edward_s_carmick

I have the lens. The lens is good at three to four feet. The problem is that it is just a lens. You need to use the bellows or two static tubes plus the variable tube to focus. This is a very expensive and heavy rig. I have the 90, 110, 150 Tele-Xenar, 150 Apo-Symmar and the 180. For portraits I like the 150 Tele-Xenar with the shortest extension tube. This lens is very sharp and sharp closeup as it has floating elements. Supposedly this lens will soon be available in an AF mount.

Ed Carmick

Ed Carmick

It works quite well and I do use it. You take out the film gate which pops out and you attach the adapter. The magazines are smaller and compact and of course rotate to give you vertical or horizontal orientation. It takes about one minute to change formats. When you go back to 6 by 6 you need to put the film gate in with the right end facing up and then apply the 6 by 6 magazine. When I use 6 by 6 I usually use the back for the 6003 Pro which gives me a smaller more compact camera. However that is another story.

Ed Carmick

Kodak UC 100, incredible film!

After shooting for years with Nikons and Rollei 6008 cameras I have

come back to my first love, a Leica M. Forty years ago I had a Leica

M-3. In the last year I bought an MP LHSA, 28 mm Summicron, 35 mm

Summicron Asph, 50 mm Summicron (last one with separate hood) and a

90 mm Summicron Asph. The 35 mm and 50 mm Summicrons have snap on

lens hoods, which are nice. One lens came with UV filter which fit

under these hoods. Attempting to buy A KR 1.5 and a polarizer at

Glazier's in Seattle led no where as these filters did not fit under

the hoods. I know that Leica makes a pricey polarizer for some of

their lenses. I prefer if I can to have a set for each filter size.

Does someone make a "slim" and/or compatible filters that would fit

under these hoods? I also was thinking about a yellow-green and an

orange-red. How about a slim 46 mm for the 28 mm? Many thanks,

Ed Carmick

I have both of these lenses; thee are huge in weight, size and cost.

The are for a negative of 6 by 6 centimeters. There would not be much in the way of tilt and shift. Consider a Schneider Apo-Symmar XL

110 mm f 5.6 and the Schneider Apo-Symmar L 180 mm f 5.6. You can probably get both for the cost of one of the Rollei lenses. I believe there are Rollei electronic shutters for them.

I own the 150 Tele-Xenar, 150 mm Apo-Symmar and the 180 mm lenses for the Rollei 6000 system. The 150 mm Tele-Xenar beats the 150 mm Sonnar and 180 mm MTF-wise. In my practise it beats 180 in use. The Tele-Xenar has floating elements which makes it a grat portrait lens. It is nice with 17 mm tube for really tightly cropped portraits.

As has been mentioned the 150 Apo-Symmar would be a great portrait lens in theory. In reality you have to use the bellows or the variable extension tube with two plain tubes to make it work. This adds several thousand dollars and either inconvenience and/or a lot of weight. I have all this gear and have tried all the possibilities. I love the Tele-Xenar and hope it appears as promised this Fall. At that point in time I will put my old Tele-Xenar on E-Bay.

Urs:

I have both of these lenses and the 80 mm f 2.8 Xenotar. The Planar is very big and heavy and has a helical focusing ring that seems to take forever to focus. It is sharp and I have used it for some portraits where it shines. The Apo Symmar is light, easy to focus and is an all around normal lens. With floating elements it is very sharp from infinity down to about nineteen inches as I remember. With the right auto tube it will focus down to a ratio of 1 : 1. For all around use if I had to pick one of the three I would go with the 90 mm. If you do environmental portraiture go with the 110.

Ed Carmick

Urs:

I have both of these lenses and the 80 mm f 2.8 Xenotar. The Planar is very big and heavy and has a helical focusing ring that seems to take forever to focus. It is sharp and I have used it for some portraits where it shines. The Apo Symmar is light, easy to focus and is an all around normal lens. With floating elements it is very sharp from infinity down to about nineteen inches as I remember. With the right auto tube it will focus down to a ratio of 1 : 1. For all around use if I had to pick one of the three I would go with the 90 mm. If you do environmental portraiture go with the 110.

Ed Carmick

Geoff:

Before Rollei brought out the 60003 Pro and half way through their production run of the 6008i they were working on the rotating 6 by 4.5 backs. This would only work of the film gate would come off. That was when it was made to would snap off. As I pointed out earlier the gates for the 6003 Pro and 6008i and AF are very slightly different. When I use magazines I do use the 6 by 4.5 rotating ones and yes I have to take the film gate off. It all works very well.

Ed

The film back and film gate for the 6003 Pro is different than that for the latter 6008 series cameras. I have the 6003 Pro and 6008 AF and use this back and gate on both my bodies. It makes a thinner lighter camera. I have identified this film gate with some colored tape as they are very similar. If you don't have the right gate for your back apperently the film isn't exactly in the right film plane. If you use the interchangeable 6 by 6 magazines you must get the other gate. If you use the 4.5 by 6 magazines you take the film gate off. I suspect it is the same if you use a digital back, however I don't have a digital back. I hope this is useful

Ed Carmick

Yes, I own one and it is sharper than the Planar. It is identical to the AF version.

