rangefinders

david1701

david1701

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I've been wandering around the internet and was ogling rangefinders. They cameras with changable lenses but no reflex mirror right, so the viewfinder is a viewfinder and not the main lens.

If so how do you focus them ???

Or am I barking up the wrong tree.
 
david1701 said:
I've been wandering around the internet and was ogling rangefinders. They cameras with changable lenses but no reflex mirror right, so the viewfinder is a viewfinder and not the main lens.

If so how do you focus them ???

Or am I barking up the wrong tree.
Click to expand...

Rangefinders are more like a prime, and nothing like a camera :) You look in one end, and see a magnified view, press a button and see the distance to focal point in yards or meters in a tiny LED HUD.
 
With a rangefinder camera you can have a viewfinder through which you see overlapping images which move into alignment as you focus. There'll be parallax markings to help you correct framing errors for close range subjects.
 
aaaah, that kinda makes sense - but I reckon would make a helluva lot more if I had actually used one.... one day
 
rdh said:
I'm obviously well behind in rangefinder technology! :)
Click to expand...

Well, you mention an LED! But the olde style accessory rangefinder is used to sight the subject and read off its range, which is transferred to the lens.

007eSz-16981484.jpg
 
rdh said:
Rangefinders are more like a prime, and nothing like a camera :) You look in one end, and see a magnified view, press a button and see the distance to focal point in yards or meters in a tiny LED HUD.
Click to expand...

That's incorrect. :)
The leds just show you the correct exposure, in case you are using a model with a built in light meter.

Check this link for some basic information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangefinder_camera

By the way, rangefinder cameras are a lot more fun to use and have many advantages over reflex models.
 
OK, I'll try and write a rough overview of how a rangefinder focusses.

When you look at something at an infinite distance away, your eyes are both pointed straight ahead. When you look at the end of your nose, your eyes are both pointed at the end of your nose. If you drew lines out of your eyes in the direction they were looking, you'd see the lines converge at the point at which you're looking.

A rangefinder has one finder which you look through, essentially a tiny window. Projected into that window is another image from another window a little bit off to the side. You see the main image, and another part of the image (normally a rectangle in the centre) superimposed on that.

When the rangefinder is focussed to infinity, the two windows are both pointed straight ahead, and the superimposed image lines up perfectly with the main image.

To focus on something 5m away you point the rangefinder at the subject and then adjust the second window (normally coupled to the focussing ring on the lens, sometimes not though) until the superimposed image lines up with the main image. At that point the second window has a mirror in it that's tilted so that the two image overlap. As long as everything is correctly calibrated, the lens will be focussed at 5m.

Does that make sense?
 
*covers for Blapto*:D

pics
unfocussed > focussed
Range01.jpg
Range02.jpg


you could also focus using the distance scale on the lens, guessing the distance between subject and camera.
 
Excellent example Joxby. I used a Kodak Retina rangefinder for years, I found it easy to get used to and very fast to focus. I also have the split image screen on my Nikon 801s as the auto focus is a bit geriatric.
 
joxby said:
*covers for Blapto*:D

pics
unfocussed > focussed
Range01.jpg
Range02.jpg


you could also focus using the distance scale on the lens, guessing the distance between subject and camera.
Click to expand...

Cheeky git!

Focussing using the distance scale is often referred to as Scale Focussing, if you ever see that and wonder what it means.
 
Here's another range finder in use photo ;)
(apologies but I felt the urge)

 
Those are the only photos I've ever found that show what its like through the viewfinder to focus a rangefinder.
Might even be Pshopped, I know I can't see bugger all through a rangefinder viewfinder with a d200 and macro lens, cos I've tried :LOL:.
 
Are theres any cheap ones worth considering.

I can see the advantages for street photography where being a bit discreet would do wonders. you don't really want to shoving cameras in peoples' faces.

Im tempted with something like digital compact though like lx3 as an alternative though as rangefinders are stunningly expensive.
 
Hi,

Thanks a lot for the post above.

Which of the above would you suggest for a beginner? I would quite like some sort of metering as i don't have an external meter. Which ones are the most reliable really?

Thanks a lot

sid
 
Sid

I own and have used many of these 60/70s RF.

For value for money, Yashica elctros ae absolutely fantastic. 20-40£ on the bay and used camera dealers. Lovely lens,but uses a very specialist batery ( which costs about 8 £ a piece). Its aperture priority ( i.e user sets the aperture, and the camera sets the shutter depending on the light condition). Yashica Lynx has a 1.4 lens, very fast lens for a 40 £ camera. however, these camera are a bit bulky, not really pocketable.

For the poketable variety, the easiest to get is Olympus RC ( and RD). Great little camera, great lens. Price 60-80£.

Konica S2 is also great les and so is Minolta 7sII. Size pprox that of a Leica CL, but price only 60 - 90£. These are metered shutter priority with a manual override. Incidentally most manual overrides in the 70s camera do not have meters; with the exception of Konica S2/S3.

Ricoh 500 G is small pocketable cmera with great lens.

Voigtlander Vf 101 is a great little camera with a Skopar lens ( which is really a Tessar lens for a Zeiss 35 m compact camera). Difficult to get , though

All threse above are RF.

For a scalefinder camera,Rollei 35 with a tessar lens are great - price 40 - 60 £. So are Minox ( price 40 - 100 £) and Petri CC ( 40 -80£, but scarce).

And then you have the legendary OlympusXA. RF, pocketable, compact, with the legendary Zuiko lens. Price 50 - 90 £.

Have a look at www.cameraquest.com for great info. If you want some pointers to where you can buy them apart from ebay, drop me a PM.

Ujjwal
 
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