Rolleiflex SL66 - calling on users for feedback

Hassasin · Oct 22, 2025

Received SL66 kit today and while the machne is definitely a piece of tight engineering, I am flabbergasted by two issues, both may have to do with lack of use/service or perhaps inherent Rollei "vibe".

Focusing - I feel uneven resistance as knob is turned, even within standard focusing range, which is a small turn of the knob on Planar 80, I can't imagine this should be nothing less than a one smooth motion with even resistance, can anyone confirm this is not as it should be ?

Dark slide - inserting dark slide into the film back (between back and camera body) meets a great resistance about half way down, it feels like something wants to break before it gives up, but this is nothing like any make of film backs resistance wise, I'm thinking of SL66 interlock design that may be part of the issue, but again, can anyone pitch in how this feels on their backs (this is original early back, not the later introduced with E/X bodies.

Outside of these two things I appreciate build, design, ergonomics, and the tilting lens board is plain fun to tinker with. Focusing screen is great too.

Ulrich Drolshagen · Oct 22, 2025

You can only push in the dark slide with the shutter cocked.
The focusing knob works a little uneven on mine too. This may be caused by the way the mechanism is constructed. Nothing to worry about.

Hassasin · Oct 22, 2025

Ulrich Drolshagen said:
You can only push in the dark slide with the shutter clocked.
The focusing knob works a little uneven on mine too. This may be caused by the way the mechanism is constructed. Nothing to worry about.

Thanks. Dark slide I only push in with cocked camera. As Rollei says on front page BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING - COCK THE CAMERA - can't be more clear than that

Good to know mine is not the only one with uneven feel on focusing travel.

Jbennett68 · Oct 22, 2025

I’ve only had mine a couple weeks but the focus is exceptionally smooth. It’s had a CLA in the last couple years though.

campy51 · Oct 22, 2025

I just bought one and my focus is the same. I think the the focus gear needs to be cleaned and lubed. I ask about getting the side panel off but no answers. I am on vacation and will tackle that when I get home.

Hassasin · Oct 22, 2025

campy51 said:
I just bought one and my focus is the same. I think the the focus gear needs to be cleaned and lubed. I ask about getting the side panel off but no answers. I am on vacation and will tackle that when I get home.

I agree it does feel like grease has thickened up as it is in same place at every turn all the way out to max extension.

itsdoable · Oct 22, 2025

The focus on mine is a little uneven now, but it use to be really smooth. 30 years ago. But it has not had much use in the last years...

I don't recall any issues with the dark slide.

Slixtiesix · Oct 23, 2025

When I got my camera, I had the same uneven feel in the focus knob. I sent the camera to the late Jürgen Kuschnik, who back then, was the leading specialist on these cameras. He repaired it and explained to me that my camera had probably been dropped and had landed on the lensboard. However, he also said that the plastic rack in the SL66 was never and never will be as smooth as with a Rollei TLR (which most people coming from a TLR, including me, expected when buying this camera). After the repair, it was a lot better, but you still could feel a slight uneveness.
So if your focus feels slightly uneven, maybe the rack still needs new lubricants, but it will never be as perfect as with a TLR. If you meet heavy resistance at some point, could be the plastic rack is damaged.
Regarding the dark slide, I encountered the same problem with many SL66 magazines. These things do not go in easy, they get stuck, you need to pull them back slightly and correct the direction. The one that had been serviced by Jürgen Kuschnik was much better after that. I do not know the magic he applied to it!

Hassasin · Oct 23, 2025

Slixtiesix said:
When I got my camera, I had the same uneven feel in the focus knob. I sent the camera to the late Jürgen Kuschnik, who back then, was the leading specialist on these cameras. He repaired it and explained to me that my camera had probably been dropped and had landed on the lensboard. However, he also said that the plastic rack in the SL66 was never and never will be as smooth as with a Rollei TLR (which most people coming from a TLR, including me, expected when buying this camera). After the repair, it was a lot better, but you still could feel a slight uneveness.
So if your focus feels slightly uneven, maybe the rack still needs new lubricants, but it will never be as perfect as with a TLR. If you meet heavy resistance at some point, could be the plastic rack is damaged.
Regarding the dark slide, I encountered the same problem with many SL66 magazines. These things do not go in easy, they get stuck, you need to pull them back slightly and correct the direction. The one that had been serviced by Jürgen Kuschnik was much better after that. I do not know the magic he applied to it!

Thanks. I've noticed on the dark slide that it needs to be perfectly aligned vertically and things get easier. If it resists, pull back and play around. Same goes when pulling out. One time I was worried to break off that plastic handle on it. Today things seem noticeably better in and out. But overall nothing like just about any other camera system with a dark slide. Bronicas are just butter smooth in that sense.

Slixtiesix · Oct 23, 2025

Yes, you need to hit that perfect 90° angle, otherwise you'll meet resistance. As said, after service it was better, but still required some patience. I think it's a design matter.
Good thing is they came with a built-in dark slide holder ever since.

Hassasin · Oct 24, 2025

So upon checking, my example has slight wobble when place on flat surface, confirmed wiht straight edge across. There is no evidence of damage to the bottom so it is how it came out of the factory. If some bodies are perfectly flat, then there is maple to sample variation.

On dark slide I can confirm it must be perfectly aligned vertically for both in and out travel, otherwise it feels like something wants to break inside or that slide's plastic handle will break off. This applies to the storage slot too. With care this is not as much of an issue as I originally thought, however it is surprising as it hinders fast paced use.

