Advice to choose my new Rollei

[juan_mcmahon]

Hi!.

I have the chance to buy a Rolleiflex and I need your advice to help me to

choose the right one from a selection of three.

The first thing you have to know is that I already have a Yashica Mat 124G,

which I use regularly, so even I?m not an expert, I?m not new using TLC?s.

I also have a Rolleinar #2 for close-ups, a set of 6 rollefilters and a lens

hood, all of them fits perfectly in my Yashica.

As I said before, I have the chance to choose from three different Rollei?s.

The first one is a ROLLEIFLEX AUTOMAT (MX-sync) N? 1401741. I saw it and it

looks very good. It even comes with it?s original box! The seller is asking me

u$s 350.-

The second one is a ROLLEIFLEX 3,5 F N? 2237703 that also looks pretty well,

but the price is u$s 650.-

The third one is a gorgeus ROLLEIFLEX 2,8 F N? 2431794. Again, the price is

u$s 650.-

The seller, a very lovely and gentle man, knowing my experience and my

equipment suggest me to buy the AUTOMAT, but I have my doubts.

I?m buying the camera to use it, and even if a like the old stuff and the

originality, the main reason to buy another camera is to improve the quality of

my pictures, not as a part of a collection.

Of course, I have the money to buy the costly ones but I don?t want to spend

u$s 300 more if it don?t worth the difference.

Finally, I use my Yashica basically to take portraits and landscapes, usually

in B&W (Ilford FP 125 Plus & Kodak 400 TMax), as a hobby.

Thanks!

[richard_oleson]

The Automat is an excellent camera, and it is the only one of the three that will fit the BAY 1 accessories that you have for your Yashica Mat. I would expect its lens (probably an Zeiss Tessar, but possibly a Schneider Xenar) to be slightly better than the lens on your Yashica, but the basic optical formula is the same. Mechanically the Rollei is somewhat more robust than the Yashica. $350 seems a bit high to me.

 

The 3.5F and 2.8F have better lenses and are more valuable than the Automat. I think the 3.5 may be a little sharper than the 2.8 but both are better than the Automat. The current fair value of the 2.8 is probably higher than the 3.5. Both use larger bayonets and will not fit your accessories. They both also have coupled light meters, which your Yashica has but the Automat does not.

 

Since you say you have the money, I think my choice would probably be the 2.8F.

[bueh]

<blockquote><i>Finally, I use my Yashica basically to take portraits and landscapes</i></blockquote><p>

Just to add some confusion (your excellent taste in high-priced German cameras notwithstanding), why not get a Mamiya <abbr title="twin-lens reflex camera">TLR</abbr> that has interchangeable optics? You can use a wide angle or portrait lens depending on your needs. They take different filters (threaded ones), though.

[mike_earussi1]

The most valuable of the three, if you ever decide to sell it, is the 2.8 F, which, if in excellent condition, can fetch over $1000 on EBay. It is also the best if you ever shoot in low light or want minimum dof for portraits. But as regards absolute sharpness, by f8 you'd be hard put to tell the difference. Personally, for portraits I'd go for an SLR, either a Pentax 645, Mamiya or Bronica, as they are very inexpensive now and much easier to compose with.

[alvin_hear]

This <a href="http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/rolleitlr.htm">Rolleiflex TLR Price & Info Guide </a> will help. AH

[d_purdy]

Given those three choices, if the 2.8F is gorgeous condition as you say for 650.00 I would

get that one. You will have to spend more money on the close up lenses to do portraits

but the slightly longer 80mm lens is better for portraits IMO. And the camera has the

highest resale value of the three. Also with an F model, someday you can get a prism.

[Rob F.]

I agree that for the price, the 2.8F is the most attractive buy. FWIW, some people feel that the 2.8F is a little front-heavy, while the 3.5F has better balance in the hand. Also the 3.5F has a 75mm lens, just a little wider than the 80mm of the 2.8 model. But unless those two things are important to you, I would personally be tempted toward the 2.8F.

[juan_mcmahon]

First of all, thanks (a lot) for your advice.

 

After reading your opinions and a more close look of three Rollei's, I choose the 2.8F. It is, indeed, in very good condition, with a litle dust here and there, but nothing more.

