TLR owners/users (If you dare admit if)

[MelanieC]

I guess you could say I like them. 🙂

Wow! What's that thing all the way on the left?

I love my Rollei -- it is beautiful and different. Often my friends do not know it is a camera at first. Here it is with my M3:

 

[pstevenin]

Rolleiflex 2.8C Planar and recently changed for a 2.8F screen . Love to use it from time to time for portraits with rolleinar 1.

Use it also with Ilford Delta 3200, works great for unobstrusive street shooting.

 

[clarence]

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.

allan

I thought Waist-level-finder was an euphemism for chest-level! I've only had 2 TLRs, but both had glasses so dim that I usually had to bring them up to my sternum for when I was focussing.

Then again, my eyesight is bad enough (and my prescription glasses a little too old) to focus accurately even if the finder was bright enough at waist level.

Clarence

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

I have often thought, but have never seen it mentioned; that one of the reasons tlr's give such pleasing results in 3/4 to full portraits of people is due to the camera body and film plane postiion in relation to the the subject.

The tlr camera's position at waistlevel and the film plane being parralell to the subject plane gives a more pleasing perspective of your subject than when the camera is at a higher eye level and the film plane is tipped down.

Oh, I have several tlr's including Yashicamat, Mimolta Autocord, Kodak, Argus, Richoflex and Rollieflex. My personal favorites are the Minolta Autocord 6x6 and Rollieflex Baby 4x4. Your mileage may and probably will vary.

Wayne

 

[clarence]

I have often thought, but have never seen it mentioned; that one of the reasons tlr's give such pleasing results in 3/4 to full portraits of people is due to the camera body and film plane postiion in relation to the the subject.

The tlr camera's position at waistlevel and the film plane being parralell to the subject plane gives a more pleasing perspective of your subject than when the camera is at a higher eye level and the film plane is tipped down.
Wayne

Very pertinent observation, Wayne. The best portraits I've ever done were taken from waist / chest level, and I noticed the benefits of that particular perspective. Also, it helps lower the horizon and throw the sky up behind the subject, which frames the head very nicely.

If I had a medium format scanner I'd put some examples up here, but I haven't got one, and commercial scanning is terribly expensive.

Clarence

 

[XAos]

I have often thought, but have never seen it mentioned; that one of the reasons tlr's give such pleasing results in 3/4 to full portraits of people is due to the camera body and film plane postiion in relation to the the subject.

I think there may be something to it. I know I get much more natural expressions out of people with the RB67. Sometimes I get a mild case of what I call 'eye parallax', but I find kids especially - being able to see your face makes them less self-concious or prone to ham it up.

 

[nksyoon]

Just received my Rolleicord Vb this morning - now to figure out how it works! My first TLR if you haven't guessed.

It came without a lens cover - anyone have one for sale? Also looking for Bay 1 lens hood and B&W filters.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[SalmanA]

It is precisely because of GAS-inducing threads such as this one, that I have finally succumbed to a fairly prolonged bout of MF GAS and have just bought a Yashica Mat 124 (not the 124G).

I expect to receive it sometime next week, and can hardly wait...

Cheers,

 

[MelanieC]

I have often thought, but have never seen it mentioned; that one of the reasons tlr's give such pleasing results in 3/4 to full portraits of people is due to the camera body and film plane postiion in relation to the the subject.

The only portraits I've done with mine thus far have been of my dogs, but I like them because with the camera at waist level, I can get them to look at me instead of into the camera and therefore capture expressions I wouldn't with another camera.

I imagine humans react much the same way.

 

[Uncle Bill]

I don't own a TLR but I have a Rolleiflex on loan to me from my brother's vast fleet of gear. It has a schneider 85 2.8 lens. I have not played with it recently but I should.

Bill

 

[KoNickon]

Nick, with your Rolleicord, you wind the film and charge the shutter in two separate operations, in case you didn't know. Use the knob to wind the film. The little "pendant" hanging below the taking lens is pushed to the right (as you hold the camera) to charge the shutter, then you pull it gently to the left to trip the shutter. The Rolleicords are the only TLRs I know that operate this way. Setting shutter speeds and the aperture is pretty straightforward.

