TLR Users

Mark Antony

What make(s) of TLR do you own, and what type of work do you use it for?
 

arigram

As you all know, I recently became a very happy owner of a Rolleiflex 2.8FX, which was named "Nafsika".
She has taken over from the Hasselblad "Calypso" the business of street and travel photography.
 
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Mark Antony

My first experience of a TLR was with a Rolleiflex with a F3.5 Schneider lens in 1986, it was on this camera that I learned wedding photography.
Unfortunately it had a few faults so I swapped it with a F2.8 Planar version at a local dealer.
I kept that camera until 2003 when I 'went digital' and sold what I deemed to be my superfluous film gear.
Obviously now I see my huge mistake, and seeing some of the great work here by people like Arigram and Rolleiflexible made me yearn to 'go square'
Last week I picked up a clean looking Rolleiflex T which is currently having a CLA.

I'll have her back in a week or so, can't wait!
Mark
 

aparat

I have a Minolta Autocord. I got it very cheaply about a year ago. I have since then had a Maxwell screen installed in it and had it CLA'd. I love this camera. It is very well designed: lightweight, precise, comfortable to use. The lens is more than sharp for me. I have only recently started using it extensively, but I must say it is quickly becoming my favorite camera. It is so unobtrusive. Here's a link to a photograph I took the other week.
aparat
 

dpurdy

Group! A lot of things I don't know about APUG, like what are groups for and how to get pictures to show up and anything that takes HTML knowledge.

Are groups an alternative to the regluar forum? Are we going to post TLR stuff in here because we don't want to annoy the non TLR medium formaters? Or because we don't want non TLR users to annoy us by joining in? There is probably some information available somewhere in the APUG and perhaps group members have other reasons than exclusivity.

Anyway I am proud member of TLR group and now if I can just figure out how to put a picture by my name instead of a question mark. I see where to upload a picture in profiles but I am wondering about sizing. Is it automatic?

Dennis
 

Michel Hardy-Vallée

Hello TLR users, I got the invitation from Mark Antony.

I've only owned two TLRs (and a half...) so far, but something about it makes it so that they were always right for me even before I had one! My main MF camera is now a Mamiya C330, and my trusty Yashica D is on its way to good hands.

Before the Mamiya, I had a Rollei T from KEH, but I had to return it due to defects. I'm afraid some day I'll need a Rolleicord or an Automat to have that sweet Tessar again...
 
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Mark Antony

Hi all
Thanks for joining.
What are groups for? Well until Monday I had no idea they existed, I think they are in a kind of beta state where even the site owners aren't too sure.
My vision (without sounding too narcissistic) is that this forum could be a place to share ideas, latest acquisitions, to discuss TLRs on ebay, accessories and general TLR specific minutiae that probably wouldn't get discussed on the main Medium Format forum.
A kind of TLR gentlemans club
Buy hey I think it's up to us what we make of it, my reason for starting it was there doesn't seem to be a forum anywhere on the usernet for TLRs and sometimes geeky (pardon please) discussions about lens hoods or filters or S/H prices may not really fit in elsewhere.
A good idea would be anecdotes or stories about them where did you first see one? did your uncle/boy scout leader/old teacher have one, when was the first time you 'got bitten by the bug' etc etc
Again thank you to all who have joined, if you know a TLR user that hasn't feel free to enlist/invite.
Lastly it would be great if we all uploaded a pic of our TLR in the albums-if you need any tech help PM me.
Regards
Mark
 

dpurdy

Hi Mark. Does the interaction just go on sort of linear like this without topics to respond in? Is the intention to have continuing dialog or just postings without expecting responses?
 
