Dave Wilkinson
Veteran
It's one of the few cameras that has not been through my fingers over the years. Over here Robots seldom appear for sale, and seem to have a 'mystique', and when they do - the prices are high!, never mentioned much around here - I wonder if there are many left 'over there'. Unless I get real lucky, chances are I may never have one, but am just curious!. Are they a nice user, reliable - etc.?....some of you guys must have them, and it would be interesting and different to hear some views and see some pictures from these 'rarities' and may start me searching! 
Dave.
Dave.
petronius
Veteran
They show up regularily in german ebay, but the prices are way too high for me.
Israel Alanis has posted wonderful photos made with a Robot here in RFF:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=26696&cat=500
Israel Alanis has posted wonderful photos made with a Robot here in RFF:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=26696&cat=500
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Dave,
You really shouldn't feel that you've missed too much. I've had several 24x24 models in the past (including Luftwaffe 'long spring') but most require at least one brand-specific cassette and many require two. The lens choice is indifferent and the square format (made necessary by the shutter design) is, in my view, less use than half frame. The ones I've had have all been reliable, though incredibly heavy (the body is reputedly machined from a block of stainless steel).
Admittedly I've always idly fancied a Royal 36 but they really are rare. If you want a motor-drive smaller-than-standard forrmat 35mm camera (14x21mm) with special cassettes, a Tessina is much more fun. And a TLR to boot.
Cheers,
R.
You really shouldn't feel that you've missed too much. I've had several 24x24 models in the past (including Luftwaffe 'long spring') but most require at least one brand-specific cassette and many require two. The lens choice is indifferent and the square format (made necessary by the shutter design) is, in my view, less use than half frame. The ones I've had have all been reliable, though incredibly heavy (the body is reputedly machined from a block of stainless steel).
Admittedly I've always idly fancied a Royal 36 but they really are rare. If you want a motor-drive smaller-than-standard forrmat 35mm camera (14x21mm) with special cassettes, a Tessina is much more fun. And a TLR to boot.
Cheers,
R.
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Vince Lupo
Whatever
I have a Robot Royal 36 with a 50/2 Sonnar and a 75/4 lens. I haven't used it nearly as much as I'd like, but they really are superior quality cameras. I've read somewhere online that it's 'fine watchmaking meets heavy artillery', which is quite an appropriate analogy.
PhotoArsenal has a 35mm Xenogon lens for it that I would love, but right now it's out of my price range (and not worth their asking price, IMO).
If you're looking for one of these cameras, they usually have a couple on eBay, as well as Kevin's Cameras out in Los Angeles. But yes, as you say they are usually quite pricey!
The only thing I don't like about the camera is that it does not have strap lugs, and finding a half case (or bottom part of the ever ready case) can be a bit of an adventure....fortunately I have one, otherwise you'd be carrying the camera around in your hands, or you'd need to find one of those wrist straps that screws into the tripod mount.
BTW, I just checked on eBay, and there are 14 Robot Royal 36 cameras for sale, so they really aren't that rare.
If you do end up buying a 36, and you want to buy more lenses, be sure to check whether the lens will cover the 36 frame. I made the mistake of purchasing the 30mm lens that was meant for the 24, and when I tried it on the 36, it vignetted.
PhotoArsenal has a 35mm Xenogon lens for it that I would love, but right now it's out of my price range (and not worth their asking price, IMO).
If you're looking for one of these cameras, they usually have a couple on eBay, as well as Kevin's Cameras out in Los Angeles. But yes, as you say they are usually quite pricey!
The only thing I don't like about the camera is that it does not have strap lugs, and finding a half case (or bottom part of the ever ready case) can be a bit of an adventure....fortunately I have one, otherwise you'd be carrying the camera around in your hands, or you'd need to find one of those wrist straps that screws into the tripod mount.
BTW, I just checked on eBay, and there are 14 Robot Royal 36 cameras for sale, so they really aren't that rare.
If you do end up buying a 36, and you want to buy more lenses, be sure to check whether the lens will cover the 36 frame. I made the mistake of purchasing the 30mm lens that was meant for the 24, and when I tried it on the 36, it vignetted.
