ross_mcleish2

This is all becoming very bad. Ebay hasn't indicated any action as yet, but buyers from the

mentioned auctions ending around 31st August, 2005, have logged over USD33,000 in

losses from Mark Meijer. See:

http://www.astrokorea.com/spboard2/board.cgi?id=markmeijer

 

If anyone knows how to contact Mark, perhaps it would be a good idea to get him to

attend to the growing problem. Obviously anyone who paid through Paypal, can begin

action from that quarter, however there must be others such Roger who were victims of

the Rollei Club website who have lost money. Paypal should acknowlege these losses as

well (after all they were made through Paypal directly to his website!).

 

The above would have to be one of the most serious alleged frauds perpetrated on eBay in

recent times. Caveat emptor ....

Sorry, Roger, to be the bearer of the bad tidings above. Perhaps something has happened

to Mark (accident, illness?) however his eBay business is receiving very serious feedback

and getting worse by the day whilst he isn't attending to it. PayPal will assist you towards

a refund if you haven't received your goods, as Mark's eBay buyers are covered by 'Buyer

Protection' (have a look at their site).

 

Meanwhile, we can only hope that Mark comes back on the scene very soon -- personally I

wouldn't like to see the demise of the Rollei-Club web site and all the information he has

collated there. Mark has obviously put years of effort and hard work into it, and it is a

valuable resourse for anyone interested in the history of Rollei/Rolleiflex.

Well something must be falling off the rails as there are six 'unhappy camper' comments that

have been left under the eBay site in the past two weeks.

Same here - I've been waiting for the CDs since 2nd September, and chaser emails have not

been answered. Mark was quick to respond to queries during a heavy listing session on eBay

recently, so he must be around somewhere. There were lots of SL66 tems, bodies and

lenses (many thousands of dollars worth that ended on 31st August).

Hopefully he's just been very busy boxing and crating it all up for shipping .....

Nonetheless, I'm glad it is only the CDs that I am waiting on (my bids weren't high enough to

win the major league pieces).

Gorgeous! An innovation that cost nothing except a few minutes cutting and glueing: result

= smile of satisfaction and a better working objective! Love it!

It would appear that Rollei intends to extend their AF lens range

for the 6000AF. Perhaps Medium Format 6x6 is not all 'doom and

gloom' after all. I located the following mention on the Rollei Home

Site (http://www.rollei.de) for a Schneider AF-Super-Angulon 50 mm

f/2.8 HFT PQS, High-performance wide-angle lens, Cat.-No. 54 080.

 

There doesn't appear to be any news of an availability date. Perhaps

they will wait and see how many enquiries are received by dealers

before cranking up the production line? Anyone else found or heard

anything?

"Stupid question but whats cdm ?"

 

A measure of Luminance (The physical measure of brightness). ie. 'candela per square meter' (cd/m2)

I do not know where any 'independent Rollei representatives' are getting their information from, however according to the Rollei homepage the operations are expanding rather than contracting (or being 'sold off'). There is scant info available under the English language News page, but the German pages have a lot of news with regard to fresh initiatives and new products (mostly digital). there are references to management appointments, etc, for the immediate future, and some expectations of projects into 2005.

 

It all looks fairly much 'business as usual', however I am also awaiting the promised 50mm/2.8AF from Schneider/Rollei. Perhaps they *are* pulling in their horns on the MF front, but no indication is available to support this contention, other than rumour or guessing by sales people.

 

Didn't anyone attend Photokina and actually *ask* Rollei about their plans for the 6000 series? Too far away for me (in Australia).

Hugh, I forgot to mention Foto-Hobby in Germany if you are purchasing items new: http://www.foto-hobby.de/

 

I recently purchased a Technika 2000 and numerous accessories from Foto-Hobby, and they were even better value than Robert White. Excellent service and swift, safe delivery (3 days from Germany to Australia). The Linhof prices on FH website are out-of-date though. Contact them by e-mail for current pricing.

Hugh, the Linhof part numbers are:

 

Right Angle Reflex Attachment 45 - (002628);

Super Rollex Rollfilm Back 45 / 6x7cm - (001459);

Super Rollex Rollfilm Back 45 / 6x9cm - (001523);

Techno Rollex Rollfilm Back 45 / 6x12cm - (001560).

 

The new parts are hellishly expensive, but are of extremely high quality. Most parts come up for fairly regular sale on eBay, and certain second-hand dealers may be able to assist you depending on which country you reside in.

 

For new items try Robert White in UK. For second-hand try Ffordes Photographic (also UK), Keh or B&H (USA).

 

Good luck, and enjoy your Technika!

