Rolleiflex 6006 - opinions please.

[Greg_E]

Last time I looked all I found was the lenses in the $2000 range, but I also wasn't looking very hard.

 

[ic-racer]

The older 'SLX-style' lenses are the cheaper ones. Those have a leatherette covering instead of rubber. I got a near mint 50mm for $450 a few years back.
Here is an example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rollei-Rolleifl...66:2|39:1|72:1205|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

(Link points to a 9.5/10 cosmetic, perfectly good working 250mm/5.6 Rollei SLX lens at a slightly e-bay inflated BIN of $449 USD) (Not affiliated, link posted for price reference only , bla, bla, bla..)

 

[dougjgreen]

I said in the post at the top of this page that I had put my 250mm lens on ebay because I wasn't using it.

 

[Iwagoshi]

Doug,
Did you ever get a NiMH 1000mAh battery pack built? I found your old posts from photo.net.

IC, thanks for the battery links. Do these batteries already have the soldering tabs?

deisenlord, A $30 prebuilt option looks too painless to be real.

 

[dougjgreen]

Doug,
Did you ever get a NiMH 1000mAh battery pack built? I found your old posts from photo.net.

IC, thanks for the battery links. Do these batteries already have the soldering tabs?

deisenlord, A $30 prebuilt option looks too painless to be real.

No, but what I was able to get was an external power adapter module from Rollei America that allows you to tether a cord to an external power source that can be kept in your pocket when shooting. This can be used with clips containing 8 or 10 standard AA cells, and it works fine with a clip containing 10 AA NiMH cells. It also works fine with a clip of 8 or 10 AA Alkaline cells. I've found that an 8 cell clip using NiMH cells doesn't put out either enough current or voltage to last very long - like no more than 20-30 shots in a short period of time (but a 10 cell clip of NiMH cells works fine).

Unfortunately, this external power adapter (which basically is a fused capacitor module with a cable connector that's the same shape and with the same camera connections as a Rollei 600x battery) is not a cheap accessory. I believe that I paid something like $269 for it a couple of years ago from Rollei USA.

High price notwithstanding, at least I now know that even if all my Rollei 600x batteries give up the ghost and I can't get replacement cells, I can still use my Rollei 6006 and 6001 bodies - albeit with a battery pack in my pocket containing NiMH or Alkaline AA cells. I've not tried using Lithium cells.

BTW, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if someone with a knowledge of electronics could build one of these things using the housing of an expired Rollei battery and something like $20 worth of components from an electronics surplus supply house. The external AA battery clips for 8 or 10 cells cost about a buck or two each. I actually was trying to build one of these myself when I fried the system board of a beater SLX body - That's when I gave up and dropped $269 with Rollei to buy one of these.

 

[ic-racer]

Doug,
Did you ever get a NiMH 1000mAh battery pack built? I found your old posts from photo.net.

IC, thanks for the battery links. Do these batteries already have the soldering tabs?

Those do not have the tabs. I usually solder a brass jumper from cell to cell. I'm not sure if the tabs on the KR600AE long enough. I recently rebuilt a device with KR-1500SC with tabs and they were long enough to jump cell-to-cell.

 

[Greg_E]

Cheapbatterypacks.com to get cells with tabs or I bet they would solder the pack so that all you needed to do is solder the last 2 connections to get out of the pack.

 

[nocrop]

I have a 6006 Mark I. It's been a workhorse for years, not a single problem. I decided to get an extra battery from B&H ($125!), just in case, but really, the original battery still lasts for dozens of rolls between charges. Perhaps I'm lucky, I don't know. The camera system is heavy, a big drawback for me, though it can make some beautiful images. I don't usually rely on in-camera metering, since I prefer incident metering or Sunny 16, but the big Rollei's meter is very reliable, predictable, and accurate. I've shot many slides with it, and as long as I increase exposures for backlit situations, it's nearly perfect.

Worst downside? Good luck finding lenses in usable focal lengths for a reasonable price. Hasselblads are much better for lenses and accessories availability and price.

While I like my 6006 a lot, and use it fairly often--95% of the time on a tripod--I don't love it like I love my Autocord.

 

[nocrop]

One more thing: don't do what I did and cheap out and get the 2X tele-converter instead of a 120 or 150. It definitely degrades the image on the standard 80/2.8, which is a lovely lens.

 

[Rufus SLX]

Just in case anyone out there is reading these old Rollei 6000/6008/SLX threads: the battery really is not an issue. The cells are a standard size and you can buy a ready-to-fit 8-cell replacement with tabs that just swaps out very easily and you solder the connecting wires to the tabs. €25-30 in Europe. I have since gutted the original charger and added a socket to which I plug in a modern NiCd/NiMh charger which means I can charge the original NiCd packs as well as newly recelled ones with NiMh cells which have twice the capacity. Having said that, NiCd when charged properly last forever.
In Europe, particularly in Germany many of these cameras were bought by well-off amateurs who used them sparingly, so there are a lot in very good condition coming onto the market. Think German engineers and the like who bought themselves a retirement present which they hardly ever used. I think these original owners are now dying off and these cameras are now being sold off. One issue is the grease used in the motor winder ageing and thickening - but this is a fairly straightforward CLA. Repairing the shutters is harder, there is only one specialist left in Germany: https://paepke-fototechnik.de/6008-integral-1

As regards the Bronica SQ/Rollei 6000 quandry: The Rolleis are about 50% heavier due to the internal motor and the electromagnetic shutters. Everything is a bit bulkier, too. So carrying around a full kit in a rucksack - you feel the difference! But the Rolleis ooze quality when they are working properly with top-notch lenses. Whether you can really see a difference printing and scanning is moot - maybe not with the later Bronica PS lenses. In general Bronica SQ kit is quite a bit cheaper and a lot more readily available on Ebay. If it breaks, you can replace it easily. It's the kind of system where you can put most of it in hold luggage and just take a body, WLF and back plus your most expensive lens/lenses as carry-on and not fret too much.

