Couldn't pull the trigger...

[farlymac]

Sigh. I had to pass on a set of Bay 1 Rolleinars with filters in a leather case when it went over my limit.

My photographic passion is not compatible with my income.

PF

 

[ZeissFan]

I think I bought the entire set with filters about four years ago for $50. I notice that Rolleiflexes and accessories have jumped in price.

I bought two very nice Rolleiflex Automats (both with Tessars) for $150 each around 2001 when the "going digital" medium format dump was in full swing.

 

[Way]

Love those rolleinars. Aren't the Bay I's the most expensive of the bunch? Hope you fins a set.

 

[Ezzie]

I think I bought the entire set with filters about four years ago for $50. I notice that Rolleiflexes and accessories have jumped in price.

I bought two very nice Rolleiflex Automats (both with Tessars) for $150 each around 2001 when the "going digital" medium format dump was in full swing.

They are twice that now, at least. The T's are fetching silly money, and anything A-F in 3.5 or 2.8 are now rare under $1000, if in good condition. That's on ebay mind. Pity, just when I've got my Rollei appetite wetted.

 

[johannielscom]

Mamiya C330f is heavy to carry along but easier to find and the lenses have quite a distinctive look when shooting Kodak Portra (sorry for the big size):

And, modern Blue-Dot lenses take simple 46mm filters. The older lenses are 40.5mm. Easy enough to find a set of matching dioptre filters in those sizes.

 

[Mablo]

Love those rolleinars. Aren't the Bay I's the most expensive of the bunch? Hope you fins a set.

Actually Bay-1 Rolleinars and other Bay-1 filters for Tessar and Xenar lenses are the least expensive and easiest to find. You need Rolleinar-1 and Rolleinar-2 sets covering from 1 meter down to 40cm or so.

Bay-3 Rolleinar sets for f/2.8 Rolleiflexes are sometimes more than three times as expensive as Bay-1 sets and can be very hard to find. Bay-2 sets for f/3.5 Planars etc. are somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.

 

[Mablo]

Buzzardkid, how close can you focus with the C330f and let's say the 80mm normal lens? Do you need to take bellows factor into consideration?

 

[mtargz]

With my 55mm lens on the C330, I can focus slightly beyond-lifesize: A box of film fills the frame to the edge. The 105mm focuses to about 1:3 magnification.

Both the taking and the viewing lens use the same optical formula and filter-size, so it's possible to screw a pair of diopters.

 

[The Dark]

I have successfully dodged this 'MF-disease' for years but couple of months ago I came across a minty Yashica 635 TLR from a local seller at a unmissable price. The rest is history...

 

[david.elliott]

igor's camera has a couple rolleinars up for sale. http://www.igorcamera.com/rolleiflex.htm

Rollei Bay-I Rolleinar-1, case, box, Mint- $50.

Rollei Bay-I Rolleinar-2, case, Ex++/Mint- $50.

 

[HoodedOne]

@farlymac
I know your pain. Been in the same position a couple of times the last months.

I was looking for a medium format camera. And the first choice was a C330, because of the wide angle lenses. I bought a mint 55 for it. But the gravitational field of the rollei' was to powerfull. So I ended up with a recently CLA'd Rolleicord Vb, with ever-ready case, yellow filter and the release button adapter thingy. If everyrhing goes well it arrives today.
Btw. the mamiya 55 is being sold on eBay right now.

 

[oftheherd]

HoodedOne - it will be interesting to see how you fair going from interchangeable lenses to a non-interchangeable lens camera. I started MF with a Yashica 124 MAT G and I loved it. Those big negatives were awesome. Then I went to a Super Press 23. The even bigger negatives got me. When I got a Rolleiflex, I just wasn't impressed any more. And now that I have lenses for the Press 23, I can't even think of the Rolleiflex and 6x6. Not even with the telephoto adapter I have. It just isn't the same, at least not for me.

Of course, YMMV. But I would be interested in hearing back from you in a couple of months.

 

[pschauss]

You might save a bit by using a Yashicamat closeup set. That is what I use on my Rolleicord.

 

[HoodedOne]

@oftheherd
Oops, I forgot to explain something. I was thinking about buying the C330,and bought the 55 lens before I had a body. So I had the 55 without a body, and then decided to go the Rollei way.

I don't think not being able to change lenses is gonna be a real problem. Because I hardly change lenses on my 35mm cameras.

In my search for a MF camera I also considered the Mamiya Universal or Polaroid 600SE. And I can understand that the large 6x9 negatives of them, look superior to the rollei'.
The greates advantage of the Universal/600SE is the ability to shoot film and polaroid with the same camera. I still like that idea, so maybe in the near future........

 

[farlymac]

Hey, thanks for all the comments and suggestions! It's nice to see that there are others in the same boat as me.

My first MF camera (thirty-seven years ago) was a Yashica 124G, then I graduated to a Mamyia C330F Pro. Loved what that camera could do. Later on, I sold the system (three lenses, three hoods, Paramender, grip, and whatever else I had for it) when things were tight. Then I got a Rapid Omega 200. That one is now in PA with a friend of mine.

I purchased an Automat Model 1 (early version) last month, and am waiting to get it overhauled. I now have a set of filters, but when I saw the Rolleinar set in the case, well if it didn't go too high, I was going to bid on it. It's not something I need right now, but it would have been nice to have, and I could have traded the extra filters for a lenshood, or other accessories.

I know that being restricted to a single focal length is not for some, but it's the quality of the lenses I was looking for. And having used a 124G, and a Super Ricohflex (my current MF camera), I'm okay with the limits. Maybe later on (after I hit the lottery), I can get into MF SLR's, and start the fun all over again. But for now, I just want a nice, simple camera that will give me the kind of results I'm looking for. And can afford.

PF