Rolleiflex Portrait Examples...

I'm thinking of purchasing a rolleiflex 2.8, just looking for some examples of

some portraits. I shoot in BW and can't find many examples online.

 

Also how different are Hasselblads from Rollei's? IS hasselblad a complete step

up or just a different look?

 

Thanks

 

Greg

Hello,

Here are examples of photos taken with a Rolleiflex T:

A second one :

Hasselblad is a different type of camera that shoots the same film, square and the same

quality. Hasselblad is a single lens reflex and has interchangeable lenses as well as film

magazines. A 2.8 Rollei has one non interchangeable lens and focuses through another

lens. Hasselblad is not a step up just a different approach. Before you invest the money

in either perhaps a bit more research or a trip to a used camera store to handle the

cameras.

 

Steve Pyke does a lot of portraiture with a Rollei TLR and you will find it sometimes in The

New Yorker magazine....

 

http://www.pyke-eye.com/

 

For more Rollei work you can look at Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, David Bailey, Richard

Avedon and many more.

Check out rollei potraits of one of my favorite photographers, Irving Penn. His published work is available at public linraries or on-line. I think photographer Bill Brandt may have used a rollei. And Imogen Cummingham.

Greg,

Are you familiar with Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Cecil Beaton, David Bailey, Bruce Weber,

Bert Stern, Robert Doisneau, Clifford Coffin, or Helmut Newton?

 

For more current work, try Flickr:

 

Thanks for the images,

What rollei is that?

A TLR? 2.8e or 2.8f? Also what film did you use?

 

Greg

wow...thanks for the all the replies, I'm a big fan of Bailey, Newton and Beaton.

 

I, myself, shoot with Nikon FM3A's and specialise in portraits in the music industry mainly so am looking to expand and considering medium format, just finance is an issue. Hasselblad seem to be the top of the range, but theres something about Rollei's that i'm attracted to.

 

check out my work and see what you think

 

http://www.gregallum.co.uk

 

Rollei's could be the way forward ?

 

Greg

The great Rolleiflex artists in my humble opinion were Horst and Helmut Newton -- look at their portraits and you'll see what a Rolleiflex can do!

As Bill said, Irving Penn.

All the above mentioned photographers, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Cecil Beaton, David

Bailey, Bruce Weber, Bert Stern, Robert Doisneau, Clifford Coffin, and Helmut Newton used

Rolleiflex TLR's as did Diane Arbus and "art" photographer just getting attention now

nearly 40 years after her death, and Dickey Chapelle, noted female photojournalist who

covered the Vietnam War with a Rollei in the jungle. Richard Avedon the famous fashion

photographer did all his spectacular work with a Rolleiflex F.

 

In the late 1950s to early to mid-1960's 80% of the daily newspaper photographers in

America went through the transition from 4x5 Speed Graphic to 6x6 and the Rolleiflex

before the Nikon SLR eventually dominated photojournalism for many years.

 

You can't go wrong with a Rolleiflex if you had to pick one camera and one lens.

All the photographers mentioned <b><i>also</i></b> used Rolleiflexes, along with a host of other cameras.<br><br>When looking at great photographers, concentrate on the person.<br>That's what made them great photographers, their photos great photographs.<br>Not the cameras they might have used.

Have a look at Franke & Heidecke's "Quadrat" newsletter here: http://www.franke-

heidecke.net/files/quadr1-engl.pdf

 

- Børre Ludvigsen

All the photographers mentioned also used Rolleiflexes, along with a host of other cameras.

Some of those great photographers captured their images on film, too!

<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/413118586_0177062fc1_o.jpg">

 

<p>Rolleiflex 2.8E<br>

Xenotar 80/2.8<br>

Fuji Acros 100<br>

HC110 dil B

Since you're in the UK, also check out the work of Bill Brandt. He used the Rolleiflex for most

of his portrait work and fine art stuff as well.

Mike Kovacs,

 

Great capture, mate!

 

Stu

I am 72 years old and have been doing my B & W developing on and off since age 12. Using Rollie 2.8D since 1972 and recently got a 2.8E2. Also have best Nikon money can buy as well as others. After all these years and 100's of photos, just realized that all my best work came from Rollie. The Rollie has made me look like a much better photographer, hands down.

Tom, I have a Nikon D200 and so many film cameras I've lost count; but just recently got a Rolleiflex .. now, how much fun is that! I simply love the way this camera works, feels and takes pictures .. amazing in this day of digital ease that the Rolleiflex survives.. it is truly a remarkable camera and I'm looking for a 2nd one as my kids have discovered it and they take all my neat cameras

I use hasseblad, rolleiflex 2.8F planar and 2.8c schneider. and also 35mm a leica m6.

 

I fell a closer bond in the way I take picture with my leica and rollei than with the hasseblad. its kind of stealthy and does literally make no more noise than the lensshutter, and rather than pointing the camera at you object, almost like an opponent with hasseblad, you kind of lurk with your rollei. I dont know this is just my feeling.

 

 

though, to reload film with rollei takes longer than with a hasselblad I think it is really fun to use!

 

one thing i dont like with the rollei is the way you alter shutter speed and apperture size, you have to small wheels on each side of the view lens, and these can be sticky on old cameras and theyre kind of small and yeah they look cool but theyre not very convienient at all..

 

anyway rolleiflex is a really fun camera to work with.

try it out!

 

TEITUR