Further on this topic. I discovered the following posts the archives of the Rollei Discussion List / Rollei Users Group. (regular contributor, Bob Shell)
I mention this because it appears to refer to my model of the 3.5f, but I am kind of unsure. I know it's a long read, but if anyone can verify this information, I would greatly appreciate it.
A first series of 3.5F (#2.200.000 to 2.204.999 supposedly) was produced
with EVS interlock, if your's is one of these, there will be chrome thingies
under the dials that you can push in to detach the interlock. But in any case
the interlock should function in such a way, that when you change the aperture,
the shutter will follow and vice versa.
...
The 1st series of 3.5 F
(2,200,000-2,219,999) had, in fact, a modified EVS lock under the f-stop
wheel.
To effect this shutter in 1958, Compur developed a third ring between the
upper shutter speed ring and the lower aperture ring. The effect of this
was if the shutter speed ring was turned towards slower speeds and the
aperture ring towards smaller apertures, the EV setting would be retained.
Any separate movement of either the shutter ring or the aperture ring would
cause the meter needle to deflect through a complex linkage.
Due to the enlargement of the shutter (the gears ran on the outside of the
shutter proper) the taking/viewing lens distance was increased to 45 mm
from 42 mm as in the 2.8 models. Since nobody at Rollei had been able to
gather experience with the mechanical coupling of shutter and meter follow
pointer, the EV coupling of the previous models was essentially retained in
the coupled meter of the first model of the 3.5 F. However, after 20,000
cameras, the EV part of the meter coupling system had to be abandoned as
seemed to make the shutter and aperture wheels rather stiff to operate.
The second version of the 3.5 F (2,230,000-2,241,500) was developed which
again had the same shutter, but no EV control. Still a certain stiffness
was found in the wheels, due to the additional gear transmissions and the
large friction diameter of the three rings at the shutter proper. After
11,500 cameras, this version was abandoned.
With high demand for a 2.8 F version with coupled meter, the Rollei
engineers were spurred to find a solution for the 3.5 F that they could
apply to the 2.8 F. The Rollei engineers developed a small bevel gear
differential which reduced the high torque of of the control dials of the
previous models and was a solution they could apply to the 2.8 F. It also
rid the shutter of the planetary gears that caused such a high amount of
friction on the first two models of the 3.5 F and thus they could use a
"normal" Compur shutters on both 3.5 F and 2.8 F size. The reason the 2.8 F
came after the 3.5 F was that Compur did not supply the previous shutter
(the one with the external planetary gears) in a size for the 2.8 F.
The third version of the 3.5 F used the differential gear system and along
with the 2.8 F remained essentially unchanged for about 200,000 cameras,
from 1960 to 1981.
Now, my 3.f, ser. 2200612 seems to fall into the category of Rolleis with the EVS coupling, but doesn't have any "thingies" under the dials. It does have a small amount of spring-loaded play in the aperture dial, which when I depress it adjusts the aperture independently of the shutter speed. With this method the aperture dial always engages. (see original post) Without depressing the dial, it often fails to "catch" and just spins.
So, to return to the earlier question, is this an undocumented feature of this camera or is it a misalignment problem that need to be addressed?
I apologize for the long post. I hope some of the more experienced Rollei users may have some information on this issue.
Cheers,
