Digital Rangefinder
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A rangefinder camera is a
camera A camera is an instrument used to capture and store images and videos, either digitally via an electronic image sensor, or chemically via a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. As a pivotal technology in the fields of photograp ...
fitted with a
rangefinder A rangefinder (also rangefinding telemeter, depending on the context) is a device used to Length measurement, measure distances to remote objects. Originally optical devices used in surveying, they soon found applications in other fields, suc ...
, typically a split-image rangefinder: a range-finding focusing mechanism allowing the photographer to measure the subject distance and take photographs that are in sharp focus. Most varieties of rangefinder show two images of the same subject, one of which moves when a calibrated wheel is turned; when the two images coincide and fuse into one, the distance can be read off the wheel. Older, non-coupled rangefinder cameras display the focusing distance and require the photographer to transfer the value to the lens focus ring; cameras without built-in rangefinders could have an external rangefinder fitted into the
accessory shoe file:Canon 350D Hot Shoe.jpg, Canon EOS 350D Hot shoe file:Konica Minolta Dynax 7D hot shoe.jpg, Proprietary hot shoe used by Minolta and older Sony cameras (Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D) A hot shoe is a mounting point on the top of a camera to atta ...
. Earlier cameras of this type had separate
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 ...
and rangefinder windows; later the rangefinder was incorporated into the viewfinder. More modern designs have rangefinders coupled to the focusing mechanism so that the lens is focused correctly when the rangefinder images fuse; compare with the
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 ...
in non-
autofocus An autofocus (AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system h ...
SLRs. Almost all
digital camera A digital camera, also called a digicam, is a camera that captures photographs in Digital data storage, digital memory. Most cameras produced today are digital, largely replacing those that capture images on photographic film or film stock. Dig ...
s, and most later
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
cameras, measure distance using electroacoustic or
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...
means and focus automatically (
autofocus An autofocus (AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system h ...
); however, it is not customary to speak of this functionality as a rangefinder.


