Rollei 35

[richard_l]

Although the Rollei 35 is not strictly a rangefinder, are images taken with this camera appropriate for the RFF Gallery?

Richard

 

[Honu-Hugger]

Although the Rollei 35 is not strictly a rangefinder, are images taken with this camera appropriate for the RFF Gallery?

Richard

I hope so 🙂.

 

[Sonnar2]

Richard, Rollei 35 close-foucs pictures with depth-of-field less than 4 inch are allowed, showing you don't need such a nifty-difty-RF-thing.

Hm, my Pentax screwmounts SLRs are older than my Canon RF's. Don't have any pictures taken with them in my Gallery yet...

cheers, Frank


http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras

 

[FrankS]

I hope so too. They are viewfinder cameras lacking the rangefinding device. You could add an external RF unit.

 

[richard_l]

I suppose you could say that guessing distance uses a type of optical rangefinder: two eyes and a brain. (The rangefinder base is the distance between the eyes.)

I don't have the camera yet, but I'm finally getting one after suffering seller's remorse for more than 30 years. I had a German-made Rollei. The one I'm getting was made in Singapore while Rollei was still using the Tessars supplied by Zeiss, not that it makes any difference other than sentiment/nostalgia. I like the signature of the high-contrast 40mm Tessar a little better than the otherwise superior Sonnar.

 

[FrankS]

Richard, how can you tell whether the Tessar lens used on a Singapore-made Rollei was made in Germany or not? Serial number? Do you that range of numbers? Or does it simply say somewhere: lens made in Germany?

 

[richard_l]

Richard, how can you tell whether the Tessar lens used on a Singapore-made Rollei was made in Germany or not? Serial number? Do you that range of numbers? Or does it simply say somewhere: lens made in Germany?

I think the Singapore made Tessars are marked "Made by Rollei." The German made Tessars were generally used on the Rollei 35 until Rollei started producing the Tessars, and they changed the camera name to Rollei 35T. There is some history at http://www.rolleiclub.com/rollei/35/35_singapore.htm

 

[richard_l]

Frank, this would be a great camera for your next GAS attack. 🙂 It has the feel of an M3, but with an accurate built-in meter (which I know you like), and lens choices which may be superior to any other compact camera. Okay, so it doesn't have a rangefinder. So what? 😀

 

[hugivza]

Thank goodness my 35T which I bought whilst living in Singapore back when God was a boy, is marked "Made by Rollei". I would never have been able to have slept if it were not German made! I use an old Leica rangefinder with my Rollei, which does not fit on the accessory shoe, but does the job. I have just bought two "Smena" FSU rangefinders on the baying auction house (the guy has just been deregistered so am not too hopeful) to use with my Rolleis and Retinas . I would have thought that Rolleis and similar would be legit, as the only difference is whether the rangefinder is external or internal, unless of course one has had the "Schwarnegger Terminator" surgery in which case they become totally redundant.

 

[Sonnar2]

Voigtlander, Medis and other made precise external rangefinders in the 50's which can be handheld, or attach to the shoe if you like and are quite cheap. The problem with Rollei 35 is that their distance scale isn't very precise either to transfer measurings like "4.8m"

cheers, Frank
http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras

 

[pvdhaar]

Voigtlander, Medis and other made precise external rangefinders in the 50's which can be handheld, or attach to the shoe if you like and are quite cheap. The problem with Rollei 35 is that their distance scale isn't very precise either to transfer measurings like "4.8m"

Wow.. and I always thought the problem was that the shoe's on the underside.. 😛

 

[Will]

I suppose you could say that guessing distance uses a type of optical rangefinder: two eyes and a brain. (The rangefinder base is the distance between the eyes.)

some of them works like M3's RF, very precise, or need glasses :bang:

 

[ChrisPlatt]

This little camera has always fascinated me; I once owned one briefly.
The image quality was excellent, but the camera was a real PITA to use.
IMO all the controls are too close together and/or in the wrong place.
I really believe the anti-ergonomic design is part of the appeal for some...

Excelsior, you fathead!
-Chris-

 

[Honu-Hugger]

This little camera has always fascinated me; I once owned one briefly.
The image quality was excellent, but the camera was a real PITA to use.
IMO all the controls are too close together and/or in the wrong place.
I really believe the anti-ergonomic design is part of the appeal for some...

Excelsior, you fathead!
-Chris-

Chris,
You nailed it precisely for me...I had to have one as soon as I was on my own simply because my Dad wouldn't let me have one earlier -- he thinks they're absurd. 🙂

 

[Gordon Coale]

I used one for years until it got dropped and the rear lens element fell out. Great camera and great pictures. Scale focus and I don't recall ever having an out of focus picture. I used it a lot with a Vivitar 283 for fill flash. I really should get it repaired. Some day.

 

[Honu-Hugger]

I used one for years until it got dropped and the rear lens element fell out. Great camera and great pictures. Scale focus and I don't recall ever having an out of focus picture. I used it a lot with a Vivitar 283 for fill flash. I really should get it repaired. Some day.

Just in case:

Harry Fleenor
Oceanside Camera Repair
909 Aviation Blvd. #4
Manhattan Beach, Ca 90266
310 374 6506
harry@rolleirepairs.com​

He is very good.

 

[Gordon Coale]

Thanks for the repair info. I need to gather the parts and get hold of him. Then find some money. I do prefer the manual Rollei 35 over the automagic Oly XA2.

 

[hugivza]

Interested in the repair info. The front element of my 35 LED unscrews and the meter does not work (probably related). The only problem for me is that by the time I have paid international postage both ways it gets expensive. Worth an e-mail with pics for a quote though. Thanks

 

[FrankS]

Problem solved! It's got one of those entfernugmesserdoohicky devices attached.

 

[FrankS]

Turns any camera into a RF camera.