Reliability of Rollei SL 66 E ?

Hallo Rollei SL 66 Fans,

 

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in the german journal "fotografie draussen" there was a report about

MF-Photography. The author Rupert Schulz started with a hasselblad,

then changed to a Rollei SL 66. He was very pleased about the possibilities of Scheimpflug and the Macro System without any additional expensive parts. But finally he wrote about heavy problems in cold weather conditions. The camera was very unreliable. So he finally changed to the Mamiya RZ67 System.

My question: Who has experience with the Rollei SL66? Is it really such a dog concerning the reliability ? Is it really so

sensitive in deep temperatures. (I recently bought one, and up to now I am just phascinated about the Scheimpflug)

 

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Werner

Dear Werner, You have purchased a great camera for nature photography. In his 1997 book "Wilderness Photography," Boyd Norton demonstrates the front-tilt feature of the SL66 by showing two pictures of aspen leaves on snow taken with the same camera, lens, f-stop and shutter speed. The conventional photo has a thin strip in focus in the middle. The front-tilt shot is in sharp, crystalline focus from corner to corner. Any camera can slow down in the cold and extra care must be taken to keep from damaging shutters, etc. But can you imagine lugging an RZ into the woods on a day hike? Ugh! I think you made a good choice. Warm regards, Mark

Werner,

 

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I agree with the above comments. Last weekend I went to photograph trains with my SL66 at Rollins Pass in Colorado. Great views, lots of excitement, and wonderful photo opportunities. However, no photos. In my excitement and probably due to high altitude, I loaded the film backwards. The SL66 performed just fine, the operator needs more pilot training at lower altitudes.

 

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The only thing better than the SL66 is the 3.5F Rolleiflex. Unfortunately, it only has one lens and cannot do many tricks like Rolleipflug (Rollei version of Scheimpflug) and lens retro-mounting. In the mountains, a couple of extra focal lengths would also be useful, especially since you cannot always walk closer or further away from your subject. On the other hand, you have to choose between carrying the SL66 and extras, like a tripod, and essentials, like food, water, and tent. (I do not have the means to hire porters.)

 

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Best of Light,

 

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Chris

Dear Werner,

the reliability of the SL66E somtimes is frustrating. I bought mine in 1984. I don't use it professionally. The equipment comprises the body with two magazines, the 50 mm Distagon, 80 mm Planar, 250 mm Sonnar, 120 mm Rodenstock Imagon and 150 mm Schneider Componon. For metering I use a Profisix with spot accessory according to the zone system of Ansel Adams. The built ib meter I only use for macro when I am too lazy to calculate. With the zone system I never had a wrong exposure ( mostly color slides).

 

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From the beginning I had following Problems with the SL66: The diaphragm mechanism of the Planar broke, the second shutter curtain did not stop when setting the shutter (may be resulting from incorrect usage of double exposure function?), one magazine did not sense the beginning of the film, over a long time the meter did not switch on after not having used the camera for some weeks (this happened several times, the Rollei service was not able to fix it definitely until this year, where they discovered, that the flexible wires in the extension arm were broken. But each with each try they charge a large amount of money). Generally the original Rollei service is extremely expensive in relation to the bad quality they offer (they added dirt into the Planar when fixing it, lost screws, did not fix problems which were obvious and additionally mentioned by me. On my complaints I never got an answer.).

 

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At the last Service this year they changed something in the extension arm or fixed an old Rollei Problem: Now I can use full 80 tilt at an extension of only 5 mm. Before it onle worked at approx. 15 to 20 mm.

 

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Summarizing: The Rolleis are not worth the large amount of money they charge for them in relation to the quality and reliability!!!!!!!!!

 

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BUT...

 

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I LIKE THE SL66E!!!! There is (was) no alternative offering such a flexibility with no additional or few accessories.

The camera works without batteries. There is a meter operating independently from the type of viewfinder. It offers extensive makro capabilities with each lens without needing additional parts. The mirror can be locked up (but not returned without releasing the shutter), it offers a double exposure function (I never used it), the most important lenses uses the same filter size. For outdoor photography an equipment with three lenses, two magazines and other necessary parts with a total weight of approx. 10 kg is ok when your shoulders are trained well.

 

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I enjoy the SL66E (when it has no defect. I suppose I got one from a monday production or the quality control was drunk). The SL66E for me still is THE MF camera for 6x6 (sometimes I extend the capabilities with a Horseman VHR and a 6x7 magazine)!!

I would buy a used SL66 only if I know the owner personally or if the camera is completely checked by a good service ( not necessarily Rollei) before buying it.

 

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A 600x Rollei I never would buy because of the undefined Rollei quality , the extremely high prize according to the offered funcionality.

 

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Manfred

hello!

a brief response to the issue of sl66 reliability:

notice all the problems with electronic rollies and all the love affairs with the tlr's and the sl66's (mechanical version).

my old sl66 is a sweetheart that is as reliable as my linhoff

tech III.

dump the electronics and enjoy life and light more!

 

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tom meyer

My 72 model SL66 has worked liked a champ. The only problem I had was after she went for a 2ft drop, from my hands, and took a 3 flip bounce across a church lawn. A jammed shutter release was the only damage. Essex of NJ fixed her up for $280 US. I think the heart stopping accident was due to holding a 35mm camera while winding the Rollei on. You would need 2 more hands I think.

I recently bought an SL66.Old.Older than electronic metered ones.I have not had the chance to use it in extreme weather conditions.It seems built to take it.My only caveat is this:It is extensively mechanical.Therefore old lubricants that turn pasty or even powdery after,say, a couple of decades(!) can be expected to act up in very cold weather.This may even be not due to Rollei's fault ,to be fair,but to substandard lubrication used elsewhere(which in a machine as intensively,extensively and exquisitely mechanical as this is is to be expected. I have not had the experience with Rollei service whatsoever.Never needed it.So only one comment there....There are 'green' techs everywhere.Training them costs heartaches.Try a veteran Rollei service agent like the ones in the back pages of Shutterbug mag.Harry Fleenor has a good reputation.As to the performance of the machine I have only superlatives.I paid mid 700's

and for that price you can't get a comparable(whatever that may mean)

Hasselblad.

I generally agree with Manfred. Unique camera. Nothing quite like it. Engineering marvel. I have a SL66E and and SE, the SL66E for twenty years.

 

Quality is neither extremely good nor extremely bad. One of my 120/220 magazine sucks. Two others are fine. There were problems with the shutter once and problems with the 50mm Distagon diaphragm another time. None of the problems were too serious and most of them have been fixed. Yes, and the plastic focusing rail on one of them is starting to wear out.

 

They are mechanical masterpieces. Each of them is finished individually and therefore quality varies significantly. Two different SEs for example even sound differently.

 

The magazines are definitely weak points as many users confirm. Apparently there are a few more Achilles heals, including the meter switch, the X-synchronization and some more.

 

In the cold they work as well or as badly as all of the ones with indirect film transport, including Hasselblad and others. The colder it gets, the more difficult it becomes to advance the film. I have been shooting here in Chicago in the winter without any problems. BTW, the 6008i may even be better for extreme temperatures as long as the battery can be kept warm (there is an adapter cable for your pocket).

 

However, in comparison with other pro-level medium format SLR cameras, there are no differences in quality. And, just for the record, the electronic 6008i aren't too bad. I've had one for four years and have had good success so far.