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The waist-level finder (WLF), also called waist-level viewfinder (WLVF), is a type of
The waist-level finder (WLF), also called waist-level viewfinder (WLVF), is a type of viewfinder
In photography, a viewfinder is a device on a camera that a photographer uses to determine exactly where the camera is pointed, and approximately how much of that view will be photographed. A viewfinder can be mechanical (indicating only direct ...
that can be used on twin lens and single lens reflex cameras. While it is typically found on older medium format
Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in photography and the related cameras and equipment that use film. Nowadays, the term applies to film and digital cameras that record images on media larger than the used in 35&n ...
cameras, some newer and/or 35 mm cameras have this type of finder (perhaps as an option).
In the reflex camera, the light from the lens is projected onto a focusing screen
A focusing screen is a flat translucent material, either a ground glass or Fresnel lens, found in a system camera that allows the user of the camera to preview the framed image in a viewfinder. Often, focusing screens are available in variants wi ...
. The waist-level finder makes this screen viewable from above, where the image is seen upright but reversed left-to-right. This allows the camera user to determine the target area while holding the camera below eye level.
The eye-level finder is an evolution of the waist-level finder, using a roof pentaprism
A pentaprism is a five-sided reflecting prism (optics), prism used to deviate a beam of light by a constant 90°, even if the entry beam is not at 90° to the prism.
The beam reflects inside the prism ''twice'', allowing the transmission of an i ...
or pentamirror to correct the image while making it viewable through an eyepiece at the rear of the camera.
Some digital cameras have an articulating screen
An articulating screen is a built-in small electronic visual display which is not fixed, but rather can be repositioned using a hinge or pivot. The articulating screen is known under different other names such as flip-out screen, flip screen, adju ...
or a swivel lens
A swivel lens is a lens that freely rotates while attached to a camera body. They are used on some compact digital and video cameras (camcorders). These lenses make it easy for a photographer to aim a camera without moving around too much. Swive ...
, this allows the screen to be angled to make it viewable at waist-level. With live preview
Live preview is a feature that allows a digital camera's display screen to be used as a viewfinder. This provides a means of previewing framing and other exposure before taking the photograph. In most such cameras, the preview is generated by ...
the screen can be used as a viewfinder.
Advantages
* The photographer is looking down into the camera, attracting less attention compared to an eye-level finder. This makes it better forstreet
A street is a public thoroughfare in a city, town or village, typically lined with Building, buildings on one or both sides. Streets often include pavements (sidewalks), pedestrian crossings, and sometimes amenities like Street light, streetligh ...
or candid photography
Candid photography, also called spontaneous photography or snap shooting, is photography captured without creating a posed appearance. Candid photography captures natural expressions and moments that might not be possible to reproduce in a stu ...
.
* Even when they know they are being photographed, the subject may feel less "targeted" because the photographer is not looking at them.
* Conversely, for portraits where a rapport between photographer and subject helps to relax the subject, it is possible to maintain eye contact, i.e. without a camera blocking the photographer's face.
* The camera is often held against the belly or resting on something (e.g. table, the lap, etc.), resulting in less motion blur
Motion blur is the apparent streaking of moving objects in a photograph or a sequence of frames, such as a film or animation. It results when the image being recorded changes during the recording of a single exposure, due to rapid movement or l ...
.
Disadvantages
* The image is reversed left-to-right, making it tricky to follow moving subjects.See also
*Articulating screen
An articulating screen is a built-in small electronic visual display which is not fixed, but rather can be repositioned using a hinge or pivot. The articulating screen is known under different other names such as flip-out screen, flip screen, adju ...
— similar functionality for digital cameras
*Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens (optics), lens which reduces the amount of material required compared to a conventional lens by dividing the lens into a set of concentric annular sections.
The simpler Dioptrics, d ...
*Microform
A microform is a scaled-down reproduction of a document, typically either photographic film or paper, made for the purposes of transmission, storage, reading, and printing. Microform images are commonly reduced to about 4% or of the original d ...
References
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