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Mark Antony

Hi Dennis
You know I just don't know, I'm expecting it'll be like one giant conversation between the group.
I'll have to look into it because if we get a lot of interest and people post answers to different questions the crosstalk could make it hard to follow.
I'm just going to 'suck it and see'.
Mark
 

Anscojohn

I just posted a message to Mark Antony and shall not re-interate. I forgot to mention, however, a Minolta Autocord which I really enjoyed. One of these days I will unbox a Lubitel which I have had for many years. It reminded me so much of my original TLR, an Argoflex like the one in my avatar, that I just "had" to have one. Back in the 1970s, when I managed retail camera stores, I was able to acquire various Rolleis from customers who wished to dispose of such "old" cameras. They have all been sold or traded. One aspect of TLR usuage I found always useful was using the "field lens" for both focussing and shooting. Keeping the camera at eyelevel for both focussing and shooting speeded things up and also helped to eliminate the "belly button" angle for people pictures. I have yet to find a camera as useful for childrens's portraits as the TLR.
 

MenacingTourist

Hi. Thought I'd jump in. I have a few tlr's (all Yashica's) and they just might be the cameras I have the most fun with. If only I could get 127 film cheap...
 
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Mark Antony

Welcome guys
Menacing tourist have you tried the EFKE 127? We get it here about 1/3 more than the 120, I think Bluefire make one too.
Colour looks expensive Kodak do Portra and Ektachrome at $10 a roll...
Anscojohn
I bought my TLR mainly for portraits. I had an old Lubitel (Russian for Amateur) I think it had a plastic lens, I used it for some beach shots when I wanted a 50's look.
Post some pictures of your gear or images from your TLRs in the Album.
Mark
 
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Mark Antony

Just as an aside I've just talked to the guy who is servicing my camera Brian Mickleboro.
He tells me that the one accessory to buy is a Rolleinar as this will allow head and shoulders portraits, he reckons that it will give very little image degradation.
Has anyone any experience with these?
Mark
 

Mattjcuk

Hi,

I have been meaning to subscibe to this group since I joined the otherday.

I currently have a Rolleiflex 3.5F which I really enjoy using, though first time I used it the reverse image on the view finder confused me as I saw a van going along a river!

I decided to get one after reading about Diane Arbus (and seeing the film about her with Nicole Kidman) and I'm glad I did.

I'll try to upload some photographs over the weekend of it.

Thanks

Matt
 

dpurdy

Personally I find the Rolleinars indispensable because I use my Rolleis for portraits and still life work and when out taking photos in the world I see details I want.

I find the image quality as far as sharpness to be not degraded at all. If you have a bit of a flare problem with your camera the Rolleinars can make the problem worse if you are shooting against strong back light. I found that problem to be far worse with the pre HFT 2.8 Planar than the Xenotar.

If I was going to just get one size Rolleinar I guess I would get the #1 but
Rollei apparently considers the #2 the one to have as that is the one they included with the collector GXs. I think when using a fixed lens camera you have to give up your ideas of pure uncropped prints. The Rollei lenses are sharp enough to take a fair amount of cropping for the affect of a slightly longer lens.

One problem you will run into if you try to do very close up stuff with a #2 or 3 Rolleinar is perspective disagreement between the viewing lens and the taking lens. So even if the paralax is supposedly corrected with the Rolleiflex, when working up close the angle of view makes a significant difference. In this case the Mamiya system of actually moving the camera a couple inches is more accurate. You can't do that with the Rollei as there is a framing adjustment being made by the camera.

I think a reason some might find sharpness issues with the Rolleinars is that due to closer focusing the depth of field is greatly reduced and focusing becomes more critical. If your camera is not parallel to the thing you are trying to focus on, the focus will fall off rapidly.
 
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Mark Antony

Thanks Dennis
I'm Pretty much sold on the no 1 Rolleinar as Mr Mickleboro seemed to think that it was best for head and shoulders work, I guess cropping would also be fine.
With my 'T' I'm guessing bay 1 is the fitting? the same as 'cords and Yashica?
I don't see any at camera shops online, how much do they go for?
I've got the Rollei for portraits, I like the Tessar and the way it draws if these Rolleinars are not going to soften the image too much I think I may have found my first accessory!
I have no strap or case yet!
thanks Dennis
does anyone have a close-up shot they can put in the album?
Mark
 

dpurdy

with a 3.5F Rollei (Xenotar) and #1 Rolleinar...
http://dennispurdy.com/Portraits/Spencer eye.html

With a 2.8E2 Rollei (Xenotar) and #2 Rolleinar
http://dennispurdy.com/Portraits/Jake front.html

With a 2.8E2 Rollei and the #3 Rolleinar...
http://dennispurdy.com/Portraits/Jake with smile.html

with a 2.8F Rollei (Xenotar) and #1 Rolleinar..
http://www.pbase.com/dpurdy/image/66317330

With a 2.8F Xenotar and #3 Rolleinar..
http://www.pbase.com/dpurdy/image/25939084

Yes Mark for the T you need bay 1. I think the old style bay one comes in 3 pieces and the newer style comes in 2 pieces.