Still the same web address: http://www.rollei.de/en/

 

The site seems to work okay on a Windows XP machine, although I may have missed some pages. It appears Rollei still intends to extend the range of AF lenses (50mm Wide, and 100mm Macro), but I wonder when we will see them?

The Printed Image, Melbourne, Australia : http://www.tpi.com.au/

A Personal favourite!

Christiaan, As others are suggesting with their itinerary ideas - if you have only one day in Sydney, get out and see it. Don't waste the time trawling for a second-hand camera outlet! Why are you only here for one day - Sydney deserves more time? Enjoy your visit, whatever you do and see :-)

Christiaan,

 

ECS carries a fair amount of Leica and Nikon equipment (new and used) see www.europeancameras.com ; Mainline Photographics Pty Ltd have Leica, Nikon, and Rollei used equipment, see www.mainlinephoto.com.au . Both these institutions are based outside of the city centre, however may be accessed by public transport (bus or taxi). Foto Reisel is based in the city and may have a small offering (02-92996745; L & P (02 9906 2733) see www.lapfoto.com also carry used equipment (but are outside the city); Fletchers Fotographics 02 9267 6146 www.fletchers.com.au and Ted's (02 9264 1687) www.teds.com.au are both near the city centre but may or may not have what you want.

 

My primary recommendations would be Mainline and ECS, but for these you will need to allow 20 minutes travelling to/from the city centre and whatever time to browse. Call first, to see what they have

Hi Walter, I've just tried to replicate your problem, but I'm sad (or glad) to say I cannot. As long as I get the image focused on a 'contrasty' edge manually (with or without the built-in magnifier), the lens either 'confirms this setting in AF or does a very quick 'hunt-and-confirm' if I've been a little out in estimation. I certainly don't get the 'beyond infinity' issues you appear to be experiencing.

My middle-age eyesight enjoys the extra security afforded by the AF and so far the proof has been in evidence on the lightbox. What about results -- how are your images looking with the camera set to AF?

 

The Manual mentions the importance of finding a suitable 'edge' or something contrasty for the AF to work with, and also you may need to check whether the camera is set to 'spot Auto Focus' or 'three area AF' mode. Again, see the Manual (around pp60-61) and check if the settings have been altered without you realising. Hope this helps some, but maybe there is some other issue.

�Be wary of "hobby" photographers and their opinions. I would stick with advice from working pros�

 

Why? And how would you know for certain from whom the advice in this forum is coming? Anyone can make an assertion here, and they can just as easily claim to be �pro�, hobbyist, or amateur. John, I cannot comment on your experience with Mamiya, but as far as a �pro� carrying one into the field goes, perhaps you should study the images of the American photographer Jim Zuckerman whom works with a Mamiya RZ and an arsenal of lenses and regularly carries them into the wilderness. Not for everyone perhaps, but we do not know what physical capabilities or limitations each of us possesses.

 

�I put VERY LITTLE STOCK IN AMATUER LENS TESTS BY "HOBBY" PHOTOGRAPHERS.�

 

Well John, some of us put very little stock in �shouting� (using UPPER CASE) in the forum, and not too much stock in someone whom cannot spell the word �amateur� - especially when you are so busy deriding them. Perhaps you are a 'pro' but I'm sorry to say, I've never heard of you. Nonetheless, I count your opinion to be as valid as anyone else here. Why can you not extend the same courtesy?

 

Getting back to the original post: 'My' camera of choice is the Rollei 6008AF, which is portable in the field 'for me' (but maybe not for others, of course). The Rollei offers an excellent range of lenses, (the non-AF ones including all the Zeiss glass can still be used with focus-confirmation), and the camera operates perfectly in the studio as well. As others have mentioned, earlier concerns with flash operation on the Rollei have been addressed with the new AF and Integral2 models. For me the Schneider lenses are divine and possess a clarity and warmth that suit my requirements. I have the new AF 2.8/80mm and AF 2.8/180mm, as well as the MF 2.8/50mm and MF 4/300mm.

 

It is rumoured that Rollei will release an AF 50mm and probably an AF 90 or 100mm Macro, but I have no official knowledge (just what others have passed on here in the forum/newsgroup). If you do a search, there are quite a few comments about the 6008AF and lenses over the last year or so.

 

Good luck with your decision.

Sorry Ken, I should have said follow the link to the 'Press Releases' for August, 2003 (not just the 'News' page). The link there is working....just scroll down to read the August release.

Just found the following news item that may be of interest to

viewers of this forum. Follow the link to August 2003 on the News

Page for all info on the new camera body:

 

http://www.rollei.de/en/news/index.html

 

Basically the new Rollei Integral2 takes the body updates of the AF

model and applies them to the manual focus body.

