The number and variety of outfits manufactured for the use of
amateurs are so great that the question of selection becomes one of
more than ordinary interest and importance. Indeed, this fact is
impressed upon the mind and fully established when one undertakes
[p143] to inspect and examine the variety exhibited by one house
alone, but when one has seen the stock of all the different large
concerns and has examined the bewildering variety, he becomes aware
of the immensity of the demand that has brought into existence such
an enormous supply; for here, beside the toy outfit for the child of
ten or twelve years, he will see the perfect equipment for the
professional photographer, and every possible grade between, in
every style of finish and ornamentation, and all supplied with so
many appliances for easy handling and accurate adjustment as to
astonish one at the amount of skill and ingenuity exhibited by the
makers.
It is not the intention of the writer of these pages to describe
this great variety of apparatus; having himself used with success
and pleasure the instruments of the great house of E. & H. T.
Anthony & Co., he will merely point out some of the advantages of
and the valuable improvements lately added to their amateur
photographic equipments.
The amateur preparing for the field will find it necessary to
provide himself first with the apparatus necessary to the making of
negatives; these articles constitute the viewing outfit. Having made
himself familiar with the use of the camera and lens, he may next
provide himself with the chemical constituents of the developer and
proceed to develop his own plates. These chemicals and the necessary
dishes, etc., constitute the developing outfit.
It is recommended that the beginner confine himself at first to the
preliminary of selecting his views and making the exposures, taking
his plates to some photographic establishment to be developed, where
he [p144] may learn as to the correctness of exposure, and
receive such information in connection therewith as may be of
benefit afterwards.
Having made himself somewhat proficient in exposing, he may then
take up the development and enjoy the true delight of the amateur in
witnessing the growing of the picture upon his developing plate.
With this end in view, then, we will proceed to consider, describe
and explain the apparatus of an outfit, the construction thereof,
and how to use the same.