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Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Vince,
Lovely description (fine watchmaking/heavy artillery), and I envy you the camera. I'd certainly agree about the quality but I am astonished at your finding 14x Royal 36s on sale. In the 70s, when I bought and sold cameras a lot, I only ever saw one, while square-format Robots were a normal item of commerce.
Cheers,
R.
Lovely description (fine watchmaking/heavy artillery), and I envy you the camera. I'd certainly agree about the quality but I am astonished at your finding 14x Royal 36s on sale. In the 70s, when I bought and sold cameras a lot, I only ever saw one, while square-format Robots were a normal item of commerce.
Cheers,
R.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Hi Roger -- yes, 14 of the 36's on eBay. Admittedly, it seems that Photo Arsenal and Kevin Li have cornered the market in them, but if you want one, they seem to be available. Igor Reznik has them from time to time as well, but really it's the lenses for these cameras that can be a bit tough to find. I've been looking for that Xenogon lens (as opposed to a Xenagon) for a while now, and the one that Photo Arsenal has is nice, but their price isn't.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Now you guys have me pulling my 36 out of the cupboard.....Dave, you've just motivated me to run a roll of film through it this weekend. I'll make a point of posting some shots, and well as some thoughts about using the camera.
Ezzie
E. D. Russell Roberts
Can someone tell me what "wrong" with this Robot Star 50? All others I've seen pictured (never seen one live that I can remember) have a viewfinder of sorts, this one however none. No accessory shoe either. And the release mechanism gizmo, what's that?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Robot-Star-50_W...ViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item2557ef27d6
http://cgi.ebay.com/Robot-Star-50_W...ViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item2557ef27d6
Probably modified for some special application. I have two Robot 50's, both have viewfinders. They were also closer to $100. I also have two Tessina's. They are "collectors" for me. I just prefer the full-frame RF's over them. The Tessina is amazing though. The electric one is rare.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
That version is for technical/scientific use, so it wouldn't need a viewfinder. The release is probably a motorized remote release. I think that one is called the Star 50 S, and was just a different model offered by Robot.
Believe it or not, Robot is still in business. They make speed/red light cameras, among other things.
http://www.robot.de
Believe it or not, Robot is still in business. They make speed/red light cameras, among other things.
http://www.robot.de
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Dave Wilkinson
Veteran
Thanks Vince, I'm sure quite a few of us would find a mini-review - a refreshing change from the usual 'M' type reports
Dave.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Well my wife and I did a little day trip/walk yesterday because the weather was so nice (54 degrees and sunny!), and I loaded the Robot up with a roll of bulk-loaded Tri-X. I should probably have the results back later this week, but overall I like using the camera. It's a heavy and substantial camera to carry around, which suits my particular camera preference, but I was able to carry the spare (75mm) lens in a little case in my pocket, which felt pretty liberating!
A couple of things: Of course, there is no parallax correction in the built-in viewfinder, not that it's a big deal. However, the rangefinder/viewfinder is combined like a Contax II, so that's a nice feature. The focusing ring on these lenses isn't the most comfortable thing in the world -- it a hard knurled finish, which can rough-up the tips of your fingers after a while, and it's located close to the camera body, so it's not the quickest focusing in the world (relative to a Leica lens with a focusing lever, for example). The shutter release is butter-soft, and the clockwork winder sounds like it was made by Breguet. A full winding only lasts about 13 exposures, so once you get to the end of that cycle, you have to turn it over and crank crank crank (so, three rounds of winding to get through a 36 exp. roll of film). Lens changing is easy -- there is a lever under the lens on the body of the camera, and you just slide it from left to right (while the camera is around your neck), and the lens comes right out. Line the two red dots up (one on the lens, one on the camera's lens mount), pop the lens in, slide the lever back and the lens is locked on.
I use a TEWE vari-focal finder for the 75mm Schneider lens (this is the vari-focal finder that was normally offered for Robot Royal). It's okay, but for a glasses wearer like me, is a bit squinty.
