Whats your favorite Rollei shooter?

[Chris Ross Leong]

Whew! That's a lot of Rolleis!

In the Rollei TLR department I have a 3.5MX Tessar that's been modified to take the removeable WLF/prisms etc., and also an older Automat with a CZJ Tessar that I'll switch out for a 2.8C at some stage.

I learned photography on a 2.8C Planar when I was 12 and had that camera for around 10 years, when I traded it in for a 500C/M, which I still have. I still have my first fashion portfolio prints from that period (1975) from the original 2.8C, and many more shots from the studio's 2.8 and 3.5F Planars later on.

Switched to film production around 1984 full time, but have kept my hand in stills. Recently back into analog (although I never sold my Nikon F3HP, but own some older F4 based Kodak DCS cameras still, a D90, and a slew of movie and HD camera gear), and will brush off my Rolleis first, I think.

Although I do love the portraits taken with Rollenars, I have to admit that up until now my main headshot combo has been a Hassy 500C/M and EL/M with the 150 Sonnar. However these have been commercial / beauty headshots, and not personal or artistic work.
So we'll see. I really want to get back into B/W just for personal reasons (I'm teaching my 9 year old boy) and perhaps after a dozen rolls or so I'll come up with something worth posting.

In the meantime, I'll throw some of my old Rollei prints onto the scanner and let you see what I've been up to.

Cheers and very excited to be on this board!
Chris

 

[R gould]

I now have two rollei shooters and they are both favorites, I have a rolleiflex automat 4, and a rolleicord va2 recently cla'd and i would be hard pressed to chose between them, I love them both, Richard

 

[Holger]

Rolleiflex Automat and Rolleicord Vb, the latter to be CLA'd soon enough, the second has become a very long second by now. Perfect camera!

 

[pentaxpete]

I have got several Rolleis now and really do not have a 'favourite' -- it took me years to get one ! I bought the first, a 2.8F Planar from a Camera Club member for £250 and it had not been used for years -- then I discovered the focussing screen was upside down and the winder did not work every time - so he agreed to knock off the £50 CLA price-- I think the model is 1962. I did lots of weddings with it but sometimes found at f5.6 and wider part of groups were not sharp-- I have been told since that the 2.8 Planar suffers from 'Curvature of Field'. Then I got a Rolleicord Vb for £60 which had been the 'staff medium format camera' for a local newspaper and needed one repair when something fell off inside into the works ! Then I got a 3.5F Planar with a lens sharper than the 2.8 Planar from a business man-- I did a 'deal' instead of me getting £100 for a load of picrures of him he gave me his 3.5F Planar and a Rollei Prism. Then I was GIVEN FREE a 3.5E Planar by a Camera Club member and a 2.8E Xenotar free from a widow lady -- so I am well set up and have put some of my 'Rolleiflex' photos on the Group!

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Just have one - a 2.8 E that I picked up on Ebay. It needs a good CLA but still works just fine in warm weather. It takes awesome photos, some of the best I've ever made - I think I like it even better than my old Hasselblad with the Zeiss 80 2.8 planar - this is supposedly the same lens, but there's something about this one that is just different, and better. I've got a few images in my gallery here on APUG shot with it, using the new Ektar 100 film - great stuff! I especially love the rendering of whites with the Ektar. Truly neutral whites. This is my new go-to color neg film, displacing even my former beloved Fuji Reala.

 

[59gilbert]

Hi there!
I have a pair of 2.8E. One with planar, and the other with xenotar.
I enjoy the color of zeiss and the BW tone of schneider.

 

[thompsonkirk]

I don't know what came over me, but I'm enjoying it. After using digital cameras for 10 years - first a point-&-shoot, then 'serious' DSLRs, & finally Leicas - I've re-converted to the Rollei faith.

My original Rollei, stolen long ago, was an MX purchased in Frankfurt in 1956 (they sold the old model to the naive American boy). Later I used a regular Rollei & a Wide in the late '70s, but sold them in favor of 4x5. (The old Wides didn't impress with their sharpness.)

