DLR?

Ant · Oct 18, 2004

Whilst shooting at an airshow last weekend some old guy in front of me had a strange looking camera.

It looked like something out of Jules verne :wink:

Very nice, but the strangest thing about it was the fact that it had two lenses :shock:

I've sort of heard about Double Lens Reflex cameras but how do they work? Do they produce a double frame image or do both lenses produce one photo?

They must have some advantages or nobody would have bothered making them, but then if they had why aren't any around today?

Big Mike · Oct 18, 2004

A TLR or Twin lens reflex camera has two lenses. One for viewing and one for the actual exposure. The idea is basically the same as an SLR except that the mirror does not have to flip out of the way.

That's about the extent of my knowledge on the subject.

Ant · Oct 18, 2004

Big Mike said:
A TLR or Twin lens reflex camera has two lenses. One for viewing and one for the actual exposure. The idea is basically the same as an SLR except that the mirror does not have to flip out of the way.

Hmmm. I can't see the sense in that. You'd still get paralax error and so you might as well use a separate viewfinder like more conventional point and shoots. :?

voodoocat · Oct 18, 2004

The paralax is really a non-issue. The better TLR's will have a guide for paralax which is not really noticeable at wider angles. That or you can move the camera up an inch to compensate.

Ant · Oct 18, 2004

OK. Thanks.

No wonder there aren't any around today...what a stupid idea

ahelg · Oct 18, 2004

There is one around today called seagull. Check it out at http://shop.lomography.com/shop/

Ant · Oct 18, 2004

Or maybe a digital TLR

http://www.rollei.jp/e/pd/MiniD.html

voodoocat · Oct 18, 2004

most definately not a stupid idea. That would be like calling rangefinders stupid (they have paralax too). TLR's have their place.

ahelg · Oct 18, 2004

That is seriously a weird camera.

Artemis · Oct 18, 2004

But how? I mean its just an SLR...but a lille less usefull...

ahelg · Oct 18, 2004

I am seriously interested in getting my hands on one of those digital TLR's. They look soo cool.

ferny · Oct 18, 2004

When the mirror moves you get vibrations. Without a mirror you don't get the vibrations. I think that was the only reason for them. Some cameras allow you to lock the mirror up. But that has the downside of turning the viewfinder black. That can be a problem from time to time. You may move the camera slightly by turning the knob. Do any modern slr's allow you to lock the mirror up? Probably just the high-end ones?

Ant · Oct 18, 2004

ferny said:
When the mirror moves you get vibrations. Without a mirror you don't get the vibrations. I think that was the only reason for them. Some cameras allow you to lock the mirror up. But that has the downside of turning the viewfinder black. That can be a problem from time to time. You may move the camera slightly by turning the knob. Do any modern slr's allow you to lock the mirror up? Probably just the high-end ones?

Ah, thanks. That makes a bit more sense. I've heard lots about the lack of MLU on the D70 for certain types of shooting.

voodoocat · Oct 18, 2004

It also uses a leaf shutter instead of a curtain shutter. So you can synch up flash at any speed. And it's much quieter with no mirror slap and curtain. TLR's are quite compact medium format cameras too. SLR's are much bulkier.