Difference between revisions of "Camera types"

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There are many types of cameras, in two broad categories, '''film''' and '''digital'''.
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== Distinguishing features ==
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There are many types of cameras. Almost all of them can be classified according to the following features:
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* the sensor: nature ([[Digital camera|digital]], [[35mm film]], [[120 film]], [[APS film]], other [[rollfilm]], cut film...) and size (24×36mm, 6×6cm...);
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* the [[viewing system]] (external finder, electronic finder, [[LCD|LCD screen]], [[single lens reflex]], [[twin lens reflex]]...);
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* the rigidity of the body (rigid, swivelling lens, telescopic tube, [[folding]], [[monorail camera|monorail]]...);
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* the [[focusing system]] (autofocus, [[rangefinder (device)|rangefinder focusing]], manual reflex focusing, [[guess focusing]], ground glass back...);
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* the [[lens]] attachment (interchangeable lens, non interchangeable zoom lens, fixed lens);
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* the metering system: [[light meter|metering]] photocell type, [[metering modes|location, and modes]] (programmed, speed-priority, aperture-priority, manual).
  
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* '''Film Cameras'''
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The features that will most determine the aspect of the camera are the '''[[viewing system]]''' and the '''rigidity'''. Once they are known, the general shape of the body is usually quite predictable.
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** [[point-and-shoot]] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/22827039/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/19/22827039_941d3ed32b_t.jpg]
 
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** [[SLR]] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/45501196/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/33/45501196_7031279e86_t.jpg]
 
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** [[TLR]] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/20742380/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/16/20742380_bffd24b768_t.jpg]
 
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** [[rangefinder]] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/44707155/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://static.flickr.com/33/44707155_4b06cde358_t.jpg]
 
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** [[viewfinder camera]]
 
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** [[folding]]
 
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** [[subminiature]]
 
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** [[view camera]]
 
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** [[pinhole camera]]s
 
  
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* '''[[Digital camera|Digital Cameras]]'''
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The '''size of the sensor''' matters for the size of the camera and for the end result, while its '''nature''' has an incidence on the internal construction: a film camera usually needs place for the supply and take up spools, except for the cameras using cut film or plate film.
  
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=== Distinguishing Features of Camera Types ===
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The '''[[focusing system]]''' and '''[[metering modes|metering system]]''' will mostly influence how you will use the camera, but has few impact on its shape.
  
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The main distinguishing features between different types of cameras are:
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Unusual combinations of these features have existed, for example folding [[TLR]]s, [[subminiature]] [[SLR]]s and so on. However not every combination does make sense. For example an subminiature folding autofocus TLR is not theoretically impossible, but unlikely to ever exist.
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* the shape of the body (rigid, folding, monorail...)
 
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* the [[viewing system]] (external finder, SLR, TLR...)
 
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* the [[focusing system]] (guess focusing, rangefinder, reflex...)
 
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* the lens attachment (fixed, fixed zoom, interchangeable)
 
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* the sensor (digital, 35mm film, 120 film, cut film...) and the format (24x36mm, 6x6cm...)
 
  
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Unusual combinations of these features have existed, for example folding TLRs, subminiature SLRs and so on.
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== Common camera types ==
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Below is a table with common camera types and the features that distinguish them.
  
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<!-- !!! The following sections should be moved to the individual pages above !!!
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{| border="1" style="margin: 0.5em 2em; text-align: center; border-collapse: collapse;" align="center"
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|-
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| rowspan="2" | || colspan="2" | sensor || rowspan="2" | viewing system || rowspan="2" | rigidity || rowspan="2" | focusing system || rowspan="2" | lens || rowspan="2" | metering system || rowspan="2" | example
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|-
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| nature || size
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[SLR]]
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| colspan="2" | any || reflex finder through the taking lens || usually rigid || manual reflex focusing or autofocus || usually interchangeable || any || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/45501196/in/pool-camerawiki http://static.flickr.com/33/45501196_7031279e86_t.jpg]
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[TLR]]
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| analog || any || reflex finder through a second lens || usually rigid || manual reflex focusing || usually fixed || manual exposure or no meter at all || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/20742380/in/pool-camerawiki http://static.flickr.com/16/20742380_bffd24b768_t.jpg]
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[point-and-shoot]]
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| any || up to 4.5&times;6cm || optical finder or LCD screen || rigid or swivelling || autofocus or fixed focusing || non interchangeable (fixed or zoom) || automatic exposure or no exposure control (single shutter speed) || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/22827039/in/pool-camerawiki http://static.flickr.com/19/22827039_941d3ed32b_t.jpg]
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[rangefinder camera|rangefinder]]
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| colspan="2" | any || optical finder with superimposed or separate rangefinder || rigid or folding || manual [[rangefinder (device)|rangefinder focusing]] || fixed or interchangeable (no zoom) || any || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/44707155/in/pool-camerawiki http://static.flickr.com/33/44707155_4b06cde358_t.jpg]
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[viewfinder camera|viewfinder]]
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| analog || any || in- or external finder or ground glass back || rigid or telescopic || distance symbols or no focusing aid || usually fixed || any || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/20759011/in/pool-camerawiki http://static.flickr.com/15/20759011_434e5266cd_t_d.jpg]
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[box camera|box]]
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| analog || any || internal reflecting type finder or frame finder or telescopic optical finder or ground glass back || rigid || ground glass back made as sliding box, ground glass with focusable lens, or no focusing aid || fixed || none || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/captkodak/271771351/in/pool-camerawiki http://farm1.static.flickr.com/101/271771351_aee575cbf5_t_d.jpg]
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[folding]]
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| analog || any || reflecting type finder or internal optical finder or ground glass back or frame finder || folding || [[rangefinder (device)|rangefinder]], ground glass back or no focusing aid || fixed or interchangeable (no zoom) || any || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/awcam/2346730226/in/pool-camerawiki http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2346730226_5f9b15c937_t.jpg]
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[subminiature]]
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| any || smaller than 18&times;24mm || any || any || any || any || any || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/46709161/in/pool-camerawiki http://static.flickr.com/25/46709161_ada6eb2533_t_d.jpg]
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[view camera]]
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| colspan="2" | any || ground glass back || bellows and rails || ground glass back || interchangeable || none ||
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[http://www.flickr.com/photos/cubicleman/308183510/in/pool-camerawiki http://farm1.static.flickr.com/100/308183510_efe317ec69_t.jpg]
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|-
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| style="text-align:left" | [[pinhole camera]]
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| colspan="2" | any || any || any || any || pinhole "lens" || none || [https://www.flickr.com/photos/perminna/4790318487/in/pool-camerawiki https://live.staticflickr.com/4136/4790318487_23ec342192_t.jpg]
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|}
  
