger, and the reflecting
finder is usually better to use than the direct
vision finder for comparatively slow exposures
with the camera held in the hand. Steady'
handed people are readily able to make as

slow an exposure as 1/lo or even 1/5 second
without jarring the camera, but t/zr is about
as slow as most people are sure of without
a firm support for the camera.
  The Compur shutter fitted to Trona Cameras
is thoroughly reliable, and can be depended
upon for the very useful slow "snaps" like
 1/16 second and anything between that and 1/250.
  Use a tripod whenever you can. There
is no law against using a hand camera on a
tripod. It is really best to use a tripod or
other firm support for even a very small
camera when it is at all possible or conz
venient. While it would not be advisable
for any photographer to attempt to "do" a
football match with his camera on a tripod,
yet it is undeniably true that the great ma,
jority of amateur work, including quick in,
stantaneous exposures, would be much better
than it  is if there were a more general em,
ployment of the tripod.
  In conclusion Instructions and suggesz
tions such as the foregoing must necessarily
be brief, or they are likely to defeat their
own object. There are many matters, therefore,
that have to do with everyday camera work
which are not herein mentioned at all. In
closing let us wish you the best of success
with the Trona Camera. Success with it will
be measured by the care and skill with which
it is used.





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     ?ca automlatic shuffers
       Model X and XI
              r





      Model X              Model XI
  for long and short time         for long and short time
exposures and instantaneous     exposures and insta ntaneous                r/-.th,                                                                                                                                             t,i                                                                                    tlr,,                                                                  rf,,  speeds          of                                l/,16 and      gpeeds                                        of                                                                         l,                                                                            rn, rl"ru       t/to,,th                                                                         r/r,r            of           a second                                         l/;6 and                                                   second                                              th                                                 of                                       a
 z. Long time exposures
   Set the letter Z of the dial r against the
 notched mark at the top of the dial. A
 pressure on lever d or on the wire release
 inserted at o will open the shutter which
 remains open until a second pressure closes it.
 B. Short time exposures
   Set the letter B of dial r against the notch.
 A pressure on release will open the shutter,
 which will close as soon as this pressure
 ceases.
  1t4. Instantaneous exposures
   Set one of the numbers of dial r indicating
 parts of a second. against the notch and re,
 lease by a pressure on lever d or the cable
 release.
  The iris diaphragm is regulated by lever f
 running on a scale, on which are engraved
 the various openings.
                                    ll

The Compur sfiutter
                   r


                          gives Time, Bulb
                      and various
                              instantaneous
                              exposures


                           f
M. For instantaneous exposures
first of all set the diaphragm scale f to the stop
(or aperture) required, then set the dial t with
the letter M ( or  I ) against the pointer, revolve
the dial r in the direction of the arrow (never
revolve it in the opposite direction, or it will
be damagcd )  until the intended speed is
opposite the indicator, then depress the lever i
and the shutter is set. The exposure may
be made by depressing the lever d or by
using the cable release which is inserted at o.
Z. Time exposures
  Set the dial t at Z (or T), open by pres'
sure on lever d or preferably by cable release,
a second pressure closes the shutter.
a. Short time exposures
  Set the dial t at B and open the shutter
by pressure on release, immediately this pres;
sure ceases the shutter will close.
  Nofe. The shutter is automatic for Time
and bulb exposures; lever i becomes then
locked and no attempt must be made to
depress it
  The lens apertures, or stops are altered by
moving the small lever f, the diaphragm
scale and indicator will be found at the top
of the shutter, behind the dial r.
                         t2