I don't know what model Rolleiflex I have, but it has a Tessar lens. I can honestly not tell a difference in image quality between it and my 80mm Planar that's on my Hasselblad. Sanders is right, they are all truly excellent cameras and all of them have excellent lenses.
Own a Rolleiflex T and cannot complain about it, it´s small and lightweight. I think it´s the best Rollei you can get for small money.
Its exp-time-aperture-coupling is something one should get used to, indeed.
That was a feature that I LOVED about my Rollei T! I used a Gossen Luna Pro meter, and it was just so simple to read the exposure index from the meter, set it on the camera, then choose a shutter speed/aperture combination that was most appropriate for the circumstances. It helped me learn about exposure.
I was disappointed when I later bought a 2.8F and learned that it had the two wheels instead.
I had the Rollei T for a number of years... not sure why I sold it since it was a great camera.
Now I use the GX.... very happy but they're not giving them away.
Sometimes the choice gets made for you. At an estate auction yesterday I bought what quick research says is either a Type I or II Rilleiflex Automat, dating from the serial number to early 1939. The serial number is 804993. It has a 7.5 cm f/3.5 Tessar in Compur-Rapid taking lens and the Heidoscop-Anastigmat f/3.1 viewing lens. The lenses don't appear to be coated, so I'm going to have to remember that. It seemed to work out for photographers like Robert Doiseneau, so it'll certainly be all right for me! It seems to be in mint condition in a perfect leather "everready" case, and there's also a flash attachment. I think that $80 was fair for the best of the three at the auction.
Is there any advice anyone wants to give me for playing with my new toy? Any "Dont do this or it breaks" comments?
Sometimes the choice gets made for you. At an estate auction yesterday I bought what quick research says is either a Type I or II Rilleiflex Automat...
I've always said Roll–ee-flex, Lie-ca and Z-eye-ss.
I'd love to know from native Germans how to say them, for years I owned a volks-wagen only to learn i had a folksvaargon or VW (vee double you) should be fau vay
Mark
it is important that you never try to set the 1/500 sec when the shutter has already been cocked. Doing so can damage a spring in the shutter mechanism of the compur-rapid. It might be very difficult to set the time with a cocked shutter anyhow, but some people try to force it and then it brakes.
I have enjoyed using the meter on my Rolleiflex. But last week in the Southwest (USA) I was adjusting either the f/stop or shutter speed (can't remember which) and I heard a metalic "ping!" and the meter stopped working (the meter still registers, but the needle with the circle at the end no longer moves). Fortunately I carry a Luna Pro SBC in my kit.
But I think that any Rollei (cord or flex) in good working order will serve one very well.
Thanks for the tip. I don't think I did that but I was running through shutter speeds/aperture combinations under the theory that a workout would either loosen everything up or tell me to get it CLA'd before taking it out -- and the CLA won. After a couple of dozen firings, the shutter blades didn't close completely and now the winder doesn't want to wind.
Recommendations for a place to send it for a CLA, and a guesstimate on what one might cost?
it is important that you never try to set the 1/500 sec when the shutter has already been cocked. Doing so can damage a spring in the shutter mechanism of the compur-rapid. It might be very difficult to set the time with a cocked shutter anyhow, but some people try to force it and then it brakes.