Rolleiflex Baby Grey?

Does any one use this camera? Is 127 roll film currently availble, or

is it possible to convert it to a different format? Thanks.

Yes. Yes. No, I don't think so.

 

Yes, there are a few of us who have this camera or the Yashica 4x4 TLR.

 

You can get 127 b/w, color print and slide film. Check out JandC photo. There is Efke and Macophoto b/w film.

 

I've not seen a Rolleikin kit for this camera. I guess there might be one, but I don't recall seeing one.

The film selection is so limited and processing difficult. It makes no sense to use a 127 camera except as a novelty. Why convert a 127 camera to a different format? Just get a different format camera.

I had a Grey Rolleiflex 4x4, but it had problems with film flatness that showed up on half of the frames. Maybe it was just something wrong with my example of this camera. The pressure plate sure is better on the Gray Baby than on the earlier 4x4 Rolleis.

 

I got a "Sports" Rolleiflex 4x4 from 1938 that is a little jewel. The 2,8/60 Tessar is a great lens.

 

Efke R100 in 127 is a nice film. I wish they didn't discontinue R50 in this size, as they did in 1990 or so. Never got the chance to try it. Maybe we will se R25 in 127 one day? :-)

Hello David,

 

here's a very nice and informative website concerned with 127 cameras. The site has a (somewhat active) forum which is friendly and supportive.

 

Oh, and here's the link:

 

http://onetwoseven.org.uk/

 

Enjoy!

The gray colored baby Rolleis had a reputation for mechanical unreliability, I believe for the film advance train. If you do a web search, you should find mention of this. There was a camera review of the time the gray baby Rollei was in production that described a new camera failing while in the hands of the reviewers.

 

Evidently the problem was eventually corrected by Rollei and the reliable variant on this 127 TLR is the one with the black leather. The black ones generally command a significantly higher price.

 

The 127 TLR's are nice and compact and produce a good sized negative but, so far as I know, only B&W film is readily available. A 6x6 Rollei isn't really that much larger, give a much larger negative, and don't have film availability problems.

The E-6 127 film is discontinued, what remains in retail channels is all there is.

 

The insoluble downside of 127 film is film flatness. The very tight rolling of the film results in it having a nasty curve that just won't flatten out for exposure. I suppose 828 film has a similar problem, having a spool almost as tight.

 

I have a roll of Portra 160NC in 46mm width to load onto 127 backing paper. I suppose one uspside of using the film shortly after spooling is that it won't be all curly yet.

I use my Baby Grey quite a bit. Other than the sources already mentioned, you can still get Kodak film for it at B&H, but it is quite expensive. I am trying to devise a way to use 35mm in it, but the more I think and look, the more difficult it seems. Film transport is, unfortunately, unreliable in this otherwise jewel of a camera. One way to "overcome" this is to wind only with focus set to infinity. I think that a reliable gray baby in 35mm would be my ultimate dream camera: a quality TLR just the right size that uses commonplace film.

This is the only real reason to use 127 film today and the Rollei is the best way to do it.

 

4cmx4cm slides are mounted in regular size glass mounts and projected with a regular 35mm projector.

 

Once you buy film (at B&H for modern E6 emulsion), get it processed and then mount it, each click it costing you about $2.00.

 

120 can be cut and re rolled on 127 spools.

 

The Xenar is excellent and I have not seen any film flatness issue with my baby...

There is not enough room in the film compartment of any of the 4x4s that I know of for the standard 35mm cassette, so it is unlikely that anyone has attempted a 35mm converter. Many years ago I made an adapter for using 828 in an old 4x4 Rollei, and though it worked it had problems. And then with the demise of 828 film the idea was moot. The worst problem was that most pictures were confined to portrait orientation.

I would have thought that a few people on this forum would be most enthused about 127. It is quirky and the cameras are a blast. A Yashica 44 is great fun, there are 127 brownies, many odd post-1912 folders, and interesting 3x4 format creatures...all like candy to this forum. Try a Kodak Vecta, for example. Fun!

 

There are few greater joys for me than to use a black 1930s VP Exakta and admire the crisp 4cm x 6.5cm negatives hanging to dry. In doing so, you are paying tribute to the start of the great "minature SLR" craze that spawned the Kine Exakta, the Contaflex, and the Bessamatic, not to mention all the Japanese SLRs.

 

M.

A number of years ago I was in East Harlem and someone was selling a baby Rollie on a blanket for $3.00. It had an uncoated Zeiss lens. I bought it and found a few rolls of 127 film at Hersch Photo. The images were among the sharpest, most vibrant I ever shot. But since 127 film was scarce I ended up selling the Baby Rollie for $125.00 at the old 14th Street armory Camera trade show.