 

[nksyoon]

Nick, with your Rolleicord, you wind the film and charge the shutter in two separate operations, in case you didn't know.

Thanks, I was trying to trip the shutter to hear if the slower speeds are OK. Finally figured out that it needed film loaded in it for the shutter to work!

At the moment the photo taking process is very slow - this is also the first time I'm using a handheld meter!

Check exposure, set aperture, set shutter speed, focus with magnifier, check composition, click!

 

[nksyoon]

Hi Daniel,

I tried everything but couldn't fire the shutter until I loaded film into the camera. Do I have a problem with this camera? I'll try again when I've finished the current roll.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[MikeyGaGa]

Greetings:

I learned photography back in the mid 60s when TLRs were very much still in use.

My ROLLEI 3.5E was my main tool(I was a pro)for years.

If you are as enamored with TLRs has I am,see if you can find anything by FRITZ HENLE.

He wrote a TLR column for PoP or Modern Photography for a number of years,and also published a number of book..CASALS;VIRGIN ISLANDS;NEW ROLLEI PHOTOGRAPHY.

He was known as MrRollei;Rolleiflex published a box set of his prints for their 50th or 75th anniversary.

Anyone who rememnber Henle and was inspired by him,please reply.

Mikey GaGa

 

[Krosya]

TLRs

TLRs

Well well. I knew there are a lot of people out there that still use (and even more that have) TLRs. I too got bitten by the TLR bug lately. It all started with a somewhat ugly Yashica Mat 124 (non G). It had some scratches on it's body, rear lens has lots of scratches and some fungus. Looks like all it should deliver is foggy "dreammy" pics. Yet - it performs wonderful. I got a near new condition one too and I can't tell the difference which pictures came from which - one with cristal clear lens vs. one with all the scratchy fungus. Experimenting with those just got me evn more fired up, so I got a couple of Rollieflexes too. One ugly with basic Tessar, which looked ready for junk yard when I got it. After taking lens, shutter, film transport appart and cleanning all, put it together, plus in a process added a brand new BROWN leather all around instead of it's original , almost peeled off black - it is now a fully working, plus cool looking TLR. Took me 2 weeks to do it all - never took one of these apart before, but it was worth it and cool experience. I also got a 2.8 one with Xenotar - very nice , solid camera. The more I use them all, the more I like them. Lately it's been more of MF for me than anything, using old TLRs or Folders, some 3 times older than me. Every time I pick up one of those - I'm amazed of the craftsmanship and lens quality that these great cameras have. And I'm so happy that it's very much a digital age now - I can have these beauties CHEAP!!!!!. And I think - picture quality and pleasure of using these fully manual machines work for me far better than any new digital offering today. To me - thats what photography is all about - use of a camera, not snapshooting. I think there is a lot of passion for a real photography lost in today's world, and these cameras keep that tiny flame going. I know - TLRs are not for everyone, yet I think people should try them anyway. They are great fun and a very nice tool that delivers awsome results.
Sorry for a long post.
George

 

[jimk]

I've a C220. It is fun to use. I believe if I had fewer cameras, it would get used more. I use it when I decide to upddate family portraits - so not frequently but enough. The best part is viewing the image on the shaded finder - with both eyes.

 

[bsdunek]

I have a Rolleiflex 3.5 Xenar I bought for $25 back in the mid-60's. Had the shutter CLA'd, and I put new leather on it, as the original was pretty bad. I don't use it a lot, but it's fun, and does great B&W.

I think, from looking at some books it's from 1949. The taking lens is coated but the viewing lens is not.

