Rolleiflex model ID help

Hi folks. I scored another camera...sort of by accident this time. I went to go pick up a bookshelf that I found on FB marketplace from a guy who was moving off-island. While we were moving the bookshelf I noticed a Rolleiflex on a shelf on the wall. I asked if it worked and if he wanted to get rid of it too. The answers were yes and yes.

So now I have my first TLR but I'm having trouble IDing exactly which version of the Rolleiflex it is. I've looked up various websites (including rolleirepairs.com, camera-wiki, etc) and as best as I can tell it might be a 3.5A, otherwise known as a K4A if I'm not mistaken.

However, when I search images, I'm not seeing one with these two tiny threaded rods that are poking out the front of the camera to the right of the lenses ("right" when facing the camera).

Does anyone have any more info for me? BTW, rolleiclub.com seems to be defunct.

Thanks in advance for the help!
José

The studs are to hold a flash solenoid. There is a secondary shutter release installed just above the X-sync socket that was part of the assembly.

You can research the difference between X-sync and M-sync/F-sync (flash bulbs). A solenoid system was one common way to retrofit bulb sync to cameras without it. Here's a Rolleiflex fitted with one (there is a primitive focusing beam system mounted to the bottom of this camera, also).

Middle of the last century, working pros made things work, and cameras like Rolleiflexes and Speed Graphics and such had the room and the solidity to make all sorts of modifications as needed.

Dan Daniel said:

The studs are to hold a flash solenoid. There is a secondary shutter release installed just above the X-sync socket that was part of the assembly.

You can research the difference between X-sync and M-sync/F-sync (flash bulbs). A solenoid system was one common way to retrofit bulb sync to cameras without it. Here's a Rolleiflex fitted with one (there is a primitive focusing beam system mounted to the bottom of this camera, also).

Middle of the last century, working pros made things work, and cameras like Rolleiflexes and Speed Graphics and such had the room and the solidity to make all sorts of modifications as needed.

Click to expand...

Thanks Dan. I'm going to be cleaning up this camera over the next couple days before I put a test roll through it.

There were a few versions of the Automats, yours is a K4 also known as the Automat X, the Xenar lens is 1950. The K4A, also known as the Automat MX, has a lever on the front of the lens panel for M or X selection, while your camera's shutter appears to have been modified for M synch and the added studs that Dan mentions above,

I have an Automat K4A, the tell-tale sign that your camera is definitely a K4 is the Compur-Rapid shutter, those on the K4 only had X sync. The K4A has a Synchro-Compur.

These were the first of the good modern Rolleiflex cameras, mine has a Zeiss-Opton Tessar and is a lovely camera to use, excellent results, your Xenar lens should be equally good.

Ian

Have you tried this?

https://rolleigraphy.eu/serialnumbers.php

Ian Grant said:

There were a few versions of the Automats, yours is a K4 also known as the Automat X, the Xenar lens is 1950. The K4A, also known as the Automat MX, has a lever on the front of the lens panel for M or X selection, while your camera's shutter appears to have been modified for M synch and the added studs that Dan mentions above,

I have an Automat K4A, the tell-tale sign that your camera is definitely a K4 is the Compur-Rapid shutter, those on the K4 only had X sync. The K4A has a Synchro-Compur.

These were the first of the good modern Rolleiflex cameras, mine has a Zeiss-Opton Tessar and is a lovely camera to use, excellent results, your Xenar lens should be equally good.

Ian

Click to expand...

Thank you, Ian!
I currently have the camera under a UV light to kill the fungus and am going to clean the residue later today. I'm excited to put a test roll through it. The aperture and shutter dials move very smoothly and the shutter itself seems to work well.

José