Looking to replace my Rolleiflex lens. Help!

My Rolleiflex MX-EVS has a pretty beat up front element on its existing 75mm Tessar F3.5

I was perusing Ebay and noticed theres a couple Xenar lenses, and even a 75mm Planar F3.5 for little money.

Do you guys happen to know If i could just screw these into my MX-EVS and use it as a replacement to my Tessar?

Are there any clearance or threading issues? Or perhaps my MX-EVS's lightbox isnt big enough for the focal plane?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rollei-Assorted...Film_Cameras&hash=item1c0da06071#ht_762wt_721

this guy is still showing a Tessar front element. Have you talked with him?
You can't just swap lenses out because the viewing and taking lenses are matched by hand on the polishing machine. You might come pretty close replacing a front element of the same type lens because their quality control tolerance was so tight but you wouldn't be able to switch a planar for a tessar and expect it to work well.

Right -- you should switch all lens elements and not just the front lens.

If you're asking whether you can take any Xenar or Tessar (and not just from a Rolleiflex), that's another matter. It will have to physically fit within the front panel. And also, regardless of the source of the lens, you'll need to reset infinity focus on the camera.

elekm said:

Right -- you should switch all lens elements and not just the front lens.

If you're asking whether you can take any Xenar or Tessar (and not just from a Rolleiflex), that's another matter. It will have to physically fit within the front panel. And also, regardless of the source of the lens, you'll need to reset infinity focus on the camera.

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Thats what i meant. I meant purchase an entire different lens set up like a Xenar or Planar 3.5 and replace my whole Tessar lens. Resetting the infinity focus wouldn't be a big deal as i have already calibrated my current tessar myself.

I would assume a Xenar would fit since its almost the same construction as the Tessar.

dpurdy said:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rollei-Assorted...Film_Cameras&hash=item1c0da06071#ht_762wt_721

this guy is still showing a Tessar front element. Have you talked with him?

Click to expand...

I've talked with him and he has told me the lens is in "very poor" condition.

As an update, I just happend to find a "like new" tessar on ebay for 90$. I took the plunge. Hopefully it lives up to the hype!

Thanks for the advice guys.

Let us know how it goes. Good luck!