 

[Rufus SLX]

I don't think you're going to like what I have to say. I bought a camera a number of years ago with an 80mm lens. I also bought the 150 and a 50 new. The camera has a wonderful design and was a joy to use... but the photos weren't sharp. I took it to the repair centre and they said the screen was in up-side down... but the second repair guy said it wasn't. They got in a huge argument regarding which way the screen should go in.

A few weeks later I was shooting a wedding with the camera. I'm at the back of the church and the organ is just starting to play Here comes the bride. I take one more shot of the bride and dad before they start up and the mirror breaks off.... actually breaks right off and the camera starts flapping inside on continuous with the mirror off.

Most likely i should have dumped the camera, kept the lenses and bought a new 6008 but I was too gun shy... and didn't feel the repair people knew what they were doing.

I switched to Blad but have since switched to the Pentax 645 because I like the AF.

Just my 2 cents worth.

A sales clerk said they were over engineered and I believe he was right.... but I did love plugging the flash into the camera instead of the lens.

-rob

I dunno about being over-engineering. Certainly the first version of the SLX had electronic issues. Solid cameras with various electronics issues. But I have a bunch of metered Bronica prisms that don't work, too! The batteries are very easy to recell - they reside in a metal box with a plastic interface holding the connections to the charger/camera - the box is screwed together, so very easy to take apart, slide the battery pack out and replace. Don't forget to reuse the transparent plastic cover that goes around the pack, remove it with care - this is to prevent the cells shorting on the metal battery case.

 

[SH55]

How many Rollei SLX/6006/6008 etc still exist?? Initially about 11.000 SLX have been sold. In 1981 a 40 mm lens would cost you (in the Netherlands) 5700 guilders. I today's money this is 7500 euro's or $ 8700. How many have been sold in the end? I think finding a decent working camera or lenses will become a rarity.

 

[Arthurwg]

I bought a 6008i new some years ago. It was a masterpiece camera, but it was so high tech and plastic that it worried me. I sold it and switched to Hasselblad.

 

[Rufus SLX]

How many Rollei SLX/6006/6008 etc still exist?? Initially about 11.000 SLX have been sold. In 1981 a 40 mm lens would cost you (in the Netherlands) 5700 guilders. I today's money this is 7500 euro's or $ 8700. How many have been sold in the end? I think finding a decent working camera or lenses will become a rarity.

There loads that still work. The shutters do have issues from time-to-time

 

[SH55]

There loads that still work. The shutters do have issues from time-to-time

A week ago I bought a 50 years old 40 mm HFT (from the SLX generation) and indeed after 6 photo's the camera ceased to work. I think the lens hadn't been used for decades as after 10 times decoupling of the lens from the camera the contacts had been cleaned and the lens/camera started to work again. The shutter release times were spot on (35 seconds instead of the nominal) 30 seconds.

 

[JensH]

There loads that still work. The shutters do have issues from time-to-time

Hi,

mine (SLX mod. 2) sometimes refuses to fire the shutter, or stops after lifting the mirror. Only happens if the camera wasn't used for half a year or longer.
After some "blind" exposures everything is fine. Battery is good, btw.

 

[Pieter12]

The shutter and diaphragms can need service after a while. If they stick, they can fry the camera's electronics that are NLA except from donor cameras.

 

[SH55]

Hi,

mine (SLX mod. 2) sometimes refuses to fire the shutter, or stops after lifting the mirror. Only happens if the camera wasn't used for half a year or longer.
After some "blind" exposures everything is fine. Battery is good, btw.

Hi, do you have this problem with all lenses or with only one lens? The shutter has been built into the lens. Can it be that the lens/camera contacts need cleaning?

 

[JensH]

Hi, do you have this problem with alle lenses or with only one lens? The shutter has been built into the lens. Can it be that the lens/camera contacts need cleaning?

Hi, thank you for the thoughts.
I only have the f/2.8 80mm Planar, but sometimes use the 17mm extension ring.
The golden contacts of lens, camera and battery have been cleaned, I'll check the 17mm ring and camera next.
Last cla was in 1995 at Rollei Fototechnic, maybe it's time again...
Jens

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

It's a gorgeous camera and no doubt the lenses would amaze and create wonder.

I just can't imagine ever finding accessories or a wide angle for it without dropping trousers and grabbing my ankles.

a wide angle for it without dropping trousers and grabbing my ankles.!!
That's why I dont visit Winnipeg!

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

The Bronica 50mm is a gem and equal to most.
I still regret selling my SQA and lenses.
I would never purchase a camera of that vintage as the electronics were and are most unreliable and often not repairable unless it was dirt cheap!
I have the same misgivings about over priced Fuji GA 645's and others of that period.
I will sacrifice some image quality for reliability.