Rolleiflex Hy6...One of the last medium format cameras in production

NortheastPhotographic · Oct 16, 2020

My Planar in the 2.8E has it’s own character and I love it for that. It’s old school with low contrast. The Hasselblad Planar was noticeably better with color film and wide open sharpness. The AFD Xenotar is like going from a Nikon 50/1.4D to a Sigma Art, but with IMHO more attractive and interesting bokeh. Nothing wrong with that D lens btw, I prefer it to the ART, and the updated G version.

My only problem with the Hy6 is that it can be hard to choose it when traveling. Also when taking photographs in a more considered way I’m often apt to choose large format. It’s like I either run and gun 35mm, travel light and simple with a TLR, or go all out with 45, 57, or 810. The Hy6 does not travel as well as the TLR...but I’m trying to make use of it more and more.

Pieter12 · Oct 16, 2020

Dave Krueger said:
My first impressions of the camera are good. Everything seems to be in one piece.

2. I was expecting the control panel to be black. This seems like a hybrid of the Mod1 and Mod2 colors. Not a big deal, of course, unless it's an upgraded mod1 body which could suggest the camera was manufactured several years ago and then modified.

If the new factory is still using the old serial number system, you can determine the manufacturing date. https://rolleigraphy.org/codednumbers.php

ic-racer · Oct 16, 2020

First digit on mine is "5" = 2020

Dave Krueger · Oct 16, 2020

I'm going to have to reread this thread as I familiarize myself with the camera.

The reason I am interested in the manufacturing date is because some materials (plastics, lubricants, lens cements, adhesives, etc) can age and change properties over time even if the cameras has never been taken out of the box. Aside from speculation, assumption, and hearsay, I don't really know how much manufacturing is going on inside DW Photo. I just know I'd rather own a camera that was assembled recently rather than years ago. I don't have any reason to believe this camera has been sitting on the shelf for years, but that was a factor I thought about before I bought it.

As for the glass, I am very much looking forward to seeing how this lens performs, especially wide open. I too shoot 4x5, but the older I get, the less interested I am in taking it out on photo expeditions.

ic-racer, I have the 6x6 back and it doesn't have STOP, but it has RUN and OFF. I haven't put any film in yet (I'm still in the foreplay phase), but I haven't noticed any change in the behavior of the camera regardless of whether it's in run mode or off. When I push the trigger, the shutter trips, the back winds for several seconds, and then stops. But, I haven't had much time to play with the camera today.

Pieter12, I've read that the red lens is a low light focusing aid, but I haven't seen it come on. If it is IR, then I guess I wouldn't have been able to see it. I assumed it was just a red light like the focusing light on my Nikon flash unit. Maybe there is a setting for enabling or disabling it. Maybe I could point it at one of my security cameras in a dark room and be able to see it come on that way.

As for old versus modern lenses, I prefer modern for fixed focal length lenses. I think today's technology is far superior. When it comes to zooms, it's the other way around. They don't correct curvature distortion anymore because DSLRs correct it in the camera, so I still use an older Nikon consumer zoom on my F6.

GG12 · Oct 16, 2020

Dave Krueger said:
ic-racer, I have the 6x6 back and it doesn't have STOP, but it has RUN and OFF. I haven't put any film in yet (I'm still in the foreplay phase), but I haven't noticed any change in the behavior of the camera regardless of whether it's in run mode or off. When I push the trigger, the shutter trips, the back winds for several seconds, and then stops. But, I haven't had much time to play with the camera today.

With the back, there's nothing wrong there: the long wind is normally to get the film properly started - without film, its waiting for a stop signal. Without one, it goes for a bit, then stops.

Dave Krueger · Oct 16, 2020

ic-racer said:
If you put the back on STOP, you can fire it without film and test all the functions. I'm still learning everything. For example "Focus Trap" is interesting to use with non-autofocus lenses.

Okay, I found the STOP mode, Haha! Much better now that I can fire the shutter without the winder running. Thanks!

Dave Krueger · Oct 16, 2020

GG12 said:
With the back, there's nothing wrong there: the long wind is normally to get the film properly started - without film, its waiting for a stop signal. Without one, it goes for a bit, then stops.

Yeah, I figured that's what it was doing. Tomorrow I'll probably try it with some old expired film before loading up some newer expired film to test the focusing.

Kodachromeguy · Oct 16, 2020

ic-racer said:
my SLX, that Planar 80/2.8 was much superior to the Planar 2.8 in my 2.8F TLR. In spite of hearing or reading that the lenses are similar.

I think they were significantly different lenses despite sharing the name "Planar." The rear element on the Rolleiflex lens is quite close to the film. The lens of the SLX had to sit far enough forward to have space for the large mirror assembly. It may have been a mildly retrofocus design.

Dave Krueger · Oct 16, 2020

ic-racer said:
Focus offset of -15 seems best on mine. .

I bumped up the offset in steps of 5 beginning at the original -05 and the autofocused image matched the focusing screen with an offset of +30. I assume that might change when I do the calibration with film. Hopefully, the film plane image will be close to the focusing screen image.

AgX · Oct 17, 2020

Dave Krueger said:
2. I was expecting the control panel to be black. This seems like a hybrid of the Mod1 and Mod2 colors. Not a big deal, of course, unless it's an upgraded mod1 body which could suggest the camera was manufactured several years ago and then modified.

You might find different manufacturer designations. DW Photo only exists since 2015

GG12 · Oct 17, 2020

Dave Krueger said:
I bumped up the offset in steps of 5 beginning at the original -05 and the autofocused image matched the focusing screen with an offset of +30. I assume that might change when I do the calibration with film. Hopefully, the film plane image will be close to the focusing screen image.

