Twin-lens reflex camera

A twin-lens reflex camera (TLR) is a type of <a href="/facts/Camera/j4uqsfJQ">camera</a> with two objective <a href="/facts/Photographic_lens/TkL6sd1b">lenses</a> of the same <a href="/facts/Focal_length/brGIUkEY">focal length</a>. One of the lenses is the photographic objective or "taking lens" (the lens that takes the picture), while the other is used for the <a href="/facts/Viewfinder/aqgJoAYB">viewfinder</a> system, which is usually viewed from above at waist level.
In addition to the objective, the viewfinder consists of a 45-degree <a href="/facts/Mirror/wMu4u6BB">mirror</a> (the reason for the word reflex in the name), a matte <a href="/facts/Focusing_screen/vSv2hjCI">focusing screen</a> at the top of the camera, and a pop-up hood surrounding it. The two objectives are connected, so that the focus shown on the focusing screen will be exactly the same as on the film. However, many inexpensive "pseudo" TLRs are fixed-focus models to save on the mechanical complexity. Most TLRs use <a href="/facts/Shutter_(photography)/83Y5rsB0">leaf shutters</a> with shutter speeds up to 1/500 of a second with a <a href="/facts/Bulb_(photography)/5uRW43Lh">bulb</a> setting.
For practical purposes, all TLRs are film cameras, most often using <a href="/facts/120_film/Klj2xUvp">120 film</a>, although there are many examples which used 620 film, 127 film, and 35 mm film. Few general-purpose digital TLR cameras exist, since the heyday of TLR cameras ended long before the era of <a href="/facts/Digital_camera/LSGTserm">digital</a> cameras, though they can be adapted with <a href="/facts/Digital_camera_back/EfWeWrAh">digital backs</a>. In 2015, <a href="/facts/MiNT_Camera/t4pLUu5m">MiNT Camera</a> released Instantflex TL70, a twin-lens reflex camera that uses Fuji <a href="/facts/Instax/UIRPyNoe">instax</a> mini film.

Twin-lens reflex camera open-in-new

Twin-lens reflex camera