Trying to find an original focusing hood for the Rolleiflex Automat

philipus · Mar 7, 2021

Hello everyone

I have been given an old Rolleiflex Automat from the late 1930s, which doesn't have the original hood. I am now trying to find that part, but I'm not sure what I should be searching for. Does it have a particular part number for instance? Or are there particular dealers who specialise in Rolleiflexes and their relatives?

While I'm far from new to buying used film camera equipment, this is my first TLR and my usual sources of equipment don't carry parts for the Rolleiflex.

Thank you kindly in advance
Philip

John Will · Mar 7, 2021

Is this the model you have? https://www.rolleiclub.com/thedarkroom/?p=3084 This is the Model 1 Automat 1937-39, there is a type 1 (serial nos. 568516 - 610645 and a type 2 (serial nos. 610646 - 804999). As far as I know they both use the same finder hood. Post war Automats have a different finder but it might also fit.

I have never seen a repair manual for this model so have no idea of any part number, but I doubt there are any stockists of parts for an 80+ year old camera. You could try various repair people to see if they could help, check ebay or look for a suitable 'parts' camera (won't be cheap).

Somebody on Photrio may have some parts lying around.

philipus · Mar 7, 2021

Hello John, thank you very much for replying. Yes that's the model I have, and according to the serial it is a type 2.

I'll send it off for service to Will van Manen here in the Netherlands so I'll ask him about it too, but I just wanted to see if I could find it myself somewhere in the event he doesn't have one. It's a bit of a cosmetic thing more than anything else of course.

Thank you very much again
Philip

John Will said:
Is this the model you have? https://www.rolleiclub.com/thedarkroom/?p=3084 This is the Model 1 Automat 1937-39, there is a type 1 (serial nos. 568516 - 610645 and a type 2 (serial nos. 610646 - 804999). As far as I know they both use the same finder hood. Post war Automats have a different finder but it might also fit.

I have never seen a repair manual for this model so have no idea of any part number, but I doubt there are any stockists of parts for an 80+ year old camera. You could try various repair people to see if they could help, check ebay or look for a suitable 'parts' camera (won't be cheap).

Somebody on Photrio may have some parts lying around.

John Will · Mar 7, 2021

Hi Philip, glad this was of some help. Reading the detail on the Rolleiclub link I noticed this comment "The following parts of his model can be modernized to 1955 standard: waist level finder, larger focusing knob, double exposure safety lock, viewing lens bayonet, X-sync contact". When you said it doesn't have the original hood, perhaps it has been 'modernized' with a later finder. I think the original finders were a little fragile so it might have been damaged and replaced with the later model. I have 3 Automats but they are all 1951-54 vintage so I have no first-hand experience of the earlier models.

philipus · Mar 7, 2021

Yes i saw that too and I think you're right that a later hood has been installed. The problem is that it is very worn and broken. I'm open to replacing it by an original or a later hood in better condition.

John Will said:
Hi Philip, glad this was of some help. Reading the detail on the Rolleiclub link I noticed this comment "The following parts of his model can be modernized to 1955 standard: waist level finder, larger focusing knob, double exposure safety lock, viewing lens bayonet, X-sync contact". When you said it doesn't have the original hood, perhaps it has been 'modernized' with a later finder. I think the original finders were a little fragile so it might have been damaged and replaced with the later model. I have 3 Automats but they are all 1951-54 vintage so I have no first-hand experience of the earlier models.

Trying to find an original focusing hood for the Rolleiflex Automat

philipus

John Will

philipus

John Will

philipus

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