what is a rangefinder?

[thebeginning]

curious.

 

[Rogue Monk]

This link may help

And this one has a couple diagrams

I also believe the National Geograpic Field Guide has an illustration that shows it pretty well.

 

[walter23]

It's a camera that uses parallax to gauge the distance to the subject and help you focus. Usually the rangefinder (that measures distance) is coupled to the focusing ring on the lens, so that once you've found the proper distance you've also focused on the object you're interested in.

In practice this means that you look through a viewfinder lens, and there's a small region in the middle that shows a split image that aligns once you've found the distance (and achieved focus). It's done with mirrors.

Also, unlike an SLR, you do not look through the lens itself. You also must use a different viewfinder / rangefinder for different lenses (or maybe the camera lets you set your lens focal length or measures it somehow).

 

[thebeginning]

ahhh ok. thanks

 

[Jess]

Excellent Links Rogue Monk. I never knew about the parallax compensation on newer rangfinders. I had always had a dark spot in my heart fo the problem of not getting what you see. I see now that I am wrong and will now take RangeFinders into consideration on future purchases... and now I understand a little better the love for Leica, lol.

Thanx