I have a 6008AF and 6003 Pro and twelve lenses. I have no autofocus lenses but love the focus confirmation with all the older lenses. The 6008AF is also good because of its vastly improved flash capabilities. With two linear motors in each lens this is a heavy system. Hauling this around with five lenses and an extender and a tripod limits you to about a half a mile. It is equally handy on a tripod or hand held. It would work at car races. I use film and I can enlarge good shots to 20 by 24. A good Canon or Nikon system film or digital with auto everything and wonderful zooms is a lot quicker and handier.

It is great for portraits and travel with cars and buses. At times a Leica with three lenses would be so much easier. I am rambling.

Ed Carmick

Rollei in Germany has finally put up their new offerings on their web site. There are a few small digital point and shoots but not one item related to the 6000 system or the promised tele TLR. The current items are for sale but for how long? The friend I cited above will be back Monday.

No I did not go. However a week ago I talked to an independent salesman who represents Rollei in my part of the country. Apparently Rollei has sold off all the parts of their company except the 6000 system. This includes the 35 mm RF, digital cameras and twin lenses cameras. They are struggling to keep going and are supposedly trying to get out an AF 50 mm lens next year.

I hope this is all wrong as I love the 6000 system and have a massive investment in it. However, it may be going the way of Bronica which will fold its tent at the end of October.

Ed Carmick

I bought a 60 mm f 3.5 Schneider Curtagon from him and some smaller items. He is honest and reliable. Go for it.

Ed Carmick

Rollei has or had a wonderful free booklet on all the applicable closeup equipment for the 6XXX cameras. Phone Jeff Karp at Rollei USA and ask for one.

Ed Carmick

It will work with 90 mm but not at infinity. But this gives you a 126 mm f 5.6, why bother. It works nicely with the 110 mm giving a 154 mm f 2.8. I used this on a trip to Italy. It worked well. I generally only use it with the 300 mm however.

Has anyone every converted a large Pentax telephoto to a

Rollei 6xxx mount? They make a 600 mm f 4 which might be converted. With the Longar you would have an 840 mm f 5.6 It would be cheaper than the $20,000. Zeiss for the Rollei.

Ed Carmick

I have the 6008 AF and 6003 Pro and twelve lenses, none AF. The focus confirmation is incredible with the AF; it also works much better with flash. As the market is soft right for medium format keep your "i" as a spare and get the AF. Keep your 90 mm as the 100 mm AF was canceled. I was told that the only new AF lens would be the 50 mm 2.8 presented at Photokino this fall.

It makes sense to to get the correct diopter for your 45 degree prism and/or waist level magnifier. Your optometrist can help you order the right one from Rollei in N. J.

Medium format is in big trouble, we may very well see the end of Rollei,Contax and or Hasselblad this year. I have a lot of money invested in Rollei, I am frankly worried.

I find the system incredible: I feel it is the bvest most advanced system out there.

Ed Carmick,

I agree the others, this is an exceptional lens sharper than the 150 mm Sonnar and Schneider 180. It takes B VI filters and the same lens shade as the 80 mm. The old Curtagon 60 mm and Xenotar 80 mm lenses were sharper than their Zeiss counterparts. The 150 mm Tele-Xenar is nice with the 17 mm extension tube. Send me your snail mail address and I will send you complete Schneider MTF curves.

For the weight and size of the 50 mm f 2.8 substitute the Schneider 40 mm and 60 mm lenses. The Zeiss 60 mm is quite good as well. I find the 60 mm a very useful focal length.

Ed Carmick

I have a 110 and have used it with my 60 mm Schneider for weddings.

I have found it heavy and I seem to endlessly crank it to focus it. I use the Hasselblad Compendium lens shade; I do not have flair.

I seem to use my 90 mm a lot more. It is easier to work with. For portraits I use my 150 mm Schneider.

Ed Carmick

I find the 90 degree prism is the hardest to focus of all the Rollei viewfinders. It has a tiny eyepiece and has a lot of barrel distortion. It does have a variable diopter ring. The 45 degree prism is easier to use and because of the ergonomics and weight of the camera I find it sits well on my upper chest. The folding finder is quite good especially with the proper accessory dioper lens. The best view of all is the special magnifying chimney. I have had them all and have kept all of the except the 90 degree prism which I got rid of rather quickly.

I own the 60 mm f 3.5 Schneider Curtagon. I am amazed at how sharp it is. Early on I obtained MTF curves on the old and new Schneider lenses for the Rollei. The 60 mm Curtagon,80 mm Xenotar and 150 mm Tele-Xenar all outperform their Zeiss equivalents. I own all of them.

The 80 mm Xenotar is back as an AF lens. These lenses can all be obtained used. I bought my 60 mm from Hadley Chamberlain, the 80 mm for Midwest Photo and the 150 mm on E-Bay.

Ed Carmick

These lenses are still being made by a small company in Germany. They are not being made by Rodenstock. I have their brochure but can't find it. Rollei U.S.A. might be able to put you in touch with them. I looked into this but felt they were a little pricey, you also lost your variable f-stop. I bought a used set of Zeiss Softars which fits my B VI lenses. Even cheaper is a thin black nylon stretched over your lens.

Ed Carmick

Fabio

You have the cream of the most useful focal lengths; your Schneider 60, 90, and 150 mm lenses. Why do you need the 180 mm? I use the focus confirmation of my AF to move myself back and forth to get final accurate focus. Spend your money on a Schneider 40 mm or 300 mm. Your 150 mm Tele-Xenar is sharper than the 180 mm Tele-Xenar.

Ed Carmick