Rolleiflex in E.U.

[keeds]

Arigram, I feel for you. I really hope you get this sorted and that you desire to use a Rolleiflex is not tainted by your experiences getting hold of one...

 

[arigram]

Arigram, I feel for you. I really hope you get this sorted and that you desire to use a Rolleiflex is not tainted by your experiences getting hold of one...

I am not very optimistic.
So far I've tried many times and it doesn't want me to succeed.
Seeing and holding a Rolleiflex from up close reinforced the feeling
that I really want one. It feels perfect for what I had in mind.
You can't imagine how hurtful have been all this time with the Chinese,
the auctions I've missed, the delivery guys almost missing me for the
second day and now this.
I really hope the Photo Arsenal people will treat this case respectfully.
They have yet to reply...
I didn't pay so much money for scratched lenses.
Does anyone know of the store and its people?

 

[André E.C.]

Ari,

I have a friend photographer wanting to sell his GX, the camera is new, bought less than 1 year ago.

If interested, let me know!



Cheers


André

 

[arigram]

Ari,

I have a friend photographer wanting to sell his GX, the camera is new, bought less than 1 year ago.

If interested, let me know!

Thank you Andre.
We first I have to see how this will go.
I really feel cheated out of money I don't even have.
To tell you the truth I am too scared to go for another used one.
I have found a new 2.8FX in a store for 3k euros, which is
a thousand less than they sell it here so its still a bargain.

I really hope Photo Arsenal take care of it easily, as I don't
know what I am going to do.

 

[André E.C.]

Well, as you wish!


Cheers


André

 

[dpurdy]

Ari if it is an ebay purchase you should contact ebay right away with the complaint. I believe they will help in the communications and resolutions. I am sorry you are having such problems. I have heard they are a reputable company so I am sure you will get a refund though I would guess they will push for an exchange instead.

But while you wait on communications there is nothing to stop you putting a roll of film in the camera and trying it out.
Dennis

 

[arigram]

Ari if it is an ebay purchase you should contact ebay right away with the complaint. I believe they will help in the communications and resolutions. I am sorry you are having such problems. I have heard they are a reputable company so I am sure you will get a refund though I would guess they will push for an exchange instead.

But while you wait on communications there is nothing to stop you putting a roll of film in the camera and trying it out.
Dennis

No, its not ebay, its directly from Photo Arsenal.
They were quick to answer my previous emails...

I thought of trying it out, but honestly I don't want to touch it at all.
For one, I don't want to be accused I messed with it and secondly,
I don't want to further like the camera then have to return it.
Anyway, I am really not in mood for photography at all.
As if I don't have enough problems in my life right now.
Nothing seems to be working out for me lately.

 

[arigram]

Ok, I just sent it back.
I will have my money back by the middle of next week so
I will start looking for another camera.

Funny thing is that I also just received the lens shade from the US.
I even payed a bit more to expedite its delivery.
It looks very well made.
Its all metal, matte black inside and with a texture outside.
The outside texture is a bit shinny but I don't think it will pose
a problem with the framing lens.
I highly suggest it to all Rolleiflex owners that are looking for an inexpensive
but beautiful shade. It has nothing to be jealous of the official Rollei shade,
its prettier than the rubber one and it would look good on any Rolleiflex.

 

[dpurdy]

Glad to hear that. I actually put double stick tape on the top of my Rollei shade and stuck a piece of black velvet on there to eliminate the reflection from the top of the shiny metal shade into the viewing lens causing a glare on the viewing screen. With all Rolleis well designed and well made equipment it is strange they never dealt with or cared about that. The rubber shade reflects less though still it does some. I think i will get one of the fotodiox ones.
Dennis

 

[Opemus]

Arigram,

Would you like to borrow a Rolleiflex 2,8 for 6 months or so to see if you actually like using them before you sink a lot of cash into one. I have a choice of 2 I could lend you on a trust basis: 2,8F or 2,8 GX (both well used).

Kind regards from Copenhagen

 

[arigram]

Arigram,

Would you like to borrow a Rolleiflex 2,8 for 6 months or so to see if you actually like using them before you sink a lot of cash into one. I have a choice of 2 I could lend you on a trust basis: 2,8F or 2,8 GX (both well used).

Kind regards from Copenhagen

Thank you for the kind offer and trust, but I am certain I want one.
I have some experience with Hasselblads and the Rolleiflex covers almost all the shortcomings I've found while on the street. Handling the one I "borrowed" from Photo Arsenal further convinced me of that.
I -really- want a Rolleiflex.
After all, I just got the lens shade and its useless without a Rolleiflex to attach it to!

 

[Opemus]

Arigram,

I understand - I have five of them - but I bought a Hassleblad last week in a strange parallel inversion of your experience.

Good luck, I'm sure your patience will reward you with a good one in the end. My personal favourite is the late model 3,5f with the six element Planar.

 

[Jerevan]

I am sorry to hear of your troubles. Check out www.collectcamera.com. He's got a few Rollei's in store, and he seems to be a fair salesman. Best of luck with the next Rollei - they're great machines!

