Rollei 35S Popularity

<p>Over 40 years I've owned 2 Rollei 35's ... one black.. one silver. For some stupid reason I sold them. Now I want another. I'm adding to my Minolta Rokkor MD collection (XD11) and want another 35S. I've noticed on eBay that the price of these have skyrocketed and are now considered a classic chique collectible. I wonder what caused this and the drastic price increases?</p>

<p>Chuck</p>

<p>Don't know, but I was watching "Close Encounters" the other night. In the last scene, Teri Garr is snapping away with a Rollei 35. </p>

<p>They are small, made of metal and have a really good lens. I think many people who traded their film cameras for a 2 megapixel digital wonder by now realize that they made a mistake. And with films like the Kodak Ektar 100 you can get spectacular results.<br>

Christoph</p>

<p>Nothing is going up in either value or price. What is happening is the Bank Notes we mistakenly call money, are becoming worth less. Say it fast <strong>"Worthless". So what you are seeing is the rapid decline we are having in the money systems of the world.</strong><br>

<br />I was just looking at a 4x5 folding camera <strong>Brand new 1912 prices</strong>. with the following description:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Solid Honduras mahogany, specially selected and kiln dried, rounded and dovetailed corners, Hand rubbed piano finish. Soid brass hardware nickle plated and highly polished, Fine grained leather covering, finest red Russian leather bellows, revolving back with leather covered ground glass door, rack and pinion long focusing with built in bed extension, detachable lens board, rise and fall and horizontal shift and rear swing, complete with 1 double plate holder. $10.80 without lens and shutter.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I just went to the fabric store and purchased a bit of fabric to make a bellows, and some paint from the hardware store to restore an old camera, and spent something over $20 just for a few little items to fix one. So this is a good illustration of how the Bankers have devalued our dollar to the point it is nearly <strong>"Worthless" </strong>It can only get worse from here, no matter how much people riot in the streets of the world. can't afford to eat, want more pay etc etc. Nothing to expect other than rapid inflation and even Hyper inflation in the days to come.Till total collapse that is! Then we start over. But we get to capture the hardships on film along the way!</p>

<p>I sure hope everyone has filled their freezers with film if they can afford to! When the "Stuff" hits the fan, it won't be available and Film still is the only permanent method of recording the events that are to come.</p>

<p>Cliff, I always enjoy your camera-related posts. Please give the other stuff a rest, will you? This forum is not the place.</p>

 

<p>When he asked "Why the drastic price increase" I guess I should have just said "for some unmentionable reason". Sorry, I tried to answer the question and everything IS about cameras, restoring them, buying plenty of film, the description of an Antique, and the prices, etc. Life isn't always Roses and perfume. Sometimes to know the <strong>why</strong> something happened or is happening is a harsh smack up the side of the head with reality! I didn't go into any details, only that there is an increasing world wide problem with increasing prices due to devaluing of currencies, which answers the question about why the price increase. Which is the topic of this post.</p>

I think you just need to play your hand.. bid what you're willing to pay.. One will drop out, you just need to stick with it!

Cliff; I like your candid responses too without any conditions.. Especially enjoyed reading the old ad text... makes you wonder what you're getting for your money these days!!

<p>I disagree, but that's the beauty of our country, isn't it? :-)</p>

<p>Quite apart from the economic debate, I've certainly noticed a steady increase in prices gained at auction for quality cameras from before the plastic point-and-shoot era. As a case in point I bought my first Yashica Electro 35 GSN about four years ago at what was about the going rate of $30; a couple have sold over the past month in excess of three times that figure. Pre-AF Canon SLR's have hit new highs, recently, and anything with the Rollei name gets snapped up, even the last plastic junk. I suspect it's not so much people returning to film, but an emergence of these items as "collectibles", though I'd like to think that there's a growing resurgence of interest in film.</p>

<p>I would too Rick; I think many people see film now as a "boutique" sort of item, and often will buy a film camera and put one or two rolls through it, and then forget about it. I still think that's good, though, because some of them will stick with it, and having more film shooters is always better!</p>

<p>I think film is still hard to beat. The depth of colors the almost 3d affect. And as one contributor pointed out.... this is a great all steel camera with a great lens. I kick myself in the butt for selling the ones I had. Harvey Keenor (sp) in Manhattan Beach, CA., rebuilt the ones I had and they were perfect...</p>

<p>So now I have a canon 5D + 24-105mm L lens and an awsome panasonic LX 3 which has a Leica lens. Great little camera but it's not film..... So I'll just keep my eyes open for a great used minty condition 35S...</p>

<p>Thanks all for your contributions.. This is fun.. haha</p>

<p>I bought my 35S in 1977 and recently replaced the light meter. I have several Nikons and Rollei TLR's but this little camera is by far the most used.</p>

<p>Why the 35S? The regular Rollei 35 has the superb Tessar lens, and produces stunning results. I've owned a Rollei 35 and two Rollei 35T's in my life (one black and one mint in silver, sold last year on the auction site for $152). <br /><br />I enjoy using them but they are a little fiddly and overall if I'm shooting 35mm film I'm using my Nikon F3HP anyway, so I decided to jettison the Rollei 35T last year. But they do produce gorgeous results. The 35T is identical to the 35 and got the T when the 35S with the Sonnar lens was released. The Sonnar only performs better wide open. Stopped down to f5.6 or f8 the Tessar and Sonnar are indistinguishable.</p>

<p>I've owned and enjoyed using several Rollie 35's. Once in the 70's, I took one backpacking across Colorado--shot 10 or more rolls of Kodachrome---they easily projected to 10 feet by 10 feet. IMHO. the Rollie 35's were the perfect balance of function, engineering, and aesthetics. Gotta hand it to Rollei design. Ditto my experience with the Rollie TLR. Next week, I'll be taking my Rolleicord V TLR to Paris, along with my Rollei 35. Perfect for travel. When I compare those cameras to my Nikon F5 Blotaflex or (gasp) a feature-dripping digital SLR, I am grateful for the spare Rollie design.</p>

<p>I've owned and enjoyed using several Rollie 35's. Once in the 70's, I took one backpacking across Colorado--shot 10 or more rolls of Kodachrome---they easily projected to 10 feet by 10 feet. IMHO. the Rollie 35's were the perfect balance of function, engineering, and aesthetics. Gotta hand it to Rollei design. Ditto mt experience with the Rollie TLR. Next week, I'll be taking my Rollei TLR to Paris, along with my Rollei 35. Perfect for travel. When I compare those cameras to my Nikon F5 Blotaflex or (gasp) a feature-dripping digital SLR, I am grateful for the spare Rollie design.</p>