What are the strengths of rangefinders?
• Rangefinders can be made smaller and lighter than most SLRs, since there is no need for a swinging mirror and large viewing pentaprism. • Rangefinders can be quieter than SLRs, thanks to the lack of noise from a moving mirror. • Rangefinders may be lower cost than similar quality SLRs, simply due to the fewer parts, including the lack of an expensive pentaprism. • Rangefinders may be cheaper and simpler to fix, depending on their design, due to the fewer and lower cost parts used in their simpler design. • Rangefinders may have shorter delays in taking the exposure, since they don’t have to wait for a big mirror to swing or move out of the way before taking the exposure. • Rangefinders can have brighter focusing images, since you aren’t looking through a lens (of possibly small aperture like f/4 or f/5.6). • Rangefinder focusing may be more accurate than even split image screen focusing on an SLR. The reason lies in the longer baseline between the two windows in the rangefinder. The
