Rolleicord with Nikkor (Aires Camera) Lens?

<p>I have an old TLR that I am having trouble identifying. I'll say right up front that there is a reasonable possibility that this is an Airesflex Z that has somehow been rebranded with a Rolleicord faceplate. But I've looked at the faceplate carefully and it if someone was trying to fake a rolleicord they have done a pretty good job putting the Rolleicord plate at the top with no obvious traces of welding/gluing the faceplate on. (And why would anyone go to that much effort, since I don't think the Aires were ever that much cheaper than the Rolleicords). Note also that this camera has been in family possession for 20+ years, and we have no idea where we acquired it (anymore); likely a flea market or garage sale.<br>

So, the basics (but please note I'm not a specialist so apologies if I'm not properly describing anything here): this camera looks like a Rolleicord IIc or thereabouts, has a "Rolleicord - DRP - 1043414 - DRGM" faceplate at the top. The Rolleicord wording is raised stamped metal, serial number appears to be recessed stamped and white-paint filled.<br>

The lenses are View-Nikkor C f3.2 7.5cm/Nikkor-Q f3.5 7.5cm, both Nippon Kogaku Japan, both with 5-number serials. Between the lenses Seikosha Rapid marked, below the lower is Aires Camera. Shutter speeds are 10/25/50 etc to 500.<br>

Righthanded winding and focussing knobs, the focussing knob clearly marked Made in Germany - not painted on, but recessed lettering. Distance markings in feet. The waist-level finder has no company marker/identification.<br>

Not that this is relevant to identifying, but all seems to work, although shutter and aperture setting needs a bit more force than normal (lubrication needed). Lenses scratch-free and apart from leatherette peeling in corners, it has lower than average wear for its age (got to be older than fifty years).<br>

Anything else that may be helpful in identifying? In looking all over the web, I can find no indication that any actual Rolleicords were made with Nikkor lenses, nor that any Airesflexes (-flices?) were ever branded as Rolleicords. But again, if someone has tried to fake/forge a Rolleicord, they've done a pretty decent job of it and used what appears to be better-than-average bits.</p>

<p>A bit more information: the presence of the flash sync terminal on lower right below taking lens (when facing lenses) would appear to make this a Rolleicord III equivalent, but as far as I can tell also indistinguishable from the Airesflex Z.</p>

<p>Greg, see <a href="../classic-cameras-forum/00DqJ8">this old thread</a>, and the older one I referenced there. Rollei cameras occasionally turn up with non-original lenses grafted onto them.</p>

<p>Cheers. Without much information of how this is put together, my best guess is that (assuming the parts fit) this may be a graft of the entire Airesflex lens assembly (i.e. the plate that holds them and is moved by focussing knob) onto a Rolleicord body. Other guesses welcome.</p>

<p>I think your last guess is correct. It sounds like it's a Rolleicord chassis, but this would never have appeared with a Nikkor lens, a Seikosha shutter or the name of a competing camera maker engraved on the front. It would have been easy enough to swap one pair of 75mm lenses for another, possibly the camera had been dropped and the original lens and front panel damaged... decades ago, this would not have been thought of as a collector's item and certainly if a repairer could get it back on the road by changing out the front panel and lenses, there's a good chance that he would have been asked to do so.</p>

<p>Thanks. Obviously, hard to speculate about the motivations and specifics, but I am also curious what I am left with. I guess in the end, I'm perfectly happy with a backup shooter with a functioning and by all accounts reasonably performing lens set! I'm testing it now but all seems to be functioning. Although I admit the film transport mechanism seems very primitive, and I've clearly got a bit of work to figure this out and get comfortable with compared to the straightforward c330 I also play with.</p>