History

The first rangefinders, sometimes called "telemeters", appeared in the twentieth century; the first rangefinder camera to be marketed was the 3A
Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
Autographic Special of 1916; the rangefinder was coupled. Not itself a rangefinder camera, the
Leica Leica may refer to: Companies * Ernst Leitz GmbH, later divided into: ** Leica Biosystems GmbH, a cancer diagnostics company ** Leica Camera AG, a German camera and optics manufacturer ** Leica Geosystems AG, a Swiss manufacturer of surveying and ...
I of 1925 had popularized the use of accessory rangefinders. The Leica II and
Zeiss Zeiss or Zeiß may refer to: People *Carl Zeiss (1816–1888), German optician and entrepreneur *Emil Zeiß (1833–1910), German Protestant minister and painter * Juan Pablo Zeiss (born 1989), Argentine rugby union player * Mary Zeiss Sta ...
Contax Contax (stylised as CONTAX in the Yashica/Kyocera era) began as a German camera model in the Zeiss Ikon line in 1932, and later became a brand name. The early cameras were among the finest in the world, typically featuring high quality Carl Zeis ...
I, both of 1932, were great successes as 35 mm rangefinder cameras, while on the
Leica Standard The Leica Standard, Model E was the fourth version of the original ''35 mm'' Leica camera to be launched from Ernst Leitz in Wetzlar, Germany. The concept was conceived by their employee Oskar Barnack in 1913. Production of the camera began in ...
, also introduced in 1932, the rangefinder was omitted. The Contax II (1936) integrated the rangefinder in the center of the viewfinder. Rangefinder cameras were common from the 1930s to the 1970s, but the more advanced models lost ground to
single-lens reflex In photography, a single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a type of camera that uses a mirror and prism system to allow photographers to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. SLRs became the dominant design for professional a ...
(SLR) cameras. Rangefinder cameras have been made in all sizes and all film formats over the years, from 35 mm through medium format (rollfilm) to large-format press cameras. Until the mid-1950s most were generally fitted to more expensive models of cameras. Folding bellows rollfilm cameras, such as the Balda Super Baldax or Mess Baldix, the
Kodak Retina Retina was the brand-name of a long-running series of German-built Kodak 35mm cameras, produced from 1934 until 1969. Kodak Retina cameras were manufactured in Stuttgart-Wangen by the Kodak AG Dr. Nagel Werk which Kodak had acquired in Decembe ...
II, IIa, IIc, IIIc, and IIIC cameras and the
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Hapo 66e (a cheaper version of the Balda Mess Baldix), were often fitted with rangefinders. The best-known rangefinder cameras take 35 mm film, use
focal plane shutter In camera design, a focal-plane shutter (FPS) is a type of photographic shutter (photography), shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor. ...
s, and have interchangeable lenses. These are Leica screwmount (also known as M39) cameras developed for lens manufacturer Ernst Leitz Wetzlar by
Oskar Barnack Oskar Barnack (Nuthe-Urstromtal, Brandenburg, 1 November 1879 – Bad Nauheim, Hesse, 16 January 1936) was a German inventor and photographer who built, in 1913, what would later become the first commercially successful 35mm still-camera, sub ...
(which gave rise to very many imitations and derivatives), Contax cameras manufactured for
Carl Zeiss Carl Zeiss (; 11 September 1816 – 3 December 1888) was a German scientific instrument maker, optician and businessman. In 1846 he founded his workshop, which is still in business as Zeiss (company), Zeiss. Zeiss gathered a group of gifted p ...
Optics by camera subsidiary Zeiss-Ikon and, after Germany's defeat in World War II, produced again and then developed as the Soviet
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), Nikon S-series cameras from 1951 to 1962 (with design inspired by the Contax and function by the Leica), and Leica M-series cameras. The Nikon rangefinder cameras were "discovered" in 1950 by ''
Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
'' magazine photographer
David Douglas Duncan David Douglas Duncan (January 23, 1916 – June 7, 2018) was an American photojournalist, known for his dramatic combat photographs, as well as for his extensive domestic photography of Pablo Picasso and his wife Jacqueline. Childhood and educa ...
, who covered the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
.
Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...
manufactured several models from the 1930s until the 1960s; models from 1946 onwards were more or less compatible with the Leica thread mount. (From late 1951 they were completely compatible; the 7 and 7s had a bayonet mount for the 50 mm f/0.95 lens in addition to the thread mount for other lenses.) Launched in 1940, The Kodak 35 Rangefinder was the first 35 mm camera made by the
Eastman Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
Company. Other such cameras include the Casca ( Steinheil, West Germany, 1948), Detrola 400 (USA, 1940–41), Ektra (
Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
, USA, 1941–8), Foca ( OPL, France, 1947–63), Foton (
Bell & Howell Bell and Howell is a United States brand of cameras, lenses, and motion picture machinery. It was originally founded as a company in 1907, and headquartered in Wheeling, Illinois. The company was acquired by Böwe Systec in 2003. Since 2010, the ...
, USA, 1948), Opema II (
Meopta Meopta - optika, s.r.o. is a Czechia-based company that manufactures various products mainly in the field of optics. The company was once well-known for its still and movie cameras, although it no longer manufactures such products. History The ...
, Czechoslovakia, 1955–60), Perfex (USA, 1938–49),
Robot A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...
Royal (Robot-Berning, West Germany, 1955–76), and Witness (
Ilford Ilford is a large List of areas of London, town in East London, England, northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Redbridge, Ilford is within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. It had a po ...
