Things to check while buying a used Rollei 35

[mark_pw]

What should be checked before buying a Rollei 35 camera? 🙄

Camera body - check if the back cover for possible light leaks
Battery leakage - check if there is any corrosion sign in battery compartment
Rollei Lens - should be free from fungus and scratches, some dusts are acceptable given the age of the camera
Lens barrel - it must be dent free, fine scratches are acceptable
Light meter - check by a separate light meter to confirm its accuracy

I hope you find it useful.

Detailed descriptions at http://daddiest.com/used-rollei-35-buyers-checklist/

 

[dct]

I speak from personal experience adding:
Check for properly working film advancing and shutter cocking mechanics (with a cheap test film roll)

I decommissioned my Rollei 35 after the second failure in this particular field.

 

[CliveC]

Damn, the rangefinder on mine must be broken. 😛

Seriously though, also check the slower shutter speeds.

 

[dotur]

It works on mine! 🙂

 

[mark_pw]

Damn, the rangefinder on mine must be broken. 😛

Seriously though, also check the slower shutter speeds.

Yes, many of the existing Rollei 35's 'B' is dead. The 'B' just acts like 1/2s or shorter.

 

[philipaloft]

If you have an urge to take apart a camera down to the last screw and rebuild it, the Rollei 35 is a good candidate.
It all comes apart with screws and well made parts, and for a non-engineer like myself, it seemed intuitive.( and kindof simple).
I did not work on the lightmeter, however.
Philip

 

[Brian Legge]

Does the aperture work?

I picked up an 'as is' which seems in decent condition but when set to f/3.5 is closer to f/5.6 and is totally stopped down when set to f/8. I put a bit of time in to exploring it last night but didn't get to the internal coupling yet. I learned that the spring which pushes down on the aperture lock is a pain to get back in to place though. 🙂