Cameras with automatic parallax compensation?

tjwspm · 2025-05-21T12:15:08-0400

To my knowledge, there are not that many analog cameras with automatic parallax compensation:

Leica M3, M2, M4, M6: Rangefinder cameras with parallax-corrected framelines.
Contax G1, G2: Zoom viewfinder with automatic parallax correction.
Voigtländer Bessa R, R2, R3: Rangefinders with parallax correction.
Canon Canonet QL17 GIII: Compact rangefinder with parallax correction.
Yashica Electro 35: Rangefinder with parallax-corrected viewfinder.
Minox Riga, A, B, C, LX, TLX, CLX: Subminiature cameras with parallax correction via movable viewfinder frame.
Rollei 35 S, 35 T: Compact cameras with parallax correction.
Minolta Hi-Matic 7s, 9: Compact cameras with parallax correction.

Who knows other models?

I find it particularly astonishing that the tiny Minox 8x11 cameras are among them. There, the viewfinder is swiveled according to the distance setting. More information and a video showing the movement here:

My Minox III (Minox A) cameras

Introduction Always at hand - always with you While the Riga Minox was Walter Zapp's big hit, the Minox A was his culmination of that vision. What's so

moments-of-now.com

Dan Daniel · 2025-05-21T12:36:14-0400

Fuji GW series
Kodak Medalist
All Rolleiflexes and Rolleicords, except mayhbe early models

And of course Hasselblad and Mamiya and Pentax medium format cameras had their own way to overcome parallax.

Well, not certain if you meant only 35mm or smaller.

Sirius Glass · 2025-05-21T12:39:34-0400

Mamiya C family of the TLR have a marker that shows the parallax compensation.

Marcelo Paniagua · 2025-05-21T13:15:43-0400

Add Mamiya Press series. It has parallax correction for 100/150/250 focus length lenses.

Marcelo Paniagua · 2025-05-21T13:25:10-0400

Horseman 6x9 series like 980. It has an interchangeable cam system that control focus and parallax adjustment.

tjwspm · 2025-05-21T13:31:06-0400

Thank you for the information on the models, the list is getting longer...

reddesert · 2025-05-21T13:56:12-0400

The Konica auto S and auto S2 rangefinders have parallax compensation in a rather luxurious (for a leaf-shutter RF) viewfinder, with projected framelines.

You mention the Canonet QL17 G-III, but something that people forget is that's merely the last model in a long line of similar cameras. I am pretty sure the non-G-III QL17 and QL19 have the same viewfinder. I don't know if the earlier large-body Canonets (with the 45mm lens) had parallax compensation, but it wouldn't surprise me.

I don't know about earlier Minolta rangefinders, but I think some or most of the Yashica Lynx rf series have parallax compensation. In the Leica-screwmount world, I'm pretty sure the Canon P and Canon 7 have parallax compensation. It is not that uncommon once you get into RF cameras with projected framelines, I assume because most of the parts needed are already there.

mshchem · 2025-05-21T14:39:03-0400

And thus the Mamiya RB 67 came to the scene in the 70's and life was simpler

Marcelo Paniagua · 2025-05-21T14:41:28-0400

reddesert said:
The Konica auto S and auto S2 rangefinders have parallax compensation in a rather luxurious (for a leaf-shutter RF) viewfinder, with projected framelines.

You mention the Canonet QL17 G-III, but something that people forget is that's merely the last model in a long line of similar cameras. I am pretty sure the non-G-III QL17 and QL19 have the same viewfinder. I don't know if the earlier large-body Canonets (with the 45mm lens) had parallax compensation, but it wouldn't surprise me.

I don't know about earlier Minolta rangefinders, but I think some or most of the Yashica Lynx rf series have parallax compensation. In the Leica-screwmount world, I'm pretty sure the Canon P and Canon 7 have parallax compensation. It is not that uncommon once you get into RF cameras with projected framelines, I assume because most of the parts needed are already there.

Confirm the Lynx 1000 has parallax compensation. A fine camera and a pleasure to use.

GRHazelton · 2025-05-21T15:57:17-0400

Have a look at what Dante Stella says about the Konica III, etc.

Konica IIIa and IIIM rangefinder cameras

I have a Konica IIIa and the viewfinder is...fabulous! One to one viewing, excellent rangefinder spot, parallax correction and field size change indication!
What more could one want?

I am surprised that Leica didn't incorporate field size change in the various M rangefinder cameras.

OAPOli · 2025-05-21T16:29:39-0400

I can confirm that the Canon 7 has parallax correction.

The Koni-Omega Rapid series (6x7) and Voigtlander superb TLR also do.

