Aerial film cameras

Aerial photography has an important role in remote sensing technology. Some important features of aerial photography are improved vantage point, superior capability to stop action, increased spatial resolution, broadened spectral sensitivity, improved geometric fidelity and permanent recording potential. Any type of camera can be used for aerial photography. The most widely used varieties are single lens frame camera and panoramic camera. Single lens frame cameras designed to provide extremely high geometric image quality are known as mapping cameras. They are also known as metric cameras or cartographic cameras. These cameras consist of a low distortion lens system which is mounted in a fixed position relative to the plane of the film. Panoramic cameras view only a comparatively narrow angular field at any given instant through a narrow slit. Panoramic cameras consist of a rotating prism, a fixed lens and a flat film plane. Panoramic cameras were used extensively during NASA’s Apollo missions.