Is the Rollei 35RF a good deal?

From B&H: Accepts M mount lenses, framelines for 40, 50 & 80mm lenses. Price is $499 US Dollars. Only 1 lens seems to be available: 40mm f/2.8 SONNAR for $499.95 US Dollars.

Is this a good camera? It is less expensive than the R3M. Does it have the same Copal shutter as the Zeiss Ikon? Is this 40mm lens any good? How does this lens compare with the LEICA 40mm f/2 Summicron?

The Rollei 35 RF is a rebadged Cosina Voigtlander Bessa-R2. It's an all-manual 35mm rangefinder. The batteries power only the meter, which is the same as that in the R and the R2. The only modifications that differentiate the Rollei from its Cosina cousin are the frame lines and a different paint scheme, body covering and display box.

The Rollei uses a non-electronic shutter, while the Zeiss Ikon uses an electronic shutter.

Because it's an all-manual camera, there is less to go wrong.

However, because it's a Cosina product, there is the possibility of rangefinder misalignment -- an issue that seems to bedevil too many of its rangefinders (if complaints on Internet forums are valid). Indeed, my own Rollei 35 RF has a slight rangefinder misalignment. But it's not enough for me to send it in and have it fixed.

The camera is reliable, although it hasn't seen heavy use.

Regarding the Sonnar, it's a very sturdy lens of brass and steel construction. Focusing is via a tab. This lens works much better on the Zeiss Ikon than on the Rollei, because the rangefinder arm is too heavily sprung on the Rollei (and the other Bessas, as well). That means focusing takes more effort. It's smooth from infinity to 0.7 meters but stiff when focusing in the other direction.

On the Zeiss Ikon, focusing this lens is very smooth and requires only a light touch -- regardless of direction.

The lens is a 39mm thread screw mount that comes with an M adapter (which brings up the 50mm framelines). Bessa cameras don't autoselect framelines, so you could use an M adapter for a 135mm lens, and it wouldn't have any effect. Framelines are manually selected by a switch on the top deck.

You can use the Sonnar with any Leica screw mount camera by removing the M adapter, although you will need a separate viewfinder for accurate framing (or you can simply make your best guess). Because I use it on the Zeiss Ikon, I decided to buy an adapter that would bring up the 35mm framelines, which is closer to 40 than 50, and it's worked quite well.

Because of the physical limits of the Bessa rangefinder design, the lens decouples from the rangefinder at around 0.9 meters, although its close focus distance is 0.7 meters. This means that the secondary image in the rangefinder stops moving once you pass 0.9 meters.

Mounted on the Zeiss Ikon, it focuses accurately all the way to 0.7 meters.

As far as sharpness, I've never had any complaints.

When it comes to so-called character, signature and bokeh, that seems to be a very personal thing, especially among Zeiss and Leica devotees (and moreso with Leica users than Zeiss users). It's difficult to answer the "which is better" or "how does it compare" questions, because this is where objectivity goes out the window and people's opinions and "feelings" take over.

You probably can't go wrong with either the Sonnar or the Leica lens. The one advantage with the Sonnar is that it's new. But if you prefer the Leica look, then you should consider the Leica lens.

I love the Sonnar with the Zeiss Ikon and use it as the primary lens on that camera, rather than the 50mm Planar. The Sonnar is compact, quick to use and is a very nice lens.

The 40mm Sonnar and the 80mm lens that was originally offered with the 35RF are the same optical design 40mm and 80mm lenses that were also put on Roelli previous cameras, the 40 on the little tiny Roelli 35mm, and the 80mm on their TLR's.

However, because it's a Cosina product, there is the possibility of rangefinder misalignment -- an issue that seems to bedevil too many of its rangefinders (if complaints on Internet forums are valid). Indeed, my own Rollei 35 RF has a slight rangefinder misalignment...The camera is reliable, although it hasn't seen heavy use.

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Thanks!!! I'll pass.

I have the Nikkor S-mount version of the R2 known as the R2S. I have not had any problems with RF misalignment.

Not every Cosina Voigtlander Bessa suffers from this. I had a Bessa-R, and that rangefinder was fine.

elekm said:

Not every Cosina Voigtlander Bessa suffers from this. I had a Bessa-R, and that rangefinder was fine.

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My wife has several, and we have had several more for review -- I think eight in all. One had a vertical rangefinder displacement from new, repaired under guarantee. The others are/were all fine and (perhaps more importantly) have remained fine under quite heavy use, receiving no 'babying' whatsoever in Europe, the United States and China.

Cheers,

roger

Internet complaints are hard to extrapolate into the general group of users. I think it can be said that people who are satisfied tend not to complain or even discuss their camera, especially if they are casual users and not enthusiasts.

So complaints by others can tend to give a false impression of a product.

That said, there seems to be too many reports of rangefinder misalignment, and it's something to be mindful of when selecting a camera. However, it wouldn't dissuade me from looking at another Voigtlander body. I currently have two: the L and the Rollei. I sold the Bessa-R last year.

I think Cosina has created a very nice niche for itself -- one that has survived the massive rush to digital -- because the bodies are reliable and easy to use and the lenses are very good. Indeed, Roger's wife's (Frances Shultz) recent review of the R3M in Black and White Photography has me wondering if I should sell off some gear to buy this camera. Her photos always inspire me to try to take more time and care with my photography.

This is a case where a real camera store is nice. You can inspect the camera on the spot and see if it meets your needs. Handling a camera before you buy is essential, I believe, if you're venturing into a new area of photography.

I've received some cameras that have surprised me by their size -- either larger or smaller than I imagined. And some cameras I knew within a minute that I wouldn't be using too often because the controls aren't suited to how I want and expect a camera to operate. Ironically, this would include many of the classic Voigtlander cameras from the 1950s and earlier.

Since the Rollei 35RF is the same as the Bessa R2, and problems only happen to some, is this a good deal? http://cameraquest.com/voigtBR2.htm

Frances thanks you for the kind words -- she's just about to disappear into the darkroom, not least because it's cold, wet and rainy out of doors. In June! There is no justice...

What do you reckon the R3M will do for you that the Rollei and T don't?

Cheers,

Roger

Roger, your wife's reviews are always well written, and I become convinced that the camera in question will definitely make me a better photographer. That's the promise of all new cameras, right?

Donald, the one thing you get when buying from Stephen Gandy (at CameraQuest) is that you have some recourse should the camera be problematic out of the box.

If you buy a used camera on eBay, you pretty much are on your own.

Cosina appears to have made changes (in a good way) with each model. I notice that successive models used more metal and less plastic, and with this line of cameras it was a good thing.

The Bessa-R2 is the first model that used metal for the top deck, bottom cover and back door. I felt the R used too much plastic, and the body had some flex to it. Still, I never had any problems with it, and the viewfinder is excellent -- something that is true of all Bessa rangefinders.

I'm not sure what your photographic experience is, but if you're looking to dabble in rangefinders, many people start with the smaller Japanese cameras from the 1970s. If you've already ventured down that road, then the Bessa is a good next step.

The Cosina Voigtlander lenses are very good -- mechanically and optically. I can personally recommend the 35mm Pancake. The other CV lenses draw lofty praise from those who use them.

I went down a different track and ended up with a lot of older cameras, so I never bought any other CV lenses.

I did a review of the Bessa-R when I owned it. Very nice camera, and the R2 is an improvement on the original design with the advantage of having the Leica M mount.