Camera providing aperture masking and ground glass reticle masking

Abstract

A camera for taking a plurality of exposures upon a continuous length of film includes a film transport/registration sprocket mounted directly to the shaft of a first stepper motor for incremental rotation thereby. The film transport/registration sprocket engages sprocket holes along the edges of the film for transporting the film through the camera and registering the film relative to an aperture plate assembly. Guide rollers are provided to guide a portion of the film past the aperture plate assembly through which the film can be exposed. The aperture plate assembly includes an aperture frame which supports a removable aperture mask for selecting the area of film to be exposed. A shutter disk is mounted to a shaft for rotation by a second stepper motor in order to expose the film. A pressure plate controlled by the shutter disk shaft urges the film against registration pins within the aperture frame which engage the sprocket holes in the film during each exposure. A movable mirror directs the image to be photographed onto a ground glass reticle to permit viewing of the image prior to exposure of the film. A guide system allows for the insertion of a film strip immediately behind the ground glass reticle for viewing the image to be photographed superposed with an image recorded on the film strip.