The Same Optics, Six Different Problems
Every camera is a light-tight box with a lens and a sensitive surface. The differences lie in how the photographer sees what the lens is doing.
| Type | Viewfinder system | Main benefit | Main cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| View camera | Ground glass at film plane | Plane adjustment | Slow, heavy |
| Twin-lens reflex | Separate viewing lens | Always visible | Parallax error |
| Rangefinder | Optical window and patch | Compact, quiet | Parallax, no depth view |
| Single-lens reflex | Taking lens via mirror | Exact framing | Mirror noise, blackout |
| Mirrorless | Electronic sensor feed | Live exposure | High battery drain |
| Compact and phone | Rear screen | Always available | Small sensor |
View Camera Movements
Its defining feature is movements, which adjust the lens and film planes independently:
- Shift and rise prevent converging verticals on tall buildings.
- rise and fall translate the lens vertically.
- shift translates the lens sideways.
- Tilt rotates a plane about a horizontal axis.
- swing rotates a plane about a vertical axis.
Tilt relies on the Scheimpflug principle. When lens, film, and subject planes intersect along one line, entire receding planes stay sharp without stopping down.
Format and Film Area
Larger formats require less enlargement. They yield finer grain and smoother tonal gradations at the cost of bulk.
| Format | Frame | Area | Frames |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 mm | 24 × 36 mm | 864 mm² | 36 |
| 645 | 41.5 × 56 mm | 2324 mm² | 15 on 120 |
| 6 × 6 | 56 × 56 mm | 3136 mm² | 12 on 120 |
| 6 × 7 | 56 × 70 mm | 3920 mm² | 10 on 120 |
| 4 × 5 in | 95 × 120 mm | 11400 mm² | 1 per sheet |
Common pitfall: Calling the rangefinder universally "more accurate" than an SLR. Rangefinder patches excel with wide lenses in dim light. However, they suffer from parallax and cannot show real depth of field.