[Leica] Small Camera/Folded Optics

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

>The SX-70 does count, but this is the first time I've seen folding 
>done in the middle of an optical train and I think it may point the 
>way to one new approach to digital camera design.
>
>>
>>In a message dated 2/14/2006 9:46:58 A.M. Central Standard Time, 
>>shino@panix.com writes:
>>
>>does the  polaroid sx-70 count?  folded optics and foldable as 
>>well.  plus, through the lens viewing.
>>-rei
>>Sure it does, so does the pentaprism or mirror prism in any SLR.   folded
>>optics have been around a long time.  Just another jazz to sell a  digicam 
>>to
>>someone who needs a list of features before they will buy.
>>

Minolta (before they were bought up by Konica) introduced a folded 
optic P&S digicam with exactly the same sort of lens a couple of 
years ago, and Pentax followed with the same shortly after. This is 
not a new development.

Any use of prisms and/or/mirrors makes a 'folded' optical path, 
because using just full lenses keeps the optical path linear overall. 
At what point a partial lens becomes a prism is of course a matter of 
opinion. :-)

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    *            Henning J. Wulff
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