Oh, yes, I have a Rolleikin for it so I can shoot 35mm film. I've tried it and it works fine. Just have to be satisfied with verticals as it's real awkward to hold it sideways. 😎

 

[CZeni]

Rolleiflex MX 3.5 from 1951 with a Maxwell bright screen - great great camera.
Meopta Flexaret V (I think) - funky and does pretty good.

and perhaps the weirdest TLR you'll ever see:

Rapid Omegaflex - 6x7 TLR. Big but handles well and I can promise the odds are outrageously small you'll ever see anybody else using one 🙂

 

[smiling gecko]

...what an interesting, informative and fun thread.

ricardoD, you need a minolta autocord...there are some nice ones out there at very reasonable prices...besides e-prey, graze through the classifieds at rff, apug & pnet, maybe post a "WTB".

bruce, did you ever shoot any kodachrome 120 when it was available? i bought some, refrigerated it and like a bone head included it when i sold/horse traded off my rb67 (one of the times i had an rb...aarrgghh). i can't believe i never tried it when i had the chance...arrrgghh!! :bang:

dracotype, i too have noticed that when i use medium format i seem to get more "keepers"...i'm shooting less and enjoying it more!! 😛

fgianni, i agree with you about the great handling of the autocord. for me, the ergonomics of the rolleiflexes just weren't for me...it seemed like my brain and left and right hand couldn't co-ordinate the film advance, focus, aperture, shutter speed & shutter release...the rolleicord seemed abit easier to use...like i say - must be me - 'cos there are legions of happy rolleiflex/cord users out there. that said, for me, the controls of the autocord fall right into place with the focus lever - front, low and centered - making the camera easy and quick to focus. when my budget can afford it, i want to put in either a maxwell, beattie or satinsnow screen to brighten-up the viewfinder.

glad to see an autocord found nikon bob, lushd,wayne r scott & (count?) scarpia...hey, we could start an autocord forum...yeah, in our "spare" time...for me the words "spare" and "scarce" have become interchangeable. my wife says - i think correctly - i try to do too much. 😛

my first tlr was a mamiya c220 - great camera, great lenses - a solidly built camera, a bit heavier & bulkier then the rollei's, yashica's, minolta's and their kin. also had a c330, but preferred the c220 for a number of reasons.

a year or so later i got my first minolta autocord. did my first paying (family) portrait session with it. and that, i suppose got me "hooked " on medium format.

i used it quite a bit until the focus lever snapped off - my fault, careless carrying in and out of the camera bag - and then horsetraded it off to a camera repairman for a 500mm nikkor. the only "weak" part of the autocord is that ##XX&#***ing focus lever. there is a way to protect it ....aaccckk!, aargggh!!....the infamous "never ready case".

yup, yessirree. the good-old "never ready case". i leave the bottom part on all the time - yes, it slooooows down the reloading process, but... - and i put the top half back on when i'm not actually making an exposure. about five months ago i lucked onto the sale of an autocord III in practically "mint" condition w/ lens cap & instruction manual...i am determined to take better care of this one.

i also have a nice richomatic tlr that needs a trip to the shop...it got "bumped " during a trip & the shutter no longer releases...it wasn't in it's never ready case...i have since learned, finally.

somehow, i came up with the "brilliant" idea that the tlr would be a great way to shoot infrared film. i wanted to have one camera around always loaded with ir film without tying up one of my rfdrs and my few attempts using ir film in slrs were really frustrating . trying to compose through the lens was either really difficult or impossible with a deep red 25 filter a 72(?) or 72 (?) - the opaque one. composing through the tlr's viewing lens sans ir filter - a breeze. sooooo, a great way to put to good use a great style of camera.

ooh, ooh, ooh, i almost forgot...i have a new member to my little tlr family - a yashica 44 bought from rff'er robert frey - terrific to deal with. it was priced very reasonably and was in even better cosmetic & mechanical shape than was advertised...just got to order some 127film.

enough babbling from my brook for now.

take care, enjoy!!

hasta la vista, adieu, dazvidanya, fino al prossimo tempo, auf wiedersehen, and later y’all
kenneth
_______________________________________
"...patience and shuffle the cards" miguel cervantes
"nothing can be learned" herman hesse
"everybody knows everything" jack kerouac
"some memories are realities and better than anything" willa cather
" doo-wacka doo, wacka doo" roger miller
"we have met the enemy and they is us !" walt kelly (pogo)
“a mans cartilage is his fate” phillip roth

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

smiling gecko,

Funny you should mention IR film in a tlr, I had just placed an order with Freestyle for some this morning. I shoot 35mm IR in my Canon QL-17 G-III for the very reasons you mentioned.

Wayne