Camera from "Where The Heart Is" Movie

Hello,

I don't really know too much about photography and camera's and such, but I'm

learning, and hoping that someone here can help me. :) I saw the movie "Where

The Heart Is" and I wanted to know if anyone could tell me speciffically what

camera Novalee uses in the movie? I know it's a Rollei (spelling?), but that's

about all I know about it. This might be a stupid question, but with Rollei

camera's, you'd have to develop the film yourself, correct?! I hope someone

will help me with my questions. Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

Stacey :)

It's a medium format Franke & Heidecke Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera (no sure about the exact model, probably a 2.8 F). It uses regular 120 roll film and produces 12 6x6cm images on one roll of film. All professional labs develop roll film, so you don't have to unless you want to.

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The Rolleiflex was a professional-level camera with excellent optics and is quite a collectible today, so these don't come cheap (around $500 for a nice specimen). There are tons of other, less expensive <abbr title="twin-lens reflex cameras">TLRs</abbr> like the Yashica-Mat 124G (with a built-in light meter, $80-120) or the Mamiya <abbr title="twin-lens reflex cameras">TLRs</abbr> ($100-200) with interchangeable lenses.

Do the Yashica-Mat 124G or the Mamiya TLRs take just as good pictures as the Rollei's?

 

Stacey

The Rolleiflex with the Zeiss Planar or Schneider Xenotar lens is one of the best camera/lens combinations available. It's image quality rivals most modern 6x6 <abbr title="medium format">MF</abbr> lenses.

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The <abbr title="Yashica-Mat 124G">Y124G</abbr> has a simpler lens, not as perfect as the Rolleiflex, but still very, very good and extremely sharp. The Mamiya <abbr title="twin-lens reflex cameras">TLRs</abbr> (like the C330) are professional cameras with excellent optics that may or may not be as excellent as the Rollei's lens, but their biggest advantage is that you can use lenses with different focal lengths (from wide angle to telephoto). The drawback is that the Mamiya cameras are bigger, heavier and more complicated than the Rollei <abbr title="twin-lens reflex cameras">TLRs</abbr>.

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That said, both Rollei alternatives I mentioned are solid performers and capable of excellent images. But truth be told, a fully-working Rolleiflex 2.8F will always have an edge over the two other cameras, especially when shooting with the aperture wide open.

Ok Thanks for your help. :)

 

Stacey

You're welcome!

It's the photographer, not the camera, what makes the picture good (or not).

Bill,

 

I do not completely agree with that statement. I agree that the photographer creates the emotion, impact, technique and composition of a photo, but the hardware/film creates sharpness, contrast, tonality, color, and a myriad of technical features of an image.

 

No doubt that a Leica can create a dull, shoddy image and a Holga can create fine art, but, ultimately, the image is a fusion of mind and metal and glass.

 

--- JDR

 

 

Postscript: I tried to use the word sh*itty but I was denied and censored. Oh well, you get the idea.

Stacy to get back to your question another option if you're interested in Rollei is a good Rolleicord III, IV, or V. They are much more affordable and very good.

Thanks for everyone's responses. I've been kind of looking at the Rollei's on ebay, but I don't know much about camera's so I don't really know what I'm looking for exactly, so I'll just have to learn more I guess.

 

Stacey :)

Stacey, while your taste in expensive cameras is commendable, I suggest you try not to learn driving in a Ferrari (so to speak). You will encounter quite some issues when photographing with vintage cameras, the most obvious one is that there is often no reliable light meter in the camera. The best solution would be a modern hand-held light meter, but the good ones are, again, sophisticated professional tools and not cheap. The Yashica-Mat 124G is a fairly modern <abbr title="twin-lens reflex camera">TLR</abbr> (manufactured until 1989 <abbr title="if I recall correctly">IIRC</abbr>) and has a built-in CdS light meter that should be accurate enough for most purposes (remember to keep the camera pointed downward when taking a reading). This is why the Yashica is often recommend to medium format beginners, as the camera is also inexpensive and produces great photos.

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<abbr title="twin-lens reflex cameras">TLRs</abbr> are interesting picture-takers, but in my humble opinion they are not that great as a first medium format camera. I know, some old-school people swear on <abbr title="twin-lens reflex cameras">TLRs</abbr> as beginners' cameras, but I find them too limited. Get a nice Mamiya or Bronica <abbr title="single-lens reflex camera">SLR</abbr> with interchangeable optics and a <abbr title="waist-level finder">WLF</abbr>, and you won't miss that <abbr title="twin-lens reflex camera">TLR</abbr>. In one year -- when you know more about photography and have built your skill -- you can still get one.

I would be incredibly happy if I could purchase a Rolleiflex 2.8F ("a nice specimen") for

US$500.

Jim, check out the German version of <b><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7620420181" target="_NEW">that big internet auction site</a></b>. Okay, I think in Euro, not dollar, but still there are great bargains <b><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280000224716" target="_NEW">here</a></b>.

The problem you will have is that of 'condition'. These cameras are old and some have been altered (non-matching lenses) to improve apperance. Buy the best condition you can find, but with the choice to return after a test roll. If you plan to use it, include a CLA in your budget ($150).

I worked for a time for Rollei and have been a professional for 6 decades.

 

The 124G was a pretty darned good camera. The camparison is this: Film plane flatness was better in the Yashica than the Rollei, the gear drive (transport) is much better in the Rolleiflex TLR. The Rollei 3.5 Tessar was unformly good with their camera while the Yashica 4 element tessar type lens was a bit variable in quality (some were excellent some were not quite as sharp). The Xenotars and Planars were truly excellent lenses. Some of the Rolleicords with non Zeiss lenses had variable quality (frequently discussed in camera magazines).

 

History: Germany lost all its patents and copyrights due to the loss of WWII. Any company in the world could copy any German cameras or lenses. There may have been as many as 70 copies of the Rollei TLR, some of which were truly excellent (such as the Mamiya Automats through 1956, the Aires Automat and the Airesflex with Nikkor lenses, and the Minolta Autocords, 3 with Cds meters.

 

Ansco Auto Reflex (1947-earlly 1950's) and the Ciroflex F were professional quality TLR's (late 40's to early 50's)

from the USA.

 

The TLR class act of all was, however, not a Rollei copy, these were the interchangeable lens Mamiya TLR's. There optics were among the best in the world and the film flatness was the envy of the industry.

 

Lynn

I know this is an old thread, but I had to contribute...Novalee's camera is actually a

Rolleicord. You can see it when she takes the picture of Americus in the rubble of Sister's

trailer...there's a close-up of the camera in her hands.

Having just seen this again, after checking up on TLRs and having acquired one last year, I noticed in greater

detail the cameras in "Where the Heart Is". Wondering about the models, I searched the Net for an answer, found

this thread, and thought I could contribute. (Lynn Jones, great post!!!)

<br /><br />

In chronological order, I hope:<br />

Novalee's first camera is a Polaroid model. (I should get out the DVD and pause the movie to take a closer

look.)<br />

Moses has a really nice Rolleiflex.<br />

Novalee gets a P&S camera (model anyone?).<br />

Novalee finds a Rolleicord at a garage sale (lucky her!).<br />

Somewhere, Novalee gets an SLR to take the shot of Americus and Forney (Minolta? Olympus?).<br />

Later on, when she has a 'career' as a photographer, she has herself a shiny Rolleiflex.<br />

<br /><br />

Well, I think that's it, for now.

<p>I Just got a yashica and Im very happy!!!</p>