, Britain, 1953). In the United States the dependable and cheap Argus (especially the ubiquitous C-3 "Brick") was far and away the most popular 35 mm rangefinder, with millions sold. Interchangeable-lens rangefinder cameras with focal-plane shutters are greatly outnumbered by fixed-lens leaf-shutter rangefinder cameras. The most popular design in the 1950s were folding designs like the Kodak Retina and the Zeiss Contessa. In the 1960s many fixed-lens 35 mm rangefinder cameras for the amateur market were produced by several manufacturers, mainly Japanese, including
Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...
,
Fujica Fujica is the name given by Fujifilm of Japan to its line of still-photography and motion picture cameras. History The company was founded on January 20, 1934, as Fuji Shashin Film K.K. (富士写真フィルム㈱, later translated as Fuji Pho ...
,
Konica was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products, film, film cameras, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers, founded in 1873. The company merged with Japanese peer Mino ...
,
Mamiya is a Japanese company that manufactures high-end cameras and other related photographic and optical equipment. With headquarters in Tokyo, it has two manufacturing plants and a workforce of over 200 people. The company was founded in May 1940 b ...
,
Minolta was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, lenses, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta Co., Ltd., which is also known simply as Minolta, was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It made the first integrated ...
,
Olympus Olympus or Olympos () may refer to: Mountains In antiquity Greece * Mount Olympus in Thessaly, northern Greece, the home of the twelve gods of Olympus in Greek mythology * Mount Olympus (Lesvos), located in Lesbos * Mount Olympus (Euboea) ...
,
Petri Camera The {{nihongo, Petri, ペトリ Camera Company was an optical company and manufacturer of cameras in Japan. It was founded in 1907. Prior to World War II, it was known as Kuribayashi Shashin Kōgyō or Kuribayashi Camera Industry, inc. Japan (th ...
,
Ricoh is a Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company. It was founded by the now-defunct commercial division of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken) known as the ''Riken Concern'', on 6 February 1936 as . Ricoh's hea ...
, and
Yashica was a Japanese manufacturer of cameras, lenses, and film editing equipment active from 1949 until 2005 when its then-owner, Kyocera, ceased production. It acquired the lens manufacturer Tomioka (Tomioka Optical Co., Ltd). In 2008, the Yashica ...
. Distributors such as Vivitar and Revue often sold rebranded versions of these cameras. While designed to be compact like the Leica, they were much less expensive. Many of them, such as the Minolta 7sII and the Vivitar 35ES, were fitted with high-speed, extremely high quality optics. Though eventually replaced in the market with newer compact
autofocus camera An autofocus (AF) optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus on an automatically or manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has ...
s, many of these older rangefinders continue to operate, having outlived most of their newer (and less well-constructed) successors. Starting with a camera made by the small Japanese company Yasuhara in the 1990s, there has been something of a revival of rangefinder cameras. Aside from the Leica M series, rangefinder models from this period include the Konica
Hexar RF The Konica Hexar RF is a 135 film, 35 mm rangefinder camera which was sold by Konica. It was introduced to the market on 13 October 1999. and subsequently discontinued (apparently without official notice) some time before the end of 2003. The cam ...
,
Cosina is a manufacturer of high-end Optics, optical glass, optical precision equipment, cameras, video and electronic related equipment, based in Nakano, Nagano, Nakano, Nagano prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. History Cosina is the successor ...
, who makes the
Voigtländer Voigtländer () was a significant long-established company within the optics and photographic industry, headquartered in Braunschweig, Germany, and today continues as a trademark for a range of photographic products. History Voigtländer was fo ...
Bessa T/R/R2/R3/R4 (the last three are made in both manual or aperture automatic version, which use respectly the "m" or "a" sign in model), and the
Hasselblad Victor Hasselblad AB is a Sweden, Swedish manufacturer of medium format (film), medium format cameras, photographic equipment and image scanners based in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company originally became known for its classic analog medium-for ...
Xpan/Xpan 2. Zeiss had a new model called the Zeiss Ikon, also made by
Cosina is a manufacturer of high-end Optics, optical glass, optical precision equipment, cameras, video and electronic related equipment, based in Nakano, Nagano, Nakano, Nagano prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. History Cosina is the successor ...
but now discontinued, while Nikon has also produced expensive limited editions of its S3 and SP rangefinders to satisfy the demands of collectors and aficionados. Cameras from the former Soviet Union—the
Zorki Zorki (, meaning sharp-sighted) is a series of 35mm format, 35mm Rangefinder camera, rangefinder cameras manufactured in the Soviet Union between 1948 and 1978. The Zorki was a product of the Krasnogorsky Zavod, Krasnogorsk Mechanical Factory ( ...
and FED, based on the screwmount Leica, and the
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—are plentiful in the used market. Medium-format rangefinder cameras continued to be produced until 2014. Recent models included the Mamiya 6 and 7I/7II, the
Bronica Bronica also Zenza Bronica (in Japanese: ) was a Japanese manufacturer of classic Medium format (film), medium-format roll film cameras and photographic equipment based in Tokyo, Japan. Their single-lens reflex (SLR) system-cameras competed with ...
RF645 and the Fuji G, GF, GS, GW and GSW series. In 1994, Contax introduced an autofocus rangefinder camera, the
Contax G The Contax G camera line consists of two cameras, the G1 and G2, interchangeable-lens cameras sold by Kyocera under the Contax brand in competition with the Leica Camera, Leica Leica M7, M7, Cosina Voigtländer Bessa-R, and Konica Hexar RF. The G1 ...
.


