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The Maton with its instruction book and film cartridges

1930: The Maton.

This unusual French camera was made of Bakelite and held by a handle on the back into which three fingers could be hooked. Inside, an angled mirror reflected the image from the lens through 90 degrees and down onto paper-baked film running along the base of the body. It shot 24 exposures 24x30mm. Turning a side-mounted crank advanced the film and fired the shutter in sequence. Shutter speeds of 1/25–1/100sec were adjusted by a control above the lens, with a lever to adjust apertures beneath. With the addition of a suitable light source, the camera also acted as a projector.

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Side view showing the handle that wound the film and made the exposure

With the side of the body removed, showing the film path along the base of the camera

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