photo:tlr
twin lens reflex film cameras
Why buy a TLR in a digital age?
apart from being perhaps a collectors item and a prop for photography, there are not many good reasons to buy a TLR instead of a digital SLR, but you may consider one if you don't already own a medium format outfit AND:
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medium format film allows larger enlargements than 35mm film
unfortunately, Kodak HIE IR film is not available in medium format and the main film available, the Rollei really needs an opaque IR filter (eg. Hoya R72) to give good IR effect. This means a SLR camera is blinded when the filter is on - you cannot see the image to compose and focus so this must be done before applying the filter. This is not the case with TLR or rangefinder cameras, but you may have trouble finding a IR filter to fit the bayonet mount TLRs such as Rollei & Yashica.
avoid racking bellows out too much as it may leak IR light onto the film.
in general, you need to rack out the bellows by an extra 1/100th of the focal length of the lens for IR focus, thus:
for a 55mm lens, you only need to change it 0.5mm
for a 250mm lens, you change it 2.5mm
alternatively, you can make your own estimations on focus adjustments for IR, basing this on a 6×6 SLR lens, for example when using a 105mm lens:
subject at infinity, set focus to about 25m
subject at 15m, set focus to 10m
subject at 8m, set focus to about 6-7m
subject at 5m, set focus to about 4.5m
as an approximation, rotating the focus knob by 45deg only so lens moves out after you have subject focused, will probably be sufficient for IR focus, but to be safe, also use an aperture of f/8 or smaller which should cover any error.
if you already own a medium format SLR, you are probably better off putting up with the inconvenience of attaching filters for each shot than spending your money on a TLR even though they are quite cheap, you still have to carry it around, and you can't pre-load backs with IR film for field trips - you need to find a dark spot to change your film.
you wish to experiment with medium format films:
you wish to take very long exposures (hours) which is not possible with digitals or battery-dependent cameras:
wide field
astrophotography to show star trails around the celestial poles in very dark rural sites.
you cannot afford a full frame digital and want very shallow depth of field:
you really need extended daylight fill-in flash capability:
as with medium format SLR's and rangefinders, X-sync to 1/500th sec effectively gives your flash a lot more reach for daylight fill-in, so it may have a role for group photos (eg. at weddings or swimwear shoots) - most other cameras with a reasonably powerful flash should manage subject distances of up to 3m, and beware - most modern flashes have flash durations a full power of 1/200thsec, so using 1/500thsec will give you less flash output, nullifying your X-sync advantage.
you just want to be different.
in general, there are better cameras for most forms of photography and a TLR is a compromise:
weddings - the TLR used to be a great wedding camera as it gives great quality enlargements and has a quiet shutter (although noisy winder) and X-sync to 1/500th sec for fill-in flash, but people now are not so patient to put up with the photographer painstakingly setting composition, focus, winding film to cock the shutter, adjusting exposure settings using a hand held light meter and then having to change films every 12 or 24 shots.
landscapes - the lack of ability to visualise polariser and gradient filters along with higher lens flare make the TLR not as suitable as a SLR, and they are heavy to carry (1-1.6kg)
architecture - no perspective control so limited functionality
street photography - too big, heavy and difficult to use, there are better cameras - small rangefinders or digitals with waist level live LCDs such as Olympus C8080 or
E330.
action - the TLR is not a very good action camera even if you do get used to the back to front viewfinder image, use a fast AF digital SLR with fast burst rates and low noise at high ISO, eg. high end Canon.
macrophotography - parallax error makes life tough - use a digital SLR with live preview such as Olympus E410/510/330.
pets and children on the floor - if they didn't move, a TLR might be great if you sort out parallax error, but as they do move, a digital SLR with AF and waist level live LCD is much better - eg.
Olympus E330 or
Olympus E3
Introduction:
a TLR (twin lens reflex) means that it has two lenses, a lower lens that actually takes the picture and an upper lens that is only used for viewing and composing.
TLR advantages:
compared with MF SLRs, low weight (although Mamiya C330 is heaviest) and very quiet operation.
Since there is no moving mirror, hand-held images are often sharper than if a medium format SLR (single lens reflex) was used.
Many wedding photographers have used these cameras because you can still look through the finder and see someone blink at the moment of exposure.
can still compose and focus with opaque infrared filters (if you can find one to fit the lens)
TLR disadvantages:
parallax error:
due to using one lens to compose and a different lens ~50mm higher to take the photograph.
In normal use, this isn't a big problem with full length portraits or landscapes.
starts to be a problem for head & shoulder portraits
Even for closeup work, some clever paramenders and other devices help reduce if not eliminate parallax effects.
The view you see on the ground glass of the waist-level finder is reversed in left-right orientation. This may seem like something that could be awkward, but in actual usage the eye, hand and mind quickly adapt, and handling the camera properly soon becomes second nature.
viewing lenses usually don't have stop down apertures thus depth of field cannot be visualised
cannot visualise ascertain the polarising filter effect or gradient filter effect
viewing lens is often of lower quality and its aberrations may make accurate focusing only possible for the central areas - if your target subject does not fall in this region, you may need to move the camera until it is, focus then recompose.
no interchangeable backs
The major TLR brands include Rolleiflex, Mamiya, and Yashica.
the Rollei was king - it was small, had a great lens and a wonderful precision feel, but very expensive.
Mamiya TLRs include some with unique interchangeable lenses and standards but were heavy.
The other TLRs are limited to their original lens, although telephoto and wide angle adapters are also available.
in addition to X-sync for electronic flash, most also have an M sync available for use with flashbulbs. If you use M sync with electronic flash, the flash fires before the shutter opens, and you get no flash adding light to your exposure. BE CAREFUL not to accidentally put in in M position!
Mamiya:
Yashica:
Rollei:
Seagull:
Minolta:
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Autocord series:
not as commonly available as the other brands
well known for its sharp Rokkor f/3.5 75mm lens, the favourite model seems to be the Autocord.
uses Rollei bayonet-1 filters;
no split-image focusing screen but Spiratone made one
unique helicoid focusing system with IR marker
aperture and shutter controls are via sliders not the usual wheels.
double exposures
1953:
1955:
1956:
1957:
1958:
1962:
1965:
1966:
Autocord II:
Autocord CDS II:
Autocord III:
Autocord CDS III:
photo/tlr.txt · Last modified: 2018/12/13 10:26 by gary1