Rolleicord price, advice needed.

Dr.Pain-MD · Jul 19, 2011

Hey everyone! After shooting with my Yashica Mat LM (which is in great condition and has been flocked by me) for a while now I decided to invest in a lower end Rollei TLR of some sort to have a second TLR and for a slight change of pace. I put out an ad looking for a Rolleiflex [preferably Automat] or a Rolleicord of some sort and got a few replies.

I've been talking to one gent who has four Rolleis that he was thinking of selling, one 'flex Automat w/Tessar, two 'cord IIIs w/ Xenar and one 'cord II w/ Triotar. They are all in great condition except for one which has the slower shutter speeds lag a bit, they also all have cases and some other accessories.

At first I proposed to buy the Automat, but he said that it's the one he is reluctant to sell as it has sentimental value to him. No problem I said, I was actually really interested in the 'cords, more than the 'flexes almost. I really like knob wind advance and separate shutter cocking (I've shot with a Mamiya C-220 and loved it), the only thing I'm worried about are the dim screens (although I can always get a brighter replacement screen). I said that I would be seriously interested in one of the 'cords and I am leaning heavily towards one of the 'cord IIIs with the Xenar (I'm not picky with lenses, all Rollei lenses are great by my standards as long as they're coated) and need some advice.

What would be a fair price to offer for a Rolleicord III with the Xenar in very good to excellent condition? I checked evilbay's completed listings and there were a few sold recently from $99 to $199, so I'm not sure what would be a fair offer to make.

What about the Rolleicord II with the Triotar, how does it compare to the III? What are the main differences?

Also, what is the parallax correction like on these?

Thanks!

EDIT: The 'cord with the Triotar is more specifically a IIc model 4.

BobD · Jul 19, 2011

Why not ask the seller his price for the camera?

jp498 · Jul 19, 2011

Whatever you get, if you want to smoothly operate both Yashica and Rollei cameras, it might be worth comparing the ergonomics.

I have an automat with crank on the right and focus on the left, and a yashica-C which focuses on the right and advances on the right. It messes with my mind a little bit to change sides for focusing. After several shots you then get used to the changed method of advancing film.

Dr.Pain-MD · Jul 20, 2011

BobD said:
Why not ask the seller his price for the camera?

I did, but he just wants me to make him an offer. He sounds like a very fair older guy who just wants to let these go to someone who will use them and care for them, so I'm guessing that he will accept any fair offer. That's the part I'm not sure about, how much a fair offer would be in this case.

jp498 said:
Whatever you get, if you want to smoothly operate both Yashica and Rollei cameras, it might be worth comparing the ergonomics.

I have an automat with crank on the right and focus on the left, and a yashica-C which focuses on the right and advances on the right. It messes with my mind a little bit to change sides for focusing. After several shots you then get used to the changed method of advancing film.

I'm not worried about the ergonomics, I can easily get used to the switched focusing (I've shot with a Mamiya C-220 and owned a C-33 for a while, so I've used right hand focusing), the dim screens are the only thing that I'm worried about.

Nobody can give me any pointers regarding an offer though?

NJS · Jul 20, 2011

I've paid $60 for IId 'cord, had few scratches on the body but working condition was great. hope this helps.

JPD · Jul 20, 2011

Dr.Pain-MD said:
What about the Rolleicord II with the Triotar, how does it compare to the III? What are the main differences?

Also, what is the parallax correction like on these?

The Rolleicord II has a red window on the bottom which you use to transport the film to the first frame and then you manually start the mechanical counter. The Rolleicord III uses markings on the sides of the film gate where you align the start arrows on the films backing paper, then you close the back and wind the film which automatically stops at 1.

The III also has flash synch, the II doesn't.

The Triotar is a three element lens and the Xenar has four and is a bit sharper. The Triotar is probably uncoated.

There's also a better chance that the mirror is in good condition in the III.

Both models have parallax compensation in the finder. The frame moves when you focus. It works perfectly!

The 'cord with the Triotar is more specifically a IIc model 4.

The factory didn't use letters for Rolleicord names. They were invented by collectors. I assume it's like this one, with bayonet on both lenses and Compur instead of Compur-Rapid?

http://www.rolleiclub.com/cameras/tlr/im/023_Rolleicord_II_6x6_1939-1950.jpg

Let the condition and your wallet set the price. Anything between $50 - $100.

Lionel1972 · Jul 20, 2011

JPD said:
Both models have parallax compensation in the finder. The frame moves when you focus. It works perfectly.

I have never noticed this feature on my Rolleiflex 3.5E. Was this only on Rolleicord models ?

tony lockerbie · Jul 20, 2011

All the Rolleis have the moving finder thing, at least the later models anyway. You probably wouldn't notice it if you weren't looking for it. A rolleicord 111 would be the best bet, and around $150.00 would be a fair price if the camera is fully working and in nice condition.
The dim viewfinders are a bit of a hassle with the 'Cords, I just use them with the magnifier all the time. BTW, the Triotar lens is still quite good, and has a great vintage look when used at full aperture. Maybe you could buy both, a $200.00 deal maybe?

JPD · Jul 20, 2011

Lionel1972 said:
I have never noticed this feature on my Rolleiflex 3.5E. Was this only on Rolleicord models ?

Your camera has it. Hold it against the sky or a bright lit wall and turn the focus knob and you will see the frame under the viewing screen move.

All Rolleicords and all Rolleiflexes, except the Original and Standard models, has it. The Original and Standard Rolleiflexes have a smaller viewing area instead to compensate for parallax.

