Rolleiflex 3.5f (Planar)

[Jodorowsky]

Thanks for that..... Hmmmm, there's a tiny, tiny bit of balsam separation in the taking lens too.... Do you know if the tripod base can be tightened back flush? For £450, I'm not looking for perfection, but it feels like £100 too much at the moment, and I'm not really a haggler....

 

[skipjack]

Rolleiflex to tripod

Rolleiflex to tripod

I haven't had to tighten it on the Rolleiflex's I have - so I do not know the answer, although I assume that you can. The lens issue you mention would concern me more. Many of the most pleasing photos to me and my family have come from the Rolleiflex. Once you have one that has had a good CLA, they have a long term photo life.

 

[Jodorowsky]

Here's the spot I mentioned.... I fired a flash into the lens and can see a lot more, but the one that concerns me is adjacent to the Z/e. I can see it at the back of the lens, too.... I'm really grateful for the help here- I didn't have the cash to buy the camera on the day, and the camera shop let me take it away anyway (I'm local) and I'm due to give the money next week. I don't want to offend the sellers, but if there's a genuine problem with the lens, I don't want to waste £450 either....

 

[wintoid]

What is that supposed to mean?

Simply I find my Rolleiflex very easy to use out and about, in crowded places. Trying to compose by moving, and turning has not been very successful for me, possibly because of the mirrored view. Then I realised that I can get the shots I want by staying still, and watching what is coming into and out of my frame, with just a little planning and looking around. My hit rate went right up.

It feels like I am completely invisible too. Wonderful camera.

Sorry if my initial comment was overly cryptic.

 

[skipjack]

Rolleiflex

Rolleiflex

If you can return it, I would return it. The lens problem is will require a very good lens person to separate then re glue the elements. I've had to do that, the people that I used was Focal Point here in the US, who did an excellent job. I would not be a Rolleiflex with a known lens problem. There are many out there right now that have a good lens - it unnecessary to have one with a problem. Open the back door of the Rollei, put the speed to Bulb, open the aperture all the way to 3.5, shine a light from the back of the camera and look at the lens, do the same thing from the front, it may be worse than you think. Only one was to repair and again, you need the right person. Good luck.

 

[PMCC]

What is that supposed to mean?

In terms of picture making strategies, it is sometimes useful to be a trapper rather than a hunter. Just my two Pfennigs.

 

[graywolf]

View is flipped left to right which makes aiming hard, panning impossible.

Funny, millions of people managed it. It does take a bit of practice. Sure, it is sometimes difficult to shoot fast action using the reflex mirror, that is why almost all TLR's come with a Sports Finder as well. TLR's can be difficult to focus in dim light, but they probably have the easiest to see and read DOF scales of any camera; DOF scales that are perfect for zone focusing.

I always find it strange when people say you can not do something with an older camera, when there are thousands of photos out there that prove them wrong.

 

[Vics]

Hullo; I bought this lovely camera a couple of days ago from my local camera store. I'm totally new to TLR's- if you could give me a few tips on using it (getting used to the framing particularly), I'd be very grateful!

Many thanks.

I have a book somewhere, maybe the Rollei Way, that suggests that a new Rollei owner should, before loading the camera, go out without film and practice framing, learning to see the picture in the camera's finder. Among other things you'll learn how close you have to get to your subject, what happens when you tilt the camera and what happens to a person's face when you get too close. Be patient. The TLR os a slower way of working. Try to make every shot count.

 

[Jodorowsky]

Thanks to everyone for your advice; I've decided to return the camera, lovely as it is. I can see me spending a lot of money on accessories for it. The lens separation thing is a worry (if only the knowledge that it will need fixing in a year or two), too.

In the final analysis, though, the camera is just not versatile enough for me, considering that it will be my only medium format camera.

 

[froyd]

Thanks to everyone for your advice; I've decided to return the camera, lovely as it is. I can see me spending a lot of money on accessories for it. The lens separation thing is a worry (if only the knowledge that it will need fixing in a year or two), too.

In the final analysis, though, the camera is just not versatile enough for me, considering that it will be my only medium format camera.

Sorry to hear that!

Consider however, that for portability, and value for money, little comes close to TLRs in MF.

What kind of uses did you have in mind? If it just a wider choice of lenses you could go with the Mamiya, or better one each of a regular, wide and tele Rolleiflex 😛

All kidding aside, you obviously need a camera to meet your specific needs. However, IF you have the luxury and opportunity to own a TLR just for fun, I would heartily recommend you go for it. Yes, you will not be able to shoot your son's soccer game the same way you would if you had a Nikon F6 and a great telephoto lens, nor will you be able to shoot a portrait the same way you would with a Leica and a trusty 35mm lens. But in either case you'd be challenged to find photographic opportunities that you might instinctively overlook with other gear that is more familiar to you. Just a though.

 

[Jodorowsky]

My uses for the medium format would be landscapes, nature, city and also for getting the fine detail for content to use in making art prints (lithographs and etching). I'll return the Rollei and keep it in the back of my mind.... It's a lovely, instinctive camera which I would like to use again at some point, but I know I'll be looking for something else in a few months, and once I buy the basics- filters/strap/tripod adapter etc, I'll have spent over £500 on a camera which I have too many little doubts about....