Film has more lattitude, and is more forgiving.
With digital backs, It can vary on the back. Once you have dialed it in with +/-5, try using smaller steps and you can really get it just right.

ic-racer · Oct 17, 2020

Kodachromeguy said:
I think they were significantly different lenses despite sharing the name "Planar." The rear element on the Rolleiflex lens is quite close to the film. The lens of the SLX had to sit far enough forward to have space for the large mirror assembly. It may have been a mildly retrofocus design.

Agree.

Pieter12 · Oct 17, 2020

"4. I had no problem installing the battery but had problems getting the door open again to get the battery out. I finally wiggled it open. I suspect I probably didn't push the battery in well enough (per a suggestion from Eric) and it was interfering with the latch. I don't really care for the battery compartment latch, though. Has anyone had problems with that?"

I find the battery door fiddly, too. But the battery charge lasts a long time and right now replacement batteries are readily available from 3rd party vendors--I would suggest you pick one up while you can because they might be harder to find in the near future. It is the same as a Samsung camcorder that I think that is out of production. Also, the motor drive takes 2 button batteries, I always have a spare set in my kit. Because I know if I don't, I'll need them.

Pieter12 · Oct 17, 2020

Does anyone know where I can find or get the latest user manual for the Hy6 Mod2? The one on Eric's site is not the one that I saw posted by ic-racer in #146.

ic-racer · Oct 17, 2020

That image is from a DHW brochure. I can send it to you.

Dave Krueger · Oct 17, 2020

Shot a roll of film in the Hy6 today. I sure hope I'm doing something wrong because I am not impressed. I shot a target about 8 feet away wide open and, looking at the film, it appears to be focusing at a point about 8" closer to the camera than the target I focused on. The same was true of of other frames. I already have the offset at +30 and it only goes up to +33. Setting the offset more positive makes the lens focus further away which means moving the lens elements closer to the film plane. It was too bright to shoot 400 speed film outdoors wide open, but I'm guessing it won't focus at infinity given it has a hard stop at infinity focus. The autofocus seems quite consistent, so I don't think it was getting confused. The main target was black lines on a white background lit with a softbox at a 45 degree angle, but other targets yielded the same result.

I will do another test to confirm the results and maybe use filters and slower film to do some outdoor shots wide open at infinity.

This would be a lot easier if I could leave the back off and simply do the frosted tape stretched over the film plane trick.

Basically, these results seem to say that the lens is too far forward (the same as saying the focusing screen and film plane are too far away from the lens).

Anyone else ever have issues like this?

Dave Krueger · Oct 17, 2020

Pieter12 said:
I find the battery door fiddly, too. But the battery charge lasts a long time and right now replacement batteries are readily available from 3rd party vendors--I would suggest you pick one up while you can because they might be harder to find in the near future. It is the same as a Samsung camcorder that I think that is out of production. Also, the motor drive takes 2 button batteries, I always have a spare set in my kit. Because I know if I don't, I'll need them.

I have a ton of 357 batteries which should work fine in the film back and two batteries for the camera. I will probably buy at least one more for the camera if there's a chance they will become hard to find.

ic-racer · Oct 17, 2020

According to the manual, negative numbers move the focal plane toward the lens and camera which I interpret as the film plane. In that case, this moves the subject focus farther out toward infinity. So, if you are at +30 and focusing in front of an object, you would want a more negative number; closer to zero or smaller than +30.
This seems to be the way my camera behaves.

SocialKonstruct · Oct 17, 2020

If current production, are they still expensive to buy new?

NortheastPhotographic · Oct 17, 2020

I have never messed with the focus offsets. No issues. The focus screen can show accurate focus, these are 2.8 lenses were dealing with. If you want to calibrate it just put a good loupe on the GG and fiddle with the offsets until the AF is consistently nailing it.

ic-racer · Oct 17, 2020

SocialKonstruct said:
If current production, are they still expensive to buy new?

Less than 2009 price:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...eras-in-production.177790/page-4#post-2329091

Dave Krueger · Oct 18, 2020

ic-racer said:
According to the manual, negative numbers move the focal plane toward the lens and camera which I interpret as the film plane. In that case, this moves the subject focus farther out toward infinity. So, if you are at +30 and focusing in front of an object, you would want a more negative number; closer to zero or smaller than +30.
This seems to be the way my camera behaves.

I put the camera on a tripod and pointed it at a door frame. Looking at the distance scale on the lens, with an offset of +30 it focuses further away and with an offset of -30 it focuses closer. It's not a small change. At a distance of 12 feet, it's probably changing by at least 2-3 feet.

Dave Krueger · Oct 18, 2020

NortheastPhotographic said:
I have never messed with the focus offsets. No issues. The focus screen can show accurate focus, these are 2.8 lenses were dealing with. If you want to calibrate it just put a good loupe on the GG and fiddle with the offsets until the AF is consistently nailing it.

That's what I did. I set the focus offset so that autofocus would result in a sharp image on the focusing screen. That was how it was set when I did today's tests with film. From what I've seen, if I hadn't done that, I think it would be even worse.

GG12 · Oct 18, 2020

This is not typical.. A couple of possibilities, but it’s likely the focus offset thing is getting too much attention so early on.
I’d zero everything, and start again. It may be as simple as the AF is right, but the screen isn’t adjusted right. Another possibility is look to the menus for setting the AF sensing size - try setting for a small area.

itbwould be very unusual for the offset to be that much for the 80AF and film.

ic-racer · Oct 18, 2020

with an offset of +30 it focuses further away

it appears to be focusing at a point about 8" closer ... I already have the offset at +30

Not sure I understand what is going on to make another suggestion.

Rolleiflex Hy6...One of the last medium format cameras in production

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