TLR owners/users (If you dare admit if)

[clarence]

Have you tried a monopod? It certainly isn't a cure-all, but I've found it to be a pretty workable alternative to a tripod in a large number of situations.

Hello Doug,

I've always had the impression that monopods wouldn't go well with landscapes because they tilt easily, and it might be a little hard to keep it all straight while looking down into the ground glass and composing. That's a very interesting suggestion, though. I might try it out sometime.

Thanks.

Clarence

 

[DougK]

It definitely takes some practice to keep it level and a cable release is mandatory, but it's better than nothing at all.

 

[wclavey]

...have you noticed that when you shoot with 120 you don't shoot so many duds as when you shoot 35mm? pardon the heresy

I find I shoot more keepers when I am doing the 6x6 thing. I just seem work great with a TLR in my hands!

For me, at least, 6x6 - - whether with one of my TLRs or with a folder - - promotes a "measure twice, cut once" cadence to my photography. I have certainly noticed the higher percentage of "keepers" and I have attributed that phenomena to the more measured cadence.

I also notice that cadence when I am out with a group of photographers on an outing and they are all shooting 35mm, plasting away, and I'm the laggard in the group. Of course, then I go with my son and he is shooting 4x5, I'm the one left waiting...

 

[XAos]

I pass up a lot of good shots too when shooting 10 shots to a roll manual exposure manual focus. Some day I wanna take the RB67 to the local minor league baseball game. Just shoot people shots. Or maybe shoot the local news photographers with it. If they played in broad daylight instead of the evening I'd have a fighting chance - sunny 16 & go. But the further actual conditions get from sunny-16, the worse I do with estimating, and the more tedious shooting becomes. Is there a TLR I can get into under $100? Not only is there a budget issue here, if it approaches the cost of the 90mm lens for my RB it's gonna have to fight it out for camera dollars.

 

[BrianShaw]

TLR + monopod go together like coffe + cream. This was my primary rig for many, many years. It's a great combination! Try it, you'll like it!

 

[BrianShaw]

...

I feel that I might be a bit of a rare bird here on RFF. I shoot RF cameras for fairly specific purposes - throw in my bag type of stuff, and street shooting. For anything with which I have time and can use a tripod, I go medium or large format when I can.

...

Oh, Allan... a "true confessions" posting! All I can say is "me too", except I've been refraining from mentioning it. I'll further admit to being a 35mm SLR user for situations where that equipment is better suited.

 

[CJS]

TLR's

TLR's

I use my Rollie mainly for family portraits, and not that often. But a month or so ago I was out with my family and caught this in Scottsdale, AZ.

Cheers,

Craig

 

[Jerevan]

I have two 'Cords (one IV Xenar and a II with a nice uncoated Triotar) but I use them too seldom. I love looking down on the groundglass, and I really like the sqaure format. I feed them with Neopan 400 and go around town making photos on lazy sundays. I think they need a CLA. (cameras are financial black holes...) I once had a Vb in mint condition, but was forced to sell - worst thing I ever did, like cutting off a leg or something.

 

[Lou Iaquinto]

Mamiya C220 with three lens. A hand me down from the father-in-law a couple of months ago. I've only shot a few rolls with it but I love the 6x6 format.

Lou

 

[wclavey]

...Is there a TLR I can get into under $100? Not only is there a budget issue here, if it approaches the cost of the 90mm lens for my RB it's gonna have to fight it out for camera dollars.

I got my son started in something other than 35mm with an Argoflex TLR that took both 120 and 620 (see http://www.argoflex.com/camera_guide.htm for a description of which models take both sizes of film) for under $25. I had to clean the shutter with a little lighter fluid and clean the mirror and ground glass (carefully), but for less than an hour's work, it served the purpose and got him hooked on something larger than 35mm. It was just a short step to using my C220 and C3, and then on to 4x5. He had fooled around with a Holga, but the Argoflex TLR was a "real camera." I recommend that path to anyone interested in giving TLRs a try.

 

[Gman]

Sorry RFF people, I still love the TLR. I have several Rolleiflexes and I particularly like the Tele Rollei.