Digital rangefinder


Epson R-D1, Zenit M and PIXII

Digital imaging technology was applied to rangefinder cameras for the first time in 2004, with the introduction of the
Epson R-D1 The Epson R-D1 is a digital rangefinder camera introduced by Epson in March 2004, and the first digital rangefinder ever commercially produced. The R-D1 was a joint venture between Epson and Cosina, the former developing the electronics, UI, and ...
, the first ever digital rangefinder camera. The RD-1 was a collaboration between
Epson Seiko Epson Corporation, commonly known as Epson, is a Japanese multinational electronics company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of printers and information- and imaging-related equipment. Headquartered in Suwa, Nagano, Japan, t ...
and
Cosina is a manufacturer of high-end Optics, optical glass, optical precision equipment, cameras, video and electronic related equipment, based in Nakano, Nagano, Nakano, Nagano prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. History Cosina is the successor ...
. The R-D1 and later R-D1s use Leica M-mount lenses, or earlier Leica screw mount lenses with an adapter. After the discontinuation of the R-D1, only Leica M digital rangefinders were in production until the introduction of two additional rangefinders in late 2018: * the Pixii Camera (A1112) from France-based firm Pixii SAS; and * the re-emergence of the Russian camera manufacturer Zenit with the limited release (500 units) Zenit M designed in Krasnogorsk and made in collaboration with Leica. Both the Pixii and the Zenit M are true mechanical rangefinders, and they employ the Leica M mount, affording compatibility with current lens lines from Voigtlander,
Zeiss Zeiss or Zeiß may refer to: People *Carl Zeiss (1816–1888), German optician and entrepreneur *Emil Zeiß (1833–1910), German Protestant minister and painter * Juan Pablo Zeiss (born 1989), Argentine rugby union player * Mary Zeiss Sta ...
, and
Leica Leica may refer to: Companies * Ernst Leitz GmbH, later divided into: ** Leica Biosystems GmbH, a cancer diagnostics company ** Leica Camera AG, a German camera and optics manufacturer ** Leica Geosystems AG, a Swiss manufacturer of surveying and ...
themselves.


