Where has all the gear gone?

Lanline · Apr 26, 2010

I recently bought a Rollei Sl35ME and I had been looking for some time for a Rollei 35mm SLR. Now that I have one, finding lenses for it is proving to be hard. So I thought, Ok I'll be a Leica R3 or R4 - but there are no lenses to be found from KEH and the like (not a fan of EvilBAY). I want to log in to a site, do a search and buy a camera and lens - it seems suddenly a lot of gear has disappeared.

Where are all the Rollei, Contax and Leica bodies and lenses? :confused:

BradS · Apr 26, 2010

I have a bunch of gear that I'd like to sell but, prices have been so low that it is hardly worth while. I'm sure that it is the same for many others.

Rol_Lei Nut · Apr 27, 2010

Still pretty available in Europe.

At least the Rolleiflex system wasn't very popular in the US.

John Koehrer · Apr 27, 2010

There are some on craiglook.com. It's a national search for craigslist & probably not authorized. Oh well.
I haven't bought anything off it & you may have to sweet talk somone into shipping, worth a try.

RalphLambrecht · Apr 27, 2010

BradS said:
I have a bunch of gear that I'd like to sell but, prices have been so low that it is hardly worth while. I'm sure that it is the same for many others.

That's true.

Lanline · Apr 28, 2010

BradS said:
I have a bunch of gear that I'd like to sell but, prices have been so low that it is hardly worth while. I'm sure that it is the same for many others.

Maybe this explains why a lot of the good gear is just not available much if at all. I've searched eBay Worldwide for the Rollei SL and there were just 3 for sale. I know these are were not popular in the USA, but I thought I could still scare up a few items.

I had an urge to buy a Leica R3 or R4 last week - I didn't do it because there was not a body & 50mm lens available from Craigslist local or my normal online stores.

FilmOnly · Apr 28, 2010

I, too, am not a fan of EvilBay. I had an SL35E once (briefly). I bought it about three years ago. Indeed, the market for Rollei 35mm equipment seems to have diminished. While the R4 is a decent camera, I gave it up because it does not offer an unobstructed viewfinder. It has a shutter speed panel (bulge) on the right side. I would suggest an R5, but KEH has been out of these for a while (I check now and then).

dynachrome · Apr 28, 2010

The R3 is, for some people, an entry to the Leica SLR world. In the U.S. at least the R3 has a very poor reputation for reliability. It also does not have user interchangeable focusing screens. Leica SLR lenses are available but expensive so you have to consider how many of them you can afford and whether that selection wil be adequate for the kind of shooting you do. There are probably more Leica SLR users who like the lenses than ones who like the bodies. The exceptions might be the SL, SL2 (+MOT versions), the R8 and the R9.

BobD · Apr 29, 2010

Lanline said:
Where are all the Rollei, Contax and Leica bodies and lenses? :confused:

Japan, mostly, and other parts of Asia.

Tim Gray · Apr 30, 2010

The digi folks are snapping up old manual focus lenses and adapting them for their cameras (mostly Canons). This might have an effect on the Leica lenses at least, and certainly the Contax ones.

Anscojohn · Apr 30, 2010

Lanline said:
I recently bought a Rollei Sl35ME and I had been looking for some time for a Rollei 35mm SLR. Now that I have one, finding lenses for it is proving to be hard. So I thought, Ok I'll be a Leica R3 or R4 - but there are no lenses to be found from KEH and the like (not a fan of EvilBAY). I want to log in to a site, do a search and buy a camera and lens - it seems suddenly a lot of gear has disappeared.

Where are all the Rollei, Contax and Leica bodies and lenses? :confused:

**********
You need to give Jim Kuehl, in Des Moines, IA a call. He's the best, in my experience, for leica. Not an advert; just a statement of fact.

AdrianW · Apr 30, 2010

Did your Rollei SL35ME come with any lens? You might want to fully test out the body to make sure it is in good shape before buying lenses for it.

I have a SL35M (made in Singapore) body with erratic shutter speeds that would cost more to fix than what it's worth. I recently bought a SL35E and then a SL35 to replace my problem M body. Both of the replacement bodies (also made in Singapore) had problems from the moment they arrived.

I finally bought an early German-made SL35 that had been sitting in the seller's drawer for 30 years. I tested it out and it works perfectly. This means that I can finally use all the excellent Zeiss lenses that I've acquired through the years... all bought used for about $100 each... back when you could still find them cheap!

Lanline · Apr 30, 2010

AdrianW said:
Did your Rollei SL35ME come with any lens? You might want to fully test out the body to make sure it is in good shape before buying lenses for it.

I have a SL35M (made in Singapore) body with erratic shutter speeds that would cost more to fix than what it's worth. I recently bought a SL35E and then a SL35 to replace my problem M body. Both of the replacement bodies (also made in Singapore) had problems from the moment they arrived.

I finally bought an early German-made SL35 that had been sitting in the seller's drawer for 30 years. I tested it out and it works perfectly. This means that I can finally use all the excellent Zeiss lenses that I've acquired through the years... all bought used for about $100 each... back when you could still find them cheap!

Yes it came with a lens. So far two rolls are perfect - but yes, I am aware of the problems with these. I had a few in the 1980's - personally I never had a bad one, but I knew about them. Most likely I will grab a Leica R3/R4/R5 in the near future... the M series are generally too well used in my price range.

elekm · Apr 30, 2010

If you don't like buying on eBay, finding lenses for the Rollei 35 SLRs will be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult, as the Rollei 35 SLRs never enjoyed a large market share in the U.S., as far as I can tell.

There are three primary lines of lenses: Carl Zeiss designs (first as Carl Zeiss-branded and later as Rollei-branded Zeiss designs), Schneider-Kreuznach and less-costly Rolleinars (reputedly made by Mamiya).

I've noticed lately that Rolleinars are being offered for high prices.

My experience has been great Zeiss lenses -- horrible bodies. I'm currently shooting with a SL 35 E with a f/1.4 50mm Planar and a f/4 18mm Distagon. A really great lens is the f/2.8 85mm Sonnar.

And by the way, does anyone with a Canon camera shoot with a Canon lens?

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Apr 30, 2010

This thread opened my eyes. I have a EOS 1000 Analog with a 35 80 lens and it made me hate photography , I have no option to buy another camera and I stuck to it.
Now I know what to do , place a old Zeiss , Leitz lens front of it.

Thank you ,

Umut

AdrianW · Apr 30, 2010

"My experience has been great Zeiss lenses -- horrible bodies..."

I have to agree with Mike here. I have a 35mm Distagon, 50mm Planar, 135 Tele-Tessar & 135 Sonnar, and a 200mm Tele-Tessar. Three were purchased for $100 each or less and a couple were given to me free. It's hard to imagine finding lenses of this quality at this price with either the Contax or Leica SLR systems.

Unfortunately I had a hard time finding a reliable body to use these lenses on. It wasn't until my very recent purchase of a German-made SL35 that my dilemma was resolved.

If you have a good working Rollei SL35ME and a limited budget, I would be patient and see if there are still deals to be had on the fine Zeiss optics for this system... although you may now be competing against Canon shooters that have the Rollei adapter.

Where has all the gear gone?

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