JPD · Jul 20, 2011

tony lockerbie said:
A rolleicord 111 would be the best bet, and around $150.00 would be a fair price if the camera is fully working and in nice condition.
The dim viewfinders are a bit of a hassle with the 'Cords, I just use them with the magnifier all the time. BTW, the Triotar lens is still quite good, and has a great vintage look when used at full aperture. Maybe you could buy both, a $200.00 deal maybe?

Couldn't agree more. The Rolleicord III is the best allround camera of the two, but the II is great as a back-up camera, or loaded with another type of film. The Triotar is charming fully open, and very sharp stopped down to f:11.

Brian Legge · Jul 20, 2011

$150 seems high. I probably go $100 tops for it. The Rolleicord IV/Vs go in the $150 is in the range.

Dr.Pain-MD · Jul 21, 2011

I don't really want to pay a lot for it either and if it's indeed in top notch condition like he says it is, I'll offer $150 and go from there. We'll see what happens. Thanks, guys!

Lionel1972 · Jul 21, 2011

JPD said:
Your camera has it. Hold it against the sky or a bright lit wall and turn the focus knob and you will see the frame under the viewing screen move.

All Rolleicords and all Rolleiflexes, except the Original and Standard models, has it. The Original and Standard Rolleiflexes have a smaller viewing area instead to compensate for parallax.

I've checked as you said and was surprised to see the moving frame indeed. How cool to discover yet another neat and well-thought little feature on the Rolleiflex. Thanks.

Dr.Pain-MD · Jul 22, 2011

So I met up with the guy today, he was very nice and brought all four Rolleis for me to check out. I played around with all of them and decided to go with a 'cord III. He gave me a fair deal (IMO) at $200 since it showed a little more wear than his other 'cord III, but it's only a little tarnishing and some scratches on the body. However, it operates wonderfully! The aperture and film advance work great, the shutter speeds all sound good (no stickiness) and the lenses are in pristine condition. The only minor thing is that the focusing knob goes a little past the infinity end, but it then goes back into position after you let go. It doesn't look like it affects the focus at all and the front "face" of the camera is perfectly solid and steady, so it's just a little peculiarity. I'm going to go shoot a test roll of Pan-F right now and I think I'll take it to a local Rollei specialist to get a CLA so that it can be in tip-top shape. I think I might even sell my Yashica Mat after I get this serviced because it feels so nice (knob wind is so much more awesome than a crank!). Here it is:

Also, I was very surprised by the focusing screen after reading all the negative comments because the screen is not at all dim. Even indoors in low light it's just a tad darker than my Yashica Mat's screen and those are supposedly some of the brightest screens you can get in a TLR. This is great news because I didn't want to have to wait for a replacement to arrive in the mail. Yay!

Anscojohn · Jul 26, 2011

I was told by the dinosaurs with whom I worked in the Jurrasic age (that is, 1950s-1960s) that the best bang for the photographic buck was a clean Rolleicord III.

Adrian D · Jul 26, 2011

I'm sure you're going to love using this camera for a long time. My first "quality" 120 camera was a Vb which my father and I used in the mid 80's. Very similar to yours in condition, also with the Xenar. Some of the large b/w prints I made with it still blow my socks off with the outstanding peformance from that lens. Good luck with it, hope it gives you years of pleasure.

Dr.Pain-MD · Jul 26, 2011

Thanks, Adrian, I'm sure that it will indeed! I shot a test roll with it this weekend and I absolutely loved the handling and ergonomics. The results were very nice and I was very pleased with it, especially the flare resistance compared to my Yashica (pre-flocking).

In fact, I loved it so much that I took it in for a full overhaul to a local respected Rollei-trained technician to get it back into 100% shape so that I can shoot it without any worries. Now I'm counting the days until I get it back and can take it out for some real fun!

Anscojohn said:
I was told by the dinosaurs with whom I worked in the Jurrasic age (that is, 1950s-1960s) that the best bang for the photographic buck was a clean Rolleicord III.

I don't doubt this at all, I would actually say that most TLRs would fit this description!

JPD · Jul 27, 2011

Congratulations to a fine camera! The Xenar is a great lens, and I like that both knobs are on the same side. It makes it a lot easier to use a big "hammer" type flash like a Metz. http://retro.ms11.net/rolleicord.jpg

Sirius Glass · Jul 27, 2011

Dr.Pain-MD said:
So I met up with the guy today, he was very nice and brought all four Rolleis for me to check out. I played around with all of them and decided to go with a 'cord III. He gave me a fair deal (IMO) at $200 since it showed a little more wear than his other 'cord III, but it's only a little tarnishing and some scratches on the body. However, it operates wonderfully! ...

Great! Now the next step that you need to take is to handle a Hasselblad. Once you have done that you will have been screwed and GAS will take over your life.

This is formal notice that you have GAS and it will increase its hold on you. Get thee to a twelve step program today before all is lost!

Dr.Pain-MD · Jul 28, 2011

Sirius Glass said:
Great! Now the next step that you need to take is to handle a Hasselblad. Once you have done that you will have been screwed and GAS will take over your life.

This is formal notice that you have GAS and it will increase its hold on you. Get thee to a twelve step program today before all is lost!

Ha, I have [very briefly] shot with a Hasselblad, a 500C and a ?120mm? lens and while cool, it didn't do much for me. I don't really need the interchangeable lenses and all the other system accessories (although swapping backs would be nice) which is why I love TLRs the most. I'm sure I'll go down that road some day, but I'm set for the near future.

Rolleicord price, advice needed.

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