I got lucky like you. I just sold it about a month ago and hated to do it but I got $1800 for it. It was hard to let that kind of money sit around getting little use. I used some of the money to buy this 2.8C and I also have a 500C/M a Medalist II and a Autocord that I just repaired the frozen focus lever on. I think the Autocord is going to give the Rollei a run for it's money. I posted a test print from it in the Autocord thread.
Thinking of buying a Rolleiflex 2.8C with lens separation
-
A
- Thread starter campy51
- Start date
Recent Classifieds
-
For Sale Foto-100 bulk roll, 100'
- Started by MCB18
-
Free Hasselblad ELM battery adapters x2
- Started by blee1996
-
For Sale Leica 14510 leather case for R-E, R4, R5, R6.
- Started by Chrismat
-
For Sale FS: A Pair of NORMAN Flash Tube Covers
- Started by AnselMortensen
-
Free FREE for shipping cost: HUGE Lot of Vintage Photo Literature!
- Started by AnselMortensen
Forum statistics
Here are a few quick pictures of the camera. As you can see it's in excellent condition other than the bumps in the leather on one side which is why I would like to fix it.
I get the impression most people refer to fleabay as a barometer of value, and that's very misleading, IMO.
Why is that? I sell cameras and lenses on eBay and use sold listings as a barometer of value. More often than not, I sell within 15% of that price. It's an excellent way to tell how much someone else will pay for what you have. I.e. an estimation of value.
Now if we're talking about sky high "buy it now" prices that litter eBay then I agree with you.
That's a very nice looking Rollei. I hope you get the lenses cleaned up to your satisfaction. Buying a nice working Rolleiflex for $75 is a very fortunate outlier, good for you Paul. I paid that near 40 years ago for a Rolleicord V, an excellent value then and now.
All Rollei I have serviced disassemble basically the same.
Download this service manual from my google drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yavVANy-hVm4V6Ug5RuqjR2rTf4-xL-l/view?usp=sharing
Use the 2.8E or 2.8F instructions as your guide.
Remove the view hood and check the mirror as it can be the source of what you are seeing in the view lens.
To remove the front cover lift up the leatherette, remove it, then remove the 6 screws holding the face to the front frame.
Loosen the set screw for the view lens then unscrew the view lens from the front frame. Infinity focus will have to be reestablished with the taking lens focused at the film plane on reassembly.
The front cell of the taking lens unscrews from the shutter and the rear cell should unscrew from the rear through the image box area (camera back opening).
Once the cells are removed from the shutter the retaining ring for the elements unscrew from the cell barrels and may be secured with a clear thread locker that dissolves with acetone. The rear cell retaining ring will likely be on the shutter side of the cell barrel.
The front plate has to be removed to remove the shutter which requires resetting the parallex adjustment for the view mirror on reassembly.
I have had the lenses out but didn't see how the individual cells came apart and didn't want to attempt it since I have a 30 day return and didn't want to void that. I would love to keep the camera because of the cosmetic condition. The slow speeds are way off so the shutter needs service but I would be wiling to get a $200 CLA if I can clean up the lenses. Can you determine from the picture if it's fungus or separation? The camera store said it was separation which no one seems to fix anymore so I am hoping it's fungus since that can be removed in most cases. I shot a roll and they came out terrible but with the viewing lens like it is I had a difficult time focusing even with a loop and everything was washed out and soft.
What is shown in your photo is most definitely fungus, and plenty of it. Its probably easily removed once you get to the surfaces affected, but depending on how long its been there, it may have permanently etched the glass, in which case there's nothing you can do about the marks left in the glass. You will only determine this once you've separated the elements and cleaned the surfaces.
As for the shutter with its "slow speeds are way off" problem, that will require a proper servicing. I don't know who does a servicing for as low as $200, but its possible there's someone out there that will. My Xenotar Rollei cost me $400 to service three years ago. Just be sure that whoever does service the shutter doesn't just soak it in Naphtha overnight, dry it off and call it done. There are some lazy technicians who will take that approach to solving these problems, so watch out. The cheaper the quote, the more likely you will get a "cut corners" job.
Indeed it was a great deal. I realize $75 is an unusually low price, but its hardly unheard of. No, you won't see a deal like that on fleabay - you will only find that elsewhere, like estate sales, or similar. But that requires more legwork, obviously.
PS: My $75 Rolleiflex is a Tessar lensed model, but that's fine with me: I like the Tessar optical qualities better than more Schneider Xenotars anyway. I had a very nice Rolleiflex/Xenotar a few years ago and I found the lens quality was very much exaggerated (didn't measure up to the popular mythology) and I sold it and replaced it with the Tessar version, which I prefer. My point being: don't buy into the hype. There are many fine cameras that are as capable as the best Rolleiflexes or even better. My Minolta Autocord's Rokkor lens is far sharper and more contrasty than the Xenotar Rollei was, by far.
Does anybody know how the cells come apart? Are they cemented on the Xenotar?
The loose set that I have has a two-pin retaining ring on the inside of the back group I assume that this will release the inner element of this grup which is not cemented to the rear-most element based on diagrams posted previously.
The front group has a small set screw on the rear edge of the main dress ring. I assume that undoing this screw will allow for the dress ring to come off. Who knows what is under there....
These kinds of assemblies were changing all the time during production runs so yours may be different. Best to post photos and maybe someone will see the actual points of entry.