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=== Rangefinder ===
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<!--Here is a table with the most common categories:
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Insert a table with the camera types listed above and the corresponding features. -->
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Rangefinder cameras are those that focus using some sort of coincident-viewing distance-determination mechanism. The most common form, as used in cameras like the [[Leica]] and other classic small 35mm cameras, is to use a prism and mirror arrangement between two viewing windows. Small adjustments in the angles of the prisms will align two superimposed images -- when the images are aligned the distance can be determined accurately by a simple mechanical cam. Such rangefinders have been used in 35mm cameras for many years and also in larger-format cameras such as "folder" medium format cameras, "Texas Leicas" like the [[Mamiya 7]] and even some early polaroid cameras.
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<!-- !!! The following should be moved to [[SLR]] !!!
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Other styles of rangefinder do exist, such as the electronic variety found in the [[Contax G1-G2]] cameras. In general, "rangefinder" focusing is often used to describe any focusing mechanism that doesn't view directly through the taking lens (or an identical copy of that lens, as in Twin Lens Reflex cameras).
 
  
 
=== Single Lens Reflex ===
 
=== Single Lens Reflex ===
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[[Category: Camera architecture|*]]

Latest revision as of 11:58, 23 November 2019

Distinguishing features

There are many types of cameras. Almost all of them can be classified according to the following features:

The features that will most determine the aspect of the camera are the viewing system and the rigidity. Once they are known, the general shape of the body is usually quite predictable.

The size of the sensor matters for the size of the camera and for the end result, while its nature has an incidence on the internal construction: a film camera usually needs place for the supply and take up spools, except for the cameras using cut film or plate film.

The focusing system and metering system will mostly influence how you will use the camera, but has few impact on its shape.

Unusual combinations of these features have existed, for example folding TLRs, subminiature SLRs and so on. However not every combination does make sense. For example an subminiature folding autofocus TLR is not theoretically impossible, but unlikely to ever exist.

Common camera types

Below is a table with common camera types and the features that distinguish them.

sensor viewing system rigidity focusing system lens metering system example
nature size
SLR any reflex finder through the taking lens usually rigid manual reflex focusing or autofocus usually interchangeable any 45501196_7031279e86_t.jpg
TLR analog any reflex finder through a second lens usually rigid manual reflex focusing usually fixed manual exposure or no meter at all 20742380_bffd24b768_t.jpg
point-and-shoot any up to 4.5×6cm optical finder or LCD screen rigid or swivelling autofocus or fixed focusing non interchangeable (fixed or zoom) automatic exposure or no exposure control (single shutter speed) 22827039_941d3ed32b_t.jpg
rangefinder any optical finder with superimposed or separate rangefinder rigid or folding manual rangefinder focusing fixed or interchangeable (no zoom) any 44707155_4b06cde358_t.jpg
viewfinder analog any in- or external finder or ground glass back rigid or telescopic distance symbols or no focusing aid usually fixed any 20759011_434e5266cd_t_d.jpg
box analog any internal reflecting type finder or frame finder or telescopic optical finder or ground glass back rigid ground glass back made as sliding box, ground glass with focusable lens, or no focusing aid fixed none 271771351_aee575cbf5_t_d.jpg
folding analog any reflecting type finder or internal optical finder or ground glass back or frame finder folding rangefinder, ground glass back or no focusing aid fixed or interchangeable (no zoom) any 2346730226_5f9b15c937_t.jpg
subminiature any smaller than 18×24mm any any any any any 46709161_ada6eb2533_t_d.jpg
view camera any ground glass back bellows and rails ground glass back interchangeable none

308183510_efe317ec69_t.jpg

pinhole camera any any any any pinhole "lens" none 4790318487_23ec342192_t.jpg
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