Any Rolleiflex TLR users here?

GAS attack

GAS attack

My latest TLR -- sort of. It's pretty minty and even comes with 5 flash bulbs and an empty film box. I love the look of these bakelite Brownies. Maybe I'll convert it to electronic flash. Maybe I'll just enjoy the looks of terror when people see what a real flash bulb will do.
 
Gordon, that is just too cool! Some strange part of me just loves seeing a flash unit bigger than the camera... can it handle 120 or will you have to respool onto 620?
 
The flash unit is pretty impressive. According to The Brownie Hawkeye Experience some of the Hawkeyes can use 120 with a 620 take-up spool. You just need to make sure the lab gives you that 620 spool back. J & C Photo has 620 film. It's a little pricey so I will eventually probably respool if my Hawkeye doesn't take 120.

I like the guy's description of of his first Hawkeye flash experience: "The first picture was taken with the original flash attachment and it's old "25B" flashbulb (Sylvania Blue Dots for Sure Shots). My wife snapped the shutter; and then, after the astounding conflagration, exclaimed "It's smoking.".To which I replied: "Yes. Isn't it wonderfull?"."
 
I have 2 TLR's.

A Yashica A and a Voigtlander Brillant.

I also have a Kodak Box Brownie Six 20 C.

I will be getting an Ensign Fulview as soon as one in good condition comes available.

I have run a couple of rolls through the Yashica, and will be shhoting a lot more since I won a ppack of 10 Rolls of Ilford XP2 Super on Ebay for $50 Aust. It usually sells for close to $15 a roll, so $5 a roll in quite the bargain.

I love MF and vintage/classic cameras, as well as 35mm rangefinders and viewfinders.

Heath
 
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This thread sure has grown. Shortly after I started it I found a mint 1950 Rolleiflex A with a tessar F2.8 lens found in an antique shop. I kept it a short while and resold it. Yesterday
I stumbled into a 1953 Rolleicord IV with xenar lens in case near mint condition all speeds
work on it, very light haze in the view lens, taking lens is perfect for $45. This came from
an antique mall(my favorite places for finding cameras) The dealers often lump in the good
cameras with the old kodaks for about the same price. I had decided to sell my MF gear
since I dont process my own film its a pain and expense to have it done around here.
Sure is a dim view thru the finder on these! I cleaned the mirror, which was perfect BTW
and that helped but its still much dimmer than any Yashicamat. Thinking about going to
the office supply store and getting one of those flat fresnel magnifiers to drop in the top
to maybe brighten it up a bit.
 
And when I thought i will not lust after more equipment, there it is! A nice user rolleiflex 3.5F Planar, for euro269. From a shop, probably with 1 or 3 months warranty. How the hell am I supposed to resist???
 
That is about $360 US, wow. Don't resist. If it is in good optical and functional condition go for it. Heck, scuff it up a little more and see if you can get them to lower the price a some more.
 
Even if I'm shooting with my M6 a lot, I just love shooting with Rolleiflex. I have a 2.8GX and a 3.5F which are both razor sharp. The GX feels a bit less "smooth" to use than the F, but the image quality is stunning.
I love as well the "style" of shooting, having to look down to the image. It really feels not obstructive, and even sometimes become a funny subjet to start a discussion....
Rolleiflex are fun and give just amazing pictures !
 
Rob said:
I know, its not a rangefinder....
But you guys have so many cameras someone has one of these
I am sure...I have been seeing more photos taken with these
old TLRs that just knock me out...Looking thru a Yashicamat
the other day I realized I sure do like to focus on the glass than
use a rangefinder... Which models are good users?
I see Planar, Xenar, Xenotar at least...
Any help appreciated.
Rob
Entered this thread a bit late, had been the first time watching the "Others" category and read this one, how nice !
I use a Mat124G and love it, it's working fine

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=350488

In general TLR is a fascination for me and this is why i decided to re-activate the YashicaMat and to replace my old pre WWII Cord by an mid 50 model
So I am looking for a nice Cord III, IV or Va/b not easy to dinsd in Germany an d more ecpensive than in US $150 is the minimum level for a exc++ conditon, the Vb are the most expensive versions because preferred by collector.
I personally don't give a damn to what counts for collectors, i prefer a mint model no matter which version. But it MUST be a Xenar lens, NO Triotar !
What is fine too are the simpler Flex models without meter (T model) with Xenotar lenses.
Rolleiflex in good condition are a class of it's own, nice ones with a working meter and a 2,8 Planar up to 2000 Dollar as I saw.

My old Cord which I once got from my father is a class of it's own too. Apre WWII model which was
A rebuilt in the 50 with a new finder
or B was one of the very first 1946 modells which were partly build from stock parts . That's what Rollei told me when I once strted researches.
 
I too have a TLR, a Rollei 2.8F model. It is the only MF camera I have handled or used, and is my primary camera for B&W. The aspect I like the most from this camera are the size fo the negative. I was blown away by the leap in print quality between 35mm and 120. I think if one had to accept the limtations of the TLR, a didn't receive the benfit fo the biger neg, then no-one would use them at all. That said, there are many limitations with a TLR, and 35mm excels in many more different areas.

Perhaps the aspect I enjoy the most is printing square. I love the look of a square image on a rectangle paper (portrait mode, or vertical if you like). I dont recall ever croping a print in 6X6, I prefer to print the entire neg with a black bordes which is the clear film at the edge of the frame. The proportions have to be right, if the print is too big, it doesn't look right. For the look I want, I print a 5X5 image in a 10 X 8 sheet. I know I'm wasting 2/3 of the sheet, but it is the look I like, and I obviate the need for a mat.

I also enjoy using the camera from the perspective that it is a fine piece of engineering and built to last a lifetime. There is a certain satisfaction in using an item that is not disposable these days, even contemplating that it may in fact survive it's owner.

I demonstrated the focussing hood to my brother recently, who is an engineer, and we agtred that the design is about as perfect it could be for it's desired purpose. The way is all snaps back into a position is brilliant, and there are a number of differnt viewing methods bult into the design. (This is too hard to expain without playing with a view hood).

I enjoy the single lens experience, having come from 35mm SLR system. In 35mm, I never became fully familiar with the perspective of each lens, however when you only have one, it becomes familiar very quickly, and intuitive.

The things I don't like about the camera include the cost of accessories ($100 for a square lens hood) (I fashioned a lenshood from an old Bay 3 filter and a cheapo lenshood from a 50mm Pentax - work fine but doesn't look the goods), the fact that it tips over when then lens is fully extended (front heavy) and the never ready case, which is really not very practical given the frequentcy of changing films and the need to fully disrobe when doing so.

It is not a camera I will depart with easily
 
resurecting this thread, it's amazing how many people here shoot TLR's along side RF's. I have gone on a tangent lately (like Gordon did last year) and bought several as well, Rollieflex 2.8 E, Rolleiflex 3.5F, Yashica Mat 124G, Yashica Mat 635, and I just bought an Iskra from Rover.

Someone mentioned an "other than RF" page in the gallery but I don't find it, did it go by the wayside?

Anyway I had missed this thread and enjoyed all the enthusiasm of the TLR users here.

Todd
 
I too just went on a buying spree, one item of which was a Rolleiflex 2.8E. I'm testing it now. I also have a YashicaMat (in need of a cla), and a Mamiya C.

:)
:)
 
I love my rolleicord, recently purchased from Rueben Blaedel... I love the whole TLR experience...well except for that left to right thing :D
 
Nice to see this thread coming back, although it reminds me of how I'm neglecting my TLRs these days.
 
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