At the end of last year I wanted to own 'my' old Rollei again & shoot in squares. I purchased 2 MX-EVSs, both with good Tessars but gummy shutters & dim focusing screens, & had them overhauled. They're what I'm using now.

While they were away I stumbled on a E3 3.5 Planar that was too cheap to refuse. It didn't know quite where to focus, but my repair person of choice checked it on his collimator & found it was perfectly sharp & just mis-calibrated, with the two lenses set differently for infinity. It will be back soon, overhauled & with new Maxwell screen. I'll probably end up using it most, because the Automat twins are in almost collectible condition. The E3 is just right for me – scuffed just enough so I won't worry about it; no meter (prefer external); & my eyes are too old to focus a 2.8 taking lens with a 2.8 viewing lens anyway.

What I've accomplished so far appears here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thompsonkirk/sets/72157625920862986/

The prints are 15x15" on Harman Warmtone Baryta paper. This seems right for the Tessars, hand-held at wider apertures. But I may try 20x20" later with the Planar.

Kirk

 

[wotalegend]

I used to work for a plant & machinery auctioneer. I worked in the office so I rarely got to see what was being sold. All the staff knew that I was interested in cameras and kept their eye out for me. One day one of the auctioneer's assistants told me that there was a box of old lab equipment in a machinery sale which had an old camera in the bottom of the box which I might be interested in. I inspected the box and replaced the camera in the bottom of the box where I had found it, then quietly asked the auctioneer to put a bid on it for me. He started the bidding at $10 for the box........... and there were no further bids from the mostly scrap metal and machinery dealers present. So I bought my Rollei 2.8F Planar for $10 (plus 10% buyers premium). When I took it home and cleaned it up I found that the shutter was extremely sluggish, probably from years of doing nothing. I had it CLA'd and a new shutter mechanism fitted and now it works like new, except that I think the roller which "reads" the start of the film needs some adjustment because the first frame is often right over the middle of the adhesive tape which holds the film to the backing paper. Even the selenium meter still works, although it's not terribly accurate.

 

[dpurdy]

What a lucky find wotalegend. Strange about the first frame being on the tape. Have you tried rolling the leader on further before closing the door?
When is it my turn to find a totally cheap un noticed Rollei?
Dennis

 

[whlogan]

For some strange reason, my favorite TLR is the Rollei 2.8A! Hard to get accessories for it but the Opton lens is just superb beyond words! Not, perhaps the sharpest around, but does have a wonderful bokeh and rendition. I just love it.
Logan

 

[shotodog]

i only have one rolleiflex. 2,8f. i love shooting with it and it is quite an experience when i take her to the street but she gets left at home most of the time in favor of the high volume shooting 135 rf.

 

[BosseA]

I've got three of them, a Rollei Standard -39, Rollei Automat -55 and a Rollei T -66...all Tessar and they all shoot great pics.

 

[noeyedear]

I only have a "T" so by default it's my favourite. I have 12 rolls of colour neg to get developed and 6 rolls of B&W, so when that has happened I will tell you if I like it or not. Not all was shot with the Rollei, I also have a Minolta Autocord. I have been buying filters for them (both bay 1), I just bought a Minolta polariser which has synced filters over viewing and taking lens. So I can't wait to give that a try, it cost double what I paid for the Autocord.

 

[planarhft]

New to APUG and just wanted to pipe in with my favorite/only rollei. My 2.8gx 60 Jahre. It's almost too pretty to bring outside! It hasn't had much use as of late and I am currently trying to sell it but haven't had much luck. Reading the posts in this group makes me want to keep it though. I will take it as a sign to hang on the rollei if it doesn't sell soon.

 

[teepoe]

I am thinking of getting a Rollei. I LOVE tlr's but am unsure whether to get a 2.8 or a 3.5. the former is WAY more expensive everywhere I've seen, but it looks worth it. am I wrong?

 

[dpurdy]

The Rolleis are pretty good at holding their value or increasing in value. I wish I had tied all my money up in Rolleis 6 years ago, instead of putting what little I had in stocks. I could have increased my financial value by 50% instead of losing about 25%.
The cheapest way I think to get great value is buy an Automat from the early or mid 1950s. They have great optics and can still be rebuilt and they are costing much less than the later versions. If you go to a later model, the 3.5 is just as good as the 2.8 model. It is just a tad bit wider angle at 75mm instead of 80mm The 3.5F is the most popular Rollei ever so they say.

