Horror! Rollei's NEW 35mm Rangefinder!

[maestro logos]

See:

 

http://www.k-repair.net/topic/topic_rollei6000AF.html

 

Looks like a repackaged Bessa-R. The lenses however seem to be Zeiss

designs made by Rollei in Germany. (The same arrangement as for some of

their medium format lenses.)

[maestro logos]

M-mount, it seems.

[joshroot]

How strange.

[pcg]

Not much for looks. Anyone know the specs?

[johann_fuller]

Now that's interesting! - no real revolution with what seems to be

a rebadged R2 but Zeiss M mount lenses - now that's going to

cause a stir!

[andrew_hall1]

I would be very surprised if the body doesn't have the same specs as a Bessa R/R2. (Now we know why the R2 doesn't have a chrome version.) The lenses don't say "Made by Rollei in Germany", so more than likely made in Japan. As for the lens mount, who knows? Leica M or LTM should be most probable.

 

Funny how the lens hood and finder are clearly from Cosina.

[joshroot]

I wonder if it will have 40mm framelines, given that it has a nice looking 40mm lens mounted to the front of it. Why, it's practically a latter day CL.

[dzeanah]

Wish it was digital. Would *love* a digital RF camera, especially if it would take M lenses...<p>

 

<img src="http://www.k-repair.net/images/962.jpg"><p>

 

<img src="http://www.k-repair.net/images/964.jpg">

[jackflesher]

How about that 40/80 Bi-Sonnar, and 80 Sonnar! Looks like the framelines will be 28/40/80 -- or perhaps they're still the same as Leica FL's, but now with the wider focals, they'll be accurate ;>)

 

Cheers,

[andrew_hall1]

The built-in framelines are for 40, 50, 80 and 135mm lenses.

 

Funny how the 2.8/80 is called a Planar. One would have expected it to be a Sonnar like the Contax G lens, especially when the dimension of the lens barrel is so similar.

 

The lenses are not made by Zeiss - bet they're made by Cosina in Japan. I cannot help but wonder whether they are really Zeiss designs or just re-badged like the one found on Sony S70/75/85, the same lens as Canon G1/G2, Panasonic LC5 and (ahem) Digilux 1.

 

Also, one never knows what a 35mm Rollei really is nowadays - first it was Samsung (Prego), then a Ricoh (Prego Micron), currently a Fuji (AFM35) and a Cosina (Bessa R) too.

 

Returning to topic: Leica ain't falling that much behind either. First it was Panasonic (Mini 1/2/3/Zoom, Minilux series), then Fuji (Digilux) and now Panasonic (Digilux 1.) ;-)

[johann_fuller]

It won't need 40 frames - 35's are a much more acurate frame

with the 40 focal length for anything other than close up subjects.

I woudn't be suprised if it were Zeiss optics in CV mounts - RF

mounts are pretty simple affairs and there would be no real

advantage in rebadging CV lenses - would there?

[maestro logos]

Who (Rollei, Cosina, or Zeiss) makes the lenses are to me a minor issue. I'm

sure anyone of these guys can make top quality lenses if they really intend to.

 

However, from the lens prices I'd think that they are not meant to be

comparables of Cosina's own line -- the lenses for the Rollei cost twice as

much. My guess is that these lenses are made at a higher quality level,

probably to compete with the Leicas in some sense.

 

Also, the addition of the 40mm framelines would require some modifications

to Bessa's exisiting viewfinder. So the viewfinder systems are certainly not

identical, although whether that means improved brightness or accuracy is

not clear.

[andrew_hall1]

Johann, the 40mm frameline is the one mentioned on the page, not the 35mm.

 

On the other hand, is that 80mm Planar really a 2.5/75 Color-Heliar in disguise? Or is it a fudged Apo-Lanthar? The mind boggles.....

[andrew_hall1]

...and the 40mm Sonnar really a 2.8/50 Color Skopar???

 

Anyway, these new lenses seem to have better build quality than the (equivalent?) Cosina counterparts and I believe that's reflected in the higher price.

[cosmo_genovese]

Is this not a Contax G2 in Rollei clothing?

[joel_matherson]

The 40mm's hood and finder are clearly Cosina so for this hood to fit this lens is made along the lines of the Voigtlander 50 f2.5 which has the new higher build standard. I strongly suspect this is a Japanese built lens. But i think its GREAT! A new 40mm for us CL/CLE users its a wonderful thing. I couldnt believe my eyes when i saw it. I always supected that the intro of a Voigtlander 40mm finder was a bit odd without a lens to match, its seems now that this focal length may have been set aside to make the Rollei version unique away slightly from the R2. All I can say is wow, havent rangefinder times changed.

[maestro logos]

Seriously, in my opinion Rollei would have to have a lot of guts to sell

rebadged Cosina lenses at twice the price. Recall the Fuji/Hasselblad

arrangement for the XPan: There is a slight premium for the Hasselblad

version, but nothing close to 100%! And also, the Hasselblad as I know is not

formally markted in Japan. (I think the deal is Fuji sells their version in Japan,

and Hasselblad sells theirs everywhere else.) But here the Rollei is intended

for the Japanese market.

 

(The lens prices are already very close to Leica's.)

[kelly_flanigan1]

What about the focus offset? :)

[tito sobrinho]

HORROR for Leica Werk. More competition.

[andrew_schank]

Looks great to me. Don't be so sure that those are just rebadged Cosina lenses. Zeiss may have just put their name on some digital P&S camera lens, but I've never seen a lens for a 35mm camera with their name on that wasn't either made by them or under license from their design. The 80mm Planar looks especially nice.

[jay_.]

The closeup shot of the lenses looks like they are screw-mount with bayonet adaptors (note the semicircular cut-outs at the 12:00 position). But to heck with the rebadged Bessa stuff at Rollei prices...I want Santa to bring me one of those Rolleiflexes with the 50/4 Super-Angulon!

[_________1]

The blurb seems to suggest that it is only available in the Spring of 2003 so don't hold your breath waiting yet.

 

I do not think Carl Zeiss would licence nor allow its trademarked names to be used on any other lens not of its provenance which includes optical design and quality assurance, though not neccessarily manufacture. In my own limited understanding, other than Carl Zeiss Oberkochen itself, only Rollei and Kyocera/Contax have the right to manufacture Carl Zeiss lenses under stringent licence. Okay, let's not bring Carl Zeiss Jena into the picture.

 

Is it time for a separate Rollei RF Forum? :p

[joel_matherson]

I dont think these lenses can be called rebadged, Voigtlander doesnt have a 40 or 80mm in their lens lineup. Its clear that the new 40 uses the barrel of the Voigtlander 50 f2.5 which in itself is of exceptional build quality over and above their previous lens quality. Since Rollie have the 40mm f2.8 Sonnar in their Rollei 35 compact, its conceivable that this optic was placed in a Voigtlander barrel for a rangefinder version of that lens, similar to what Ricoh did with the 28 in the GR1. This option wouldnt require a whole new design by Zeiss or Rollei. If they had started from scratch with a new 40, I would have believed it would have been designed a bit faster at f2 instead. Just some of my thoughts.

[chris_tennyson]

I want to know about that Rolleiflex Twin Lens! Very interesting... and Is that an auto focus 6008???? I'm not too up on current rollei medium.. do they already have an autofocus???

[al_kaplan1]

I sure would like to find out if that shade will fit a 40mm Summicron C.