Bell & Howell Foton (1948)
A 35mm still camera with spring motor drive, T-stop lens calibration, and separate viewfinder and rangefinder eyepieces, introduced in 1948.
Overview
The Bell & Howell Foton is a 35mm still camera introduced in 1948, marking the company's first entry into the still photography market. Designed with precision in mind, it features a separate rangefinder and viewfinder—left and right eyepieces respectively—and uses a coated 2 inch f/2.0 Cooke Amotol Anastigmat lens calibrated in T-stops, with a maximum T-stop of 2.2. The camera was built around a spring motor drive system enabling continuous shooting at 4 to 6 frames per second for 10 to 15 consecutive exposures when fully wound, with single and repeat exposure modes available. Film advance is automatic via the spring motor, and the camera includes a manual-reset frame counter marked from 0 to 36.
Specifications
| Film format | 35mm / Full-frame 35mm |
| Normal lens | coated 2 inch f/2.0 Cooke Amotol Anastigmat |
| Lens calibration | calibrate the lens in T-stops rather than f-stops |
| Maximum T-stop | T-stop aperture is 2.2 |
| Lens mount (standard lens) | screw-thread mount |
| Lens mount (telephoto lenses) | bayonet onto the three lugs seen surrounding the camera lens mount |
| Focusing system | focusing gears for the normal lens are built into the camera body. Focus can be adjusted by turning the lens, or by turning a knurled wheel on the camera front. |
| Shutter type | Focal-plane shutter |
| Viewfinder system | view and rangefinder are not combined. The rangefinder eyepiece is located on the left, and the viewfinder eyepiece is on the right. |
| Film advance | Spring motor drive |
| Film advance modes | single and repeat exposure modes |
| Continuous shooting rate | advertised at an incredible 4 - 6 frames per second |
| Number of consecutive exposures | The Foton can shoot between 10 and 15 consecutive exposures with the spring motor fully wound. |
| Frame counter | manual-reset frame counter with markings from 0 to 36 |
| Flash connection | accessory shoe with hot-shoe flash connector |
| Film speed reminder | film speed reminder dial |
| Tripos socket | positioned far forward on the baseplate |
| Shutter release | threaded to accept a standard cable release |
| Shutter release lock | Present, with a red dot indicator |
| Automatic film transport | It has an automatic film transport that winds the camera |
Design
The Foton was the first still camera manufactured by Bell & Howell, developed over ten years at a cost of more than one million dollars. Drawing on their expertise in cine cameras, Bell & Howell introduced a spring-motor drive automatic advance system, positioning the Foton as a technically advanced niche product. It may have been the only still camera ever made to offer T-stop lenses, with Bell & Howell emphasizing the precision of T-stops for color photography, where film latitude was limited.
Context
The Foton is generally considered a marketing failure, available for only a few years with low sales. Its high cost—originally $700 plus a $100 excise tax—was the primary reason for its commercial failure. Although it technically outperformed its sole competitor, the advanced features like coupled rangefinder, motor drive, and full-frame format priced it far above the competition.
Market
Originally priced at $700, the Foton's price was soon dropped to $500 due to slow sales. The original cost equates to approximately $9,000 in 2023 dollars, reflecting its premium positioning. It was used in specialized applications, including being mounted on an oscillographic camera to capture images of a flame front simultaneously with a trace, as documented in The Journal of Physical Chemistry in 1960.
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