Besides its built-in clockwork motor, the most unique thing about the Robot camera is its use of metal cassettes. Many Robots use two cassettes and don't have a rewind feature. However, the Robot Royal 36 allows you to use a standard 35mm cassette, but you need to use a Robot takeup cassette -- not a big deal, but just one extra step you need to take when loading the film. The Royal does allow you to rewind the film back into the standard 35mm cassette.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, this camera (and all Robots, as a matter of fact) does not have eyelets for a camera strap. Fortunately I have a leather case for the camera, and the lid can be detached to use the bottom half case and its neck strap. Yet another step you need to bear in mind for loading and unloading the film. Oh yeah - good luck finding a case if it didn't come with the camera!
Overall, I like the camera and wouldn't hesitate to choose it for a European excursion or personal journalistic assignment. The only thing I'd like to get is the 35/2.8 Xenogon lens -- I know of three of them that are available for sale, but they range from $475-$750, so I think I'll have to use this camera a lot more before justifying a purchase.
Rear lens caps seem to be quite elusive, and I've had to scavenge through the dollar bins at camera shows to find a cap that would fit (almost the size of a grey plastic Kodak film canister lid).
I'll post a few shots when I get the film back -- hopefully there will be a few that are worthy of posting!
A couple of things: Of course, there is no parallax correction in the built-in viewfinder, not that it's a big deal. However, the rangefinder/viewfinder is combined like a Contax II, so that's a nice feature. The focusing ring on these lenses isn't the most comfortable thing in the world -- it a hard knurled finish, which can rough-up the tips of your fingers after a while, and it's located close to the camera body, so it's not the quickest focusing in the world (relative to a Leica lens with a focusing lever, for example). The shutter release is butter-soft, and the clockwork winder sounds like it was made by Breguet. A full winding only lasts about 13 exposures, so once you get to the end of that cycle, you have to turn it over and crank crank crank (so, three rounds of winding to get through a 36 exp. roll of film). Lens changing is easy -- there is a lever under the lens on the body of the camera, and you just slide it from left to right (while the camera is around your neck), and the lens comes right out. Line the two red dots up (one on the lens, one on the camera's lens mount), pop the lens in, slide the lever back and the lens is locked on.
I use a TEWE vari-focal finder for the 75mm Schneider lens (this is the vari-focal finder that was normally offered for Robot Royal). It's okay, but for a glasses wearer like me, is a bit squinty.
Besides its built-in clockwork motor, the most unique thing about the Robot camera is its use of metal cassettes. Many Robots use two cassettes and don't have a rewind feature. However, the Robot Royal 36 allows you to use a standard 35mm cassette, but you need to use a Robot takeup cassette -- not a big deal, but just one extra step you need to take when loading the film. The Royal does allow you to rewind the film back into the standard 35mm cassette.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, this camera (and all Robots, as a matter of fact) does not have eyelets for a camera strap. Fortunately I have a leather case for the camera, and the lid can be detached to use the bottom half case and its neck strap. Yet another step you need to bear in mind for loading and unloading the film. Oh yeah - good luck finding a case if it didn't come with the camera!
Overall, I like the camera and wouldn't hesitate to choose it for a European excursion or personal journalistic assignment. The only thing I'd like to get is the 35/2.8 Xenogon lens -- I know of three of them that are available for sale, but they range from $475-$750, so I think I'll have to use this camera a lot more before justifying a purchase.
Rear lens caps seem to be quite elusive, and I've had to scavenge through the dollar bins at camera shows to find a cap that would fit (almost the size of a grey plastic Kodak film canister lid).
I'll post a few shots when I get the film back -- hopefully there will be a few that are worthy of posting!
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Vince Lupo
Whatever
Got my roll of Tri-X back, and was quite pleased with everything. One thing that I noticed in the negs is that the spacing between the frames is very consistent, which surprised me given that this is a clockwork motor-driven body.
The lenses are beautifully sharp - particularly the 50/2 Sonnar lens. What I think I'll do for the next roll is vary the subject matter a bit more - more closeups, and hopefully some more people doing something (in order to test its merits as a possible photojournalist tool).
With these results, I'm thinking more and more about that 35/2.8 Xenogon lens...we'll see!
