Rollei 2.8GX Lens

NortheastPhotographic · Sep 14, 2024

I feel like I never get a straight answer on the question of the lens on the Rollei 2.8GX. I know they updated the coatings, but is it also an updated design? I adore the 2.8 Planar in my E, but it's quite obviously a 1950s design when it comes to flare, softness wide open. My dream would be a TLR with a lens that is as good as the Xenotar for the 600x system. Or is what I'm looking for just a Mamiya 6?

mshchem · Sep 14, 2024

I have a couple Mamiya 6mf bodies and lenses. Outstanding. But if I could only have one, well two, Fuji GW and GSW 690 III.

JPD · Sep 15, 2024

I have never read or heard that the Planar design was updated. The GX was released only a few years after the F was discontinued, and the GX had the same five element Planar, with better multicoating.

dpurdy · Sep 15, 2024

I obsessed for years about the difference between the Xenotar and Planar and the only difference I could plainly see was flare control. In all the 2.8 Rolleis I tried out the Planar always had more flare. The Planar always had a flare problem from it's design and they didn't use it until coatings were invented. Otherwise I could find no difference in the sharpness or the look of the image. So I settled on a late version 2.8F with the Xenotar. When later I was able to afford an FX with the HFT coated Planar, and I still have both, I found the flare problem was gone and the two lenses showed no difference. I can shoot identical scenes or subjects with both cameras and can not tell which is which.

loccdor · Sep 15, 2024

The Fuji medium formats have very modern rendering lenses. The GW690 comes from the 70s but at a glance pictures taken with it can be mistaken for digital, if taken on film stocks that don't impart tons of character. Their coatings were very advanced for the time.

Lachlan Young · Sep 15, 2024

NortheastPhotographic said:
I know they updated the coatings, but is it also an updated design?

From all the available information, including the MTF's that can be found, probably not significantly updated design-wise. However, improving the coatings and generally cleaning up flare will have a significant impact on aspects of how you might perceive sharpness.

I could be wrong, but I recall that the one significant revision was somewhere round about the D/E era, which if I were to buy a 2.8 Rolleiflex might sway me towards a C, but that's a different story (as is the 35/3.5 Planar for the 50's Contax RF). The 90s Mamiya lenses are very perfect in comparison, but seem to lack some of the imperfect magic of some Planar derivatives.

etn · Sep 17, 2024

The flare of the Rolleiflex 2.8 GX/FX lens is very controlled. The lens is as good as it gets (as a matter of fact I find it even better than my Hasselblad 80mm). Don't worry, you will not be disappointed by this lens.
Let me check through my old pics whether I can find 1-2 examples of flare (or lack thereof) for you.

skahde · Sep 17, 2024

I had the opportunity to shoot with the GX along with the late White Face Planar 2,8f I owned at the time and there was little between them except even higher clarity, color-saturation and backlight-resistance of the GX. Both lenses were so good it doesn't really make sense to think twice about them as is the case with many Medium-Format lenses. Understand their characteristics, use them accordingly, put a smile on your face and enjoy the pictures!

Rollei 2.8GX Lens

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