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- Aug 31, 2006
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Hello friends,
just absolutely fresh (this evening
) regional TV (Northern Germany) report about both the history and the current production of Rolleiflex cameras in Brunswick (Braunschweig), Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany.
I hope the link works:
https://www.ardmediathek.de/ndr/pla...QUWgzoJJySrShbyUy_PqprblhjOamFSUL3LI2MViDwihM
DW Photo is a successor company of former DHW Fototechnik, which is a succesor company of Franke&Heidecke (Rollei).
https://www.dw-photo.eu/about.html
They are
- producing the Rolleiflex Hy6 Mod.2 medium format film camera and lenses for it (increasing demand, last year about 100 units, most customers are professional photographers)
- servicing and repairing the 6000 series cameras and all Rolleiflex TLRs.
I visited the original Franke&Heidecke / Rollei factory two times, in 2007 and 2008. At that time the factory was expanding, and had invested in new machines and products. In 2008 about 125 employees were working there, and I've seen the first Hy6 models on the production line in 2008.
At that time they produced about 500 TLRs p.a.. 400 with 80mm normal lens about each 100 units of the wide and tele model.
They were a victim of the 2009 financial crisis: One of their most important customers was Jenoptik, who sold the Hy6 with their own digital back. As during the financial crises the demand for digital backs collapsed, Jenoptik left the market, which was one of the major factors of the insolvency. After that, a core team continued as DHW Fototechnik until 2015.
Best regards,
Henning
just absolutely fresh (this evening
) regional TV (Northern Germany) report about both the history and the current production of Rolleiflex cameras in Brunswick (Braunschweig), Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany.I hope the link works:
https://www.ardmediathek.de/ndr/pla...QUWgzoJJySrShbyUy_PqprblhjOamFSUL3LI2MViDwihM
DW Photo is a successor company of former DHW Fototechnik, which is a succesor company of Franke&Heidecke (Rollei).
https://www.dw-photo.eu/about.html
They are
- producing the Rolleiflex Hy6 Mod.2 medium format film camera and lenses for it (increasing demand, last year about 100 units, most customers are professional photographers)
- servicing and repairing the 6000 series cameras and all Rolleiflex TLRs.
I visited the original Franke&Heidecke / Rollei factory two times, in 2007 and 2008. At that time the factory was expanding, and had invested in new machines and products. In 2008 about 125 employees were working there, and I've seen the first Hy6 models on the production line in 2008.
At that time they produced about 500 TLRs p.a.. 400 with 80mm normal lens about each 100 units of the wide and tele model.
They were a victim of the 2009 financial crisis: One of their most important customers was Jenoptik, who sold the Hy6 with their own digital back. As during the financial crises the demand for digital backs collapsed, Jenoptik left the market, which was one of the major factors of the insolvency. After that, a core team continued as DHW Fototechnik until 2015.
Best regards,
Henning
.
