What is a rangefinder camera, anyway?
Although there are a number of ways to focus a camera, the two types encountered most commonly are the single lens reflex (SLR) and rangefinder. On the SLR you are looking directly at an image projected by the cameras taking lens, which produces accurate focus and framing. In a rangefinder camera you are looking through a separate viewfinder window, easily seen above the lens in the photos of the Epson R-D1. Youll note that there is a big window, a frosted window, and a little window. When you look into the eyepiece you will see directly through the big window. In your field of view you will see silver lines on the top, bottom and sides. These silver lines are the viewfinder frames and show you exactly what will be in the image. You must set the lever on top of the camera so it will display the correct viewfinder frame for the lens in use. The R-D1 has settings for 28mm, 35mm, and 50 mm lenses. In the center of the image you will see a shimmering rectangle. That is the rangefinder patc