Leica M

Leica released its first digital rangefinder camera, the
Leica M8 The Leica M8 is the first digital camera in the rangefinder M series introduced by Leica Camera AG on 14 September 2006. It uses an APS-H 10.3-megapixel CCD image sensor designed and manufactured by Kodak. As of 15 November 2014, the most recent ...
, in 2006. The M8 and R-D1 are expensive compared to more common digital SLRs, and lack several features that are common with modern digital cameras, such as autofocus, live preview, movie recording, and face detection. They have no real telephoto lenses available beyond 135 mm focal length and very limited macro ability. Later, Leica released the
Leica M (Typ 240) The Leica M (Typ 240) is a full-frame digital rangefinder camera of Leica Camera AG. It was introduced in September 2012, and is the successor to the Leica M9 range of cameras. The M uses a 24-megapixel image sensor. The camera is the first M m ...
digital rangefinder, which adds live preview, video recording and focusing assistance, the
Leica M Monochrom The Leica M Monochrom is a full-frame digital rangefinder camera of Leica Camera AG, and features a monochrome sensor. The camera was announced on May 10, 2012. Delivery started September 2012 in black finish only. A Leica M Monochrom in Silver w ...
, which is similar to the
Leica M9 The Leica M9 is a full-frame digital rangefinder camera from Leica Camera AG. It was introduced in September 2009. It uses an 18.5-megapixel Kodak image sensor and is compatible with almost all M mount lenses. Features The M9 uses an 18.5-megap ...
but shoots solely in
black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
, the Leica M Edition 60 which is similar to the M (Typ 240) but omits a rear display panel as a homage to film cameras, and the M10 and M11 without video recording. File:Epson R-D1 Digital Rangefinder Camera.jpg, The
Epson R-D1 The Epson R-D1 is a digital rangefinder camera introduced by Epson in March 2004, and the first digital rangefinder ever commercially produced. The R-D1 was a joint venture between Epson and Cosina, the former developing the electronics, UI, and ...
with a
Leica Leica may refer to: Companies * Ernst Leitz GmbH, later divided into: ** Leica Biosystems GmbH, a cancer diagnostics company ** Leica Camera AG, a German camera and optics manufacturer ** Leica Geosystems AG, a Swiss manufacturer of surveying and ...
lens File:Leica-M8-IMG 0092.JPG, The
Leica M8 The Leica M8 is the first digital camera in the rangefinder M series introduced by Leica Camera AG on 14 September 2006. It uses an APS-H 10.3-megapixel CCD image sensor designed and manufactured by Kodak. As of 15 November 2014, the most recent ...
File:Leica M9.jpg, The
Leica M9 The Leica M9 is a full-frame digital rangefinder camera from Leica Camera AG. It was introduced in September 2009. It uses an 18.5-megapixel Kodak image sensor and is compatible with almost all M mount lenses. Features The M9 uses an 18.5-megap ...


Pros and cons


Viewfinder parallax

The viewfinder of a rangefinder camera is offset from the picture-taking lens so that the image viewed is not exactly what will be recorded on the film; this
parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different sightline, lines of sight and is measured by the angle or half-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to perspective (graphica ...
error is negligible at large subject distances but becomes significant as the distance decreases. For extreme close-up photography, the rangefinder camera is awkward to use, as the viewfinder no longer points at the subject. More advanced rangefinder cameras project into the viewfinder a brightline frame that moves as the lens is focused, correcting parallax error down to the minimum distance at which the rangefinder functions. The angle of view of a given lens also changes with distance, and the brightline frames in the finders of a few cameras automatically adjust for this as well. In contrast, the viewfinder pathway of an SLR transmits an image directly "through the lens". This eliminates
parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different sightline, lines of sight and is measured by the angle or half-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to perspective (graphica ...
errors at any subject distance, thus allowing for
macro photography Macro photography (or photomacrography or macrography, and sometimes macrophotography) is extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects and living organisms like insects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is g ...
. It also removes the need to have separate viewfinders for different lens focal lengths. In particular, this allows for extreme telephoto lenses which would otherwise be very hard to focus and compose with a rangefinder. Furthermore, the through-the-lens view allows the viewfinder to directly display the
depth of field The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus (optics), focus in an image captured with a camera. See also the closely related depth of focus. Factors affecting depth ...
for a given aperture, which is not possible with a rangefinder design. To compensate for this, rangefinder users often use zone focusing, which is especially applicable to the rapid-fire approach to street photography.


Large lenses block viewfinder

Larger lenses may block a portion of the view seen through the viewfinder, potentially a significant proportion. A side effect of this is that lens designers are forced to use smaller designs. Lens hoods used for rangefinder cameras may have a different shape to those with other cameras, with openings cut out of them to increase the visible area.


Difficulty integrating zoom lenses

The rangefinder design is not readily adapted for use with zoom lenses, which have a continuously variable field of view. The only true zoom lens for rangefinder cameras is the Contax G2 Carl Zeiss 35–70 mm Vario-Sonnar T* Lens with built-in zoom viewfinder. A very few lenses, such as the Konica M-Hexanon Dual or Leica Tri-Elmar, let the user select among two or three focal lengths; the viewfinder must be designed to work with all focal lengths of any lens used. The rangefinder may become misaligned, leading to incorrect focusing.


