The TLR is it under-rated

[Allen Herbert]

Medium Format,leaf shutter(less noise than M),little weight,no flapping mirror,cheap,do not need to bring to eye(less obvious when taking photo).

[glenn_travis]

Can I put it in my pocket like my Leitz M6, Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8?

[jay_.]

Agree with all except "cheap". Decent used TLR's like the Rolleiflex

2.8 and 3.5 Planars and Xenotars run from $500-$2000 (for the latest

HFT GX and Expressions), and even Yashicamat 124G's are over $300 in

nice condition. Plus many of them will need $150-worth of service.

And they have fixed lenses. The Mamiya interchangeable-lens TLR's are

the exception, but they are quite heavy and bulky and parts are

getting scarce (Mamiya no longer services them). The current

Seagulls from China are in the $175-$300 range but their lenses are

just so-so. I have a 1963 Rollei 2.8F Planar I've had for ages, had

it refurbed a few years ago and use it when the Hasselblad is too

noisy, like wedding ceremonies.

[Allen Herbert]

The current Seagulls from China are in the $175-$300 range but their

lenses are just so-so.

 

<p>

 

Maybe they have a niche market if they can improve lense quality.

[jay_.]

"Maybe they can have a niche market if they improve lense quality"

 

<p>

 

A billion Chinese and 5-6 camera models to choose from...some niche!

[Allen Herbert]

Do a Leica super quality..all those western dollars.

[zoeica images]

The Rolleicord is one of the most underated Rolleis. The lens is

really just as good as some of the Rolleiflex TLR's. The Xenar lens

is a Tessar design. You can get a Rolleicord for much cheaper than a

Rolleiflex.

[Allen Herbert]

The Rolleicord is one of the most underated Rolleis

 

<p>

 

I am about to buy one for £40 quid,value for money or what.

[MTC Photography]

"Maybe they have a niche market if they can improve lense quality"

 

<p>

 

If Seagull can come out with a model with 6 element f2.8 lens

instead of current 4 element Tessar type lens, they can certainly

gain more market shares

[Allen Herbert]

Glenn Travis

 

<p>

 

A pocket should not determine your photo ability.

[tim_franklin]

>Can I put it in my pocket like my Leitz M6, Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8?

 

<p>

 

 

Baby Rollei or Yasica 44. Of course! (and before they start, IT IS

possible to obtain a limited range of 127 film)

[Allen Herbert]

Mike Dixon have you tried a TLR for your low light photos!interested

in your comments.

[gil_pruitt1]

I got a great picture of Bobby Kennedy with a TLR Rolleicord by

holding it upside down at arms length over the heads of the crowd and

viewing the image thru the waist level finder. Sometimes I wish I

had hung on to that old TLR. It made great black and white pics with

Tri-X professional and great big beautiful square transparencies.

Cheers!

[MTC Photography]

"A billion Chinese and 5-6 camera models to choose from...some niche!

"

 

<p>

 

Where do you get this misinformation from ?

 

<p>

 

FYI, even in Xian, one can purchase brand new Minox GT-S,

Minox Leica IIIf and expensive black Minox AX

 

<p>

 

 

<a href="http://bbs.cn26.com/newbbs.cgi?id=200109232042"> Minox GT-S,

Leica IIIf, Minox AX sold in Xian camera store</a>

[MTC Photography]

<a href="http://bbs.cn26.com/newbbs.cgi?

menu=show&id=200109232042&slttitle=20020416111423&see=1">Minox in

Xian</a>

[godfrey]

Medium format TLRs are often overlooked but constitute very

good photographic tools.

 

<p>

 

I have a '51 Rolleiflex 3.5MX Tessar, and have had others over

the years (sold my '81 3.5F Xenotar and regret it, of course). All

the Rolleis can return superb quality photographs and have

sufficient support accessories to be fast enough for most sports,

compact enough for travel and hiking, close-ups are a cinch with

Rolleinar lenses, and they have a big enough negative to make it

just fine for wedding work.

 

<p>

 

The biggest limitation of the Rollei TLR is the lack of

interchangeable lenses for when that is the only way to get the

results you want.

 

<p>

 

Of course, these wonderful qualities of a medium format TLR do

not in any way conflict with the usefulness and versatility of a

Leica M or R camera. They're just different.

[MTC Photography]

"A billion Chinese and 5-6 camera models to choose from...some

niche! "

<p>

 

FYI: In chinaphography.com site, there are price lists for

Nikon, Canon, Leica, Contax, Pentax, Hassy, Mamiya.. <p>

<p> The current market size of China is almost as big as Germany,

France, UK, growing at compound annual rate of 7% per year.<p>

 

<a href="http://www.chinaphotography.com/shop/shop-leica.htm">Leica

price list in China </a>

[Allen Herbert]

except "cheap.