 

[whlogan]

I didn't see the Rollei T covered here much if at all. I see a lot of T's listed on E**y. They are substantial shooters. Tough, reliable and good workers. I use mine with a pair of Mutars as a complete kit a lot. They deliver the mail. If you don't have one. think it over and see about getting one. They work good. Tessar lenses mostly which are good, sharp glass. Check them out!
Logan

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Teepoe: I think the consensus usually is they the 3.5 is equally as good a lens - it's just one stop slower. The advantages are that it's lighter and less expensive than the 2.8.
Also, the depth of field of the 80/2.8 is quite narrow.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

I have three R's. The standard 80/2.8 Planar, the WA and the Tele. Of the three I think the Wide is my favourite.

 

[whlogan]

Glad to be in this group. My Dad, now gone these many years was alway a
Rollei proponent and alway made sure I was grounded in Rollei lore. When he died in 1965 I inheirited his 3.5F which became my main shooter through many years of work with Cole Weston, Al Weber and Ansel Adams. It took some pretty long looks on those workshops where I was often the senior slave and main worker, but it never let me down. My son has it now, though he, sadly, doesn't use it, having fallen to th d**** God. I have a collection of about 30 Rolleis of all sorts from the 6*** series to my favorite SL66 to 17 TLRs, Standard to 2.8F. Love 'em all. My favorite TLR is the 2.8A for some bizzare reason. There is nothing like the feel and action of a 'Rollei TLR in use and action. Never fails to draw a crowd and produce superb results. I will never stop using them. My most recent grand trip was one out West to Monument Valley with my 4 50 year old Children to Monument Valley with the SL66as main shooter. The results have been fun to print. I plan on adding then to my WEB site later in 2012.
Logan

 

[John Austin]

Hello - These days I call myself a 10x8" photographer but I still have the last three of my Rolleis - Basically worn out from too much film, but they all still work - My most used one is the Wide, with the Tele still used for test sessions prior to my real photography for the Naked Portrait portfolio and my 2.8F working except for 1/15sec - My repair man says it is is as good as it will be considering everything and to find a good condition one - I bought the 2.8F in 1974 and it earned the bulk of my income for years

Pics from these beasites on Dead Link Removed

PS - My Hasselblad gear is for sale, that is in good condition as it was mainly used in the studio - Includes a SWC, the World's most expensive box camera

 

[WJMertens]

For a number of years I've been shooting with two old Rolleiflex TLRs, both from my father. I think I have the models right: (1) a 2.8C from about 1954-55 with an 80mm f2.8 Zeiss Planar taking lens; and (2) and an RF 111A made in about 1937-39, with a 75mm f3.5 Zeiss Tessar.

...Maybe 5 years ago, the focusing magnifier broke off when one of the two arms on the "focusing magnifier lifting handle" broke. The metal actually is fairly flimsy; later models were more robust. I still have the magnifier. I really should get it fixed. Any thoughts on where? Or is this a DIY project? The "lifting handle" part seems to be made of a single piece of metal. Leaving aside how to install one, I don't know where I'd get the part, and I haven't tracked one down via Google.

Bill Mertens

 

[WJMertens]

I need to be more careful reviewing my posts before posting them. The broken part is in the newer model, the 2.8C.

 

[yarrumk]

hey, just joined the group, I have a Rolleiflex 2.8A type1 B 1951, its a little dinged up but I love, love , love it.

I also picked up a Rolleiflex 3.5F Type1 (1959) for €25 recently, its in bits, missing hood & in need of some internal repairs, but the guy was going to turn it into a plantpot and I couldnt let it happen, its in the shed awaiting someone with an appetite for the work.

Im in Dublin, Ireland btw

 

[Uncle Bill]

Two way tie between my series E Rolleiflex with the 75 planar lens or the Rolleicord IV with the 75 Schneider Xenar lens. Then again they are my only two Rolleis I got for now.