Tom Trinca

Parallax Error - Please help!

Parallax Error!-

When composing my shots through the viewfinder of my recently acquired Mamiya c33 (a twin lens camera), I experience what I think is called the Parallax error. Basically I inadvertently crop the final negative because the perspective I see through the top lens (the viewfinder lens) is about five centimeters above the film chamber lens.

This is only a problem for macro photography when the Parallax error is very obvious.

My only solution right now, is to wind my tripod up about five centimeters, so the bottom lens occupies the space where the top lens was. If I want to tilt the anlge of the camera when composing however, this doesn’t work, because the bottom lens isn’t in line with the top one when wound up five centimeters.

I’ve also tried using a length of string pulled taught between the subject and the bottom lens to try and frame it up, but this leaves a margin for error too!

If anyone has any information on solving Parallax error through a more effective means, I’d be happy to hear from you!

Thanks,

Tom

  • Ian Porter

    Ian Porter, 4 months ago

    http://www.mamiya.nl/client/mamiya/uploads/downloads/c330_instructions.pdf

  • Tom Trinca

    Tom Trinca in reply to Ian Porter’s comment, 4 months ago

    Thanks Ian that helps a lot. Although this is for the C330 Mamiya, the manual still applies to the C33 in terms of Parallax correction bit. Do you use a twin lens camera?

  • Ian Porter

    Ian Porter, 4 months ago

    No – I’m a convert to digital! Sorry. I’m just a sad IT geek. These also look useful -

    http://www.cameramanuals.org/mamiya_pdf/mamiya_c33_pro.pdf

    http://www.mediajoy.com/en/cla_came/C33/index.html

    http://photo.net/equipment/mamiya/tlr

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Tom Trinca

Written by:

Tom Trinca
July 9, 2008