Rangefinder camera

Unlike a reflex camera where the viewer composes the motif by looking through the lens, the rangefinder user views the subject through a separate window on to which is superimposed a coincident image collected by a secondary window. The second image is a small section of the main image and is sometimes coloured, or brighter than the main image for the sake of clarity. As the camera lens is focused on the object required to be sharp, a cam on the rear of the lens mount engages with a roller mounted on a short arm in the camera which in turn is linked to a pivoting prism or mirrors used to transfer the coincident image to the viewfinder. When the two images coincide exactly in the viewfinder, the lens is focused correctly. Using a rangefinder camera is a very different experience to that of using the reflex type; the rangefinder camera helps liberate the visual conscience, offering a method of documenting life's events and special moments closer to the mindful experience.