RE: [Leica] different cameras

["Jeffery Smith" <jsmith45@bellsouth.net>]

Briefly....

In an SLR, you are viewing and focusing through the taking lens.

Advantages?
No parallax error
Enormous variety of lenses, including telescopes and microscopes.
If the body supports it, you can see field depth at a chosen f stop
Extremely versatile.

Disadvantages?
Tend to be heavier
Bigger
Louder
Shorter life expectancy before repair (mirror flop, etc.)
Long lenses and slow lenses can be difficult to focus, especially in low
light.
You lose contact with your subject through the viewfinder at the instant of
exposure (more of a problem with moving objects).

In a Rangefinder, you focus through a separate window, and may view through
a different window than is used for focusing.

Advantages?
Can be smaller and lighter (I usually carry 3 cameras and 3 lenses at one
time, but I'm trying to get away from that).
Can be quieter (no mirror flop)
Lenses are easier to design and build (no necessity of closing and opening
the aperture at the instant of shutter release, lens does not have to
compensate for longer distance from the film due to mirror). Not that this
makes the lenses any cheaper.
Viewfinder remains bright at all times
Reliable and built to work forever (I have read that the Canon Rebel is
built to last for 200 rolls of film!)

Disadvantages?
Parallax errors at close focus
Lens length maximum is about 135mm
Astronomical prices due to only elite folks like us buying them
You must use a viewfinder attachment for wide angle lenses (28mm and below).

Medium format - 120/220 film (6x6, 6x4.5, 6x7, and 6x9 negative size)
Large format - 4x5" and larger

I'm not sure which of these you are asking about in terms of "ideal".

Jeffery Smith
New Orleans, LA



> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Larry
> Fuller
> Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2001 2:39 PM
> To: leica
> Subject: [Leica] different cameras
>
>
>   Can someone describe briefly, the difference between SLR and RF and
> Medium Format and Large format?  I quite often hear you should get the
> style camera according to what you want to with it, but nobody actually
> says what which one is for.
>
> What is the ideal situation for each?
>
> What is not the best, but tolerable for each?
>
> What is the least desirable thing to shoot for each?
>
> (new to photography and Leica)
> thanks,
> Bo
>
>
>
>
> --
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