New to me Rolleiflex 2.8F

[flvU3Dp]

Hi everyone,

You might remember my previous post about not being able to find any Rolleis in good optical condition. You might also remember from that thread that I did buy a 2.8F from an auction and was waiting for it to arrive. So, finally it's arrived and I have some photos to share.

The camera is in excellent shape for its age, no major scratches, haze, fungus, or any other issues on the taking lens. The viewing lens does have a little bit of haze but it's barely visible.

The shutter button was initially sticky but after a thorough clean and removing what appeared to be black gunk from around it, it now bounces back out about 90% of the time. The shutter times sound accurate enough, perhaps half a second slower below 1/60th.

The focusing screen was very dirty so I cleaned it with glass/lens cleaning cloth and a soft brush. It has a nice bright split focusing screen and the focusing plate and mechanism works well (focus distances and infinity are accurate). Camera came with a lens hood and the original leather case.

I put a roll of color and black and white film through it which are being developed as we speak. All in all, I can't believe how clean this camera is--for sure a one-owner shelf queen.

A few slight issues:

1. There is a lot of dust on the mirror which is pretty visible looking through the viewing lens from the outside in.
2. The black ring around the taking lens that has the "Planar 2.8" and serial number printed on it is slightly loose (I think I was able to tighten it a bit by hand but not sure.
3. There is a lot of dust and tiny dirt particles stuck under this black ring at the edges of the lens.

Any tips on how to address these? Here are some images.

 

[flvU3Dp]

A few more.

 

[KoNickon]

As far as the mirror is concerned, it's very easy to inspect directly. Since this is a 2.8F, the viewing hood slides off readily -- push the two catches on either side down, and slide the hood to the back. And then the screen swings open -- grasp it by the serrated grips on either side, toward the front, and slide back and up. I'd be leery of touching the mirror unless it's really dirty and cloudy, since the silvering is on the top surface and is probably extremely delicate. A very gentle touch with a very soft brush is what you would want to do. But consider whether it really needs it.

As for 2 and 3, the ring you're referring to is often called the "beauty" or "name" ring. The fact it was a little loose is troubling, in that there's no reason why it would be unless someone had loosened it to work on the lens. And it might indicate the front lens element itself is loose. Touching the element, do you feel any play? If not, you're probably OK. But I would try tightening the name ring a little more so it's not going to work loose. Use a spanner wrench carefully to tighten it -- the middle picture of the second set shows one of the slots the wrench would fit into. I wouldn't worry about the crud under the name ring -- the key is how clean the lens glass is.

Hope this helps -- shoot a roll and see how the pictures look.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Congrats on a clean F. Enjoy.



1: New mirror- https://www.ebay.com/itm/265002803146?hash=item3db365dfca:g:KB8AAMXQH6BRE99R

Installation isn't too difficult.

2: The question is if it the outer retaining ring that is loose, or if the whole lens group is loose.
Take something like a wooden chopstick from a take out restaurant and carve a little tip to mate with the small slot on the edge of the ring. It will take some finesse to use it to rotate the part, but you'll get it. No hard pressure will be needed and keep motion side to side, not up and down. See if you can get it to loosen any more.

If it does loosen, and yet it is only the ring, not the whole lens: loosen half a turn, blow out the dirt, tighten it back down. As you tighten it, turn 1/8 then vibrate the camera- flick it with your finger a few times. The idea is to make certain that the front element seats properly. 1/8 turn/vibrate/1/8 turn, etc. Make it snug but no need to crank hard, this isn't a disk brake or anything. Keep an eye on it over time.

If the whole lens moves, just tighten it down, snug, not cranked.

3: If the ring comes up a bit, blow it out and call it a day. Maybe a cotton swab with the lightest amount of cleaner to pick up the dirt? The worry is that too much cleaner can wick inside and find its way into places that it shouldn't be.

the only real issue with the dirt is if it keeping the ring from seating and holding the lens element in place properly. If you feel grit as you reseat the ring, and you are feeling brave, you can remove the ring all the way and clean it off and clean off the lens surface. But this involves risk of reinstallation and such.

If the ring isn't loose, I would not worry. A damp swab lightly run around might pick up some dirt, but go slow and no pressure and change the swab often if it is obviously picking up dirt.

 

[flvU3Dp]

I carefully tightened the name ring using a wall pin (don't have a spanner wrench) and it is now safe and secure. The front lens element wasn't loose at any point I don't think--I don't remember it moving at all when I was cleaning the camera when it arrived.

Looking at the dirt under the ring again, it seems to be much more pronounced in some areas than others leading me to believe that maybe it's not necessarily just dust. Notice the white stuff around the ring where it says "f=80mm" compared to around "Carl Zeiss" in the second image.

In any case, I have spoken to my local Rollei tech and will send the camera to him for a CLA after I put a few more rolls of film through it. So in love with this beauty! =)

 

[KoNickon]

That may be oxidation -- I think the name ring is made of aluminum, so you may be seeing a little corrosion from stray moisture. Should be OK, but if you really want to get it off, then refer to Dan's guide above.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Although they're still a front surface mirror the late Rolleis have a good enough quality item that they can be gently blown off before very careful wiping with lens tissue and lens cleaning fluid, with no ill effects.

Obviously this assumes the mirror is presently in basically sound condition. If it has deteriorated due to storage conditions or previous poor cleaning habits, you may be better off with a replacement. That said, whilst it is good practice, in general, to be wary of direct contact with exposed reflective coatings—particularly RF beam splitters—I have cleaned numerous Rollei reflex mirrors to improve brightness, without harming them. A gentle touch helps.

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

I have cleaned numerous Rollei reflex mirrors to improve brightness, without harming them. A gentle touch helps.

Second this.

Brett helped me to (very gently) clean the mirror in my 2.8D. Greatly improved the viewfinder brightness with no harm done to the mirror surface.