First photos with Rollei 35 RF

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sailor

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I recently bought a Rollei 35 RF with 40mm Sonnar and Trigger Winder. I paid £292 for the outfit which is near mint in condition. I thought this was a decent price and now that I see the first photos from the trial roll I am absolutely certain.

At first I thought something was wrong because the rangefinder decoupled at 0.9 metres but someone on here explained that this was OK as the lens focuses to 0.7m but the camera only to 0.9m.

My initial thoughts are as follows:
The camera feels very solid - not Leica solid but solid nonetheless.
The lens although very small is quite heavy, hopefully indicating quality build.
The rubber grips make the camera very comfortable to hold.
The trigger winder works well.
The meter is remarkably accurate - no duff exposures from my first slide film.
I don't like the gaudy look of the camera but I can live with it.
The Sonnar is a wonderful lens - I'm thrilled with the results.

Here are some photos from the first roll. I should have taken some shots at closer distances to check the rangefinder accuracy but that's for the next roll. I don't claim any artistic merit for these but they do give an indication of what the camera/lens can do.


The Quiraing - Isle of Skye by Elmer Duck, on Flickr


Old cottage at Herbusta - Isle of Skye by Elmer Duck, on Flickr


Duntulm Castle Hotel - Isle of Skye by Elmer Duck, on Flickr
 
Very nice work and very pleasing (yet realistic - a rarity today) colors. That 40/2.8 Sonnar seems to be a rare animal, but a very good performer.
 
Thanks for the kind comments guys. The film used was Fuji Provia 100 which I thought handled the winter light very well.
 
sailor said:
I recently bought a Rollei 35 RF with 40mm Sonnar and Trigger Winder. I paid £292 for the outfit which is near mint in condition. I thought this was a decent price and now that I see the first photos from the trial roll I am absolutely certain.

At first I thought something was wrong because the rangefinder decoupled at 0.9 metres but someone on here explained that this was OK as the lens focuses to 0.7m but the camera only to 0.9m.

My initial thoughts are as follows:
The camera feels very solid - not Leica solid but solid nonetheless.
The lens although very small is quite heavy, hopefully indicating quality build.
The rubber grips make the camera very comfortable to hold.
The trigger winder works well.
The meter is remarkably accurate - no duff exposures from my first slide film.
I don't like the gaudy look of the camera but I can live with it.
The Sonnar is a wonderful lens - I'm thrilled with the results.

Here are some photos from the first roll. I should have taken some shots at closer distances to check the rangefinder accuracy but that's for the next roll. I don't claim any artistic merit for these but they do give an indication of what the camera/lens can do.


The Quiraing - Isle of Skye by Elmer Duck, on Flickr


Old cottage at Herbusta - Isle of Skye by Elmer Duck, on Flickr


Duntulm Castle Hotel - Isle of Skye by Elmer Duck, on Flickr
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Great images, I love Skye, I have friends that Live there whome I visit regularly, I usually stay up at Staffin bay
 
I had exactly the same outfit a few years ago. The camera performed well except for the sound of the shutter! Ugh! Couldn't stand it, sold the outfit and re-built a Leica setup.
 
I know what you mean about the shutter but with the kind of pictures I usually take the shutter sound doesn't matter. If you were taking pictures indoors and were hoping not to be noticed, the Rollei 35 RF wouldn't be for you.
 
lxmike said:
Great images, I love Skye, I have friends that Live there whome I visit regularly, I usually stay up at Staffin bay
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Staffin Bay is a great location. There are some fantastic photos to be taken there. I've seen plenty of them - it's just that I haven't taken any of them!
 
Holy crap is that a sweet deal! Even the lens alone regularly goes for twice that price! Where did you find it? Also: nice pictures!
 
Rogier said:
Does this camera shoot 16:9 or did did you crop them all that way?
Click to expand...

No, the camera just has the standard 35mm frame. The two colour photos were cropped to cut off shadow areas that didn't help the composition. The black and white one (which is a conversion from the original colour slide) has been cropped a little to tidy it up.
 
efix said:
Holy crap is that a sweet deal! Even the lens alone regularly goes for twice that price! Where did you find it? Also: nice pictures!
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I bought the camera on eBay. I actually put in a bid of £400 and thought if I won it for that I would have a bargain. To get it for £292 was a real surprise. Also part of the deal was the square lens hood and a B&W filter. If I remember correctly, the auction finished at a strange time when perhaps not many people were following it. Whatever the reason - I'm not complaining!
 
zsas said:
Say what? These are beautiful! Hold your head high! Glad to see these pieces of wonderful art!
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+1
The pictures show the skill and thoughtfulness of the photographer, the camera is capable, but it's still only a tool.
 
Thanks for the kind comments guys. The Isle of Skye is a fantastic location and I'm lucky enough to spend a lot of time there. If you ever get the chance, give it a visit. These were all taken from the roadside but if you get out and about in the hills and shores there are endless photo opportunities.

A friend who is a professional photographer told me that at the last count there are 43 people who call themselves professional photographers on the island!
 
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