jacobmiles Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Hello. I have a Rolleicord III. I prefer the controls to a Rolleiflex, and of course the size and weight, but I have two problems with it: 1) I find the dim viewfinder nearly impossible to use, and 2) the taking lens vignettes when focused close and opened wide. Are there remedies to either of these problems? Are these problems true of all Rolleicords, or just mine? I'd prefer not to go with a Va or Vb, because I like having all the controls on the right side so I can keep it held in my left. Thanks for any help. - Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fwstutterheim Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 <a href="http://www.stutterheim.nl/rollei/text_pages/ rolleiflex_userinfo.htm#screens">Screens</a><br><br> Serious vignetting is not normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron_lind Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 my rolleicord III doesnt have any vigennetting on the film.. are you talking about on the viewing screen? cause i think thats common with most viewfinders like this and its amplified and more noticable when the amount of light is lower you can get your rolleicord cleaned on the inside and that will make the screen brighter possibly. Or you can have replacement screens like the maxwell screen or beattie screen. But unless your a collector its probably not worth it . I get along fine in most places even when its pretty dark out. http://www.intenscreen.com/products_medium-format_rolleiflex.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_messerly Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Harry Fleenor can install brighter screens and fix the vignette problem. Here's a link to his screen replacement page. I have had two Rollei cameras (one was a Rolleicord III, shutter overhaul) repaired and the work is superb. http://www.rolleirepairs.com/maxscreen.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobmiles Posted October 17, 2005 Author Share Posted October 17, 2005 Thank you for the link, Mark. I contacted Harry about a brighter screen and an overhaul. After that, this Rolleicord will be a powerful machine. For those interested, it is worth it to me to improve on this Rolleicord, rather than get a Rolleiflex, because I prefer the handling of the Rolleicord. The knob is an improvement over the crank for me, not a detraction, because along with the right-handed focus knob (which lets me keep the camera firmly held in my left hand the whole time), advancing the film doesn't jostle the camera around between shots. It's a slight nuisance to cock the shutter before firing it, but not really. I just wish they'd made a Rolleicord with a Planar. In addition, in this case I picked up the Rolleicord for $32 on eBay, because it's dented on the bottom and looks generally like hell. Adds to the "This baby's all I need" effect. So spending a couple hundred on it for a screen is okay with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_n Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Hi Jake, Not much to add to this really except to say that I have a Rolleicord V (which has the focussing knob on the right) which has given me superb results. I have run a few velvia slide films through it of late and to me the results are stunning. I might add that I tend to stop the lens down to at least F8 wherever possible to make allowance for a slight adge softness which is apparent wide open. I might add also that I bought a brighter fresnel screen for mine on ebay which was much brighter but the results from my next shoot were a tad out of focus. I enquired of a camera tech here in Perth WA who told me that the screen would need to be shimmed and checked on a collumator (sp?). Didn't make a lot of sense to me as I thought the matt finish was on the bottom or light side. Anyway, I refitted the original glass screen and have produced some really sharp images since then. Indoors it's a bit dark but outdoors it's fine. Have fun with the Rollei. Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacsa Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Do the 'cord III's come all with Xenar taking lenses? If not, a triotar could be a reason for the vignetting you talk about. But if it's a xenar, should not be so serious. I had a 'cord V (until it was stolen :( ) and i really like the results with that camera.I also like the right-side focus knob. What I disliked in the ergonomics is the lever shutter-release; a release button screwed into the cable release socket can solve this. The screen is indeed dim, but contrasty enough to focus. Same as on my pre-war rolleiflex. Just sometimes I get a surprise in form of things at the edge of the frame that were not supposed to be in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobmiles Posted October 25, 2005 Author Share Posted October 25, 2005 Where can I find this shutter-release button? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele_di_masi_jr.1 Posted October 31, 2005 Share Posted October 31, 2005 Jake, Pacificrimcamera.com has lots of goodies for Roleicords. I just bought the 35 mm adapter for $65.00. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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