What is the "rangefinder style"?

Hi folks

 

The subject line says it all: Having nothing else to do in a quiet

Sunday morning, I was wondering what character, look or attribute

makes a photograph a "rangefinder style" image. I do understand and

are more and more attracted to the particular approach of

rangefinder photography but how about a single photo, or a number of

photos? How can you tell? Yesterday, in an attempt at doing

rangefinder photography, I took the pictures you see below. Did I

succed or not? Any thought?<div></div>

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IMHO, rangefinder style should at least includes some people.

 

These are definitely not rangefinder style. They are SLR style, i.e., closeup and accurate framing. They are better than rangefinder style ;-)

Are we in a Jim Carrey movie now?

Bill Murray: Groundhog Day.

This was a nice, long thread... adorned with my very wise reply, which is now lost. I guess it's the Twilight Zone instead...

This is a Korean Leica Club site:

 

http://leicaclub.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=all

 

The "essence of rangefinder style" can surely be seen here....

 

If, while perusing the various pages of thumbnails, you find an image you like,

clicking on it brings you to a larger version. From there, you can select the text in

parentheses which probably indicates "see the photographer's other images" or

somesuch... I visit this site regularly, and find a lot of very good 'street' photography.

90% of it is shot with Leicas. An occasional Rolleiflex, G2, T3, Hexar, etc. make it in. I

wonder if those non-Leica shots are somehow ostracized as they are here.

 

If anyone knows of a similar site from Japan, please let me know.

I think I'm having an acid flashback...

A note for latecomers:

 

Before the fine original thread here unfortunately escaped irretrievably into

cyberspace its was concluded that �Rangefinder style� was a type of Tibetan food and

had nothing to do with photography.

Funny project, we should reconstruct all of the lost threads!

 

As to RF style.. basically you can make any kind of pic with any camera, a carefully composed still life with fruits using a leica and a pic from a sports event with a lf camera. However, for RF style i'd say that dynamical images, kind of "freezing" a moment where different elements interact for a moment, are somehow the realm of rangefinders. The carefuly composed landscape or studo portrait would be, then, the perfect MF style..

 

..and then I read that Victor Hasselblad used to photograph wildlife with his nice cameras, so go figure.

I agree with Jean's definition. I think that type of shot is what is meant, by most people, when they say "rangefinder style". Of course, you don't need a rangefinder to do it - but it probably helps.

"..and then I read that Victor Hasselblad used to photograph wildlife with his nice cameras, so go figure"

 

JEAN, I think it's absolutely impossible (??)...<div></div>

Andrea, these are excellant shots. So sharp and composed well. The problem with many photos posted here in the so called "rangefinder" style is that they are shot with wide lenses too far away and include a lot of noisey backround clutter with the subject somewhere. You show that great shots can be taken on a rangefinder not just a SLR. Its hard to emulate HCB because he got so close and created stunningly sharp well composed people photos.