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RE: [OM] SLR viewing versus RF viewing

Subject: RE: [OM] SLR viewing versus RF viewing
From: w shumaker <rlist@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 13:26:56 -0400
At 11:20 AM 8/14/2002, you wrote:
>> Any comments from those who have just added an RF camera to 
>> their photo bag?
>
> Not an RF camera, but I did notice that a Rolleiflex (or presumably any
>other TLR) has an incredibly 3D-looking viewing screen, exactly because of
>this ground glass effect. It's almost spooky how things float in and out of
>focus.. As for better/worse, I'm not sure -- it's just _different_.

I have seen this also with my friends TLR. However, I felt it was due to
parallax of two eyes partially seeing past the ground glass and through
the lens, similar to the way a split image works in an SLR. The ground
glass, by logical definition, is 2D. However, there was no way to stop
down the viewing lens to determine this for sure.

For me, RF viewing requires I be able to view the scene directly as a
photograph. An SLR helps me see the final image, assuming I stop
the lens down. Without stopping the lens down, the SLR can often
fool you as well, unless you are already using a wide aperture.

So, if you can see a photograph directly with your eyes, camera type
does not matter that much. For me the issue comes down to focusing
the camera. RFs are like a spot meter when it comes to focusing, while
an SLR lets you use the whole scene. I find it difficult to focus a RF on
a random textured subject (without lines). For example, black rock with
small white barnacles. With a RF it is hard to tell which white spots need
to overlay. With the SLR it is either blurry or sharp. A SLR's focusing
ability will benefit from fast lenses, but with a RF it doesn't matter.

I think the greatest advantage of a RF (besides the fun-ness) is low noise
and vibration. An OM camera has been designed to really crank on
the aperture levers of a wide variety of lenses while simultaneously
slapping the mirror up. It's just the nature of the thing. With MF there
is even more slapping.

My fear with the new digital camera revolution, is that the great viewfinder
optics, like an OM 1X viewfinder, will be gone forever, replaced with
dinky P&S-like viewfinders. I would love to see one of the old Contax
RF's with a 1X viewfinder. Perhaps I will end up with just a 1X empty
slide mount as my viewer :-)

Wayne



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