james norman
15-May-1999, 19:01
in my work, i am often required to reproduce historic "main street" type photogr aphs. since the original views have been made at different periods over the pas t 120 years, it is often not easy to tell what size camera and what focal length lens was used to photograph the historic view. i have been working from a basi c assumption that the earlier views (1880s-1900s) would typically have been made by an 8x10 camera using a 300mm standard lens, and that many of the later views (1930s) have been photographed using a 5x7 graphlex but i dont know what the "n ormal" lens was for that camera. certain images seem to have been made with 4x5 press cameras with a 135mm lens. i use a 4x5 to photograph the contemporary ma in street view to match the historic view as closely as possible, and generally use a 135mm, but i can tell i am a bit wider than most historic views. i was wo ndering if anyone has any specific information on whether my assumptions are cor rect (that generally a "normal" lens was used, rather than a slighly wide, or sl ightly long lens), or what type of format/focal length would have actually been used for this kind of main-street documentation. basically, i am wondering whet her to purchase a 150mm, 165mm, or 180mm lens for this type of photograph - any advice? thanks. jnorman