Well here is the latest assessment on the 2.8C. The light baffle on the rear taking lens is broken in a couple of spots which I assume caused what I thought was a light leak. I took the front element off and cleaned it up but cannot see a way of taking the rear cells out without taking the whole shutter and baffle out. You can see how the rear lens has no ring holding it in place.
You are looking at the rear of the rear group, not at the front. Yes, you need to remove that group to get access to the retaining ring with two holes. This involves removing the lens board from the front of the camera, unscrewing the bellows from the back of the lens, removing the rear group from the shutter block, and seeing ifthis particular lens has two holes, two slots, or something else.
That actually looks sort of unusual for a 2.8C rear group. The rear element of the Xenotar is large and bulbous.and the few I have seen do not have ridges on the metal holding it in place. Anyway, because of its large size I haven't seen a 2.8 Xenotar with slots or such for easy removal without disassembly to get access to the lower edges of the group. Maybe you can make a rubber tube or stopper or such to grab that ribbed rim and not rub the glass.
The bellows are their own issue.
Looks like quite a happening fungus party going on in there. Good luck.
That actually looks sort of unusual for a 2.8C rear group. The rear element of the Xenotar is large and bulbous.and the few I have seen do not have ridges on the metal holding it in place. Anyway, because of its large size I haven't seen a 2.8 Xenotar with slots or such for easy removal without disassembly to get access to the lower edges of the group. Maybe you can make a rubber tube or stopper or such to grab that ribbed rim and not rub the glass.
The bellows are their own issue.
Looks like quite a happening fungus party going on in there. Good luck.
First off a Rollei does not have a bellows. The rear cell has a longish housing tube that slides through the light block as shown in post 38 photos. The complete lens/shutter assembly has to be removed to replace/repair that light block.
The shutter is a common Synchro Cmpur only modified with the face plate, aperture lever and shutter cocking lever changed. If you have serviced Compur 00 shutters in the past then removing it from the camera and reinstalling it will be harder than a full tear down CLA on the shutter. The lens carrier item 149 on pdf page 153 is attached to the focusing arms with 4 screws and has shims between the carrier and arms and cover frame item 158 pdf page 155. The shims are items 150 through 154 pdf page 155 and 155 L, M, N, P, Q depending on what was needed to get exact register and their positions are important.
How much of the light seal tube is accessible with the lens at infinity/fully retracted? You might be able to unscrew it and the rear cell if enough is gripable at infinity. The wind mechanism is more complicated and operates best with NO oil or grease. The focus mechanism is a rod that goes through machined holes in the body, has two cams on each end with a spacer between them, and engage the arms which have a spring loaded guide at the rear. Not overly complicated but precise. A fair amount of grease was used on the shaft and cams. The side plates have to be removed to access the wind and focus mechanisms.
I do not know how to disassemble the view lens, likely set screws or pins in the barrel. Post pictures of it out of the camera and the sides with holes or similar.
The shutter is a common Synchro Cmpur only modified with the face plate, aperture lever and shutter cocking lever changed. If you have serviced Compur 00 shutters in the past then removing it from the camera and reinstalling it will be harder than a full tear down CLA on the shutter. The lens carrier item 149 on pdf page 153 is attached to the focusing arms with 4 screws and has shims between the carrier and arms and cover frame item 158 pdf page 155. The shims are items 150 through 154 pdf page 155 and 155 L, M, N, P, Q depending on what was needed to get exact register and their positions are important.
How much of the light seal tube is accessible with the lens at infinity/fully retracted? You might be able to unscrew it and the rear cell if enough is gripable at infinity. The wind mechanism is more complicated and operates best with NO oil or grease. The focus mechanism is a rod that goes through machined holes in the body, has two cams on each end with a spacer between them, and engage the arms which have a spring loaded guide at the rear. Not overly complicated but precise. A fair amount of grease was used on the shaft and cams. The side plates have to be removed to access the wind and focus mechanisms.
I do not know how to disassemble the view lens, likely set screws or pins in the barrel. Post pictures of it out of the camera and the sides with holes or similar.
This Rollei model does have a bellows.
It sounds like it's beyond my capability. If I couldn't return it then I might give it a shot. I did email pro camera in VA to get an estimate for the shutter and lens cleaning as well as the light baffle or whatever it's called.
Do you think it's possible to use black yarn and glue a small piece to the missing light block and put it where it's missing in the first photo in post 38? Maybe use nail polish or similar to make the yarn a little stiffer so it won't fray.
Black yarn or black velvet, small amount of glue on the rim where it sits but the yarn or velvet should be soft and pliable.
Do you think it might work and do you know how much the part might cost?
I think we are calling it a bellows because it sort of extends and retracts like one. It looks like it's the black item almost dead center just coming out of the body.
In the manual I linked to its called Light Seal Tube, item 156 pdf page 153, the second part is called Housing Ring, item 159.
I have repaired that light seal with black velvet and yarn will work. Any glue should be at the base of the ring with the yarn or velvet just touching it.
The part is no longer made so its fix the old one. My black velvet is in storage and won't be out for a while or I'd send you a piece.
I have repaired that light seal with black velvet and yarn will work. Any glue should be at the base of the ring with the yarn or velvet just touching it.
Ok thanks for the info. What do I have to do to get the rear elements apart to clean them? Do you know of any video or other instructions to do this?
Is this the light baffle where my text is? Can you read the part number if that is it?
Last edited:
| Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here. |
PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:  |