Rolleiflex as Street Camera

[robert_byrd1]

Two days ago and on a whim, I put a prism finder on my Rolleiflex

3.5F and took it out for an afternoon of street shooting in

Manhattan. I had never heard of a Rollei being used in this way,

but I thought the experiment worthwhile. Was it! I kept the taking

lens at f4 so it would match the DOF in the finder, and found myself

really burning through the film. The huge, bright image in the

finder is helpful, to say the least, and the 75mm focal length

provides a more interesting DOF than you get with a normal lens on

35mm. People tend to notice the camera, stare at it a moment, then

to dismiss it. I have no idea what they are thinking, but you can

certainly take all the shots you want without being disturbed.

Anyone else use a Rollei this way?

[barney]

Mr. Byrd:

I haven't used mine that way but I think I will try it, and see what happens. What film were you using please?

Barney

[robert_byrd1]

The film in the Rollei was Fuji NPH 400; that's a negative film. BTW, I was using a pistol grip on the Rollei, as well as the prism. In my thirty-plus years of knocking around Manhattan, I have never seen anyone using a Rollei on the streets, much less a Rollei with all that stuff on it. No wonder people stared!

[tito sobrinho]

I use my 2.8F as well as my Hasselblad for street photography. I have the prisms and "pistol" grip for both systems. But, I always use them at my waist level-very inconspicuous as I never bring them to my eye level.

[steve_teale]

There was a documentary about Peter Darren Moyle - see - http://www.paintingwithlightthedoco.com/

 

He has worked for years around inner Sydney with a Rolleiflex.

 

His is a very interesting story from within and around the culture he's portraying.

[jonathan brewer]

Here on the west coast I occasionally take out my Mamiya 330S and shoot on the street, it has a 45 Deg prism, and an L-grip, many folks of a certain age or less have a confused look on their face and look to me like they're trying to figure out why the thing has two lenses on it. I've had somebody come up to me and ask me that, or 'what is it?', or 'why are you winding that thing, can't you afford a motor?

 

Folks old enough to know what it is, have a bemused/tickle look on their faces,................'Does that thing really work or are you just back on Memory lane?'.

 

What's pleasant is that after a while they just ignore me and I've gotten some good shots even after they're aware of me shooting them. I walk into an area and have the camera slung under my armpit, and as big as it is most people don't notice until they look right at it, so I wait a while and then start shooting and it still takes them awhile to become aware.

[geoffrey_james]

Walker Evans had several Rolleis -- along with the Polaroid that's what he

used in later years. I think Dorothea Lange also used them. Diane Arbus

used a wide angle Rollei along with Mamiyas. Notice how you don't think of

her pictures as being always square. She used the format with great

intelligence. Lee Friedlander has been working a with the Hasselblad SWC

(?) -- the one with thefixed 38 mm Biogon. A wonderful book of self portraits,

a book on the desert and a crazy recent one on a cemetery in Genoa. On

Evans there's an interesting book called Walker Evans at Work, which shows

his outtakes and how he moved through the world.

[godfrey]

I used to wander about the streets of NYC using my grandfather's Rolleiflex for street

shooting about 30-odd years ago. I did the same with my Rolleiflexes until I moved to

Hassy, and now I do it occasionally with the Hassie (usually the 903SWC).

 

I prefer working from waist level, however.

 

Godfrey

[norman_trabulus1]

Using the waist-level finder you can hold the camera at right angles to the direction you are facing and most of your subjects will not realize they are being photographed. If you can deal with the left-to-right reversal of the finder, you can deal with the 90 degree rotation too.

[mark_nowaczynski2]

The beauty of using a Rolleiflex with a waist level finder today is that you look like you are futzing about with an odd camera and don't really know what you are doing looking down at this thing above your waist, when actually you are taking pictures all along...

[lex_jenkins]

I don't have a prism finder and don't bother with trying to disguise what I'm doing via the waist level finder. I use fast film for DOF, zone focus and use the non-optical eye-level finder.