Hunter_Compton · 2025-05-21T19:24:22-0400

Kodak Medalist as previously mentioned, along with the Kodak Ektra and Kodak Chevron.

The Kodak Retina IIIS also has parallax compensation on automatically switched, projected framelines.

Some cameras like the Kodak Monitor have a finder with a dial for manual parallax compensation.

ags2mikon · 2025-05-21T19:29:34-0400

The Graflex XL cameras had parallax correction too.

Dan Daniel · 2025-05-21T19:44:20-0400

OAPOli said:
Voigtlander superb TLR also do.

Ha! One of the most extreme parallax mechanism. It takes the whole upper lens and mirror box and tilts it forward as you focus closer. Zeiss may have over-engineered, but the Voigtlander designers were on crack.

RalphLambrecht · 2025-05-21T19:48:45-0400

Dan Daniel said:
Fuji GW series
Kodak Medalist
All Rolleiflexes and Rolleicords, except mayhbe early models

And of course Hasselblad and Mamiya and Pentax medium format cameras had their own way to overcome parallax.

Well, not certain if you meant only 35mm or smaller.

SLRs don't need parallex compensation, or do they?

DREW WILEY · 2025-05-21T20:03:23-0400

With SLR's what you see, you get. There is no secondary viewing system needing parallax correction.

JerseyDoug · 2025-05-21T20:05:29-0400

I'm a little surprised that nobody has mentioned the Leica IIIg. Introduced after the M3, its major improvement over the earlier LTM models was a much larger viewfinder, complete with projected frame lines and parallax compensation.

aconbere · 2025-05-21T20:05:36-0400

The Polaroid 110a, 110b, 120, and 900 (all of their type 40 rollfilm cameras with modern rangefinders, shared amongst a number of models all had parallax compensation.

Maris · 2025-05-21T20:50:59-0400

I use and enjoy the Fuji GSW680 and really appreciate its parallax adjusted frame lines.

But all my other cameras are View, TLR, or SLR so I'm basically a rangefinder novice and I occasionally get caught by the uncorrected viewfinder parallax.

An example of this is when I set up a back-lit landscape and get the sun out of the picture by lining it up behind a tree branch. Yikes, the sun is out of the off-centre viewfinder but is still shining into the lens; flare spots and all.
With practice I'll get smarter about this; or so I hope.

xkaes · 2025-05-21T21:17:57-0400

Minox wasn't the only submini with parallax correction (but not all Minox models had it). While we'll never have a complete list, the Kodak Ektramax 110 had it, and Minolta had it with their MG-s & QT 16mm cameras. Unlike the Ektramax, the Minoltas did not have focusing lenses, but they had slip-on close-up lenses. Each close-up "filter" had two lenses -- one for the camera lens, and the other for the viewfinder -- which corrected for parallax.

DREW WILEY · 2025-05-21T21:23:37-0400

Maris - difficulty controlling flare is a down side to wide angle lenses in general. Yeah, the slight difference between the viewer and main lens itself in perspective makes it a little trickier to predict. What I did is make a little adjustable
"flag" out of a filmholder slide which optionally inserts into the flash attachment at the top of the camera. Then I check from the front to make sure it is shading the taking lens aperture. But that's somewhat a more dicey procedure than looking through the cut corners of a ground glass. Still, a lot better than using a hand or hat. Gets easier with practice.

JensH · 2025-05-21T22:47:03-0400

Dan Daniel said:
...
All Rolleiflexes and Rolleicords, except mayhbe early models
...

Indeed the very first Rolleiflexes (Rolleiflex Original, 610 to 614 model's, 1928-1932) exposed a larger negative instead of automatic compensation, to be cropped when enlarging.

Kodachromeguy · 2025-05-22T00:58:40-0400

JerseyDoug said:
I'm a little surprised that nobody has mentioned the Leica IIIg. Introduced after the M3, its major improvement over the earlier LTM models was a much larger viewfinder, complete with projected frame lines and parallax compensation.

Yes! The IIIG finder is a wonderful improvement over the older III bodies. I am loving mine:

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2025/05/really-good-things-in-small-packages-my.html

Sanug · 2025-05-22T03:12:51-0400

tjwspm said:
Rollei 35 S, 35 T: Compact cameras with parallax correction.

The Rollei 35 has a second static frameline for the near range. I would not call it a parallax correction.

The Seagull TLR has parallax correction.

tjwspm · 2025-05-22T03:59:05-0400

Sanug said:
The Rollei 35 has a second static frameline for the near range. I would not call it a parallax correction.

The Seagull TLR has parallax correction.

You are right. I only mean cameras that really move the viewfinder. So no static frames for close-ups in the viewfinder.

Cameras with automatic parallax compensation?

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