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Old 1st June 2011, 07:46 PM
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Default Which Rolleiflex?

It is years since I owned a tlr Rolleiflex so I am not up on models. Having had various options kindly offered in the MF category I have come to the decision that a Rolleiflex tlr would be a most enjoyable way forward. Questions like 2.8 or 3.5 and also which lens? I am familiar with the Plannar lens but have little knowledge of the others.

I appreciate I am not going to gain, lens quality wise on my Summicron lenses but I am convinced that to do that I might have to move up to Large Format, something like a 5x7 say but I guess you are into bulk with such a camera albeit contact prints must be wonderful from that format
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Old 1st June 2011, 08:25 PM
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If you move up to 6x6 you will find it much easier to make high quality prints than using any Leica lens, bigger negatives are so much easier ro print.
J.
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Old 1st June 2011, 08:34 PM
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I own several Rolleiflex/Rolleicord cameras with all of them producing beautiful results. One of my favorites is a Rolleiflex Automat that I lucked out and purchased with, it appears, very little use. It has the Zeiss - Opton Tessar f 3.5 lens. Wonderful results.

I also own several Rolleiflex cameras with either the Zeiss Planar f 3.5 or f 2.8 lens. They are wonderful as well but I can see very little difference between those and the Zeiss Opton. Maybe my old eyes!

What this boils down to is most any Rolleiflex camera can produce great results. However, it's the hands of the operator that can be the real difference!
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Old 1st June 2011, 09:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Butler View Post
If you move up to 6x6 you will find it much easier to make high quality prints than using any Leica lens, bigger negatives are so much easier ro print.
J.
Jon, Sorry but can we stay on topic please.
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Old 1st June 2011, 09:59 PM
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I don't know about the Planar lenses, but I have two Rolleis, one with a Schneider Xenar 3.5 and one with a Tessar 3.5. Both can give a beautifully sharp 16x12 inch print despite their age.
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Old 1st June 2011, 10:07 PM
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Kenneth, Jon was staying on topic. You implied that you thought you would need to go up as far as 5 x 7 format to match the quality of your summicron lenses. Jon was just putting you right!

Alan
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Old 2nd June 2011, 06:39 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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I owned a Rolleiflex 2.8 FX and sold it because I wasn't happy with the build quality, and loading a film wasn't a happy experience either. Picture quality was OK though. Perhaps the earlier models are more robust.
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Last edited by Dave miller; 2nd June 2011 at 10:25 AM. Reason: Typo
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Old 2nd June 2011, 06:49 AM
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Kenneth,
With Any Rollei you will get great negatives, which mean great prints, I have two, a Rolleiflex Automat MX with the Zeiss opton Tesser 3.5 lens,and from 5.6 I get negatives that are so sharp you can cut yourself, and nice contrast, a lovely camera,and the camera appeards to be hardly used, I also have a Rolleicord Va2, with the Schneider Xener Lens, and the same applies, I don't think you would tell the difference between a Planer lens and the other 2 without making very big enlargements indeed, Just make certain that the camera is working well, One tip, with a rolleiflex, check the outer ring around the winder, if the paint is worn off in several areas then the camera has possibly had some hard proffessional use, and although it may be working well unless it has had a recent service I would leave it alone, look for one that has very little or no paint worn around the ring, it most likely has had only light use,. Good luck with getting a Rolleiflex, the Leica of the MF world, get one and you won't want to change, they are lovely cameras.
Richard

Last edited by Richard Gould; 2nd June 2011 at 06:52 AM. Reason: wrong lens
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Old 2nd June 2011, 09:27 AM
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Quote:
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Kenneth, Jon was staying on topic. You implied that you thought you would need to go up as far as 5 x 7 format to match the quality of your summicron lenses. Jon was just putting you right!

Alan
Thank you Alan.
J.
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Old 2nd June 2011, 04:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Clark View Post
Kenneth, Jon was staying on topic. You implied that you thought you would need to go up as far as 5 x 7 format to match the quality of your summicron lenses. Jon was just putting you right!

Alan
But Alan, I would disagree with him per se. But this post is a request about a particular camera not the merits of one system over another. I had already made the that before post. Back to topic please
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