Rollei 35 -- known problem with film advance?

[Donald Qualls]

I've got a Rollei 35 (first version, 40 mm f/3.5 Xenar) that I've owned since the mid-1970s. My dad had it for twenty years or so out of that time, and I haven't used it much since I got it back. It's had the top cover off to reset the exposure control linkages at least half a dozen times (and has the dents from the drops that required that service), but those functions seem fine now. Don't know if the meter still works -- it's one of those cameras that depends on a mercury cell for the meter, and for this one, it's just as easy to set manually with Sunny 16 or a separate meter.

I loaded film in it recently, however (fifteen year old Fuji Superia Xtra 400), and every time I advance I hear crunching sounds, plus the rewind only moves a fraction of what I'd expect (though if I take up the slack, it springs back, so I can't be certain it's not advancing). I'm going to unload today in the darkroom so I can tell how much if any film is wound on the takeup and assess the condition of the sprocket holes in the film, but I wanted to check: is there a known or fairly common failure in these cameras related to the film advance? Or did I just get it loaded not quite right?

 

[ic-racer]

Do you have the service manual? Which version?

I recently refurbished my 35LED, with a new top I found on ebay, but my advance was working ok though.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Do you have the service manual? Which version?

I recently refurbished my 35LED, with a new top I found on ebay, but my advance was working ok though.

I don't. Is it on the Butkus site? The linkages for the shutter and aperture controls (and their connection to the meter match-needle) are simple enough I first fixed them when I was 14, and the advance parts may be as well, but I've never gotten into those parts on one of these.

 

[ic-racer]

Not sure if this helps, but if you PM me, I can send the whole PDF.

 

[Donald Qualls]

PM sent.

I do plan to unload the camera in the dark this evening, to be sure it isn't just a loading problem...

 

[Donald Qualls]

Okay, unloaded the camera in the darkroom -- wouldn't rewind at all, but I was able to lift out the cassette and pull the film off the takeup. When winding it back into the cassette (about half a roll, in reasonable agreement with the frame counter) I found torn sprocket holes roughly halfway along. Once the film was protected, the light revealed film chips loose in the takeup chamber, but the sprockets and takeup spool operate normally with the back/bottom off. Not sure how I managed that trick; with this camera, I suppose one could do that by turning the rewind crank over enthusiastically (without unlocking rewind) when checking that the film was in fact taking up. Rescued film is now in line to be processed; camera is reloaded and, at least so far, seems to be fine.

 

[flavio81]

I might say something impopular, but IMO that machine is overrated. Yes, the film advance is fragile. And the ergonomics are atrocious. And the focus ring has too little precision, no "hyperfocal distance" click stops, and never stays in place.

A camera like the Olympus Pen S is, comparatively, an ergonomic dream. And does the same stuff.

 

[jtk]

Grief like that was known immediately after the camera was released.

 

[Donald Qualls]

While that may be true, @jtk and @flavio81 I've had this specific camera example for more than forty years (with my father and brother holding and using it for twenty-plus of those). This is the first time I've had trouble with it, and it seems to have been a fluke.

 

[jtk]

While that may be true, @jtk and @flavio81 I've had this specific camera example for more than forty years (with my father and brother holding and using it for twenty-plus of those). This is the first time I've had trouble with it, and it seems to have been a fluke.

Congratulations.

 

[flavio81]

While that may be true, @jtk and @flavio81 I've had this specific camera example for more than forty years (with my father and brother holding and using it for twenty-plus of those). This is the first time I've had trouble with it, and it seems to have been a fluke.

Maybe a good technician can use a donor Rollei 35 to give your father's camera another 40 years of service.