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Cameras, Formats & Systems

Twin-lens Reflex (TLR)

A medium-format camera with two stacked lenses, one for viewing through a waist-level ground glass and one for taking the picture.

In depth

Because the viewing lens has its own permanently fixed mirror, there is no blackout and no mirror slap, making a TLR unusually quiet and steady at slow speeds. The two lenses see slightly different views, producing parallax error that matters at close distances. The waist-level finder also shows a laterally reversed image, which slows composition down in a way many photographers came to value.

Examples in practice

A Rolleiflex held at chest height lets a portrait subject relax, because the photographer's face stays visible rather than hidden behind a camera.