Rolleiflex SL66 Shutter Cleaning

Hello all,

So I recently got a Rolleiflex SL66, and there seems to be a slight issue with the negatives I get from the camera. I think I've narrowed it down the the shutter (see this previous post), but I've been wondering how easy it would be to clean the shutter. The rear plate seems quite easy to remove, only 10 flat-head screws to remove it- at least I think. I've seen photos of the left panel removed, right panel removed, but never the rear panel, so should I assume it isn't a part I should remove? Anyone have any information? I bought the repair manual online for $10, and that manual seemingly glosses over that part entirely.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

There probably isn't anything to be gained by opening the back plate. If there was anything under it amenable to routine servicing, Rollei would have included it in their diagram set. Since they don't, chances are the only reason to open the back plate would be to replace the shutter curtains entirely (a procedure so fraught, most techs would rather be locked in an airless closet with a Hasselblad 2000FC- and they absolutely hate that camera).

You could certainly check under the plate for any grime or debris, but it might be riskier than it looks. On one hand there doesn't seem to be much of anything under there compared to the side plates. OTOH, Rollei being Rollei, the back plate might be very critically aligned with the shutter rollers or other guidance. If you pop off that plate without knowing if there's a specific recommended procedure to it, you could create a much bigger problem for yourself.

Depending what you paid for the camera, and your risk tolerance, I'd say your three choices are 1) roll the dice and take the rear plate off, 2) put yourself on the waiting list of the only serious SL66 repair guy left in the country or 3) seal it back up and resell. Professional repair of an SL66 shutter is likey to be frightfully expensive, but once overhauled it should stay operational for quite some vs a Hasselblad (which can require lens shutter servicing every few years).

The Japanese medium format gear from Mamiya and Bronica may be "boring" and "common" but at least it can be serviced by any random tech (or DIY, or modules simply replaced for less than the cost of a repair). Rolleiflex and Hasselblad have their mystique and Zeiss allure, but resist DIY repair of anything beyond trivial faults, and specialist repair options are dwindling with every passing year. I'm really uncomfortable as a Hasselblad enthusiast knowing there's only a handful of truly gifted 'blad repair techs left in USA: with the SL66 you're basically down to just the one guru in California. German/Swedish professional cameras were a sensation in the '60s-'70s, but tend to require fussy bespoke servicing that just isn't widely available anymore (for the SL66, it was barely available even in its heyday).