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baby rolleiflex

k.hendrik

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May 23, 2008
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Location
The Netherlands Groningen
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got a 'nice(E 325,00)' offer to buy a Rolleiflex 4x4 Baby grey. sn : half a bit more over 2.000.000 so practical new and looks that way but how about those fricking 127 film? Did some search on internet but see only trouble ahead !
What to do? Leave this baby in her own habitat(window dressing) or adopt this early grey child and let her grow and blossom next to my 9x12, 6x7 and 6x6 ?
 

BHPhotovideo sells 127 film, as far as i know.

And Ferrania will start production of E6 film next year and has plans for making 127 film as well. They have the machinery to do it.
 
freestyle also. $11 a roll or so.

E 325 strikes me as a bit high, but i haven't priced those lately.
 
I think you can cut down 120, or use 35mm and get the image out to the perforations, so there's some options besides $11 a roll, which is way too much for any film.
 
I've converted one of my Yashica 44s to use 35mm and get the sprocket holes. It's OK, but I'm going to try slitting down 120 for next time.
 
I have 2 of these beauties and I just bit the bullet and send Freestyle my retirement check every now and again and shoot happily away. There's nothing like a Rollie.... nothing and you'll never be sorry you have one... I have 24 of various tyoes.... SL66's... 600*'s and TLR and I love 'em all oh, and the 127 models

Logan
 
Have been reading about all the excitement of Baby Rolleiflex...

It was all about the "Superslide".

2x2 inch cardboard mount fits a regular 35mm projector but instead of just giving a little rectangle, it fills the screen!

I think it might be fun to recapture the excitement, and I think the best thing to do would be to get a Hasselblad and a 60mm lens, mask the viewfinder and shoot E6 120 to the Superslide crop...

Take a vacation with this rig, shoot like a real tourist... And come home to blow the socks off your friends and family.
 
Buy the Baby Rollei for your collection.

Forget about running film thru it. Freestyle list two types of 127 film, but both are out of stock.

I have one Baby Rollei in my collection, but the shutter is hanging up. Out of two rolls of film I ran thru it, only two images were exposed correctly.

You cannot run 35mm film thru the Rollei, but you can in the Yashica 44s. From reviews that I have read, the Yashica's lens is sharper than the Rollei's. I have a roll of 35mm in my Yashica 44. Now if I can only remember where I stored that camera

Jose
 
You could also look at the Primo Jr or Sawyer's Mark IV if you are looking for a user 127 TLR. They have Topcor f/2.8 taking lenses and are supposedly the equal or better of the Rolleis in handling.
 
The price sounds pretty okay, especially for one in very good condition. I´ve checked the prices recently and was astounded that this camera demands as much as a Rolleiflex T, although the supply of film is a big question and there hadn´t been film around for some years. This shows to what extend Rollei prices are collectors prices nowadays.
 
There are several articles on slitting 120 down to 127 including how to make a slitting device.
It doesn't seem to be all that difficult but I've never done it.
 
Assuming you "roll your own" I wonder if you could get more than 12 frames on a roll (??) I do this with 828 film, which was designed for 8, but you can get 14 easy.
 
The Baby Rolleiflex is a nice little camera. Excellent Xenar lens (I think some of the early ones have a Tessar), and very well built - as you would expect a Rolleiflex to be.

I still have a bit of 127 film. Remember, the viewing hood must be up to release the shutter.

Also, don't be surprised if it needs some service. That's just how it is with a camera that is more than 50 years old.
 
Cutting 120 down to 127 can be an adventure; I tried it years ago when I picked up a Yashica 44 cheap. If the Baby Rolleiflex uses a frame counter (not a red window) then you only have to cut one side of the film. If the cut goes wavy then you might have light leaks, and a hard time getting it onto a reel for development
 
I have a baby Rollei, a Yashica 44, a Ricoh 44 and a Primo-Jr. They all take good photos but my favorite is the Primo-Jr. The Rollei focusing screen leaves a little to be desired IMO. I'm still working from a stash of Efke 100 that I froze years ago. Superslides are the cat's meow in projection. Nowadays I cut them down from 6x4.5.
 
If 127 comes back into production and at reasonable prices I'll look into having my KomaFlex S serviced. For those of you who don't know of the Koma, it is a leaf-shutter waist level finder SLR. Auto film stop, manual shutter cocking, 4 element f2.8 Prominar lens, I think that's the name. Nice handling, good lens. And, as someone else noted, those "superslides" really are super! But mine has a sticky diaphragm and servicing ain't cheap on this sort of camera. Think Retina Reflex, for example. But I bought it new and I still have the everready case, instruction book, and perhaps even the box.
 
GRHazelton said:
But I bought it new and I still have the everready case, instruction book, and perhaps even the box.
Click to expand...
One never stops to learn and wonder I've too still got my Lubitel bought in '67 and even now working like a charm; LOMO ?? never heard of it, this was just a camera for a fifteen year old. Maybe everything was LOMO then. And now searching for a 'grey baby'.
 
Thanks for all your answers!




Dang dang, dang ! What do you mean 'get a Hasslebald' ? I'm the proud shooter of a SL66SE, RZ67 and a C330 so in no need of any other MF! Just want to fill in the gap between 35mm and bigger
 
Last edited by a moderator:
k.hendrik said:
Thanks for all your answers!





Dang dang, dang ! What do you mean 'get a Hasslebald' ? I'm the proud shooter of a SL66SE, RZ67 and a C330 so in no need of any other MF! Just want to fill in the gap between 35mm and bigger
Click to expand...

Well I didn't mean any disrespect. I only meant it might be fun... to get all the benefit of "Superslide" without the pain of 127 film (because E6 film is not easily obtained in that format)... Take a fine quality 120 shooting camera, add a slightly wide lens, mask the finder so that you compose to "Superslide" format, shoot E6 and get the slides cut to and mounted to fit 2x2 slide projectors.

Take enough shots to build a small slide show... and show it off.

When E6 is once again rolled onto 127, or if you find it pleasurable to roll your own... then go for it. I think 127 is one of those "ideal formats" that might have led to an interesting alternative reality if it had sustained interest.
 
no harm done, thanks for the info about "superslide" didn't know that. are there 4x4 slides or DIY? but fits a 4x4 slide in a 35mm projector?
 
k.hendrik said:
no harm done, thanks for the info about "superslide" didn't know that. are there 4x4 slides or DIY? but fits a 4x4 slide in a 35mm projector?
Click to expand...

Yes. That's part of superslides' appeal.
 
k.hendrik said:
OK ! but different lens then ?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily.

A slide projector lens that covers the 43mm diagonal on 35mm film (36mm) may cover the 56 mm diagonal on 127 film.

And the magnification difference is minimal - 40mm vs 36mm (the longest edges).
 
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