Rollei prices back in the day...

[wlewisiii]

Snooping around on the interwebs for a cheap (hah!) set of bay 1 Rolleinar 1 lenses, I found a price list for Rollei from 1954 over at Pacific Rim. Now, I own a Rolleicord III. As you all know a “cheap” “amateur” model from, say, 1953~54. The full bore Rolleiflex of the era was $285 (call it $3500 today) and generally owned by pros who a) could write them off on their taxes b) get their employers to pay for them and c) rode them hard and put them away wet. The Rolleicord series was intended for the hardcore amateur who still had a full wallet. Doctors, lawyers, etc. as it was $150 with the federal excise tax, or about $1600 after inflation. About like a good lower end Nikon Z today. Not Horrible but not cheap either. You wanted it if you bought it and probably pampered it. Might be why so many Rolleicords and their leather cases are in pretty good shape decades later … 😎

 

[x-ray]

I think it was 1955 when my dad and I took a trip to Loveman’s department store camera department where he bought his Rolleicord V. He used it regularly to photograph the family and on vacation and I used it from the 6th grade through high school. In college I bought a Rolleiflex MX EVS 2 and the Cord was passed to my younger brother. My younger brother still has it and it still looks pretty much like new. Like most computers shutter cameras, the shutter has become sticky and could use a CLA.

 

[wlewisiii]

I think it was 1955 when my dad and I took a trip to Loveman’s department store camera department where he bought his Rolleicord V. He used it regularly to photograph the family and on vacation and I used it from the 6th grade through high school. In college I bought a Rolleiflex MX EVS 2 and the Cord was passed to my younger brother. My younger brother still has it and it still looks pretty much like new. Like most computers shutter cameras, the shutter has become sticky and could use a CLA.

The lubes they used in those days do break down over time so yeah, if nothing else, that's a reason to pay for a CLA for it. It's amazing how many good techs there are for Rollei[flex|cord] cameras are out there these days. I have a really good one less than an hour's drive from me.

I have a very nice Rolleicord III. I don't have a need for anything else. And yet I find I have a Rolleiflex 3.5 EVS-Automat Tessar Type 1 ( K4B ) from Jimmy Koh in my E-Prey watch list and I find myself idly tweaking the budget spreadsheet thinking if I do this here and this then I could afford this at this pay check... 😉

 

[Rayt]

The Tessar design Xenar on the Rolleicord is the same lens as the Rolleiflex Automat models and you can still buy them in near mint condition after 70 years for a few hundred bucks. You just don’t get all the automation completely irrelevant to picture taking. If you are looking at another camera I would suggest a Vb over an Automat.

 

[wlewisiii]

Heh, that's what I started looking for.

The Automat I'm looking at, WITH a current CLA, is cheaper than every Vb I've seen 😉

Yup. They've become almost as collectable as the Rolleiflex T.

 

[Rayt]

Heh, that's what I started looking for.

The Automat I'm looking at, WITH a current CLA, is cheaper than every Vb I've seen 😉

Yup. They've become almost as collectable as the Rolleiflex T.

There’s a Vb at KEH in ex condition for $367 before the 20% off sale but needs a CLA. I don’t need another Rollei but this is really good. 🙂 Don’t hate me!

 

[wlewisiii]

There’s a Vb at KEH in ex condition for $367 before the 20% off sale but needs a CLA. I don’t need another Rollei but this is really good. 🙂 Don’t hate me!

Hah! Hadn't seen that. Very close to the same price as the CLA'd one from Mr. Koh. Rather tempting because to the 'Cord factors.

 

[Rayt]

Hah! Hadn't seen that. Very close to the same price as the CLA'd one from Mr. Koh. Rather tempting because to the 'Cord factors.

There’s a particular Automat model that’s prone to malfunction and very difficult to repair. Should do some research if you are looking. I don’t recall which model.