 

Finally, I agree with the seller that I will pay to him u$s 600. The price includes the camera (with it's leather case in good condition and the lens cover, in fair condition), a set of Rolleinar #2. The price also includes a proper CLA made it from a local old expert.

 

I'm very anxious to take my first pictures with my new baby. Next friday will be the big day.

 

Some of you suggest me to try another kind of Medium Format Camera; Bueh B suggest a Mamiya TLC and Mike Earussi a SLR. In fact I saw a Mamiya C330 (u$s 200) a Bronica (I don't remember the model, at an auction, u$s 350 base price) and a Pentax 6x7 with a Pentax 67MACRO 135MM/1.4 SMC (u$s 600) and, probably, all of them have a good quality/price ratio.

 

But, forgive me, I'm in love with the Rollei since I was a kid (I'm 43 now) when I saw my uncle's one. Even if my grandfather had a beautiful Leica (I still have it) and my other uncle a more modern 35mm Canon, the Rollei was "the camera"!!!.

 

When finally I had the chance to buy the Yashica (almost new!) I knew that, someday, I will be the owner of a Rollei. And that day finally arrives.

I already talk with my uncle and he's waiting for me and my new camera to go shooting together.

 

Probably, in the future, I will give my beloved and faithful Yashica to another newbie who deserve it (I hope one of my daughters, who love to see his daddy taking beautiful pictures with that strange device, or my father in law, who "not so secretly" wants it since he saw it for the first time) and then I'll buy a SLR.

 

For the moment I will keep both, the Yashica for the trips, the Rollei at home and the Leica waiting for me to learn how to use it properly!!!

 

I promise to upload a picture of it when I get it.

Again, thanks a lot!

[richard_oleson]

The 2.8F is just about the ultimate Rolleiflex TLR, you just can't get much better than that. Congratulations on your new purchase!

[richard_keistler]

If your technique is good with the Yashica, don't expect to see a dramatic change in your photos. A good Yashinon lens is very good indeed! I have owned every major TLR brand, still have them. I love my C330s and C220f and the lenses, but only take them around when I need an other-than-normal lens. The sharpest Rollei is generally believed to be the Planar 2nd version on the 3.5F. I couldn't tell the difference on the one I had and the 2.8 Xenotar. So many other factors call into play. I also enjoy environmental portraiture, which involves so many curving (human) surfaces. After all, how many of us shoot brick walls and resolution screens? The great Imogen Cunningham used an Automat until shortly before her death. So did Louise Dahl-Wolfe for most of her legendary fashion work over two decades for Harper's Bazaar. Esther Bubley produced much of her early work with Ikoflex cameras with the same lens. Though I still own several Rolleis, which have the same silky smooth controls as my Leicas, I actually use the Mamiyas more than the Rolleis because I love the 105, 135 and 180 for various portraiture options. Do you have a favorite 35mm lens for portraits? For me, it's the 90 on the Leica and 105 on the Nikon. That might help guide you. Of course, you can crop Rollei images, but then you are going to lose some resolution in enlargement. I might also recommend the 35mm Rolleikin for those cameras for vertical portraits. Not only does it give you the vertical format of most portraits, but it's also using the center of whichever lens you're using. Plus, it's easy. Hope this helps!

[d_purdy]

"I agree with the seller that I will pay to him u$s 600. The price includes the camera (with

it's leather case in good condition and the lens cover, in fair condition), a set of Rolleinar

#2. The price also includes a proper CLA made it from a local old expert."

 

You must have had him at gun point to make that deal. You better send that guy

Christmas cards for the next few years. Congatulations on a steal of a deal and a great

camera.

[juan_mcmahon]

Thanks Dennis.

 

After I closed the deal I saw that another Rollei, a 3.5F is published for sale at our local E-Bay at u$s 1200!

 

But let me tell you: for our local market, the price I paid for my camera is very good one, but not a steal; u$s 600 for an old camera is a lot money around here.

 

Also, I guess the seller wanted to sell the camera to me. As I said before, he is a very nice and special person, and I think he wasn't making just business. He knows how much I appreciate the camera and that I'm gonna use it, so probably, part of the deal is a gift from him to me.

 

I'm still waiting to have it with me to do my firsts pictures with a Rollei!

[juan_mcmahon]

Finally I've got it!