Rolleiflex extras.

Seabee · Oct 31, 2008

I just bought a Rolleiflex and the seller threw in a few extras.

One is a set of a larger and smaller lens add on called a "Heidosmat-Rolleinar 3"

Playing around with them.... are these some kind of Macro lenses?

Thanks
Chris

Trask · Oct 31, 2008

Yes, Rollienars are designed to permit close-up work. One fits on the viewing lens (the upper of the two) and contains a prism that, when you view through the viewfinder, presents a view that eliminates the parallax between the viewing and taking lens. The other fits on the main taking lens (the lower of the two) and magnifies the image onto the film through the main lens. I've used some on my Rolleis and they can do a nice job. And the prism in the viewing lens make accurate viewing much easier than with some other TLRs, e.g., a Mamiya where you must use a "Paramender" to physically raise the taking lens to occupy the same position as the viewing lens.

Seabee · Oct 31, 2008

Hi,

Thanks, now to find a close target to photograph

Gerd Orfey · Oct 31, 2008

The Rolleinar 3 allows 1:1 macro, wich means you can fill the frame with an object of 6x6 cm (2,3 x 2,3 IMHO)

Gerd

hughitb · Nov 1, 2008

Gerd Orfey said:
The Rolleinar 3 allows 1:1 macro, wich means you can fill the frame with an object of 6x6 cm (2,3 x 2,3 IMHO)

Gerd

That's really interesting. Are these things hard to pick up or expensive (for a Bayonet III)?

I have a Bronica SQAI which, I really just use because I have a 110mm macro lens attached to it (as far as I remember it's the 1:4 version). If the results from the Rolleinar are good quality I could pick one of them up, and then offload the Bronica kit completely .....

dpurdy · Nov 1, 2008

hughitb
The #3 Rolleinar is the closest focusing of the three sets available (#1 and #2 also) It focuses close enough that the difference in perspective from the viewing lens to the taking lens is significant. So it takes quite a bit of interpretation to know what you are going to get in the picture. The #1 Rolleinar is pretty important and the perspective difference isn't much problem. If you end up using your new Rollei quite a lot you will probably want to get a #1 or #2 but for really close stuff you are better off with your 110 macro lens IMO. So you can see what you are doing. The bay111 Rolleinars are going somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 USD now on ebay.
Dennis

Slixtiesix · Nov 1, 2008

To be exact, the Rolleinar III can be used for object distances between 24 and 32 cm. (according to "The Rolleiflex Book")

Sorry for beeing off-topic but I think everything of matter has been explained to Chris so far.
Has anyone beside myself ever wondered about the amusing names of
Rollei´s accessories? Reading brochures back from the 50s and 60s is sometimes really funny.
They just put the prefix "Rollei" in front of everything they sold.
Think of the Rolleigrip, Rolleifix or, my personal favourite, the Rolleimot and Rolleimarin.
Rolleilux and Rolleisoft are also nice. Who needs a normal flash if he can use a "Rolleiflash" ;-)
It somehow reminds me of the old Batman series which are also dated from
the 60s and where everything had the prefix "Bat".

have a nice weekend, Benjamin

dpurdy · Nov 1, 2008

Now that I have learned that the German way of pronouncing is "Roll eye" flex, it makes all those words clunky and difficult for me. I would rather it was as I previously thought.. "Roll eh" flex.
Roll eye nar, and Roll eye fix or Roll eye grip just seems too much trouble.

Being non german this might be stupid but isn't it the German language way to add words on to other words and make really long words.
Dennis

JPD · Nov 1, 2008

Nah, it's perfectly ok to pronounce it "Roll-eh-flex" or "Roll-ee-flex".

I hate to pronounce "Voigtländer Bergheil". I prefer just to say "It's a Voigtländer" if someone asks.

Frank Bunnik · Nov 2, 2008

Yes, it is a German language habit to stack all words together and make 1 long word. For instance:
No
Nodartzthubschrauberlandungsplatz which means: landing zone for the helicopter of the emergency doctor.

JPD · Nov 2, 2008

dpurdy said:
Being non german this might be stupid but isn't it the German language way to add words on to other words and make really long words.

We do that in swedish too. It's often necessary.

En glasflaska = "A glass bottle".

If we wrote "En glas flaska", the word "glas" becomes an adjective.

Slixtiesix · Nov 2, 2008

Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher.
a kitchen utensil that defines where an eggshells has to break

kavandje · Nov 2, 2008

Tonbandwiedergabetaste: play button on a cassette player;

Heckausgleichsgetriebesperrenhauptschalter: main switch for rear differential lock -- found in:

Expeditionsgeländewagen: expedition off road vehicle, equipped with:

Zweitstromkreislaufshauptbatterie: main battery for auxiliary electrical circuit, which I use to power a fridge which I use to keep film and barley-ethanol based adult beverage at optimum temperature when engaged in the business of photo safaris.

vic vic · Nov 2, 2008

agree with dpurdy comment...

#3 is too much and here a through the actual lens viewing is a "must" ... the #2 is kind of compromise ... doable, needs some imagination to compensate not only for the frame (which is done by prism inside the upper rolleinar) but also for the quite substantial perspective difference at those distances (closer than about 50cm)...
#1 is indeed a "must" to make the rolleiflex a real standard and versatile camera (as it really is and supposed to be)... it allows focusing from about 50cm to 1m (19" to 3 feet) ... this rolleinar allows close ups, feeling the frame with many common object, and most importantly it is great for portraits, giving a range of about typical head&shoulder portrait back and forth. the quality is simply supreme, no practically visible reduction in quality and the "look" is great...

kavandje · Nov 2, 2008

Back on topic: I agree with vic vic 100%. I have a set of Rolleinar 1s for my 2.8A, and the portraits I'm extracting are most agreeable. Can't speak for the Planars and the Xenotars, but the bokeh that emerges from that Tessar is quite something, buttery smooth and just so, while the in-focus areas are sharp as a tack; just the thing for portraits, especially in low light -- faces, lit carefully, sort of loom out of the shadows. I may have the lenses coated at some stage to improve contrast, but so far, I'm happy as a clam.

Now if only the shutter were less recalcitrant...

Trask · Nov 6, 2008

You know, I once saw either photos or a film of Richard Avedon using a Rolleiflex on a tripod to take portraits. He was very close to the subject -- I'd say within five feet -- and I could see that the lenses on the Rollei looked longer than normal. What I can't figure is whether he was using a Tele-Rollei or a regular Rollei with a set of Rolleinars. Seems to me that the former is more likely, because the images don't have that slightly distorted look from using a normal lens/Rolleinar for close-in portraits. Does anyone know for certain? (Admittedly, my own estimate that he was five feet away would seem to rule out Rolleinars....)

dpurdy · Nov 6, 2008

I am not sure but I think 5 feet would rule out the tele as well.

Rolleiflex extras.

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