Thanks Joe/Adreios, sounds like I'll pass. Is the Rolleiflex "that" much better? I see those go for significant amount, which was why a cheap Rolleicord caught my eye...
You could make a convincing argument that a Xenar-equipped Rolleicord is better value than some Rolleiflexes in terms of what you get for your money. There is nothing wrong with the Xenar lens. It's true the edge sharpness is not as good, wide open. But it's still a very good Tessar-type lens, and is excellent corner to corner from f8 onwards. Depending on your choice of subject, this may or may not matter so much to you, anyway.
The only time it has really been an issue for me, was a few months ago when I took a few cameras for a ride up to the top of a ninety foot mast in a bosuns chair. My Rolleicord had RVP 50 loaded and, although the breeze was gentle, there was still enough sway, that I had to keep the shutter speed up for sharpness, and with ISO 50, that meant opening up the aperture. I have noted in a few of the scans, that the edge sharpness falls away a little, but unless you were making quite large prints, you probably wouldn't be worried by it. I have a 2.8C now, and if this had been with me on the day, it would have go the nod for that shoot, but to its credit the Rolleicord (a Va that day) did very nicely, and was easier to manage in the conditions than my Hasselblad.
Other things to bear in mind include the focus knob position. Up until the Va model, the Rolleicords had wind knob and focus knob on the right. From the Va the focus knob moved to the left. I've used both a V and a Va quite a bit, and I think I prefer the V, but it's a personal thing. All the Rolleicords require you to advance the film and cock the shutter separately. This doesn't bother me at all, but again, is a personal preference, and it seems to drive some people mad. I always advance the film and treat it like a shutter lock, in that, until I've cocked the shutter, it won't accidentally trip, and this works well for me.
The standard shutter release involves sliding the cocking lever to the left of the camera with (usually) your left index finger. Again, this is a love/hate thing which I don't mind. I brace my left thumb against the side of the camera, and can release the shutter very smoothly, but some owners prefer the accessory release button for the cable socket. The Flex models have a conventional button of course.
Double exposures are a little easier with a Rolleicord, in my opinion, because flicking a dedicated lever bypasses the interlocks, letting you make as many multiples as you like. Most Rolleiflexes permit this too, but as the catch is in the clutch for the film advance lever, you need to be a little more careful not to upset the film register as you're unfolding the handle, if the image requires this.
In its favour, the Rolleiflex has integrated film advance and shutter cocking and, of course, the aforementioned lever wind. Except for the T, and the very oldest models, it also 'finds' the first frame for you automatically (hence the Rolleiflex "Automat"). In the real world this really doesn't matter much IMHO as it's not hard to line up a couple of red dots. By the time you've squeezed the film through the Flex sensor rollers and got it threaded onto the take up spool, how much time have you actually saved? But back in the day, I'm sure pro shooters must have loved it.
The sick Rolleicord you've found would have some appeal to some of us who are willing to self-repair, if the price is right. But indeed it does sound like a doubtful economic proposition if you would have to pay for it to be professionally repaired.
Regards,
Brett