 

[arigram]

I've send the money to the Danes for the Rolleiflex 2.8FX.
I am still waiting for the used 2.8GX to arrive to Photo Arsenal and get my refund.

The problem I have is that although PayPal shows that I've gotten a refund of the money
to the Chinese, my credit card balance is still charged with that amount.
It was supposed to be refunded by April 24.

I've just sent messages to the seller, both through email and EBay
and asked for an investigation by PayPal.

EDIT:
Everything seems to be ok.
I just contacted PayPal by phone and they confirmed
the refund and informed me that it could take up
to 30 days for it to show on my credit card account.
Since this never happened to me before and since
PayPal does not have the related information online,
I have been worried. I am kinda high strung lately
and losing an amount of that magnitude would be a great
shock, considering that to buy the FX, I had to invest
all my money plus a large contribution by my parents
(who refused to make it a loan, such amazing people they are).

In the past I've taken such difficulties to be messages by the Fates
of events not meant to be and thus not further pursued.
Sometimes they were right and the pursue left me wounded.
Sometimes they were obstacles meant to test my strength.
All of the times though they influenced my character. The pain
hurt me for some time, but I came out stronger and wiser.

I do have my doubts for the trouble I've gotten into buying a silly camera.
I do have my doubts for continuing investing in film photography.
I question if such dedication and persistence is good for my general happiness
and success in life.
I question, I suffer, I'm hurt.
But, I come out stronger and wiser.

It might look excessive and silly for one to read such words related to the purchase
of a stupid mechanical tool. Yet in the end, they don't seem different from other
endeavours, whereas it a job opportunity or a romantic encounter.
I am schizophrenic, suffering from both headstrongness and defeatism and can never
tell when is what and how would I deal with one case or another.

Moderators could well change the title to "A Rolleiflex Soap Opera" for that's what it turned to.

 

[dpurdy]

Ari, my stories about getting a new Rollei are a lot like yours. After a bunch of time trying to upgrade my E2 Xenotar to an F Planar I got a seemingly nice camera though it had an unmentioned dent in it and it never felt good to me. I was never able to like that camera or feel good about using it. After a year of trying and finding the lens had more flare than the Xenotar and was not sharper and the camera turned out to have problems with the shutter. And I had invested all my spare money in it even getting the lens recoated because people kept telling me that Planars should not flare more than Xenotars. I was at a point where I was not liking Rolleis and yet I missed my old E2 that was so magical to me and seemed charmed. Then one night I came home late from a night out with my spouse and I was a bit drunk and I looked on ebay and someone had posted a buy it now late model white face 12/24 2.8F Xenotar for 850 dollars. I didn't have an extra 850 dollars. But I got "hot" with desire and being a bit drunk I spent the money I was saving to pay taxes and got it. I figured I had time to test it against the Planar and see which I liked better then sell the other one in time to pay taxes. When I got it and opened the box I knew at first glance that I really liked the camera. i can't explain why two cameras identical to each other and 1 is an agravation to me and makes me hate Rolleis and the other is like a heart string and makes me want to use it. I tested them out and really they were the same except of course the Xenotar did have a bit less flare, which at that point I was glad for and put the Planar f on ebay and actually made a 400 dollar profit!! All was right in the world again and I loved my Rollei again.

Then last year my mother passed and I inherited a small amount of money and I decided to spend some of the money on a brand new Rollei FX in my mother's memory. (or so I justified it)I researched and shopped and finally found a new condition one in NY and bought it. When I opened the box the camera again didn't feel right to me. First UPS had punched a big hole in the side of the shipping box and that hole went all the way into the side of the FX box and punched a hole in it too. But I examined the camera and it seemed unharmed. I didn't like the look of the brown leather and I just didn't like the feel of the camera and when I tested it out it seemed the focus was off a little so I was going to have to send it to a repairman to have the focus adjusted. I really regretted buying it. I got hold of the company I bought the camera from to see if they would pay for or do the camera repair and they were determined to get UPS to pay for it as they said the camera was perfect when they shipped it. So I had to go through having UPS come over and inspect it then send the camera back to NY and where it would wait on the UPS decision before getting repair. It drug on for weeks and the guy in NY kept putting me off saying they were still waiting. Then I looked on ebay and there was a brand new FX in unopened box for the same amount of money I had paid for the mint condition used one and was sitting in ny. I called the guy and told him I just wanted my money back as his ad had offered. He put me off a few days saying he could get me a new one at that price too. He kept saying the Rollei guy would be in tomorrow day after day. They still had my money and time was about up on the buy it now new one in ebay. I called ny and said time was up I just wanted my money back and they agreed and I immediately bought the other one so that I had now 6 thousand dollars in a camera yet didn't have a camera in hand. The guy in NY now kept telling me he would refund my money but he had to wait for his accounting girl who comes in tomorrow. Then I had to wait a couple more days till he put money in the paypal account because he never uses it. All this time I was sweating bullets cause I couldn't afford to lose that money. Meanwhile my new FX arrives and I open the box and it is new and perfect and I was like in love again and finally I get a message from paypal they have been told to refund me money but I must wait several days till the money clears. Finally all was resolved and again I have now 2 cameras I feel good about. It is amazing how emotional and crazy it gets with spending so much money on something that is not really logical to spend money on and depends on your getting special inspiration from or having a special feeling about. Because afterall you should have bought a nice digital camera. right? Now I even like the brown leather and the HFT coated Planar flares less than the Xenotar and in truth I can't decide which camera I like better.
Dennis

