The Parts of a 35 mm SLR Camera

A 35-mm single-lens reflex camera has been a popular choice for photographers for many years. ULTRA.F/Digital Vision/Getty Images

With the popularity of the digital single-lens reflex camera, or D-SLR, there are fewer people using the camera type that was the standard for consumer use for many years. The 35 mm SLR has long been the choice for photographers who wanted more than a point-and-shoot camera, whether for personal or professional usage. Despite its decline, it is still a very popular option. Successful photography with an SLR requires some basic knowledge about how the camera works. Learning some of the key parts is a good way to begin learning.

Shutter

The shutter of a 35 mm SLR is the device inside the camera housing that allows the light coming through the lens to reach the film. The user presses the shutter release, which is the button you press with your finger to take a picture, and the shutter opens for a specified amount of time allowing the light to reach the film and burn an image into it. That image eventually becomes the photograph. D-SLR cameras have the same device, only the light is reflected onto an electronic sensor to create the photo.

Mirror

Inside the main body of a 35 mm SLR camera is a mirror that can be seen through the hole at the lens mount if the lens has been removed. It is tilted upward so that light from the lens reflects off the mirror and sends the reverse image toward the shutter. When the shutter opens, the reflected image makes contact with the film and creates the photo.

Aperture

Aperture is the name for the small hole in the camera lens that allows the light from the image to pass through to the rest of the system. By adjusting the aperture ring, or digital setting on some cameras, the hole that the light passes through becomes larges or smaller. Aperture is also known as F-stop.

A lower F-stop number means the hole Is opened wider, the higher the aperture, the smaller the hole and the less light that gets through. Being able to manually control aperture is important in capturing quality photographs. In low light situations it is necessary to set a very low aperture so as much light gets through the hole as possible. Meanwhile, a sunny afternoon will probably require a small opening in the aperture to prevent overexposure.

Lens

One of the most important parts of the 35 mm SLR is the lens. The lenses on SLR cameras are typically detachable and interchangeable within certain brands. Lenses are the "eye" of the camera that allows the photographer to see the image as it will turn out in a print. The lens allows the light from the image to pass through the rest of the system so the photograph can be created on film.

Lenses vary and are quite expensive. They have different glass quality, different capabilities when it comes to zooming, various minimum aperture settings and other features.

References

• Silverlight: The Camera
• The Living Image: Camera Anatomy -- Single Lens Reflex (SLR) Cameras
• Photonhead: Shutter and Aperture