portrait camera
- noun
- /ˈpɔrtrɪt ˈkæmərə/
- Specialized
- The photographer used her new portrait camera to capture stunning images of her friends.
Examples
-
It isn't Bernzy; it's an old-fashioned portrait camera, with a hood, on a tripod.
Fiction book (1992) -
You guys know how much I love my NEX as a portrait camera and digital back for all kinds of fancy and fun legacy optics.
Blog text (24) -
With the portrait camera, he was able to take beautiful shots of the family during their reunion.
-
She prefers using a portrait camera because it allows her to focus on the subject's expressions and features.
How Suitable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a camera for taking portrait photographs' is directly and compositionally derived from 'portrait' (a likeness or photo of a person) + 'camera' (a photographic device). This noun+noun compounding is a regular, productive pattern in English (and in many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Portrait camera The name portrait + camera comes from early photographers who wanted to copy the soft, flattering look of painted portraits, so they used special cameras and lenses to make faces look their best; that's why today portrait camera means 'a camera made for taking flattering pictures of people'.