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Film Tech/Equipment

RF(Range finder:레인지파인더) 카메라에 대해서

35mm 카메라와 중형 카메라와 같이 교환렌즈를 사용할수 있는 또 다른 유형의 카메라가 있다.
바로 RF(레인지파인더)카메라 이다.
우리나라 말로 번역하면 거리계연동 카메라 라고 번역할수 있다.

렌즈의 위쪽이나 측면에 파인더를 따로 장착한 레인지파인더 카메라는 최근에 생산되는 모델에서는 파인더가 상당히 정밀하고 정확해 졌다. 우리는 장착한 렌즈와 초점을 맞춘 거리에 따라서 연동이 되는 정교한 파인더로 인해서 필름에 찍히게 될 장면을 거이 그대로 보게되었다. 일부 모델들에는 파인더에 눈금이 그려져 있어서 접사사진에서도 거의 정확한 화면 구성을 할수 있다.

레인지 파인더 카메라는 항상 대상물을 볼수있다. 즉 SLR 카메라와는 달리 사진이 찍히는 순간에 파인더가 가려지는 현상이 없기 때문이다. 카메라와 렌즈는 인반적인 SLR 카메라에 비해서 한결 작게 설계되어 있어서, 다른 사람들이 눈에 잘 띄지도 않고, 실제로 셔터를 눌러도 소리가 작다.
대부분의 레인지 파인더 모델들은 우아하고, 보기에도 좋다. 우수한 기계적 구성요소들과 렌즈들은 한결 매력을 더해준다. 하지만 SLR과 비교할때 분명히 단점도 있다. 일반적으로 레인지파인더 카메라들은 자동화가 덜되어 있으며, 기능에 비해서 가격이 비싸고, 보조장비와 렌즈 선택의 폭이좁다. 그 밖에도 마원렌즈를 사용할 경우 대상물이 선명하게 보이지 않으며 접사사진 에서도 정확동를 깋대하기 어렵다.

그러나 레인지파인더 카메라의 장점 가운데 가장 우수한 점은 이물사진을 찍을떄 유리하다는 것이다. 특히 정확한 제스처를 결정적인 순간에 잡아내는 것이 중요한 과제가 될 경우에 그렇다.
따라서 여행사진가들 뿐 아니라 포토저널리스트들이 레인지파인더 카메라를 선호하는 것은 당연한 일이다.
Contax G2의 경우 레인지파인더 카메라 이리만 그성능은 첨단 SLR 카메라에 못지 안핟. 왜냐하면 자동초점에 필름감기 장치도 내장하고 있으면서도, 완전히 수동으로 조작할수도 있으면서 기본적인 자동모드도 사용할수 있도록 되어 있기 때문이다.


레인지 파인더 카메라를 사용하는 사진가들은 거의가 SLR카메라를 풀레트로 가지고 있기는 하지만(특히 망원렌즈 사용을 위해서) 장비를 완전희 SLR카메라로 바꾸는 사진가는 거의 없다.

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아래 글은 Eric kim이라는 동양계 작가가 레인지 파인더의 장점을 잘 설명한 글이다.
원문으로.... 한국인으로 판단이 된다.

5 Reasons Why Shooting With a Rangefinder Will Make You a Better Street Photographer

When it comes to street photography, I am a huge believer that there is no “best” camera for street photography. Ever different camera has its own strengths and weaknesses, and are all used in different situations. I have shot with many types of cameras, including point and shoots, disposable film cameras, DSLR’s, and even rangefinders.

Recently I have been shooting quite a bit with my rangefinder, and it has truly helped my street photography from both a technical and artistic point of view. Although rangefinders can be expensive, I believe that they can be a great investment. There are many strengths that rangefinders have over many other traditional types of cameras when it comes to street photography. In this blog post I will best outline my thoughts on how shooting with a rangefinder will make you a better street photographer

how shooting with a rangefinder will make you a better street photographer.

