River Dog
Always looking
Wandering around a local boot sale (flea market) today, I spot a Rollei 35 S glinting in the sun. Not the kind of camera one usually sees in this kind of place - and I had already laid out all of £1 ($1.60) for an Olympus mju-i (Stylus).
I wander over to check it out... slowly, in nonchalant, crab-like fashion.
"What can you tell me about this?", I ask, picking it up.
"It's from my Dad's collection. Very rare", he says.
"How much?"
"It was £80 ($130) last week but a guy had a look at it and couldn't open the back and there's a rattle inside, so £50 ($80) to you."
Now this thing is nearly mint. There is not a mark on it. I don't know much about these cameras but I have always wanted to try one.
I figure out opening the back and the rattle was the battery cover that just needed tightening, but I couldn't cock the shutter. After much fiddling, I explain that as I can't figure out how to work it, I will pass as it may be broken. He doesn't know how to do it either.
As I walk away, I am thinking "those Germans never make anything easy without the manual", so I get on my iPhone, wander about the field (we are in the middle of nowhere) until I get a faint data signal and hit Google. Apparently, you have to extend and lock the lens before you can do anything else.
The guy is packing up to leave when I find him again and I buy it for £45 ($72). OK, not an absolute steal, but it has to be worth a punt? Sure enough, I follow the instructions and it works fine. So, thank you Apple and Google.
It says "Made in Germany by Rollei" on the back, which is a little odd as I thought the 35 S was made in Singapore?
Anyway, here is my new little friend and some shots from the first roll today.
Zone focussing? Now, that takes a little more work than I am used to.
I wander over to check it out... slowly, in nonchalant, crab-like fashion.
"What can you tell me about this?", I ask, picking it up.
"It's from my Dad's collection. Very rare", he says.
"How much?"
"It was £80 ($130) last week but a guy had a look at it and couldn't open the back and there's a rattle inside, so £50 ($80) to you."
Now this thing is nearly mint. There is not a mark on it. I don't know much about these cameras but I have always wanted to try one.
I figure out opening the back and the rattle was the battery cover that just needed tightening, but I couldn't cock the shutter. After much fiddling, I explain that as I can't figure out how to work it, I will pass as it may be broken. He doesn't know how to do it either.
As I walk away, I am thinking "those Germans never make anything easy without the manual", so I get on my iPhone, wander about the field (we are in the middle of nowhere) until I get a faint data signal and hit Google. Apparently, you have to extend and lock the lens before you can do anything else.
The guy is packing up to leave when I find him again and I buy it for £45 ($72). OK, not an absolute steal, but it has to be worth a punt? Sure enough, I follow the instructions and it works fine. So, thank you Apple and Google.
It says "Made in Germany by Rollei" on the back, which is a little odd as I thought the 35 S was made in Singapore?
Anyway, here is my new little friend and some shots from the first roll today.

Zone focussing? Now, that takes a little more work than I am used to.