Let me know what you guys think of the results, and if you have any suggestions.
All of these photos were taken at Winterthur, which was the home of Henry Francis DuPont http://www.winterthur.org
As well, the negs were scanned with a Noritsu at my photo lab (believe it or not, I don't have a good negative scanner) at a basic setting. The images have not been sharpened, and are pretty well full frame.
The lenses are beautifully sharp - particularly the 50/2 Sonnar lens. What I think I'll do for the next roll is vary the subject matter a bit more - more closeups, and hopefully some more people doing something (in order to test its merits as a possible photojournalist tool).
With these results, I'm thinking more and more about that 35/2.8 Xenogon lens...we'll see!
Let me know what you guys think of the results, and if you have any suggestions.
All of these photos were taken at Winterthur, which was the home of Henry Francis DuPont http://www.winterthur.org
As well, the negs were scanned with a Noritsu at my photo lab (believe it or not, I don't have a good negative scanner) at a basic setting. The images have not been sharpened, and are pretty well full frame.
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Dave Wilkinson
Veteran
Thanks for the information Vince, and nice pictures! - especially no.1....the lens quality looks very satisfactory!
Dave.
Dave.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Dave - the prints are really nice (machine prints from the lab), and I was quite surprised when I opened the envelope.
The only thing to keep in mind is the lack of parallax on the framing -- I noticed that some of the framing was out a bit, particularly if I intentionally framed something right at the bottom. It tended to get cut off a little bit, but I guess you'd have the same situation with a Contax II or a screw mount Leica.
I think I'm going to use this beast some more, and hopefully justify the purchase of the Xenogon lens. I think the key with any of these vintage cameras - no matter what they are - is to not only exercise them with the odd roll of film with pictures of your cat - but to be able to make meaningful imagery with them. I've been trying to do this with my Contaflex TLR, with varying levels of success. It's almost like a personal challenge - like using a Leica M2 is too easy or something. Don't know if others have similar feelings about off-brand rangefinders that they use.....?
The only thing to keep in mind is the lack of parallax on the framing -- I noticed that some of the framing was out a bit, particularly if I intentionally framed something right at the bottom. It tended to get cut off a little bit, but I guess you'd have the same situation with a Contax II or a screw mount Leica.
I think I'm going to use this beast some more, and hopefully justify the purchase of the Xenogon lens. I think the key with any of these vintage cameras - no matter what they are - is to not only exercise them with the odd roll of film with pictures of your cat - but to be able to make meaningful imagery with them. I've been trying to do this with my Contaflex TLR, with varying levels of success. It's almost like a personal challenge - like using a Leica M2 is too easy or something. Don't know if others have similar feelings about off-brand rangefinders that they use.....?
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Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Vince,
All that one might reasonably hope! Congratulations on some nice pics.
Cheers,
R.
All that one might reasonably hope! Congratulations on some nice pics.
Cheers,
R.
SteveM_NJ
Well-known
No experience at all with "Robot" - -
very nice results.
Please post an image or two of the camera/lens/case that you have, it sounds very interesting.
Thank You -in advance.
very nice results.
Please post an image or two of the camera/lens/case that you have, it sounds very interesting.
Thank You -in advance.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Steve -- I'll try to do it later this week. What I have is the Robot Royal 36 body, the 50/2 Zeiss Sonnar, the 75/4 Schneider Tele-Xenar, two Robot lens hoods, the ever ready case, and this super-cool Schneider 'Proximeter' - which is a closeup lens like you've never seen - this thing is huge!
dmr
Registered Abuser
Gone to eBay every one.
When will they ever learn,
Oh when will they ever learn?
(Okay, I'll shut up.)
Ronald_H
Don't call me Ron
Very nice pictures Vince!
When I visit camera fairs here in the Netherlands there are not many Robots to be found, but they are not rare. For some reason my best friend has gotten the Robot bug and has bought two in the past half yeae or so. They are really intruiging and very nicely made.
When I visit camera fairs here in the Netherlands there are not many Robots to be found, but they are not rare. For some reason my best friend has gotten the Robot bug and has bought two in the past half yeae or so. They are really intruiging and very nicely made.