Rolleiflex Automat magnifier

[pschauss]

Comparing the Rolleiflex Automat which I just received to the manual on Butkus.com, I see that the focusing maginifier on mine flips up from the rear flap of the finder hood instead of the front. Is this a known variation or has my camera been modified? Another thing that I noticed was that the rear flap on the viewfinder hood has the lens for eye-level focusing, but the front flap has no corresponding opening.

The serial number on my Automat is 962xxx and the number on the lens is 250xxxx if that makes a difference.

 

[Dan Daniel]

I have one with serial #1064xxx with a similar situation. The magnifier is stuck in the down position, though, so I can't flip it up nor can I look through the back hole. There is a mirror on the back flap that drops into position when I swing the lever on the right side of the hood. I assume that this is supposed to be for focusing, but what the point is eludes me. When I can focus on the mirror, I can't frame because, as with you, there is no sports finder opening.

Maybe someone understands the logic, or knows which piece I am missing.

 

[newspaperguy]

With your Rollei at eye level and the viewing frame open:

Look through the rear glass to focus and then shift your
eye up to the non-glassed opening to frame and shoot.

 

[Dan Daniel]

The Automat I have doesn't have a sports finder. It looks like this one- http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_C166.html As you can see, the front is solid, and the center does not fold down to reveal the opening. I am not certain which model started the sports/focusing dual view system, but it didn't make it to mine.

 

[JPD]

Comparing the Rolleiflex Automat which I just received to the manual on Butkus.com, I see that the focusing maginifier on mine flips up from the rear flap of the finder hood instead of the front. Is this a known variation or has my camera been modified? Another thing that I noticed was that the rear flap on the viewfinder hood has the lens for eye-level focusing, but the front flap has no corresponding opening.

The serial number on my Automat is 962xxx and the number on the lens is 250xxxx if that makes a difference.

Yes, and it's normal. You have a pre-war Automat. The eye-level finder is for when you flip up the mirror with the little lever on the side of the viewing hood. It is meant to shade out the light to make it easier to focus on the ground glass. But it doesn't work as a sportsfinder as the picture is upside down and you can only see a small part of the ground glass.

I have one with serial #1064xxx with a similar situation. The magnifier is stuck in the down position, though, so I can't flip it up

It's put in place by a pin that also works as the hinge. The pin is probably bent.