Rolfix II shutter

Greetings All

 

I have recently acquired a Rolfix II folding camera with the hope of going back to basics.

Back in the late 80's I was a keen photographer with an assortment of equipment including a Bronica etrs.

Although I am not expecting the Rolfix to provide as good image as the Bronica, hopefully I might be surprised.

I have noticed the shutter speed setting ring and shutter cocking lever both get tighter to move as the speed increases. I can imagine this is normal as the higher shutter speed requires more force from the spring.

Is this correct?

Also what can I expect in the was of image quality?. I have checked the focus using tape on the film guides and a loupe to look through the lens with the shutter on B and it seems the focus is correct.

 

Many thanks in advance

Which shutter and lens does your Rolfix have ? If it has a Radionar lens, expect results similar to this image exposed in a Franka Solida 111 6x6 Radionar, Kodak Pro 160 (not Portra) home developed and scanned, cropped and sharpened a whisker

 

 

Only the highest speed should require extra force to cock, but my ordinary Rolfix which has a Prontor-S shutter, the effort needed to cock the highest speed (250) is the same as the other speeds. If your Rolfix 11 has the Synchro Compur shutter, then yes, the highest speed (500) will take some skin off while cocking it

It has the Rodenstock Trinar lens and a Synchro Compur shutter, the highest speed is 400. I intend to use it mostly for B&W. My guess is that at f8 or smaller it should give good results.

The 400 speed is a little easier to set than the 500 on other Synchro Compur shutters of that era. The 500 has a very heavy spring tension and I'm sure it vibrates a folding camera when it fires. I try not to use it for that reason, on any of my folders. Your 400 top speed is a blessing

 

The Trinar from all reports is better than the Radionar, it appears to be sharper and may have better resolving power, but we're talking about consumer cameras of their day and both lenses may be much of a muchness. A great deal depends on the quality of the film, it's processing and how it was exposed as to what the results will be

 

Another image through the Radionar, cropped to the max, again Kodak Pro 160. Your Trinar will equal this or do better.

 

Happy shooting - Ken