Dom-Martin
(Redirected from Dom-Pliant)
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| 1902 advertisement scan courtesy Romuald Swieconek (Image rights) |
Dom-Martin was a camera-maker in Paris, around the turn of the 20th century. The company was at some time based at 2 rue Thénard, in the 5th arrondissement, close to the Sorbonne and Panthéon in central Paris. The later address in the advertisement shown here is only two streets away from this.
Cameras
- Le Dom-Pliant, about 1903.[1] Strut-folding plate camera, for 9x12cm, or 9x18cm or 8x16cm stereo/panoramic models, as in the advertisement shown here. The camera body is usually in aluminium, with circular brushed pattern, but an example has been seen with red-brown leather.[2] The front, with lens and shutter, pulls out on folding struts. The hinged ends of the struts engage each other with teeth, to ensure the front remains parallel to the back. The lens is a 120mm f/7 Anastigmat Symetrique, with an iris diaphagm to f/56. The shutter has five instantaneous speeds (labelled 1 to 5), plus 'Pose' ('B' shutter). There is a key on the front to tension it, and separate release buttons for Pose and Instantaneous. At the rear, a lever on each side adjusts the extension to focus the camera, and a tooth on the end of each lever engages with a notched scale on the top of the camera body (a scale on each side); there are notches for 2, 3, 4, 6 and 10 metres. There is a folding Newton finder on the rear body, with a folding pointer on the front. There is also a gridded ground glass screen. There are tripod sockets for each orientation, but the camera seems intended for hand-held use.
- Folding tailboard camera;[3] Wooden (perhaps walnut) body with nickel-plated fittings. Lens is an f/6.8 Rectiligne Extra-Rapide with iris diaphragm to f/64, engraved for Dom-Martin. Overall height and width are given as 22cm x 16cm, so perhaps for 13x18cm plates.
- Jumelle cameras[4]
- Detective cameras.[5]
Dom-Martin also made a cine camera, the Cinéma-Dom.[6]
Notes
- ↑ 9x12cm example offered for sale by Leica Camera Classics ('Leica Shop') in Vienna.
- ↑ 9x12cm Dom-Pliant with leather covering offered for sale at antiq-photo.com; the Newton finder is movable for horizontal or vertical pictures.
- ↑ The example seen of the tailboard camera was sold at Ebay; details (according to the Ebay seller) and two photographs are shown at Worthpoint.
- ↑ Stereo-jumelle camera with f/8 Zeiss Anastigmat lenses, at Appareil Photos Anciens. The overall height and width are given as 12x22.5cm, so probably for 9x18cm plates.
- ↑ Detective camera by Dom-Martin at Collection Appareils. The camera has six shutter speeds, and an iris diaphragm with four marked positions (1 to 4). It has small reflex finders for both orientations. The notes at Collection Appareils suggest it is an unremarkable detective camera.
- ↑ Brief notes on the Cinéma-Dom at Cinematographes. The camera has a hand crank, but this winds a spring motor, which drives the film advance etc., giving a more constant rate of drive and less tension on the film than a direct-drive crank.
