Any Rolleikin users? Feedback please.

[Carl170]

Hi.

I just got back from a trip using my Rolleiflex Old Standard and found it was lovely to use. I am thinking that it would be kind of handy if it could use 35mm film as I could just drop it in with my regular film (there is no 120 processing locally to me).

I see that my 622 can use the Rolleikin 1. What I was wondering is how useful this actually is? Does anyone own one and use it regularly? I assume the 35mm frame is on its side, so does it feel like using a giant half frame camera?

Thanks for any insight anyone can offer!

Kind Regards

Carl

 

[piu58]

I have a tele Rollei which came with the Rolleikin installed. Unfortunately, one of the parts is missing, so I couldn't try it. But it can be seen that you get portrait photographs on 35 mm, which is probably not what you want. It is nearly impossible to make landscape shots.

 

[railwayman3]

A friend of mine acquired a Rolleikin attachment for his Rollei back in the 1980's/90's. The film ran top-to-bottom, giving a vertical frame of normal 36x24 dimensions, with a slight longer-focus effect from the 80mm lens; as piu58 says, probably it's main use would be portraiture....my friend is more into landscapes and engineering subjects, and I know he mainly used (and uses) the usual 120 film with this camera.

 

[BrianShaw]

I have a tele Rollei which came with the Rolleikin installed. Unfortunately, one of the parts is missing, so I couldn't try it. But it can be seen that you get portrait photographs on 35 mm, which is probably not what you want. It is nearly impossible to make landscape shots.

What are you missing? Parts, with the exception of the counter and the part I need -counter screws - seem quite easy to find.

I'd love to put mine to use some day for portraiture but can't find the time to fiddle with it.

 

[piu58]

> What are you missing?

Not easy to explain with my knowledge of English.
It is a part which fits the 35 mm cassette in the 6x6 chamber. I serves to connect the outside knob (which has to be and is replaced) with the core of the 35 mm cassette, so you able rewinding the film.

~

As railwayman wrote the film runs top to bottom. The Rolleikin can be installed easily in a way that you get super long negatives on 35 mm (24x56 or even 36x56 if you take the part with sprocket holes as part of the image). I think of panoramic shots if I see these dimensions, but you get only portrait panoramas

 

[BrianShaw]

The two silver colored parts, inner knob and spindle extension. Search eBay using the term "rolleikin". Those parts are available separately in several offers. Prices are not bad either.

 

[gorbas]

Hmm, what about spacing between frames? Haven't seen reduction in gearing in Rolleikin kit so must be a huge gap between frames?

 

[BrianShaw]

Hmm, what about spacing between frames? Haven't seen reduction in gearing in Rolleikin kit so must be a huge gap between frames?

Not an issue, and if it were Rollei would have done something about it back in the 1950s or so. The 35mm film is "controlled" by the insert piece - which not only re-sizes the frame but provides film control (release/lock) via one of the perforations. Frame counting (and perhaps the "gear reduction" you are thinking about) is done by the Rolleikin counter.

 

[outwest]

Since my 2.8C was equipped for it I picked up the proper Rolleikin and shot a roll as an experiment. The results were excellent and above my expectations. Not really sure how useful it would be except that if you were traveling with a Rollei and could not get 120 it could keep you shooting.

 

[Down Under]

Not really worth the bother, I think. The Rolleikin can be fiddly to install and 35mm film often as not doesn't wind through the camera properly. Requires a large film button which is often not available with secondhand kits, the said button having been left on the camera it was originally installed. Many secondhand kits are missing essential bits like the WLF front mask or the lens hood shade. Also not particularly fast to use. Take your shot, press the large film button, crank to the next exposure. Shoot, repeat the process.


Basically it was an amateur accessory suitable to the 1950s when many films were available only as 35mm. The kit converts the 75mm-80mm Rollei lenses to 120mm-125mm, giving a slight telephoto effect which may have its uses, but is often as not a handicap. As well, the Rolleikin limits you largely to vertical shooting, OK for portraits but a PITA for any horizontal shots. Try holding a Rollei TLR horizontally and you will understand this.


In the past I've used one in my Rolleiflex E2. Results were very ordinary to disappointing. To ensure maximum sharpness, exposures need to be in the f/11-f/16 range, so you would be using an ISO film of 400 or higher.


A better option is the 16 exposure kit available for the Rolleiflex T and Rolleicord Va-Vb models. These give 16 4.5 x 5 centimeter exposures on 120 film.


I don't mean to be negative about this, but to my mind the Rollei basically is a 120 film camera and a superb shooter in the square format, and it is best used as such.

 

[BrianShaw]

In addition to the 16-kit there was also a 24-kit. Both are landscape format on 120 film.

 

[Down Under]

Checked this thread again, very late on, and found the last comment.

The 24 exposure kit was "peculiar" to the Rolleicord only, and not the Rolleiflex. to my knowledge, no Rolleiflex ever had a 16 or 24 exposure kit, only the Rolleikin for 35mm. I had a Rolleicord in the early '80s and used the 16 and 24 kits, with (I suspect) some film flattening problems, possibly with my camera back. In due course I traded the 'cord with the two kits for a Rolleiflex T which I still have and use. It has a 16 exposure kit which looks very similar to the Rolleicord one, but according to Rollei books I have in my library, the two kits are not interchangeable. (A useful tip here, if your 16 kit has a counter wheel marked '16', then it is a Rolleicord kit - no wheel is needed for the Rolleiflex 16 kit.)

A recent lucky find in a local charity shop was an original (circa 1950s, I think, but may be older) Rolleiflex 35mm back, a complete kit. No counter needed as the actual counter was built into the back. It fits all my Rolleis perfectly. I've yet to test it for film image spacing, but it looks as new. I just checked the box the kit came with and saw the original brochure is dated 06-49, so mid 1949. I must take it out and try it soon.

Rolleiflexes never cease to amaze...