By the way I have a friend who has a T and we had a side by side test in the studio with studio lighting and a portrait and using the same film and exposure and development and shooting at f11 on both the tessar T and the 2.8F Xenotar you could not tell a difference in sharpness or tonality. They were excatly the same except that the T has a slightly shorter focal length at 75mm.
Dennis
 
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Mark Antony

Wow Dennis Thank you!!!
I can see that the number two is the one!
That is the only thing that I can find fault with is the nearest focus on my Rollei.
I had a C330 for a short time the close ups were great, we used to do the wedding couples 'ring shot' pretty close with those.
I'm also pleased to hear about stopping down giving good results with Tessar, i'd heard from others that F8-11 you can't tell them from Planars.
I have a Tessar on a Rollei 35 and it seems to be soft and lower in contrast wide open and increase in contrast as you stop down (till F8), my Elmar on my M4P is similar.
I think it's nice to have a softer lower contrast lens, for portraits anyhow.
Thank you Dennis I see you're the Rollei expert here
 

dpurdy

I am not all that expert. It doesn't take long to accumulate Rollei info if you spend too much time on a computer. I don't know if I agree with #2 being the one or not. Each Rolleinar gives a range of focus and the ranges of focus over lap a little. I think if you want to shoot a small person like a child from the waist up, as is pretty useful, the #2 is a bit too close in focus. The exact focus distances are probably published somewhere, or a truly expert could tell you. Or I guess I could go check. But the good news is that the Bay 1 accessories are the cheapest and you can get them all.
 

Mattjcuk

Hi,

Show's I've got a lot to learn about my Rolleiflex 3.5F, I didn't know what Rolleinar's were.

I wanted to try macro shots with a medium format camera, so I could I get a Rolleinar 3 for my 3.5F and use that?

Thanks

Matt
 

dpurdy

Matt, I just checked with my 2.8 80mm Planar and the #3 Rolleinar and with that at closest possible focus you can fill the frame with something approximately 6x6 inches. I am not sure how different the 75mm lens would be. The distance from camera to closest focus looks about 10 inches or so. It wouldn't let you do a close picture of a bee on a blossom. The other problelms with using the Rollei TLR for macro are parallax issues and the inabililty to see depth of field. You might overcome those issues if you used a sheet film back on the camera but then you have to get film for it.
 
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Mark Antony

I suppose a #3 would be Ok for your prize roses if you used a Tripod and stopped down a bit. Not sure how it would be for chasing butterflies ;-)
I noticed in Sanders (Rolleifexible) portfolio he has an excellent H&S shot of a girl that has stacked Rolleinars, looks good quality wise- I wonder what ones he used?
Mark
 

benjiboy

Hello, everyone I just joined, I use Mamiya TLRs, A C330f and a C33, with 55,80,135, and 180mm lenses, I've used them for more than twenty years I recently got both the cameras a C.L.A, although I've never had any problem with them I thought it was about time, especially since they were second had when I bought them, the C33 was pretty old 20years ago,and I should have had it done then but it just kept going It's built like a Russian KV1 WW11 heavy tank and will probably outlast all of us.
 

benjiboy

Matt, I believe Diane Arbus, although I'm not her greatest fan, used a Mamiya TLR for a lot of her work, I've seen some film clips of her working with one.
 

benjiboy

Aparat, I remember the Autocord, and that they had excellent lenses, the focusing lever was below the taking lens as far as I recall.
It's a shame that more people don't realize what good pictures a camera like this can take before they shell out mega bucks,on the latest all singing and dancing SLR.
 
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