Rolleiflex SL66 advice sort

[Dave Miller]

I have a Rollei SL66 that is, I thought, in excellent condition. I say “thought” because I am told that it should not be possible to cock and fire the shutter without a film being loaded, or when a film has been run off it’s reel, as you can with mine.

Any advice SL66 users?

 

[Don Dudenbostel]

Dave I used Rollei SL66's as my primary MF system both in the studio and on location for 25 years. You can cock and fire the shutter without film. Even after the film reaches the 12 frame it was possible to get an extra frame on all three of my bodies. It's not like Hasselblad that prevents firing the camera after the 12th frame or untill the counter is reset. Your camera is working perfectly.

I think the SL66 is the finest of the MF cameras IMO. I must have shot close to 30K rolls through my three cameras. I bought two of them used and one new and had 7 magazines and 2 polaroid backs. I had 9 lenses and finally wore them out. Untill the last couple of years of hard use the only problems were magazine rebuilds that are common with almost any camera with this much use. In the end I had a body lock up and it took the service folks a year to figure the problem out but it got fixed in the end. I also had a curtain fail but in that mush use that's basically a non issue. I shot a great deal of fashion and would shoot 75 rolls a day. I finally sold them and got into Hasselblad. Although Hasselblads are excellent they still aren't up to Rollei IMO.

The only thing I would advise about is getting the magazine out of sync with the body. if you remeove the back and open it, removing the insert and turning the gears on the insert will get it out of sync. You can put it back on the body but it will jam the body and you won't be able to remove it or wind the camera. It requires taking a dark slide with a 1/2 wide by 1 inch tall section cut out of the corner and inserting it into the magazine slot. It will release the mechanism and the back will come off. Then all you have to do is take the insert out and reorient the gears properly.

Enjoy your fine camera.

 

[Dave Miller]

Thank you Don for the prompt, and reassuring reply.