Please Help!

[lynettemax]

Hello everyone,
I've always been curious about rangefinder camera such as Lecia's and Canon's (I'm sure there are tons more).I don't mean to sound ignorant or uneducated. However, what is a rangefinder typically used for?

Please help me out I'm still learning

-Lynette

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

List time...

Pros:
Often more discreet and less noticeable than an SLR (smaller, quieter).
Sometimes faster and easier to focus in bad light, with very wide-angle and with slow lenses.
The view remains brighter and clearer in bad light, with slow lenses, etc.
Often better for hand-holding with low shutter speeds (no mirror slap).
Depending on lens & viewfinder combination, you can often see around what's being photographed (less tunnel-vision).
As above, they are often a different way of seeing and working (wide-angles and hyperfocal settings are often used).
Lenses, especially wide-angles, can be of a non-retrofocus construction, which can bring some quality advantages.
The cameras are usually smaller than SLR and the lenses can be tiny. Esp. because of the small lenses, the kit can be lighter than an SLR one.

Cons:
Forget long telephotos (in many cases, even a 90mm is less confortable to use than on an SLR).
Forget close-ups and macro.
Forget extremely accurate framing and composing (esp. ultra-wides with something in the foreground).
No depth of field preview; you have to become familiar with the DOF scale and imagine the final scene.
Some complain that they are slower to shoot with. Pre-metering, pre-focusing or hyperfocal use can make them extremely fast in practice.

I've probably forgotten a thing or two...

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

They're used for candid photography, street photography, journalism, documentary. I find myself able to capture fleeting moments easier with my Leica compared to my SLRs because the sLR time lag caused by the mirror having to move before the shutter can fire causes me to lose a lot of great shots.

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

I find myself able to capture fleeting moments easier with my Leica compared to my SLRs because the sLR time lag caused by the mirror having to move before the shutter can fire causes me to lose a lot of great shots.

Drat! I knew I'd forgotten some important point!

Also, with no mirror black-out, you still see your subject as it's being photographed.

 

[MattKing]

Lynette:

Just to add a few points ...

Rangefinders can be divided roughly into two types - those that have interchangeable lenses, and those that have fixed lenses. I would guess that Rol Lei Nut's comments were intended to mainly apply to cameras like Leicas (which you asked about) which allow you to change lenses, but there are some things to be aware of when you consider fixed lens rangefinders instead.

With all rangefinders, you don't need a mirror and prism to allow you to view through the taking lens. Instead, you view through a viewfinder which is separate but close to the taking lens. Usually, the viewfinder includes a focus aid (a rangefinder - thus the name). As the viewfinder is separate from the taking lens, it can be made brighter and larger.

As a mirror and prism isn't required, lenses can be closer to the film. This gives lens designers certain options that can result in smaller and lighter and simpler lenses, without loss of quality.

When it comes to fixed lens rangefinders, there are a couple of other advantages. Many fixed lens rangefinders have the shutter in the lens (a leaf shutter). This permits very quiet operation, and use of electronic flash at all shutter speeds.

In addition, a fixed lens rangefinder doesn't have to include complexities like variable frame lines in the viewing system.

If you are unsure about what it is like to work with a rangefinder, it is a very good idea to try out one of the simpler fixed lens rangefinders. They were very common in the 1960s through the early 1980s, and can be purchased used (or even found for free). My most recent acquisition is a Canonette with a 1.7 lens which I found at a garage sale for $10.00. There are many comparables, and lots of threads on APUG that discuss them.

If you like working with something like a Canonette, you may love working with a Leica.

Have fun!

 

[lynettemax]

Wow. Thank you all so much.
I'm glad that I am surrounded by so many knowledgeable people!
Thank you all so much for the great information.