127 film is a very interesting format to say the least. As mentioned earlier the film emulsions are a little sparse but if you can get your backing papers and spools back from your lab, then you have whatever 120 offers available to you.

 

127 is not a cheap format, unfortunately. B&W, C-41 and E-6 emulsions are all around $5-6 a roll. Of course getting that developed can be tricky, but you can always use an A&I 120 mailer.

 

As stated earlier, let me also sing the praises of superslides. This is really the main reason to use the format since you can really wow your slideshow audience when you fill the screen up with a much larger picture after standard 35mm slides. By the way, anyone else still do slide shows?

 

One other thing, I keep hearing the rumor about Macochrome being discontinued which I sincerly hope is not true. Does anyone have a link to a credible press release or something? I've heard several contradicting reports about it and I'd like to know if I should buy my own freezer stock of Macochrome? Right now I only have about three rolls of it as well as three Ekfe R100 which I can recover the backing papers from so I should be set for a while.

Yes you can still get 127 film-

 

I just picked up 2- 44's at a yard sale yesterday

a 44 and a 44 LM[yashica]

 

love the square size neg- it makes my prints " different " from all the inkjet stuff everyone is producing these days...LOL

 

4x4, 8x8 etc

 

check out these places for 127 film-

 

freestyle in calf- I think they are in ca?

 

film for classics .com

 

frugal photographer.com

 

while the film is not "cheap" I didn't find it any more expensive than what I just spent locally for some 35 mm b/w film-

 

I think I paid close to 9 bucks for some 3200 b/w - one roll 36 exp-

 

I bought several types of film and most were about $6.00 to 8.00 a roll

 

so I guess film prices are relative?

 

it looks like I will ordering my next batch of film mail order-

the prices are cheaper and I don't have to drive 2 hours -one way to get it-I think I spent $26 on gas that day[had other errands to run in that area]

 

they still had 3 types of film listed

 

chrome for super slide

b/w

print

 

though I can't speak for everyone- seems to me- some us us who love older cameras also enjoy darkroom work...

 

I think some of us - just march to a different beat...

 

I like the feel of the older metal bodies..the way they slow you down...make you think and compose....makes me feel more like an artisan than when pushing the shutter on a 8 fps digital for sports.

 

it's a step back in time...so to speak-just like the way I miss the magic that happens in the darkroom...

so I am also going "wet lab"

 

 

12 frames before I have to reload-

you bet it slows me down to think about each frame I make!

which is why I bought both bodies-

I can reload one and have the other ready, so I don't miss something...

guess thats just the old photojournalist in me...

always have a camera- and always be ready!

DJ

check out this thread for more 127 info

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CnbA

 

click on the first link- for: one two seven

 

D

127 Macochrome has been discontinued. It is not a rumour. We bought up all that was available from the distributor and I believe it will be gone in about a year.

127 b/w remains available. It's an excellent film.

127 C41 color print film remains available.

I believe Film For Classics continues to make up 127 rolls from Ektachrome, but I'm not sure and I haven't asked them.

We've discontinued our 127 reload package (10 Portra 160 film strips plus labels). I suspect not enough people had access to salvaged spools and backing paper.

David Foy (Frugal Photographer)

"127 Macochrome has been discontinued. It is not a rumour. We bought up all that was available from the distributor and I believe it will be gone in about a year."

 

Damn, I guess I need to get myself a freezer storage. :(

 

"I suspect not enough people had access to salvaged spools and backing paper. David Foy (Frugal Photographer)"

 

Probably because once they sent them to the lab, they were gone. Does anyone know of the policy of some of the various labs as to returning the spools and paper? I've thought about cutting down regular backing paper I get from developing B&W and trimming it to 127 size and shape, but I don't know if I can get it right without causing fog unless I put it inside a black tube until I was ready to load, then load in total darkness, etc. Something to think about anyway.

 

I self develop B&W and Efke 100 and it is a great 127 film, but I don't want to have to buy and shoot a roll of B&W for a spool and paper everytime I want to shoot a roll of slides. If the lab gave me back the spool and paper, all would be well and I'd happily respool and Macochrome would be a fond old memory.

 

I guess I'll be buying up some stock in Maco for the freezer, and in the meantime get a razor mounted in my old Brownie Hawkeye so that I can trim and respool 120 onto my small supply of 127 papers. Admittedly 127 is not my favorite format (and slide I ONLY use in 4x4 situations) but it's still sad to see it go. I also have over 800 super slide mounts (new old stock lot I bought up) and I'd hate to see them go to waste.

 

Perhaps some nice people would be willing to save their Efke 100 spools and papers and send them to me. ;) My Yashica 44 would thank you.

I bought two Baby Rolleiflex cameras, all have problem, one is now

at repair shop.