Vintage 35mm Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras.

The first SLRs in their big wooden form never realized the promise offered by the layout, but of those larger format examples the Ihagee Exakta VP using 127 roll film showed the way ahead. The convergence of different technologies finally married the 135 daylight loading cassette, decent film quality and processing with refinement of manufacture demonstrated by Ihagee and the Kine Exakta was born in 1936. Those early SLRs were fitted with shaded with reversed image vertical viewfinders, so were yet to reach their full potential. The first prism corrected viewfinder became available in 1949 and the rest is history. In it's best manual form the SLR camera would hold the aperture fully open to allow critical focus yet could be instantly "stopped down" to preview the depth of field. The vast majority allowed lens changing mid film. Ultimately metering, both external then "through the lens" and finally fully automated exposure control would make the 35mm SLR the most adaptable and convenient camera photographers had sought.

Those in the LICM collection are listed here in date order, starting with the oldest.