Rolleicord - Should I pull the trigger?

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02Pilot

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I came across a Rolleicord in very good shape in a local shop today. Based on the serial number, I believe it is a Va. Everything seemed to work OK, and the whole thing looked to have had little use overall. It come with a bunch of extras, including the original manual, a cable release and some filters. I can walk away with it for $150.

I like the idea of getting a medium format camera, but I'm not sure if TLR is the way I want to go. I don't mind experimenting with it if I know I can get my money back when or if I decide to move on. Is this a decent price, assuming I haven't missed any problems and everything is functioning properly? Anything specific to these that I should double-check if I go back for it?

Thanks in advance.
 
Rolleicords are great. Check the lens with the back open on Bulb and position it to look at a strong light. If it is in good shape it will show clearly and vice versa. Check the speeds slower than 1/30. If the camera is in good shape the speeds won't hang up.

See if you can talk them down. $150 is good price for a really good camera.
 
Thanks. I don't think there's any more room to move on the price; that's pretty much as low as he was willing to go. I'll have a look at the low speeds and check the lens carefully; these are traditional problems with these cameras, I trust?
 
These are traditional problems with any old camera, especially if it's been sitting around for a long time. Haze will build up on the lens, and lubricant dries out and gets sticky in the shutter, and may migrate to the diaphram causing the same problem. What matters most is that you don't see any tendrils from a fungus on the lens. Haze is easier to clean off, and dust will sometimes not even bother picture quality, unless there is a lot of it. Check the winding of the camera, both the film advance, and the shutter cocking. But for $150 dollars, with some accessories, you can't go too wrong. And the 'Cord is a little simpler than the 'Flex, so there is less to go wrong with the mechanicals. It will most likely need a good cleaning, but will be a great user camera once it's been spiffed up.

PF
 
It sounds like a good price to me. Vas are regularly fetching twice that on ebay, and many of those will still need to be serviced when they are purchased, anyway.

Where are all these excellent Rolleicords in good nick, ready to rock and roll, for $150? Not in Australia, that's for sure.

Regards,
Brett
 
Ask the shop if you can run a roll of film through it to check. Shoot two quick rolls and that will tell you if you like the style, and if the camera is working OK.
 
Thanks for the feedback, guys. It sounds like a good but not great deal, assuming everything is as it should be. I will need to think about this a bit, but at least I know I won't be throwing money out the window if I decide to go for it.

As to running test rolls before purchase, I don't think that'll fly. Best I can hope for is to get an agreement to accept a return if it's not working, but I can probably get that. Not ideal, but at least I can do a full hand inspection before I decide what to do, as opposed to an internet purchase.
 
Rolleicord was my first MF camera. I've bought and sold dozens of cameras since then but I still have the Rollei and will never part from it. It's light, small, quiet, friendly looking (people smile when they see it) and the Xenar lens is unbelievable.
 
I've got a Vb and, when I get it right, it is a nice camera to use. I have it as a TLR alternative to eye level viewing and because it's square format. Sometimes focus is awkward, and still seems off even when I think I got it right. Others it's fine...

I'd give it a shot.

Mike

something-while-she-waits.jpg
 
02Pilot said:
Thanks for the feedback, guys. It sounds like a good but not great deal, assuming everything is as it should be. I will need to think about this a bit, but at least I know I won't be throwing money out the window if I decide to go for it.
Click to expand...

It is a great deal if the camera works as it should. And with the extras, then you don't have to buy them later. Rollei accessories are expensive. The Xenar is so sharp that you can shave with it. 😎
 
I don't think you can lose here. I picked up a Rolleicord Vb just recently (for substantially more $$ than you're being asked; though I'm happy with what I paid) and have only had the chance to run one film through it. One look through the finder, though, was enough to have me fall in love.

I plan on working with it "properly" over Easter (I'll be in Canberra, with my father, and we're planning a bit of a medium format shoot-fest between my Rolleicord, his Mamiya 645 Pro and my newly-acquired "baby" Crown Graphic 2"x3").

My first test roll, complete with some inadvertant and double exposures, is here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mfunnell/sets/72157626358187401/

The first run through has taught me some of the basics (like how not to take inadvertant exposures and to not double-expose). But I think I'll like the camera.

At the price you have on offer, I'd recommend that you try too.

...Mike
 
If the lens is clear, and it seems to work alright I would go for it. I bought a Rolleicord Vb from eBay recently. It was recently cla'd so I paid a little bit more. And the camera is a joy to use, and the negatives that come out of it look amazing.
Even if the camera needs a cla, then I think it's still a good deal.
 
Buy it! I love my Rolleicord Vb. It's a great camera. It's much so much smaller and lighter than a Rolleiflex. Its a lot of fun to use on the street.

As Fibble suggested, sit down and just exercise the shutter. These cameras have probably been sitting around unused for a while, and you'd be surprised that this might be all it needs to be in working order.
 
richardvanle said:
Buy it! I love my Rolleicord Vb. It's a great camera. It's much so much smaller and lighter than a Rolleiflex. Its a lot of fun to use on the street.

As Fibble suggested, sit down and just exercise the shutter. These cameras have probably been sitting around unused for a while, and you'd be surprised that this might be all it needs to be in working order.
Click to expand...
Certainly this is a possibility you can't entirely discount, however over the last 18 months I have acquired several Rolleicords for myself or friends, cheaply, because of sticking slow speeds, and in every case, a LOT of exercise failed to produce an improvement that was anything more than temporary, if at all, so it should not be assumed that this 'fix' will work, by any means (although it costs nothing to try!). I think eventually the original lube just gets too old. A lack of use surely does not help matters of course.

The good news is that it is not involved to access the shutter of a Rolleicord and being less complicated than a Flex cleaning the shutter and aperture blades and the escapements is not very hard. Each example I have attended to has responded extremely well and works perfectly now. Contrary to some expressed opinions not to lube the shutter, I find minute amounts of watch oil to the escapement star wheels and a little lube to the mainspring is appreciated by them, and indeed the Compur repair manuals advise lubrication to a number of points around the shutter unit...

If you're a DIYer and have the required patience and dexterity, a Cord can be revived successfully at home.
Regards,
Brett
 
Sarcophilus Harrisii said:
. . . many of those will still need to be serviced when they are purchased, anyway. . .
Click to expand...

A case in point.

A Rolleicord Vb from Europe arrived in the post today. Described as technically perfect, shutter working on all speeds, including slow speeds, etc. etc. Yeah, right. Of course, the slow speed escapement hangs up, and the shutter is slow to close, when it closes at all, by itself.

I'm usually happy to cut a genuine mom or dad seller a bit of slack, where they are Eg. listing grandfather's old camera, and they genuinely do not know much about the vagaries of older equipment, but this TLR came from a seller who hasn't listed anything but photographic equipment, for years, according to their feedback. Not good enough really. Sure, I can rectify the shutter myself, but it's not the point. Believe me, this scenario is far from unusual.

At least my track record with Contaflexes is holding up. The seventh one to be purchased from afar also arrived today. Every one described as being in working order, and every one requiring further attention to some extent...

Regards,
Brett
 
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