I've always thought about getting my hands on the Rollei Wide but they always seem to go to the higher bidder at auctions. Don't you hate that!

Jeff

 

[ChrisN]

Hello Doug,

I've always had the impression that monopods wouldn't go well with landscapes because they tilt easily, and it might be a little hard to keep it all straight while looking down into the ground glass and composing. That's a very interesting suggestion, though. I might try it out sometime.

Thanks.

Clarence

Actually it works pretty well to help keep the camera upright and square. I attach the monopod directly to the base of the camera, without a ball head or pano head, and I just let the weight of the monopod pull the camera vertical.

 

[JMP]

I have a Rolleicord III (Xenar) which I use pretty often. My first serious camera was an SLR and I feel that a TLR is somewhere between that and a rangefinder in terms of composing and parallax. With a TLR, one knows where the edges of at least the left to right of the frame will be, though there will still be parallax differences top to bottom. Though I like the small size and speed of use of rangefinders, I'm still getting used to not knowing exactly where the edges of the frame are.

While we're sharing:

 

[Todd.Hanz]

outstanding image Craig!


Todd

 

[oftheherd]

I use my Rollie mainly for family portraits, and not that often. But a month or so ago I was out with my family and caught this in Scottsdale, AZ.

Cheers,

Craig

What an incredible photo!

 

[tedwhite]

Craig: I second Todd's comment. Gorgeous photograph. Y ou ough to send to a magazine called The Sun. They frequently use photographs that relate to their thematic content, which varies each issue.

I have a Rolleiflex E with the 2.8 Xenotar. I started out with a Rolleicord in the late sixties, my only camera at the time (my Spotmatic had crapped out) and had previously accepted an assignment from Cycle World magazine to photograph the Cotati 250 motorcycle race. Of course I assumed I would be shooting it with the Pentax and using my various lenses.

Nonplussed, I arrived at the track with my Rolleicord. I picked the best corner and watched the bikes come through the corner for a few minutes during practice. I realized if I focused on the pavement right where most of the tires were as they passed, I could forget focusing. I pushed down the front of the cover so I had the sportsfinder to simply look through. When the actual race started I panned the bikes as they passed. I was amazed at some of the shots as I made contact prints. The editor at CW liked the photos quite a bit and asked what Nikon I had been using. When I told him that I'd used a Rolleicord he didn't believe me.

Although I agree with most posters that rf's and slr's are for fast work, using the sports finder and pre=focusing or zone focusing can turn the staid Rollei into a reasonable street shooter.

Having said that, I only use mine for more studied and contemplative work. Maybe I should get off my butt and try doing what I did so many years ago.

TEd

 

[CJS]

Thanks Todd and Oftheherd,

I appreciate it. I was pretty excited when I saw the scene unfold before me. Nervous, too, as I am much more comfortable with my Leica in unfolding situations. But I metered with a small digital and preset focus and waited for the woman to come and join the man--she started to feed him and click! Sometimes things just fall into place. Too rarely, but sometimes.

Cheers,

Craig

 

[CJS]

Thanks, Ted. You must've sent your message as I was writing mine. Funny you described the preseting of the focus...that's exactly what I did for this shot. It happened pretty quickly. Thanks for the advice on The Sun...I just subscribed to it as I've had about 4 people now tell me I should send my stuff to them. I will. Thanks again for your supportive comment.

Cheers,

Craig

 

[kaiyen]

I am fortunate enough that the glass and mirror on my mat 124 are clear enough for me to do actual waist-level focusing. With my neck strap, I can do a lot of handheld work. I do bring the tripod of course when I can.

Right tool for the right job. If I can get away with a bigger negative, I do. If I need the speed and portability, then I choose different gear based on those needs.

It just means I own a lot of cameras. But I guess in that sense I am not a rare bird at all re: RFF.

allan

 

[photogdave]

Rolleiflex Automat w/ Tessar 3.5
and now thanks to DanielNorton:
2 Mamiya C33s w/ 65mm, 80mm and 135mm.
Waiting for my first roll to come back...