[classcamera]

I have used a buch of TLR cameras for street photography, and what most say is true, when the waist level finder is in place, people do not recognise it as a camera and are at ease around you. I frequently employ the tactic of pointing the camera to my left or right, and face away form my subject; this always gets the best candids. <P>

Now that there is 127 film I find that my Sawyers Mk IV is even better, since it is so small and easily concealed; and since it has all the features of an Automat (including 2.8 lens) I get some fine shots even when the action is fast.

[andy_piper2]

<a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1546629&size=md">Street shot with a Mamiya TLR - 55mm lens - direct viewfinder</a>

 

</p>

Like Lex, I use the 'sports finder" on my Mamiya C330s and scale-focus. Nice thing about the sports finder is that it's a life-size view, so I can shoot with both eyes open. Since I shoot 35mm with Leicas, using the direct viewfinder feels more familiar.</p>

</p>

Technically the view is for a 65mm lens, but I use my 55mm and just crop extra-tight, and use my 'other' eye to fill in the extra 15% of picture area.</p>

</p>

Attached picture is from my 2nd roll with the 'new' 6x6 - Memorial Day salute.</p>

</p>

(Incidentally, many of the "Photo League" photographers of the 1940's shot Rolleis as street cameras around Manhattan - look up their work!).

[OCULUS New York]

Hi All,

I am in NYC on business right now, and only brought my Minox. But, I use my 6003 as a street shooter at events, and wandering around at home, in Albany, all the time. Well, I shouldn't say ALL the time.

 

When I am feeling especially strong shouldered, I harness up the 75-150mm Variogon zoom (aka: VeryOhMyGod,ThisIsHeavy) and stroll around. I use the 45-degree prism, exclusively for this; otherwise it's way too disorienting. And talk about getting looks...And NO ONE has ever requested press credentials while wearing that 15 lb albatross. Indeed, they usually want to know if I want their name for the paper...

 

BTW, I paid my first visit to B&H yesterday. Now that was a trip; more later, maybe. Suffice it to say, the "camera district" is really no more.

 

Cheers from NYC,

Ray Hull

[douglas_green1]

IMHO, any good TLR makes a wonderful street camera, but I'd say that the Waist-Level finders are superior to 45 or 90 degree prisms in that application, once one gets used to the reversal of movement. The WL finders are better because the subject will not respond as though they are aware of their pictures being taken, because they usually are not, when WL viewing is used.

[jack_lo_..._t_o]

I have a 1953 photography annual, includes all categories of pictures; FAR AND AWAY the majority of the 300 or so images were taken with the Rollei with Tessar.It was *the* camera of choice. Street, studio, action, even sports. And I agree that the waist level viewer is the way to go for anonymity.

[robert_byrd1]

I got the shots back today. On several of them, I made the dumb mistake of shifting the shutter speed to 1/4 when what I wanted to do was set the aperture to f4. If you know how you read the Rollei, you will understand how that mistake could be made. I caught the mistake after just a few shots, so this wasn't a day-ruining error. What's most interesting to me is that the pictures taken at 1/4 of a second are surprisingly sharp! At such a slow speed, you would expect disastrous blurring, but I've done worse with a 50mm lens at 1/30 on an SLR. This is useful to know.

 

BTW, I took a shot from the promenade around the plaza, aiming at the restaurant that is down on the skating rink level. The resulting image (not one of the 1/4 second ones but also hand-held) includes about 15 tables. Under high magnification, you can read the menus on the tables. What a spectacular camera!

[perry_cas]

I recently acquired an SL66. it has 3 lenses, 2 backs a meter that converts to a spot meter, a prism. a flash gun, a pistol grip. plus the usual junk that you 'need'. I decided I was going to use it as I would my 35mm so I constructed a back pack with two layers of hi density foam and added straps for a light, but adequate tripod. about 6 kilos. And went to Bintan island in Indonesia for a week. Toting a bag of that weight about in the heat is an experience, and I have spent time in the heat before. It was tough but i got some very nice pictures.

One thing i will say about using a camera like this in the street you seem to get instant workman type credibility

People seem to take you seriously. If thats what you want i guess thats good. Trying to be part of the scenery never seems to work anyway.

Perry

[d._p.1]

Look up Robert Doisneau, the great street photographer from Paris. From the 1930's till his first 35mm slr in the late 60s, he ONLY used a TLR. Not sure which one, but most likely a Rolleiflex.