 

[arigram]

The difficulties of buying a limited production camera you can't see and touch and not being able to afford a high price...
I hope I have a happy end too!
I just ordered a Rollei SCA adaptor from Robert White, so I am optimistic.

I promise a self portrait as soon as I get it.

 

[Soeren]

Was it at Photografica in Copehagen you placed your order?
If so I would not be worried. I have bought and ordered lenses and have never been disapointed.
Last item was a 90mm SMC Pentax which was as new.
I had some 13X18 filmholders that turned out to have lightleaks but they were replaced without problems. Photografica may take more for their items than others but the stuff is good and they are honest about their rating
Kind regards

 

[Antje]

Ari, you do realize we have almost all the elements of a Greek tragedy here? I think you're suffering through catharsis at the moment.

Antje, fading back into the chorus

 

[arigram]

Søren, yep, that's them. I am not worried about them really and they gave me a great price, excluding the tax, as I am a registered professional photographer. I just hope I get it before the end of next week as I want to take it in the travels I have planned.
Antje, my whole life has been a "tragelafic" situation, that is, a sort of a tragic comedy.
Been through many of catharsis so far, going to go through lots more!

 

[arigram]

I was wondering out loud:
- Is the 2.8FX the last Rolleiflex TLR?
For Hasselblad, for example, 503CW is the last classic model.

 

[dpurdy]

The design of course hasn't changed. The last time a TLR was an industry impacting new release was around 1960. Actually the last TLR to be introduced with arguable improvements is the new Tele Rollei FT. The tele sibling to the FX. The new tele has a shorter minimum focus distance than the old. It is hard to figure out Rollei thinking, it would be nice to sit in on one of their board meetings. After they stopped the F they produced a bunch of purely collector models. It seems like every used Rollei you find made after 1981 is in mint condition. It seemed to me they were just producing GXs as collectors cameras as long as people kept buying them with only the GX expression seemingly with no other purpose than using. Personally I didn't trust the GXs as they seemed more a rich man's toy than viable camera. Then Rollei committed to this new line of FX, FW, and FT and they aren't pushed as collector items. You have to assume they think the cameras are a viable option to serious photographers and people will buy them to use. That being the case then trusting to the Rollei reputation I started to want one.

My impression at first when I was doing on line research was that the general concensus was that the FX was not worth the extra expense over a mint GX. People would say that if you like brown leather and the alligator strap then get an FX otherwise it is just a GX. That is actually probably true. Though I still don't trust the GX (just a personal feeling) as much as the FX because it seems to me that the FX line is a new committment and the GX line seemed like just milking the collector market. Just my ignorant impression.

How long will they produce FXs and what could be the improvement? As long as people will buy them. And the only way I see to completely revamp the TLR into a state of the art design is to make it digital. I don't know anything about digital camera design problems but I don't see why a digital TLR wouldn't be very desirable to photographers for the same reason that a TLR film camera is desirable. It gives you the best of both a through the lens focus and range finder quietness and shutter. I would be tempted to bet that at some point the Rolleiflex FXD is produced.

Dennis

 

[arigram]

I would be tempted to bet that at some point the Rolleiflex FXD is produced.

Sounds logical.
After all, they came up with the MiniDigi, mostly another collector's item.

Btw, for the record of my soap opera, Photografica sent today my Rolleiflex 2.8FX and Photo Arsenal received the damaged GX and refunded the money. I haven't checked PayPal yet.

 

[Q.G.]

The MiniDigi is not a Rollei product, nor an F&H product*, but is made by Minox.
They also made minidigi Leicas (the then owner of Minox was Leica), and even a mini Hasselblad.

(*As you will know, the Rolleiflexes are no longer made by Rollei either. They are now made by 'the second coming' of the/a Francke & Heidecke company. Rollei now makes consumer level entertainment products.)

 

[arigram]

My Rolleiflex 2.8FX just arrived!
Its even more beautiful from up close. The photos don't do it justice.
The brown skin is a lot darker than it appears from the product shots
and I like it much better.
It has a respectful weight and feels very solid and well constructed.
For example, I find the WLF to be better designed and made than the
Hasselblad one.
I think it was well worth the trouble!
So, I welcome Nafsika to the family.
And not a moment sooner as she is traveling with me tomorrow
to Brussels and Athens for her very first show on the road.

 

[Uhner]

Cool.