So what about focus? We have already understood that in such a universal camera there cannot be a mechanical connection between the lens and the camera. And if there is no connection, then what about the rangefinder? Let’s turn to modern technology. Today’s digital cameras are great at focusing automatically. The focusing algorithms are well-established and reliable, the camera needs a small matrix for autofocus to work. Stop! But we have a film camera! Where did the matrix come from?

Yes, for operation of the system, which we will call “electronic rangefinder”, we need a small matrix, which placed in the frame window. At the time of shooting, the matrix will move outside the frame window.

Stop again! In digital cameras, the lens rotates with a motor! We don’t have any motors! This is correct. You will have to focus the lens manually, as photographers did for many decades. But the electronic rangefinder will tell us in which direction we need to turn the focus – closer or farther and will tell us the exact position when the focus is focused. This may be a sound signal, or a light indication in the viewfinder field of view.

Seems, it’s working well! Our camera has no connection with the lens, we can put any lens on the camera. You just need to twist it to focus, and when the focus is on, the camera says “beep-beep” to us!

Of course, all this should be considered. Focusing in the centre of the frame is the simplest case. Maybe, we should provide a multi-zone focus detection mode.

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