It's for the 6008i and 6008E only. Yes, it plugs into where the hand-grip goes, but that is not necessary if you wish to use the hand-grip at the same time. There is a cable connection which carries the electrical signal between the MC and the camera body.

Oh I love 'typos', especially when I make them :-)

I don't know what a 'cability' is but of course I meant:

 

Capability...

"Medium formats other than 645's are not generally hand helds anyway"

 

Oh, really? Well try telling that to the generations of MF TLR users...Rolleiflex, especially :-)

 

Actually, the hand-held cability of the Rollei 6008i SLR was what atracted me to it in the first place, and that is precisely the way I use it 98% of the time (and I mean with 120 and 220 backs - I only recently purchased a 645 back for the camera). I hike through mountains, valleys, and cities with the 6008i in my sweaty little paws, sometimes with the Schneider 180mm + 1.4x attached.

 

"Don't forget that the lenses are where most of your money will go. As long as Rollei don't change the mount..."

 

Precisely, and as they haven't changed the mount for years, it is unlikely they will do so soon. The new 6008AF is backwards compatible with the lens range since the SLX, and as that camera arrived in 1973 we can assume a 30 year commitment is a fairly safe bet. The new range of AF lenses will only enhance that commitment.

 

Further to the battery question: I have three batteries that show no sign of failure after five+ years of constant use. Two came with the camera and one was bought (new) from eBay. The earlier 600x series batteries appear on eBay reasonably often, too. In any case cannot these units be 're-celled' or something? There is probably a 'work around' for the older units if they aren't being produced for 20 years or so.

"It's a little hard to tell how smooth things are with the Rollei's mirror coming down immediately after firing."

 

Wayne, I am certain the mirror doesn't return until after the shutter has closed again, so I think it will be perfectly smooth in most circumstances. The current Rollei 600x series don't suffer from as much 'mirror slap' as some of the cameras of old, and indeed some of the alternate MF products marketed today :-)

 

You have the choice of hand-holding and pre-locking the mirror (assuming you are confident that you can hold still the pre-framed image, now invisible in the finder), or simply place the camera on a support and either use the mirror lockup and a cable release, or electronic release (which has a mirror lockup control on it), or the slightly riskier for long exposures, hand release (due to bumping the camera by the photographer's fingers, etc).

 

I love the 6008i for its handheld capabilities, but when looking for ultimate sharpness and greater enlargement (and perhaps mirror lockup), then the camera works best on a tripod and with the electronic release. I've travelled widely and used the camera without a support........an old trick is to wear the neck-strap, and when releasing the shutter, at the same time apply a slight downwards pressure against the strap. This will help stabilise the camera and ensure motion-free exposures.

Nathan, no doubt you have noted that Anthony has 883 positive feedbacks on his eBay profile (I've never bothered to wonder what the '1' negative was about -- probably somebody that is impossible to please, or a 'serial' trouble-maker or complainer).

 

I have no hesitation in buying from Anthony and have purchased Rollei equipment from him previously. The delivery is spectacularly fast (arrives within a couple of days), and is very well packaged.

 

Generally my experience of purchasing from Hong Kong (several thousand dollars over past 3 years) is that the dealers are gentlemen (or gentle-women), entirely honourable, and deserving of my business.

 

Good luck with your decision.

Regards,

Norman Koren advises the following with regard to Lepp Epson 2200 profiles:

 

"Tim Grey (associated with George Lepp) had some excellent profiles for the Epson 2200, but removed them when he discovered restrictions in the MonacoPROOF license-- about as severe as Microsoft claiming ownership of anything you write using Word. Microsoft wouldn't dare go that far, but Monaco, on the other hand, is far enough under the regulatory radar to get away with it."

 

The Norman Koren site: http://www.normankoren.com/color_management_3.html has some other very useful info under 'Part 3, Profile Options'. Actually this site has useful info everywhere. A treasure trove to keep one busy reading and learning for weeks :-)

Congratulations, Tak! I'm envious as I hope to take the plunge with the 6008AF, soon. I'm very happy with my 6008i, however my eyesight is not as good as once it was, and the focus confrimation will be a delightful assistance with some of my lenses (as well as the extra viewfinder features you mention).

 

Not sure whether I can justify or afford to invest too heavily in the new AF lenses at this stage.....maybe wait and see how well the camera operates with the current ones, and then slowly replace or add to the range later.

 

Let us know how you progress with your new tool! There still are no definitive reviews that I have seen. Maybe Bob Shell will do one, otherwise there may be an opening for you...