First comments on Rolleicord Vb (sorry, no pics yet) or does it really need a shade?

[marc_berg]

Hi all,

 

I just bothered you some time ago by asking if I would notice a quality leap

using a Rollei TLR compared to 35mm. I got shortly afterwards a CLAed Rolleicord

Vb and got to use it. Sorry, I have no scanner available and cannot post pics,

but once I got larger prints, my first comments would undoubtedly be: wow!

 

Very nice camera, very nice images, even for a low-end Rollei -seeing what

they're marketing nowadays, they should be ashamed of themselves-. Even wide

open, I do not find the softness to be compromising.

 

Now, perhaps an interesting point. Thinking I could need filters for BW and a

shade for such an old lense, I got them not cheap afterwards. Surprisingly, I

have taken several contre-jour shots without shade and none of them shows flare;

so I guess the shade is not really THAT necessary -more surprisingly, I find it

most necessary in my Rollei 35 S, by the way-. Goes without saying that shots

without filter showed good contrast too... Sorry if what I tell is too elementary :)

 

Glad to read your comments.

 

Cheers.

 

Marc

[ben_hutcherson]

Marc,

I too am a relatively recent Rollei owner, having gone a bit crazy after my first Rolleicord Va and buying a Rolleicord III and Rolleiflex Automat 3.

 

All three of mine have the same coated Xenar yours has, and I too have found it to be remarkably flare resistant. Considering that the Tessar design became popular in the prewar era because of its flare resistance with no coating, it shouldn't be any surprise that the coated version is nearly bulletproof in this respect.

 

I was looking at one transparency the other day taken with my Rolleiflex. The disk of the sun is in the frame, and yet there is absolutely no ghosting anywhere. I'd planned to buy a hood, but I've decided against it considering what they sell for and how good it works even without it.

 

In any case, though, I'm glad you're enjoying yours. I know I sure am all three of mine.

[marc_berg]

Ben,

 

it seems you have the Rollei itch! That is what I wanted to avoid getting the Rolleicord. I

knew I would have ended up buying a much more expensive Rolleiflex 2.8. I am happy

now and am not planning to get another one -just my green jealous friends are :p-.

 

However, I found many posts here stating the importance of getting a lens shade for the

Rolleicord. I paid for original shade+filter around 30$, wich compared to the 140$ I paid

for the camera is a fortune. At least the shade looks cool on the camera ;)

 

Cheers.

 

Marc

[John Seaman]

The later Rolliecords have much better light baffling within the body - if you look inside you will see black ridges and matt black paint. Earlier ones don't have these features and are much more prone to flare caused in my opinion more by the smooth finish inside the body of the camera than by the lens.