What does paraxial camera mean? What paraxial cameras are there?

Paraxial camera has one main feature and two secondary features. The main feature is that there is an independent optical viewfinder, and the optical axis of the viewfinder is located next to the optical axis of the photographic lens and parallel to each other. The first secondary feature is the linkage focusing mechanism inside the fuselage. By adjusting the focus ring of the lens, the tail of the lens can expand and contract, so as to contact with the linkage focusing mechanism inside the fuselage, and drive the internal mechanical structure to adjust the optical elements in the viewfinder to realize the focusing ability. The second small feature is that you can't see the reflector when disassembling the lens (this is mainly used to distinguish SLR cameras).

The paraxial camera was invented by Leica, and it was one of the mainstream cameras in the world before the popularity of SLR in Japan in the 1980s. Because of the above characteristics of paraxial camera, the use of paraxial camera must go through certain professional training, unlike SLR cameras, which ordinary people can see and get, so it gradually withdrew from the market after the 1990 s.

Leica is the most famous paraxial camera. Leica's M series are all paraxial cameras (including digital M8\M9\ME, etc. ) Kangtaishi, a subsidiary of Zeiss, also produces paraxial cameras. Frenda in Germany has been producing paraxial cameras. Nikon, Canon, Konica and other Japanese brands all produce a large number of paraxial cameras.

Paraxial cameras are generally divided into three types.

One is PS camera, which is what we call a fool camera. Early fool cameras didn't have a linkage ranging mechanism, and they were all shot with hyperfocal distance. Later, thanks to the technological innovation of Japanese manufacturers, the electronic ranging mechanism was introduced, that is, the fuselage emits invisible infrared rays, the focal length of the subject is obtained by reflecting the signal, and then the focal length of the lens is automatically adjusted to shoot. Famous representatives include Condex's T2\T3\TVS series, Ricoh's GR series and Konica's ingenuity.

One is a paraxial camera with an interchangeable lens and manual focusing. A large number of Fu Lunda and Zeiss paraxial cameras on Taobao are like this. Focusing needs to be adjusted manually, and then the accuracy of focusing can be judged by the macular change in the viewfinder. In addition, there are a series of paraxial cameras represented by Lulai 35, which have no linkage focusing mechanism and need visual inspection.

One is the variable lens paraxial camera, and the famous representatives are Leica M series, Konica Joss RF, Kangteshi G series, Fu Lunda R series, Nikon RF series, Minolta CL/CLE and so on. Most lens bayonets are Leica ports, which are the traditional Leica L39 screw ports and M ports. Basically, most classic lenses have these two ports, others are bayonet developed by manufacturers themselves, such as Condex Germany.

In addition, Fuji's X 10 belongs to the paraxial of the digital age, but Sony's NEX7 does not, because NEX7 is not an independent optical axis of optical viewfinder, and the viewfinder image is derived from the lens optical axis. Camera shooting and framing are based on a lens optical axis, so it doesn't count.