In the ned the more I try it, the bellows focusing and its extended reach is simply amazing to have. There is no such thing as minimum focusing distance to think of, not in practical considerations at least, just watch things come into focus on screen. And if they don't, reverse mount the lens and keep going in.

abruzzi · Oct 24, 2025

Hassasin said:
there is maple to sample variation.

maybe the maple wood on your table isn't flat?

On dark slide I can confirm it must be perfectly aligned vertically for both in and out travel, otherwise it feels like something wants to break inside or that slide's plastic handle will break off. This applies to the storage slot too. With care this is not as much of an issue as I originally thought, however it is surprising as it hinders fast paced use.

The Broncia ETRSi was my first camera with a dark slide and with that I got into the habit of after a shot always putting the dark slide back in, so it became a part of the shooting process. With some cameras though, it is clearly meant to only be used when removing the back. For example the Bronica S--the internal spring half ejects the dark slide when the back is attached (and pushing in the dark slide is the eject mechanism for the back.) So maybe the Rollei is best thought of like that?

Hassasin · Oct 24, 2025

abruzzi said:
maybe the maple wood on your table isn't flat?

The Broncia ETRSi was my first camera with a dark slide and with that I got into the habit of after a shot always putting the dark slide back in, so it became a part of the shooting process. With some cameras though, it is clearly meant to only be used when removing the back. For example the Bronica S--the internal spring half ejects the dark slide when the back is attached (and pushing in the dark slide is the eject mechanism for the back.) So maybe the Rollei is best thought of like that?

On the dark slide no question on Rollei or those Bronicas, it is one time deal, whenever back needs to come off. But the way it is designed internally
on SL66, it is clearly not a continues channel, slide gets cocked just a little and its trouble.

Slixtiesix · Oct 26, 2025

If you rise the tilt of your camera to the max, you will see that the bottom plate of the SL66 is roughly a 1/4" steel plate. I doubt this will bend even if the camera is dropped from waist level. The wobble could be caused by the tripod mount maybe?

Hassasin · Oct 26, 2025

Slixtiesix said:
If you rise the tilt of your camera to the max, you will see that the bottom plate of the SL66 is roughly a 1/4" steel plate. I doubt this will bend even if the camera is dropped from waist level. The wobble could be caused by the tripod mount maybe?

No, I definitely have dovetail outside bottoms plane, I checked with calibrated straight edge across the bottom. Not a lot, and most padding used on tripod plates will probably compress sufficiently.

I have noticed a photo of one example where the dovetail is clearly not perfectly aligned, just a proof that it is mounted with one nut with apparent no registration pin. I don't know if they came loose (as some reported) frequently enough to be a concern, I'm not.

john_s · Oct 26, 2025

Using Rollei's tripod mount that attached to the wedge at the bottom is not as secure as a plate that covers part of the base. I modified a standard plate which works well. I can post a photo of it in a couple of days if anyone is interested.

itsdoable · Oct 26, 2025

Hassasin said:
I have noticed a photo of one example where the dovetail is clearly not perfectly aligned, just a proof that it is mounted with one nut with apparent no registration pin. I don't know if they came loose (as some reported) frequently enough to be a concern, I'm not.

The service manual shows an alignment pin, but over the years, that may have been lost during a service...

The foot (190) is attached to the base by the nut (189) and aligned buy the pin (191).

Hassasin · Oct 26, 2025

itsdoable said:
The service manual shows an alignment pin, but over the years, that may have been lost during a service...

View attachment 410148

The foot (190) is attached to the base by the nut (189) and aligned buy the pin (191).

Thanks, good to know. Mine looks fine and solid, I just noticed in a photo of another example where it was not squared up.

Hassasin · Oct 26, 2025

john_s said:
Using Rollei's tripod mount that attached to the wedge at the bottom is not as secure as a plate that covers part of the base. I modified a standard plate which works well. I can post a photo of it in a couple of days if anyone is interested.

I'm fine with an Arca plate. I am a little surprised by the smallish size of the dovetail given the overall weight of the camera of 2kg . Surprised, but it does not bother me when I use more standard tripod mount.

john_s · Oct 29, 2025

The dovetail links with the Rollei tripod adapter quite firmly. The problem (with mine) is that the base of the camera seems a bit flimsy (despite its weight!)
Attached my plate. It does not interfere with the lens standard fall. It's a tight fit to the front of the dovetail and where it touches the front of the body, and covers part of the base.

RezaLoghme · Oct 29, 2025

Sounds like a CLA is overdude.

Hassasin · Oct 29, 2025

john_s said:
The dovetail links with the Rollei tripod adapter quite firmly. The problem (with mine) is that the base of the camera seems a bit flimsy (despite its weight!)
Attached my plate. It does not interfere with the lens standard fall. It's a tight fit to the front of the dovetail and where it touches the front of the body, and covers part of the base.

Is this Arca plate made to fit the dovetail then ? Is this still available : I have not looked it up yet, but I simply screw on regular Arca plate which works, but this is interesting.

john_s · Oct 29, 2025

Hassasin said:
Is this Arca plate made to fit the dovetail then ? Is this still available : I have not looked it up yet, but I simply screw on regular Arca plate which works, but this is interesting.

I filed it to fit, slowly and gradually until it just managed to fit tightly.

Hassasin · Oct 29, 2025

john_s said:
I filed it to fit, slowly and gradually until it just managed to fit tightly.

oK thanks. I'll stick with regular plate, seems to work fine, even if I needed to choose one that conforms to small unevenness on my body

Rolleiflex SL66 - calling on users for feedback

Attachments

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency