hassie planar 80 vs rolleiflex planar 80

two planars made by zeiss, is there any performance difference between the two?

I have been using Hasselblads for more than 30 years. Obviously I am happy with them!

 

Many years ago, (maybe15) my dealer dropped a Rollei outfit in my car for the W/E and said: "go compare". I did. I set up all the hard shots, lighting wise that I could devise and shot them on C/T on both outfits. I then put the film into the lab (pre. self processing) and invited the dealer to collect the film on my behalf. Easch of the staff members at the dealer bet me $50 that the Rollei lens would outshoot the Blad, because of the difference in coating, they claimed. Now I was prepared to be convinced as I was ready to upgrade my gear. I believed they would perform equally well as they are the same lens out of the same factory.

 

They called me triumphantly to declare that indeed one film indicated better flare control than the other. Obviously, it was the one exposed with the Rollei lens, thay declared, because that is what they predicted.

 

I went to their showroom and beheld the evidence. They were right. One film did look better! They all put their hand out for the $50 each I owed them. I called for a lupe. I examined the frame edge of the better film and found the tell tale "two notches" of the Hasselblad 'signature'.

 

I kept my Blad outfit. I still have it today. I never got the $50 x4 reps though!

 

Sorry about the long story, but I reckon it is worth repeating. BTW, I reckon Rollei is great stuff and would never hesitate to use it if I needed. I just prefer the ergonomics of the Hasselblad. Purely personal.

 

Karl, if you are trying to choose between Blad and Rollei, you will need to separate them on something other than the lens in reality. Both are very good.

 

Cheers,

I have owned both and agree completely: either lens is a top notch performer. Decide on ergonomics and other features of the camera. Enjoy whilst there is still film to put through the cameras.

I have twice over the past 12 years owned both a Rollei and a Hasselblad at the same time. Both times I have made side-by-side comparisons, and both times the Hasselblad Planar had noticeably more snap and contrast in the images. I think it is the T* coating, which the Rollei Planar lacks.

Umm, I think the HFT coating is pretty close to it, if not the same thing according to the

Zeiss website. FWIW, I've found the Rollei version better, with cleaner color rendition at

wider stops, in comparing same relative versions of the lens.

The Rolleis I have compared to the equivalent Hasselblad lenses didn't have T* coating.

I mean they didn't have HFT coating.

On a deserted island (except for a darkroom), I would take either. I've owned both, but I own the Hasselblad now, for one reason: newer equipment is available.

 

But! There's something to be said about the sheer simplicity of a Rollei TLR that lets you be one with the subject.

To generalize, I think there is more Blad gear out there than Rollei, which allows more future continuity than Rollei may.

 

Cheryl, Your obs. re. the Rollei TLR is very valid, but I assume other comparators, self included, were comparing the Blad with the Rollei SLR. I have to say that probably the 'best' tech quality image I ever took with a 6x6 camera was on a Rolei TLR. I am sure it had a lot to do with the absence of a flopping mirror in the situation.

Yes - I know this isn't apples to apples - but I have a Rolleiflex 3.5f, late version 3 with the

six element 75mm planar. True, this lens may flare more at times than the T* blad 80, but

In most cases I find this 75 to be sharper - all else being "equal" - meaning with each

camera on a tripod, blad with the mirror locked up, etc. But then again, the 80 blad planar

is no slouch - and due to its coating and to the greater accuracy of being a true slr, its

overall utility is arguably better. But there is something extraordinary about using the

Rollei - especially when equipped with an unlined Maxwell screen.

The 2,8 Planar on the Rolleiflex TLR cameras is a five element construction, but the SLR Rolleis and Hasselblads have six or seven element Planars. That's because the SLR Planars are retrofocus constructions, so that the rear lens element can be further away from the film plane, and thus give more room for the moving mirror.

 

I guess the question was about the difference between the two brands SLR Planars, but I just wanted to point out that the five element Rollei TLR Planars aren't inferior just because they have fewer elements. ;-)

John A, I enjoyed reading your answer. Now I also know what those two markings on the edges are!

 

Thanks, and regards.