reflex camera

American  

[ree-fleks kam-er-uh] / ˈri flɛks ˌkæm ər ə /

noun

1. a camera in which the image appears on a ground-glass viewer focusing screen after being reflected by a mirror or after passing through a prism or semitransparent glass; in one type single-lens reflex camera, or single-lens, light passes through the same lens to both the ground glass and the film, while in another type twin-lens reflex camera, or twin-lens reflex, light passes through one lens viewing lens to the ground glass and through a second lens taking lens to the film, the lenses being mechanically coupled for focusing.

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reflex camera British  

noun

1. a camera in which the image is composed and focused on a large ground-glass viewfinder screen. In a single-lens reflex the light enters through the camera lens and falls on the film when the viewfinder mirror is retracted. In a twin-lens reflex the light enters through a separate lens and is deflected onto the viewfinder screen

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Etymology

Origin of reflex camera

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Ms. Stafford would eventually trade her Broadway dreams for a Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera on her way to becoming a pioneering, if underrecognized, photojournalist and fashion photographer.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2023

John Boyd, co-founder and CEO of Monolith Technologies, which owns ShopSavvy, says he uses that feature for things he has his eye on, like a digital single-lens reflex camera.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 7, 2022

You’re shooting what’s right in front of you, but you’re looking down at the image preview, kind of like an old-school twin-lens reflex camera.

From The Verge • Aug. 20, 2022

One of the cameras David had that day was a Rolleiflex, a German make known as a twin-lens reflex camera.

From Washington Post • Oct. 17, 2021

A reflex camera is of course the ideal instrument for the purpose, for sharp focusing is so easy and so necessary.

From Making Your Camera Pay by Davis, Frederick C.