Historically unobtrusive

Rangefinder cameras are often quieter, particularly with
leaf shutter In photography, a shutter is a device that allows light to pass for a determined period, exposing photographic film or a photosensitive digital sensor to light in order to capture a permanent image of a scene. A shutter can also be used to allow ...
s, and smaller than competing SLR models. These qualities once made rangefinders more attractive for theater photography, some portrait photography, candid and
street photography Street photography is photography conducted for art or inquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within Public space, public places. It usually has the aim of capturing images at a decisive or poignant moment by caref ...
, and any application where an SLR is too large or obtrusive. However, today mirrorless digital cameras are capable of excellent low light performance, are much smaller and completely silent.


Absence of mirror

The absence of a mirror allows the rear element of lenses to project deep into the camera body, making high-quality wide-angle lenses easier to design. The
Voigtländer Voigtländer () was a significant long-established company within the optics and photographic industry, headquartered in Braunschweig, Germany, and today continues as a trademark for a range of photographic products. History Voigtländer was fo ...
12 mm lens is the widest-angle
rectilinear lens In photography, a rectilinear lens is a photographic lens that yields images where straight features, such as the edges of walls of buildings, appear with straight lines, as opposed to being curved. In other words, it is a lens with little or n ...
in general production, with a 121-degree angle of view; only recently have equivalent SLR lenses become available, though optically inferior. The absence of a mirror also means that rangefinder lenses have the potential to be significantly smaller than equivalent lenses for SLRs as they need not accommodate mirror swing. This ability to have high quality lenses and camera bodies in a compact form made Leica cameras and other rangefinders particularly appealing to photojournalists. Since there is no moving mirror, as used in SLRs, there is no momentary blackout of the subject being photographed.


Field of view

Rangefinder viewfinders usually have a field of view slightly greater than the lens in use. This allows the photographer to be able to see what is going on outside of the frame, and therefore better anticipate the action, at the expense of a smaller image. In addition, with viewfinders with magnifications larger than 0.8x (e.g. some Leica cameras, the
Epson Seiko Epson Corporation, commonly known as Epson, is a Japanese multinational electronics company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of printers and information- and imaging-related equipment. Headquartered in Suwa, Nagano, Japan, t ...
RD-1/s, Canon 7, Nikon S, and in particular the
Voigtländer Voigtländer () was a significant long-established company within the optics and photographic industry, headquartered in Braunschweig, Germany, and today continues as a trademark for a range of photographic products. History Voigtländer was fo ...
Bessa ''Bessa'' is a genus of flies in the family Tachinidae. Species *'' Bessa africana'' ( Curran, 1941) *'' Bessa harveyi'' ( Townsend, 1892) *''Bessa parallela'' ( Meigen, 1824) *''Bessa remota'' ( Aldrich, 1925) *''Bessa selecta ''Bessa'' ...
R3A and R3M with their 1:1 magnification), photographers can keep both eyes open and effectively see a floating viewfinder frame superimposed on their real world view. This kind of two-eyed viewing is also possible with an SLR, using a lens focal length that results in a net viewfinder magnification close to 1.0 (usually a focal length slightly longer than a
normal lens In photography and cinematography, a normal lens is a lens that reproduces a field of view that appears "natural" to a human observer. In contrast, depth compression and expansion with shorter or longer focal lengths introduces noticeable, and som ...
); use of a much different focal length would result in a viewfinder with a different magnification than the open eye, making fusion of the images impossible. There is also the difference of the eye-level since the eye looking in the viewfinder actually sees the frame from slightly below the other eye. This means that the final image perceived by the viewer will not be totally even, but rather leaning on one side. This issue can be avoided by shooting in vertical (i.e. portrait) orientation, shooting style and framing allowing.


Use of filters

If filters that absorb much light or change the colour of the image are used, it is difficult to compose, view, and focus on an SLR, but the image through a rangefinder viewfinder is unaffected. On the other hand, some filters, such as graduated filters and polarizers, are best used with SLRs as the effects they create need to be viewed directly.


References


External links


Voigtlander Rangefinders
– a brief write-up on Voigtlander Rangefinders by Matthew Joseph.

rangefinder design in the context of viewfinder design, by Rick Oleson. * {{Authority control Cameras by type