Rolleiflex SL66 User Group

[Mike Kovacs]

BTW, there is an update on all this. A fine gentleman in Australia is chasing the dream for me

http://www.rolleiclub.com/

I suggest you check it out once in a while - it will probably come to life in a few months.

 

[naturephoto1]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the update. Good to know that one of the finest names in Photography has a replacement for the lost websites and groups.

Rich

 

[petrdvorak]

Hello Mike,

I guess the group is not happening after all. What a pity, I'd be happy to join it, too!

Cheers,
Petr

 

[Rolleiflexible]

I would echo the suggestion to join the existing Rollei Users group, which has a distinguished and active and mostly civil membership of people using Rollei TLRs and SLRs. You can find them (us) at this URL:

Dead Link Removed

and we maintain a Flickr gallery at this URL:

Dead Link Removed

Why recreate the wheel?

Sanders McNew

 

[Helen B]

An SL 66 UG seems like a nice idea (I have a couple of SEs, and I use them, as I do my other Rollei cameras) but I find it difficult to see what function a dedicated group would serve that isn't already served by APUG and photo.net. I've just had a look at the Yahoo group and nothing I read was to do with Rolleis: it could just as easily be general APUG traffic.

Best,
Helen

 

[Mike Kovacs]

The yahoo group has what, about 100 posts, many O/T.

Rollei User's Group (RUG) is a mailing list. Difficult to find things in the archives, often runs way O/T. Some good gems of information in there if you can find it.

The problem is, I'm not so sure how many SL66 shooters we have? I think Jaap's new Rollei Club will pick up steam and attract more users, especially once he gets all the static content completed. But its been down for a couple of days. I'm sending him an email right now to see what's up.

 

[Helen B]

Hi Mike,

100 posts? I had a look at the rolleiusers Yahoo group that Sanders mentioned. The latest message is numbered 19,058, and there are 10 or 12 posts a day. Nothing much to do with Rolleis though.

I am a member of the RUG mailing list, and as you say there is some useful information in there. The few times that I've seen questions about the SL 66 there has been little response - photo.net seems better. In general, I think that open groups fare better than brand-specific groups, particularly from those of us who are uncomfortable with brand identity (I won't go as as far as saying 'mutual admiration societies'). I get a significant number of email queries about the SL 66 from my posts on photo.net, possibly more than the number of threads on the SL 66, so I suspect that there is plenty of interest.

Best,
Helen

 

[Rolleiflexible]

The Rollei Users and RUG groups were initially one group. The Rollei Users group was founded when the RUG list owner ejected a prominent RUG member, in a time when anger ran high on several sides in the RUG. I was one who parted from the RUG and have been a member of Rollei Users since then. The RUG continues and so does the Rollei Users group. Which group you prefer is more a matter of whose company you want to keep, than in volume of posts, or depth of wisdom on matters Rolleiflex. My sense is that more shooters are on Rollei Users, but I've not spent time on the RUG for years now so I might be mistaken.

Both lists have large and well-informed memberships. Both lists have maybe 10-20 percent Rollei content and LOTS of off-topic discussion. Let's face it, there are only so many Rollei topics to discuss. How many times can you debate the merits of Planars vs. Xenotars?

But the groups serve an important role, regardless of how you feel about the off-topic threads. When someone raises a question related to a Rolleiflex of any stripe, it gets answered.

Sanders

 

[Mike Kovacs]

My mistake - I'll check it out thanks.

 

[Peter Black]

I've been watching one of these on the auction site, but am somewhat put off by the seller's comment that "film transport is a little off pitch but not overlapping." I'm wondering if this is a body problem or a filmback one, and whether or not it is a known issue with the SL66?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[naaldvoerder]

I've been watching one of these on the auction site, but am somewhat put off by the seller's comment that "film transport is a little off pitch but not overlapping." I'm wondering if this is a body problem or a filmback one, and whether or not it is a known issue with the SL66?

Thanks for any advice.

The SL66 can be a bit quirky in that respect. My negatives are not always exactly square on the film. Everything is on there though. What is appereantly very important, is that both the back and the insert of the back belong together i.e. have the same serialnumber.

 

[Peter Black]

The SL66 can be a bit quirky in that respect. My negatives are not always exactly square on the film. Everything is on there though. What is appereantly very important, is that both the back and the insert of the back belong together i.e. have the same serialnumber.

Thanks for this information. I emailed the seller and he confirmed they had the same number, but I eventually didn't bid on the camera. It went for a reasonable price, but by the time I had costed a 50mm lens and another filmback it was adding up to quite a bit and I really have to stop buying into another system!

 

[Mike Kovacs]

Two of my three backs have mismatched numbers. I would think the only problem you *may* have with a mismatch is that the automat film start sensing mechanism may fail.

Both of these have service stickers inside. My guess is that they were probably serviced with the mismatched backs, hence in normal adjustment.

All of my SL66 backs space a little tighter than I would like, but I've never had an overlap yet.

 

[Slixtiesix]

Weird spacings sometimes occur when the film sits not
tight enough in the insert. I made this mistake with my
first film in the SL66 and was a bit sad about the "defect".
After a second try everything was ok.
After loading the film, I put the insert in and press my
left thumb gently against the spool, while turning the
little wheel on the mag. That always guarantees
that the film sits tight enough.

 

[jonathanbennett120]

I have two backs. One with matching serial numbers and one with mismatched numbers. BOTH are wonky with film spacing. Near the middle of a roll the space is fine, but on either end the pictures get pretty close and sometimes touch or overlap. I've avoided this by advancing the wheel on the side of the back an extra notch or two after I shoot a picture. This isn't difficult and manages to take care of any overlap issues.

ALSO. It's worth trying to get a 13th shot on a 120 roll if you can. I usually just use it as a backup shot for whatever happens to be the 12th shot on a roll. Just wind the last show, let the wheel pop out of the film back, and wind the crank as usual to it's regular postion. This advances the film one last time and allows you to get an additional frame out of a roll. I've only lost that image once on over a dozen rolls so far due to the film running out mid frame.

Try it out.

 

[Rob_5419]

Hi there.

I've been using a Rollei SL66 for some years too.

The speed of film cranking and the emulsion thickness seems to determine film overlapping for me. I'm lucky to get 12 images on a roll. I think Rollei had future-proofed their cameras by ensuring users expend more exposures to keep film afloat.

 

[Slixtiesix]

That´s right. Until now I only used Fp4+ and Hp5+ which are of
a "classic" thickness I think.
As I remember the film crank should not be moved to fast, because
some of the metal spools in the mag could lose diffraction and
the frame spacing decreases. I think I´ll make some experiments
next week...

 

[whlogan]

SL66 User Group

Count me in for a SL66 User group too. And I'm willing and able to offer any help needed to make such a thing happen and the sooner the better. As an aside, my trip to the National Monument thingy in Utah/Arizona was all SL66 work and how they did come out. Best camera still going and I finally made the SL66E work. Took some doing but it does work now.... Logan

 

[k.hendrik]

after EIGHT years you can count me out

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

after EIGHT years you can count me out

Ha ha. The OP has not posted on APUG for 5 years now....

Besides, while not a users group the site http://www.sl66.com/ is an amazing resource of information.

 

[weasel]

Mike wobderful to see you are still using the beast; very glad it got a good home

 

[k.hendrik]

the beauty in front of the beast
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77846450@N00/21143743884/in/dateposted-public/

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

the beauty in front of the beast
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77846450@N00/21143743884/in/dateposted-public/

Very nice!