Close focusing distance on TLR's..

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste1664880652]

I've tried my best to search the web but this is a detail that seems to be

constantly left out of the reviews/features pages. The cameras I'm interested

in are the Rolleiflex 3.5F and T as well as the Minolta Autocord. Does anyone

know the figures for close focusing with these 3 cameras?

 

As a matter of interest while I'm asking - how much is a typical CLA costing

for TLR's here in the UK, does anyone know?

[robert_marvin]

The close focusing distance for all of these is about 3.5 feet. The Rollie Rolleinar close up lenses are very high quality and alow much closer focusing with paralex correction. I use Rolleinar 1 and 2 sets with my 2.8E.

 

CLAs run $100--$200 in the US; with higher UK costs I'd imagine you just have to substitute a Pound sign for a Dollar sign.

[bengt1664878721]

With Rolleinar-lenses the focus range for Rolleis with 75mm focal length is:

 

Rolleinar 1: 100-45cm

Rolleinar 2: 50-31cm

Rolleinar 3: 32-24cm

[al_kaplan1]

Spiratone used to market sets of the three powers of close-up lenses with the primatic correction for parallax, similar to what Rollei offered but much cheaper. I believe Minolta did also. These were all in bayonet size 1 only. At the typical f/8 to f/16 you'd be shooting for close-ups they performed quite well.

[bueh]

If you want to focus considerably closer than 1m with a <abbr title="twin-lens reflex camera">TLR</abbr>, there is only one solution: The bellows-focusing Mamiya C <abbr title="twin-lens reflex cameras">TLRs</abbr>.<p>Anyone who likes this type of camera should at least check one out in real life and note the ingenuity of its peculiar design.

[carrotblog__miffy_]

Robert,

 

Does that mean that the Rolleinar I goes on the taking lens, and the Rolleiparkeil I goes on the viewing lens?

 

I've been using mine the other way round ...

 

I can get down to a close focus of around 50cm with the Rolleinar I/Rolleiparkeil I combination..

 

xo

 

Miffy

[robert_marvin]

Miffy,

 

Exactly.You do have it backwards.

 

BTW, the Rolleinar/Rolleiparkeil combination is VERY old (pre-WW II, I think).Later Rolleinar sets (ones only 50 or so years old, like mine) have the paralex-correction unit combined with the viewing c/u lens.

[carrotblog__miffy_]

Thanks Robert.

<p>

I'm too young to know the difference!

<p>

If there is a parallax correction version, that might be better since I have been into decapitation recently.

<p>

Btw - the Rolleiparkeil I is lovely and multi-coated which is why I thought it should be on the taking lens.

<p>

O_O<p>

...x...

<p>

Miffy

[fwstutterheim]

Ben, <p>

The best man in the U.K. or a CLA is <a href="http://www.stutterheim.nl/rollei/text_pages/

rolleiflex_service.htm#uk" target="_blank">Brian Mickleboro</a>, better ask him.<p>

<a href="http://www.stutterheim.nl/rollei/text_pages/rolleinar_table.htm" target="_blank">

Rolleinar Information</a>.<p>Ferdi.

[robert_marvin]

"Rolleiparkeil I is lovely and multi-coated which is why I thought it should be on the taking lens."

 

If it's multi-coated, it would be fairly recent, but I don't think that could be the case.

 

AFAIK the Rolleiparkeil goes on the viewing lens on TOP of a close-up lens, but, at 62, even I am too young to have ever used one (I've only had two piece--not three piece--Rolleinar sets). Would someone--either a real old timer, or a Rollei collector, please clarify this?

[jeffpolaski]

A parallax-correcting technique, IF the shot is from a tripod with a leveled head, would be to compose the shot through the viewing lens and then adjust only the tripod column height equal to the center-to-center distance between the two lenses.

 

This technique worked perfectly with a CV Bessa L (35mm format) that had a 15mm rectilinear lens and a shoe-mounted viewfinder.

[chris_waller]

Here in Bristol, UK, a basic CLA comes in at around ?100.

[bengt1664878721]

Robert, your memory is correct: with the three-piece Rolleinar there are two identical close-up lenses and one Rolleiparkeil which goes on the top close-up lens. Remember to point the red dot up, or else the parkeil will not correct parallax properly. Voila, no more decapitation...

[david_m]

If you need to do a lot of close-focussing, a TLR is simply the wrong tool for the job. You need a medium format SLR and extension tubes.

[kelly_flanigan1]

With my old heavy as heck Mamyia C3; one can focus close; one has a bellows on the focus gizmo. I consider this to be more of a studio camera than my lighter TLR's. With a 180mm lens one can focus about 3.8ft .; and one can focus alot closer with a shorter 105 or 80mm. <BR><BR>I would get a working TLR that doesnt require a cla if possible from a known person or dealer. There is alot of collector looking junk on the market.<BR><BR>It far better to have a known well focusing working tlr than an unknown one with an opened end cla cost. Imagine buying a car to use tommmorow; and planning one rebuilding the engine and transmission.:)<BR><BR>Here I have owned and used a Rolleicord IV; Rolleiflex standard; Rolleiflex E3; Mamyia c3 ; Kodak duoflex and have used also Yashica 635; 124; etc. I would rather shoot a wedding or portrait session with a known working; well focusing Yashica 635 than a unknown Ebay Rolleiflex f with Planar that might have the swapped lens gambit.

[robert_marvin]

I guess David M is right about a MF SLR with extension tubes being a better tool for close-ups, but Rollei Rolleinars work quite well in practice.

[daniel_martini]

I just bought a Rolleicord, my first non slr-camera. First thing I did was to put in the 35mm adapter-set (rolleikin?) and put in a film. The second thing I did was to try out the rolleinar/rolleiparkeil No2 combo which turned out with me unscrewing the glass from the rolleiparkeil!! The outer rim holding the glass inside wasn't really screwed on tightly and my inquiring mind of course had to unscrew the hole damn thing (I mean, lenses rarely have things unscrewable that easily so I had to see what was wrong and how I could make it better). Turns out I couldn't /tough to get it in just the right place again so I guess the parallax correction has gone out of the window).

 

Also, when trying to advance the film it only goes one frame (and the counter doesn't count). I have to open the back (thus ruining the frame) to be able to advance it again. It's an arm that stops the advance knob from going another turn. Frustrating!

 

What should I do?