Franke and Heidecke (Rollei MF cameras and projectors) close to an end

archphoto · Mar 2, 2009

From a dutch site:

Rollei has given a statement on february 27 that it will stop completely all activities due to a lack of funds. Basicly they are bankrupt or at least under Chapter 11 in German.

A sad day for all of us.

Peter

MrMushroomMan · Mar 2, 2009

Guess it's time to stock up...

Contrastique · Mar 2, 2009

I can't believe that. That really sucks and makes for a sad day indeed

Mark Antony · Mar 2, 2009

Sad, but looks like it's true:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/FH.pdf

Mark

Curt · Mar 2, 2009

No comment.

Anon Ymous · Mar 2, 2009

Mark, the pdf you linked mentions Franke & Heidecke, and IIRC it's the camera manufacturer. I hope Maco has nothing to do with that.

Tom Kershaw · Mar 2, 2009

Thanks for the link Mark, it sounds like the majority shareholder has made some painful losses.

Tom.

Contrastique · Mar 2, 2009

Anon Ymous said:
Mark, the pdf you linked mentions Franke & Heidecke, and IIRC it's the camera manufacturer. I hope Maco has nothing to do with that.

I sure hope the same as you although it would really be sad seeing such a beautiful product / company disappear. I mailed them about 1 week ago to order a strap for my Rollei TLR but heard nothing...I am afraid I now know why...

Anon Ymous · Mar 2, 2009

Seeing a camera manufacturer vanishing is sad, but reducing our film choices is far worse IMHO...

E76 · Mar 2, 2009

I wonder how this will affect Sinar, Leaf, and the Hy6, seeing as F&H was the company actually building the camera.

Tom Kershaw · Mar 2, 2009

I was under the impression that 'Rollei Retro' film was from the AgfaPhoto stockpile.

Tom.

Ektagraphic · Mar 2, 2009

I have never used their film or cameras and I was about to start....

Anon Ymous · Mar 2, 2009

It is Tom, but it would be the least of my concerns. They do sell some other stuff like IR400 and ATP. They don't make it themselves, but I don't know anybody else who provides these films.

Tom Kershaw · Mar 2, 2009

I thought The ATP film was also available under the Adox brand.

Tom.

keithwms · Mar 2, 2009

I hope that this financial crisis doesn't wipe out what little remains of the last great camera companies.

AgX · Mar 2, 2009

The Rollei family got quite complex over the years. Franke & Heidecke are not owner of the name Rollei.

Maco got the name Rollei as brand name for some of their portfolio from another part of the Rollei family.

Tom Kershaw · Mar 2, 2009

AgX,

Are Franke & Heidecke the hardware / camera manufacturer, or is that too simplistic?

Tom.

AgX · Mar 2, 2009

Tom Kershaw said:
I thought The ATP film was also available under the Adox brand.

Tom.

It is meanwhile also sold by Fotoimpex. But not as their product, thus not as Adox film.

Perhaps you mix up the Rollei ATP with the Adox CMS 20. Two different fims, two different chemistries.

Jeff Kubach · Mar 2, 2009

I have a Rollei TLR, one of my favorite cameras. That is bad news for sure.

Jeff

Tom Kershaw · Mar 2, 2009

So Rollei ATP is unique to the Rollei brand as far as pre-packaged 35mm and 120 loads are concerned?

Tom.

AgX · Mar 2, 2009

Tom Kershaw said:
AgX,

Are Franke & Heidecke the hardware / camera manufacturer, or is that too simplistic?

Tom.

That's too simplistic. You have the company above, manufacturing MF TLRs and SLRs and projectors, but also Rollei Metric who also manufacture cameras (for photogrammetric use and only digital by now). The third company does only name licensing and rebranding.

ntenny · Mar 2, 2009

Now I'm confused. Does the original post refer to the F&H filing, or (since it used the name "Rollei") to a different portion of the empire?

-NT

AgX · Mar 2, 2009

It is Franke & Heidecke (the successor of the original Rollei company with that TLR) who are in insolvency.

Edit:
But `Rollei´ had already at least two near-death experiences in the 70's. So, who knows...

Tom Kershaw · Mar 2, 2009

AgX said:
That's too simplistic. You have the company above, manufacturing MF TLRs and SLRs and projectors, but also Rollei Metric who also manufacture cameras (for photogrammetric use and only digital by now). The third company does only name licensing and rebranding.

The Rollei 6x6 projector series looks like a good product line.

Tom.

cblkdog · Mar 2, 2009

What a bloody shame.

Franke and Heidecke (Rollei MF cameras and projectors) close to an end

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