andy_ongun

I just saw a Rollei promotion ad. The deal you are talking about expires on 7/01. You still have a couple of months.

I have seen Rollei SLX systems on ebay in the $500-600 range with 80mm lens, 120 back, battery charger (there are two right now). So, I wouldn't call the older used ones real expensive. I think you can say the same for the similar vintage Hassys. So, you have three choices Hassy, Rollei and Bronica, unless you throw in the Kievs into the equiation.

Ed,

I wouldn't say that Rollei USA charges more for their equipment than any other importer (maybe they all should charge less). If you check the Hassy and Mamiya or Sinar pricing at B&H vs Robert White you'll see a similar disparity. Rather then push the warranty issue, which to me seems petulant and trivial considering the original savings by buying overseas, I'd rather see a push in R&D. An example is the recent 16MB pixel Kodak DCS digital back whose chip is also used by Phase One (their version is H20). It is compatible with Hassy 555ELD and RZs, but not with Rollie 6008i which also has a computer interface. Rollei not keeping up with current innovations or collabarating with other vendors is much more of a concern for me than anything else. And for the record, I am not a Hassy/GX owner.

Try calling Microsoft (I know, bad example!!!) for tech support on Windows after you buy the computer from Dell, or another OEM. They will refer you back to the OEM, main reason being that the pricing the OEM paid to MS is a fraction of retail price and their support is funded by retail pricing.

 

I'd say the situation for warranty repairs is the same for Rollei USA. You have saved $1,000+ by buying overseas, the difference in cost Fedex to UK vs NY is maybe $50, timewise 2 days extra each way. I wouldn't be complaining about it, and I am in your position that I have bought from both places (US and UK). If I have a problem with an imported piece of equipment I won't be worrying about Rollei USA footing the bill for warranty work for a product they haven't sold.

 

FYI, there was a change of ownership of Rollei USA, and they DO answer their phones. Check their ad out in PDN magazine.

Rollei USA's phone number has not changed. It still is (888) 876-5534. They do answer the phone, and respond back. I just talked to them yesterday and today.

 

As far as "poor service" is concerned, it is subjective. I have had no problems having them service equipment purchased here. The thread mentioned is regarding equipment imported from overseas. A lot of people do not realize that Rollei USA is a separate company from Rollei Germany. The markup from the sales goes into paying for warranty repair with no refund from Rollei Germany.

 

IMHO, if one buys from overseas to save $$$ from US pricing from here, one should also be prepared to send it back for repairs. The savings should pay for multiple shipments. Not that Rollei equipment is that unreliable that you'd need to send it for repairs many times anyway. :-).

B&H price for 6008i kit is $4,440.00, Robert White is $3,371. After $1,069 in savings sending the camera to Germany will still save you a bunch of money.

 

I have bought Rollei (and other) equipment from Robert White in the past, and one of the things I have considered prior to purchasing is the savings vs local warranty issue. It takes only an extra few days via Fedex to send the equipment to the manufacturer rather than the East coast. BTW, I guess you could also send the camera to Rollei UK warranty service as well.

 

Make sure you mark the package repaired equipment, so that you don't get charged import fees.

I use it with the 110mm and the 180mm, and it works great.

 

Andy

In response to your question about "really be able to change a film magazine..."

The answer is yes. I want to be able to take Polaroids, have a separate magazine for my test shots, and if a back fails in the middle of a shoot, replace it with another. It is also much faster to pop out the film magazine, hand it to my assistant, put in the new magazine and keep on shooting while he is licking the tape and marking the roll.

 

Andy

Tungsten color negative film is also available from Kodak. Portra 100T. You can find more info on http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/portra100t/portra100T.shtml.

 

Andy

I have the Newton, I had to purchase a bracket extension to raise the flash up some more to alleviate the problem you are talking about.

 

Andy

The 6006 is the model prior to the current crop of Rollei SLRs originally relased in 1983 until 6008 Pro. was released in 1988/89. It is still a very capable camera. You can get some information about it from http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/grollei.html. As far as the value, check ebay past auctions.

Alan is correct about the reasoning. Rollei is trying to get pros to switch. If you do not want to get the extra body however, Rollei will let you have an extra back if you ask for it. Of course the promotion will be over in a couple of weeks, and we'll see what they come up with next.