Canon X-ray 35 camera? What the? Anyone have any info on it?

[maiku]

<p>Hi,<br>

I was at a local antique flea market today. I came across two Canon X-ray 35 cameras and the lens. I tried to find some information on the net, but information is scant. On this webpage, <a href="http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/history/canon_story/1937_1945/1937_1945.html">http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/history/canon_story/1937_1945/1937_1945.html</a>, it is called an indirect x-ray camera. What is that?<br>

Has anyone else seen it? Has anyone used it? Can anyone help me?<br>

It is an interesting camera to say the least. The back does not open, so I have no idea how to insert the film. Yes, there were two rolls of 35mm film in the carrying case. The lens has three big screws that would appear you mount on to a plate or something. It is just odd!</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Here are some photos I took of the camera.</p>

<p > </p>

<p ><a href="../photodb/folder?folder_id=883089">http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=883089</a></p>

<p > </p>

<p >Mike </p>

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>Well... it looks like a bottom loader... if you twist those two knobs at the bottom, they probably unlock the bottom. Looks like the chain allows the film to be advanced by yanking the chain. Since there doesn't appear to be a shutter, I would guess that that is a lead-lined darkslide that pulls out of the top. The button beside the darkslide is either a lock for the film advance or the darkslide itself. I would bet that the whole camera is lead-lined and a little heavy. "Indirect" might refer to the fact that it has a lens, as opposed to "direct" X-rays which would simply be X-rays falling directly onto a large format negative, which is traditionally how X-rays are taken. To my limited knowledge of the subject, X-ray film is usually just some kind of B&W film. If you wanted to use the camera it might make a cool pinhole camera.</p>

 

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>Most of the lead shielding is probably in the cone attached to the lens, I bet that's a heavy sucker.</p>

[glenn_mabbutt]

<p>A quick search for "x-ray 35mm camera" turned up <a title="this reference" href="http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=151454">this</a> - no pic, but a mention that it attaches to the X-ray machine itself somehow. </p>

<p>Interesting to think at some point someone was interested in 35mm X-ray pics - most body x-rays these days are 8x10 or larger. </p>

[maiku]

<p>Hi,<br>

I went back to look at the camera. Curosity got the better of me. I took some more photos and added them to the folder.<br>

Patrick you are correct the lens is heavy. There is an arm that swings to lock the camera and the lens together. In addition, there is a long screw on the base of the lens that I figure adjusts the focus. The lens is a 5cm F4.5 R-Serenar. There is no viewfinder, so I have no idea how you determine focus other than measuring with a tape measure or ruler.<br>

As you can see from the additional photos the chain, Patrick refers to, does in fact advance the film.<br>

The camera does have two bottom screws to loosen the base, but I could not get either camera open. The dealer has no idea how to open them either. We gently pulled on the base plate, but no luck!<br>

Now what about the shutter. Please look at the photos. The shutter is a flat thin plate of metal that you left up and push down. Want to talk about manual!<br>

One last thing, look at the 35mm cannisters that hold the film. They are made of lead. The look like a big fat bullet.<br>

It is a faniscating camera.<br>

If anyone can add anything please do!<br>

Mike</p>

 

[bob_sunley]

<p>The lens would be looking at an image intensifier screen. It would glow when the xrays hit it and the camera would take an image of the screen. Similar to the polaroid cameras that mounted on the front of oscilloscopes.<br>

The lead is to stop the fogging of the film. Focus would have been preset, as the screen is always the same distance from the lens. No shutter is required at the screen would be dark except when a blast of xrays goes thru the subject and produces a shadowgraph image on the screen. That plate is a darkslide, the same as you find in a large format film holder, it would only be in place when the camera is removed to change the film, or the equipment is not in use.</p>

<p> </p>

[dave_s]

<p>Peter Dechert's excellent book <em>Canon Rangefinder Cameras</em> has a chapter on these things, if anyone wants further details.</p>

[rdm]

<p>yes im interisted to learn moe but have no acces to that book</p>

[adolphius_st._clair]

<p>This camera was used to make what is referred to as a "photo-fluorogram". From the size of the front of the camera it appears to be too small to have been used to make chest X-rays. Go to this web: http://www.ratical.org/radiation/CNR/PBC/chp16.txt for additional information.<br>

A similar type camera/system is still used in some 'third world' countries for X-ray examinations (35 mm or 70 mm rolls of film are cheaper than sheets of 11 x 17 film. The real problem: the radiation exposure is many times greater than if a sheet of X-ray film had been used. </p>

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