Distinguishing features

There are many types of cameras. Almost all of them can be classified according to the following features:

• the sensor: nature (<a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22digital%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Digital%20camera%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BDigital%20camera%7Cdigital%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Digital_camera" title="Digital camera">digital</a>, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%2235mm%20film%22%2C%22link%22%3A%2235mm%20film%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5B35mm%20film%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/35mm_film" title="35mm film">35mm film</a>, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22120%20film%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22120%20film%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5B120%20film%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/120_film" title="120 film">120 film</a>, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22APS%20film%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22APS%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BAPS%7CAPS%20film%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/APS" title="APS">APS film</a>, other <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22rollfilm%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22rollfilm%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Brollfilm%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Rollfilm" title="Rollfilm">rollfilm</a>, cut film...) and size (24×36mm, 6×6cm...);
• the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22viewing%20system%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22viewing%20system%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bviewing%20system%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Viewing_system" title="Viewing system">viewing system</a> (oops there goes gravity, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22LCD%20screen%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22LCD%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BLCD%7CLCD%20screen%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/LCD" title="LCD">LCD screen</a>, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22single%20lens%20reflex%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22single%20lens%20reflex%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bsingle%20lens%20reflex%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Single_lens_reflex" title="Single lens reflex" class="mw-redirect">single lens reflex</a>, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22twin%20lens%20reflex%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22twin%20lens%20reflex%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Btwin%20lens%20reflex%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Twin_lens_reflex" title="Twin lens reflex" class="mw-redirect">twin lens reflex</a>...);
• the rigidity of the body (rigid, swivelling lens, telescopic tube, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22folding%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22folding%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bfolding%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Folding" title="Folding">folding</a>, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22monorail%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22monorail%20camera%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bmonorail%20camera%7Cmonorail%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Monorail_camera" title="Monorail camera">monorail</a>...);
• the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22focusing%20system%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22focusing%20system%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bfocusing%20system%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Focusing_system" title="Focusing system">focusing system</a> (autofocus, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22rangefinder%20focusing%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22rangefinder%20%28device%29%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Brangefinder%20%28device%29%7Crangefinder%20focusing%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Rangefinder_(device)" title="Rangefinder (device)">rangefinder focusing</a>, manual reflex focusing, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22guess%20focusing%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22guess%20focusing%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bguess%20focusing%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Guess_focusing" title="Guess focusing">guess focusing</a>, ground glass back...);
• the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22lens%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22lens%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Blens%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Lens" title="Lens">lens</a> attachment (interchangeable lens, non interchangeable zoom lens, fixed lens);
• the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22metering%20system%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22metering%20system%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bmetering%20system%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Metering_system" title="Metering system">metering system</a>: metering sensor and metering modes (programmed, speed-priority, aperture-priority, manual).

The features that will most determine the aspect of the camera are the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22viewing%20system%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22viewing%20system%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bviewing%20system%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Viewing_system" title="Viewing system">viewing system</a> and the rigidity. Once they are known, the general shape of the body is usually quite predictable.

The size of the sensor matters for the size of the camera and for the end result, while its nature has an incidence on the internal construction: a film camera usually needs place for the supply and take up spools, except for the cameras using cut film or plate film.

The <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22focusing%20system%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22focusing%20system%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bfocusing%20system%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Focusing_system" title="Focusing system">focusing system</a> and <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22metering%20system%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22metering%20system%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bmetering%20system%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Metering_system" title="Metering system">metering system</a> will mostly influence how you will use the camera, but has few impact on its <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22metering%20system%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22metering%20system%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bmetering%20system%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Metering_system" title="Metering system">metering system</a> shape.

Unusual combinations of these features have existed, for example folding <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22TLR%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22TLR%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BTLR%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/TLR" title="TLR">TLRs</a>, <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22subminiature%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22subminiature%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bsubminiature%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/Subminiature" title="Subminiature">subminiature</a> <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22SLR%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22SLR%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BSLR%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="211208-13536796204f6b091f93f30" href="/wiki/SLR" title="SLR">SLRs</a> and so on. However not every combination does make sense. For example an subminiature folding autofocus TLR is not theoretically impossible, but unlikely to ever exist.

Common camera types Edit

Below is a table with common camera types and the features that distinguish them.