1. You master the basics

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When I started photography, I had a weak understanding of exposure and how it translated into ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. I had no idea what a “stop” was, and how my DSLR would calculate the ideal exposure. Although I knew the basics, I was more reliant on my camera to help determine the settings for me, which crippled my perception of how to use manual settings.

However with my Contax IIIa film rangefinder, it became a totally different ball-game. The camera is fully-manual, which forced me to truly understand the relationship between ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. The first few rolls of film I shot with my rangefinder were horrible– either too overexposed or underexposed. After many rolls of practice and diligence, I now know exposure like the back of my hand and no longer need to rely on a light-meter to gauge my shots.

Now I can look at the sky and based on how h3ly the light is, I will know exactly which settings to use. When I walk into the shade, I will instinctively lower my aperture by a stop (or even two) based on the darkness. It gives me a h3 sense of liberation and freedom, and a peace of mind that I am controlling my camera– rather than my camera having a mind of its own.

2. You will get more keepers

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The frustration of shooting with a DSLR for street photography is that I often take way too many images– most of them which don’t make my “keeper” pile. With my 16 GB CF card, I can easily take a thousand photos yet only have 5 truly remarkable shots.

Shooting with a rangefinder is different. They are much more simple than DSLR’s, which helps you focus on taking each image individually instead of just shooting your camera like a semi-automatic gun. This especially is true when it comes to shooting with film. Each roll of my film only holds 24 exposures, which means that every shot I take has to count. This makes me question which shots I truly want to take and which shots aren’t worth it.

3. You will be more discrete

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There is no secret that rangefinders are simply more low-key for street photography than DSLR’s. When shooting with my rangefinder, people rarely notice that I am taking photos of them because the shutter is nearly silent and my camera looks far less threatening. However when I am shooting street photography with my bulky DSLR, they always notice the loud clacking sound of my shutter and feel more threatened with the “professional-looking” body.

One of the most important things about street photography is to be invisible and not stand out in the crowd. Therefore if you wish to get every possible advantage to capture photos without your subjects noticing, shooting with a rangefinder is key.

4. You will anticipate the shot before you take it

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When shooting street photography with a rangefinder, you have to focus manually for everything. Although it may seem as a burden at first, it rather liberates you as a street photographer and gives you more flexibility. The reason I say this is because when you are shooting street photography, it is essential to pre-focus your shots, especially when you have to capture “the decisive moment” in a fraction of a second. For example, I always keep my lens at a 5-foot focusing distance, and keep my aperture at f/16 or f/11 to ensure that my shots will be in focus. I have noticed that autofocus can be quite lousy for shooting street photographs of moving subjects with a DSLR, and manual focusing works far greater.

5. You have a greater field of vision

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If you have ever shot with a rangefinder, one of the first things you will notice is how large and bright the viewfinder is. Also because you aren’t looking at a scene through the lens of your camera, you have a much larger peripheral view. Therefore when you are trying to frame or anticipate a shot, you will be able to see everything that is going in front of you with the optical viewfinder. Viewfinders on most DSLR’s are quite pitiful, with the small and dark view they provide. To take great street photographs, it is important to not have your vision obscured in any way.

In conclusion, using a rangefinder for street photography can definitely help you become a better street photographer through its strengths (and limitations). However don’t expect to buy a new Leica M9-P and expect all of your images to come out great. Remember, it is never the camera—but the photographer who takes the images. Giving better paints to an expert painter will help him or her create better paintings, but giving better paints to an amateur won’t do the same.

Have you ever shot with a rangefinder before? Share your experiences by leaving a comment below.

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About the Author: Eric Kim is an international street photographer based in Los Angeles. He has traveled the world and shot street photographs in Paris, Florence, Rome, London, Korea, Prague and has even taught a street photography workshop in Beirut, Lebanon.

You can read more of his insights about street photography on hisblog, and you can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

He is also teaching a street photography workshop in Brighton on May 21st. Please check out the Facebook invite!