EQUIPMENT
The FOMU's collection of photographic equipment shows the development of photographic technology from camera obscura to the digital camera. Our versatile collection features almost all camera types and technical innovations. It includes cameras from European, American, Russian and Japanese manufacturers, as well as light meters, projectors and lab equipment. The collection also boasts pieces that appeal to the imagination, such as a camera that is over 4 metres long, spy cameras, magic lanterns, and even a carrier pigeon camera.
With 23,000 objects, the FOMU's equipment collection is very diverse and extensive. The lion's share dates from around 1900 to the 1980s. In terms of size and completeness, it distinguishes itself as one of the leading collections in the world. Its unique character has grown thanks to collections from the Agfa-Gevaert company and the historical private collection of the Swiss camera expert Michel Auer. The Kaiserpanorama is one of the most remarkable items of the FOMU collection.
Louis Van Neck, double bellows travel camera for exposures on 8x10,cm plates, lens Steinheil Orthostigmatic 1:17,5/f120mm, Antwerp (BE), 1895-1900, Collection FOMU, F/1966/59
Houghtons Ltd., Ticka Watch Pocket, camera in the shape of a pocket watch, London (VK), 1907, Collection FOMU, F/1967/290
Anonymous, Camera Obscura, FR or CH, early 19th century, Collection FOMU, F/1973/139
Albert Darier, L’Escopette, Genève (CH), 1888, Collection FOMU, F/1965/6
Ernst Leitz GmbH. and Leica Camera A.G., Leica Luxus 35 mm camera for 36 exposures on 24x36mm film, Leitz Elmar/fixed Elmar lens 1:3.5/f50mm, Wetzlar and Solms (DE), 1929-1930, Collection FOMU, F/1973/417
Optikotechna, Spektaretta, Prerov, CZ, circa 1939, Collection FOMU, 2021_0019
Dries Depoorter, Trophy Camera v0.95 digital camera in with Raspberry Pi Zero W microcomputer, Full HD Camera Module for RaspberryPi, 5000mAh powerbank and Monochrome 128x32 SPI OLED graphic display, Ghent, 2021, Collection FOMU, 2021_0022 ©Dries Depoorter & Max Pinckers
Beau Brownie N°2 (Tan), Kodak, Rochester NY (US), 1930-33, Brownie Doublet 120 rolfilm, 6x9, Collection FOMU F/1969/0057
Magic lantern © Jean Schoenner, Collection FOMU F/1973/0712
Bertillonage police camera with chair, Neue Görlitzer Camera Werke, Görlitz (DE), 1902, Collection FOMU, FHK 02083
CHAIR 3898 / CAMERA 3922
Istanbul Beikoz Fotograf, street camera, anonymous, 1925, Collection FOMU, F/1994/96
Romain Talbot (seller), Ertee tintype camera for round plates with a 25mm diameter, lens Laack Schnellarbeiter 1:3,5/f60mm, Berlin (DE), ca. 1914, Collection FOMU F/1973/516
Lamberts & Querton, reproduction camera 'The Elephant', 1940, Collection FOMU, F1979/164
Fex/Indo Cortamatic 126, Fex/Indo, Lyon/Paris (FR), 1970, compact camera 28 x 28 mm op 126mm film, Collection FOMU F/1981/197
Jef & Louis Drayé, Concealed camera in a walking stick for exposures on 5,5x6cm plates, unknown lens without aperture, Thornton-Pickard curtain shutter, ca.1905, Merksem (BE), Collection FOMU, F/1966/97
Victor Hasselblad, Hasselblad 500 cm Gold Exclusiv SLR camera for exposures on roll film, Planar lens 1:2,8/f80mm, Göteborg (SE), 1987, Collection FOMU, F/1997/5
Eastman-Kodak Co., No.1 Kodak Box camera, pre-loaded in the factory with roll film for 100 round exposures with a 2,5'' diameter, no viewfinder, but diagonal lines on top of the camera indicate the picture angle, Rochester (US), 1889-1895, Collection FOMU F/1973/467
Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd., Fuji FinePix 50i compact digital camera with SuperCCD-sensor (2,4 megapixels), maximum image resolution 2400x1800 pixels, storage on a SmartMedia memory card, Fix-focus lens f36mm (equivalent to 35mm), automatic or manually adjustable white balance, also video and audio modes, Tokyo (JP), 2001, Collectie FOMU F/2012/75
Edwin H. Land, Polaroid Corporation, Polaroid Swinger-model 20 Instant camera for instant 8x8cm colour images, Meniscus lens 1:17/f100mm, rotary shutter (1/200 of a second),built-in flash, Cambridge (US), 1965-1970, Collection FOMU, F/1981/265