 

<p>

 

My Rolli £40 pound that is cheap....you hassy people bet you wish you

never had that clunky mirror.Guess what i bet my old Rolli will give

sharper prints on a giant enlargement...how much did you pay!nice

jewel.

[Allen Herbert]

Ooops OTT,take the last post with a pinch of salt.

[fran__ois_p._weill]

Allen,

 

<p>

 

I love Rolleis and I bought one for my son to learn photography. He

is now the owner of a splendid (mint!) Rolleiflex F TLR with a 2.8

Planar lens. This is a very handy camera and you can really obtain

superb prints with it. But there is absolutely no way you can bit

what you can obtain with an Hasselblad. I was the happy owner of a

553 ELX, five C lenses, all the extension tubes,two 120 magazines

and a Polaroid back, many accessories and so on until the day some

bastards stole the hard case they were in right in my house. I'm

still sick when I remember that day...

 

<p>

 

But please don't bet anything in the comparative between any Rollei

TLR and an Hassie... You'll lose... Not because of the lens (and it

is particularly obvious when using a similar lens as the Planar 80

mm).

 

<p>

 

The reason why? Easy, it has nothing to do with lens quality. The

clue is fim planeity. Rollei TLR's are notorious to have a less than

perfect planeity of the rollfilm because of the specific way these

fims are loaded which pecludes a perfect tension of the roll. All

the medium format SLR's in current production today use a more

complex, Hasselblad like, film path than the direct way used in the

Rollei TLR's... This Rollei problem won't show too much when blowing

the image reasonably but will immediately become obvious when giant

enlargements are made... Moreover if the film is a modern fine grain

one and a wide aperture used... I admit £ 40 is a very good value

for money for a Rollei TLR (even if it is a 'cord) but don't expect

too much of it. And don't expect to get the Hassie quality...

 

<p>

 

Friendly

 

<p>

 

François P. WEILL

[emile_de_leon9]

I have a bunch of TLR's I've come across over the years....The

Yashica is very high resolution at f11 but prone to flare...but for

portraits.. wonderful.The Rolliecord with Xenar is GREAT at

f8..probably the highest resolution lens ever put on a TLR.Big

prints are AMAZING!3.5 Zeiss Planar is great too esp after 28,000.

Just like a Leica lens. But the thing I like best are the Rollie

closeup lenses...easy to use, small and convienent.Again the

Rolliecord Xenar has the best resolution and color....you wont

believe your eyes what a couple of hundred $$$ will get you! I also

handled the latest models recently since Rollie was bought out...the

physical quality has really gone down...I think the GX of a few

years ago is the last of the good ones....a real shame!

[emile_de_leon9]

As I remember it Richard Avedon shot lots of his stuff on a Rollie

twin and with VERY BIG enlargments.I have had no problem cropping to

20x24 enlargements even wide open with the Rollie twin with 3.5

Planar,which BTW is better regarded than the 2.8 80mm on the

Hassie.Film flatness is always an issue but.... tell that to the LF

guys with a sheet of film flapping around a film holder.

[fran__ois_p._weill]

Emile,

 

<p>

 

20x24 (50x60 in metric) is a huge enlargement by 35 mm standards,

but not such in medium format, I was talking about wall size

enlargements.

 

<p>

 

I agree with you about the Hassie Planar (by far the worst lens in

Hasselblad range). Nevertheless, the film flatness question has

always been considered the weak point of the Rollei TLR's. It is

also evident that it won't really show at f/8 or f/11 anyway... But

I won't bet on a Rollei TLR to equal an Hasselblad. Beside, Rollei

TLR's were designed for a specific use which is entirely different

than the one of an Hasselblad. So, unless you use them for the same

purpose and with a comparable focal length the comparative between

the two is something of academic interest. Without taking into

account the economics of the comparative, such question would be

much more relevant when comparing the result obtained with a

rangefinder modern medium format camera with leaf shutter lenses and

a Rollei TLR as both are made with reportage in mind.

 

<p>

 

I agree too with you about the Rolleipar for low magnification macro-

photography, this one of the most cleverly designed accessory ever.

 

<p>

 

But as we both know, Allen ever likes to be provocative in the

choice of its topics (no pun intented).

 

<p>

 

Friendly.

 

<p>

 

François P. WEILL

[emile_de_leon9]

I think we all can agree that we all love photography as well as our

cameras!

Peace.

[anon_terry]

<i>Can I put it in my pocket like my Leitz M6, Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8?

</i>

 

<p>Can you hide your Leitz M6 in your palm or pretend to use it as a

cellphone like my Ricoh GR1V? Can I pretend I'm lighting a cigarette

with my GR1V like I do with my Minox 8x11? Sheesh.