How to use a Rolleicord.....hard?

baachitraka · Jan 23, 2013

You will be happy with Cord.

- Not hard at all. Its not heavy compare to modern d****** cameras.

- Va here, focusing knob is on left-hand side. Vb has the possibility to interchange the focusing screen easily.

- Manual cocking shutter.

- Loading film is easy but I have no experience with flex.

- Film advance takes time but its fun to turn the knob.

Please get a rolleifix(kind of expensive) for tripod mount and a hood to start with...

Have fun.

dpt2014 · Jan 23, 2013

I've had a 'cord Vb, 'flex 3.5E, 3.5E2, and 2.8E. I much prefer the ergonomics of the 'flexes, but the taking lens on the 'cord was no slouch.

As for switching hands between focusing and winding - I don't find it cumbersome whatsoever. I actually prefer focusing with my left hand (I'm right-handed).

baachitraka · Jan 23, 2013

Try to collect accessories, they may cost more than the camera.

dpt2014 · Jan 23, 2013

My philosophy is to wait to buy accessories so as to discourage and prevent GAS. Yes, accessories may cost more than the camera - all the more reason to not buy them unless you need (or really want) specific ones.

Luckily, Bay I accessories are relatively cheap. On the other hand, Rolleinars and filters for my Bay III are quite steep.

I have both Rolleinars 1 and 2, but I find that I use the 2 more than the 1. My uses do not indicate or justify a Rolleinar 3. YMMV.

Accessories you are more likely to use (assuming B&W) are the typical colored filters. I have yellow, orange, and red.

baachitraka · Jan 23, 2013

Atleast pick, Rolleifix, Hood and an Yellow filter.

elekm · Jan 23, 2013

Thanks, Brian, in this case, I meant that the best available lens for the Rolleicord was the Xenar.

I was thinking of all of the various models with the first ones having a Carl Zeiss Jena Triotar and the final ones with an excellent coated Xenar.

Poor phrasing on my part.

-Mike

BrianShaw said:
Mike... I think you have a typo: 'top' should be 'taking'.

Edit: Unless you meant "top" as in "the most advanced lens of the entire Rolleicord line."

Worker 11811 · Jan 23, 2013

dpt2014 said:
My philosophy is to wait to buy accessories so as to discourage and prevent GAS. Yes, accessories may cost more than the camera - all the more reason to not buy them unless you need (or really want) specific ones.

I agree! It is easy to get caught up in a buying frenzy but one often doesn't really know what accessories he really needs and will use until after using a camera (or anything else) for a little while.

The prudent person will wait to buy accessories so that he doesn't waste money on things he will never use.

BrianShaw · Jan 23, 2013

... unless the person in question is a collector as well as a user. Many collectors are driven by a compulsion "to have all possible parts and accessories". To each his own.

Steve Smith · Jan 23, 2013

elekm said:
I meant that the best available lens for the Rolleicord was the Xenar.

My Rolleicord has a Xenar lens and my Rolleiflex has a Tessar. I think the Xenar has the edge but there isn't really much in it. And as I usually use them around f8 rather than wide open I doubt that there is any discernible difference.

Steve.

vegard_norway · Jan 23, 2013

Hello all.

Oh, thanks for so many tips.

I understand, better to wait with some of the extras, but a hood and filters.

The Vb in the shop looks good, to me, it also feels good, but a bit price.....900 euro is a bit more than I had in mind.
Or, is that the range?

baachitraka · Jan 23, 2013

900 Euro is way too much for Vb.

I have paid 88 Euro for Va.

TheFlyingCamera · Jan 23, 2013

900 Euro should get you a Rolleiflex 2.8 C/D/E in good working order!

Ian Grant · Jan 23, 2013

TheFlyingCamera said:
900 Euro should get you a Rolleiflex 2.8 C/D/E in good working order!

That's for one in mint fully working condition as well !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the UK.

Ian

vegard_norway · Jan 23, 2013

A, 88 euro for a Vb????

Oh, got it. I have to wait and look some more then, thanks.

Maybe one will come up here for sale.

Any shop to recommend?

baachitraka · Jan 23, 2013

88 for Va ;-) but I was prepared to give 150 on that day.

rst · Jan 24, 2013

88 for a Va - wow, lucky you. I paid 190 Euro for a good looking V and then had it serviced for 250 (including some parts which needed to be replaced, mirror and ground glass cleaning etc). In the end it was all worth the money as a TLR is a lot of fun.

As to GAS, the good thing about the Rollei TLR or should I say about most TLRs: No need to spend money on lenses. And there are not too many accessories you can get - well, some filters come in handy whereas a lens hood in my opinion is not an accessory but a must.

Cheers
Ruediger

baachitraka · Jan 24, 2013

rst said:
88 for a Va - wow, lucky you. I paid 190 Euro for a good looking V and then had it serviced for 250 (including some parts which needed to be replaced, mirror and ground glass cleaning etc). In the end it was all worth the money as a TLR is a lot of fun.

As to GAS, the good thing about the Rollei TLR or should I say about most TLRs: No need to spend money on lenses. And there are not too many accessories you can get - well, some filters come in handy whereas a lens hood in my opinion is not an accessory but a must.

Cheers
Ruediger

Moin,

I was thinking to send it to Braunschweig for CLA. Do you have any other recommendation?

rst · Jan 24, 2013

baachitraka said:
Moin,

I was thinking to send it to Braunschweig for CLA. Do you have any other recommendation?

I sent mine to Jürgen Kuschnik in Frankfurt and I think he does a great job. You can contact him here: Dead Link Removed

Cheers
Ruediger

Steve Smith · Jan 24, 2013

rst said:
88 for a Va - wow, lucky you. I paid 190 Euro for a good looking V and then had it serviced for 250

I was very lucky. I got my V for £34 and it worked perfectly.

Someone had bought it to do a photography class then decided to sell it when it was over.

baachitraka said:
I was thinking to send it to Braunschweig for CLA. Do you have any other recommendation?

Does it actually need a CLA? If it all works, I would just use it.

Steve.

baachitraka · Jan 24, 2013

Hmm...yesteray I bought Pistolgrip(Rolleifix) for €45. Kind of hard feeling while paying...

Jeff L · Jan 24, 2013

rst said:
I sent mine to Jürgen Kuschnik in Frankfurt and I think he does a great job. You can contact him here: Dead Link Removed

Cheers
Ruediger

I would recommend Jurgen, who spent many years with Rollei, as well. He serviced my Rolleiflex Automat and did a great job.

baachitraka · Jan 25, 2013

Rolleifix has arrived and now Cord stays pretty solid on tripod.

vegard_norway · Jan 26, 2013

Thank you all for good tips.

Will lett you know what kind of Rollei I get.
It sounds fun and interesting to use one.

baachitraka · Jan 28, 2013

Jeff L said:
I would recommend Jurgen, who spent many years with Rollei, as well. He serviced my Rolleiflex Automat and did a great job.

Bad news. I got a reply from Juergen that he has stopped repairing cameras. :-(

rst · Jan 28, 2013

baachitraka said:
Bad news. I got a reply from Juergen that he has stopped repairing cameras. :-(

That is indeed bad news. He serviced my Rolleicord early December last year.

Cheers
Ruediger

How to use a Rolleicord.....hard?

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