We all are familiar with the SLR and DSLR camera today. But the rangefinder camera was invented before SLR and was loved by the photographers for various reasons. The name ‘rangefinder’ is given to such a camera because the camera focuses using a dual-image range finding device. You need to turn a ring, and once two superimposed images come together in a line, you are in focus. You don’t need to look through the lens in this case; you should see through a window on the top right of the rangefinder camera. Leica M7, Mamiya 7, etc. are the rangefinder cameras you can find today. These are also called mirrorless cameras. To use this camera, you should first know how does a rangefinder camera work.
Advantages of using rangefinder cameras
- The rangefinder cameras are better than the SLRs in various ways. Here we are going to discuss some of the benefits of an SLR camera.
- The image quality comes out better with a rangefinder camera. There is no flipping mirror in this camera, and so it causes less vibration. The chance of getting pictures is less with a rangefinder camera.
- The rangefinder cameras are smaller and lighter. So, it is easy to carry around.
- The SLR mirrors flip up to take a picture, and their viewfinders go black at that moment. So, you can not see the ultimate image you have captured. This does not happen in case of a rangefinder camera.
- There is no shutter lag in the case of a rangefinder camera. All you need to do is press the button, and the picture gets recorded. In case of an SLR, the mirror gets out before the shutter opens. So, the timing is a bit slow.
- You can easily focus a camera in low light AF assist lights. This can not be done with an SLR camera.
How does a camera range camera work?
When you buy a rangefinder camera, it usually comes with a single stage press kit. From there you will know all the information related to the camera, which includes information about the manufacturer, product fact sheet, etc.
There is a viewfinder window at the front and another on the side. The viewfinder window gives the view you see when you look through the viewfinder. The second window reflects another image to the viewfinder. As you adjust the lens focus ring, the mirror moves. The image is reflected from the mirror, and it passes to a small lens first. Then it goes to the beam splitter mirror in the main viewfinder. This second image is called the rangefinder patch.
As you turn the focus ring, it moves a small sensor arm that rotates the movable mirror. From the rangefinder window, a small image is projected, and it will appear to move sideways. When you see this image and the viewfinder image coincide, the lens will be perfectly focused, and you will be able to see a single clear picture.
To focus, you first need to look through the viewfinder and look at the frame lines for equivalent focal length. After you get those, you should see the centre of the image, and you will notice a small circle or square. As you try to focus, you will see that the centre area is changing. You will get the perfect focus when you line up what you see with the centre image.
You need to focus the rangefinder camera this way as there is no mirror and pentaprism that most SLR and DSLR cameras have. If you are using the rangefinder camera for the first time, you need to calibrate the rangefinder focusing mechanism once a year. Rangefinder cameras are used by photojournalists to get a high-quality image. You need to practice a few times focusing your subject, and then you will become comfortable handling a rangefinder camera.