Pseudo TLR

Argus Seventy-Five, a pseudo-TLR box camera image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights)

For a list of pseudo TLR cameras, see the Category: Pseudo TLR.

A pseudo TLR is a camera that imitates the shape of a TLR (twin lens reflex), but does not couple the taking and viewing lenses. The finder is not a true reflex finder with a ground glass indicating the focus, but instead an oversized brilliant finder. It has either guess focusing or a fixed-focus design.

The pseudo TLR vogue was around the 1950s and 1960s, when the Rolleiflex was the typical pro camera. Pseudo TLRs were produced by many companies in the US (e.g. Kodak Duaflex), Germany (e.g. most Voigtländer Brillant models), France (e.g. Olbia), and the United Kingdom (e.g. Ensign Ful-Vue).

The Pseudo TLR idea made an unexpected re-appearance in 2008, with the Blackbird, fly, a plastic toy camera for 35mm film.