Rolleicord Tele?

Wasn't there something called a "Distar" for increasing the focal length? I've only seen a vague advert (late 1930's) for them and the "Proxar" and can't say more.

Regards, David
 
Roger Hicks said:
There may have been Japanese aftermarket front of lens converters, but I don't think Rollei ever did it.

Cheers,

R.
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Roger,

Rollei did, in fact, make tele and wide angle attachments called Mutars (0.7x and 1.5x). They were make in bayonet 2 mounts but rings were available for types 1 & 3). These are described in the addendum to Alec Pearlman's 1966 edition of the Rollei Manual. Prior to the Mutars, Rollei produced the Tele-Magnar attachment during 1939/40, but this bizarre creation was soon withdrawn. It gave a focal length of 30cm! Unlike the Mutars that had matched taking and viewing lenses, the Tele-Magnar contraption was bayoneted onto the viewing lens and then transferred to the taking lens.

Zeiss also made the Duarnar 2x attachment in 1953.

Rollei certainly produced some strange accessories. Can you imagine some of these getting past the bean counters now?!

Ray
 
I have such a Japanese converter for the 2.8 Rollei. The original lens is so sharp that adding a converter still results in very sharp macro photos.
 
Yashica made a tele "set" in bay1 that should work on your cord. As with the one Raid describes it does provide center sharpness. The set I have has two seperate lens. One each for taking and viewing. I prefer the tele-rolleiflex although the add on lens does focus closer. It's surely fine for portraits.
 
rayfoxlee said:
Roger,

Rollei did, in fact, make tele and wide angle attachments called Mutars (0.7x and 1.5x). They were make in bayonet 2 mounts but rings were available for types 1 & 3). These are described in the addendum to Alec Pearlman's 1966 edition of the Rollei Manual. Prior to the Mutars, Rollei produced the Tele-Magnar attachment during 1939/40, but this bizarre creation was soon withdrawn. It gave a focal length of 30cm! Unlike the Mutars that had matched taking and viewing lenses, the Tele-Magnar contraption was bayoneted onto the viewing lens and then transferred to the taking lens.

Zeiss also made the Duarnar 2x attachment in 1953.

Rollei certainly produced some strange accessories. Can you imagine some of these getting past the bean counters now?!

Ray
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Dear Ray,

You are of course quite right. I had simply forgotten.

Cheers,

R.
 
raid said:
I have such a Japanese converter for the 2.8 Rollei. The original lens is so sharp that adding a converter still results in very sharp macro photos.
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that's great to hear,... so much of what i've read on these addons, apart from the rollei ones, make them out to be absolute garbage.

i will have to try a set.
 
If you get a Mutar remember that it was only designed to be used at f5.6 or tighter - wider open than that the edges suffer noticeably.

Marty
 
nanntonaku said:
that's great to hear,... so much of what i've read on these addons, apart from the rollei ones, make them out to be absolute garbage.

i will have to try a set.
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Not all of Rollei's lenses were in the same class. There were one or two cheap ones on the 'cords and an extender on them would give poor results. Especially when bought second-hand without the instructions by someone who didn't realise they had the 3rd or 4th class lens on the TLR. Then it gets on to a website and everyone believes it...

Regards, David
 
Themckane said:
looks like I need to buy a Bay 1 Rolleinar..

does that sound correct?
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The Proxar/Rolleinar lenses actually shortens the focal length. Proxars where often used on plate cameras the make the normal lenses cheap wide angles. On a Rollei they can only be used as close-up lenses because you can't retract the lens further in in the camera body to focus on infinity.


David Hughes said:
Wasn't there something called a "Distar" for increasing the focal length? I've only seen a vague advert (late 1930's) for them and the "Proxar" and can't say more.
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Yes, the Distar does increse the focal length, but you can't move the lens on the Rollei far out enough to focus on infinity (or closer) with a Distar.
 
f16sunshine said:
Yashica made a tele "set" in bay1 that should work on your cord. As with the one Raid describes it does provide center sharpness. The set I have has two seperate lens. One each for taking and viewing. I prefer the tele-rolleiflex although the add on lens does focus closer. It's surely fine for portraits.
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I once had the Yashica 2x tele lens set and also a similar set (maybe even the same) made by Sun. They both worked nicely with all my Yashicas and even on a Ricoh Diacord but on my Rolleicord V they both vignette very badly.
 
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