Yes, I know. In fact, I have a Mamiya 330S TLR. I don't want to raise any
controversy, but I think that the best Rolleiflex for portraits is a Mamiya TLR
with a 180mm lens.
Regards,
Javier
Enviado desde mi smartphone Sony Xperia™
---- CarlosMFreaza escribió ----
You are welcome Javier. Yashica, Minolta and Mamiya TLR cameras had to do with
those Rollei production figures BTW.-
Carlos
2018-04-17 8:37 GMT-02:00 Javier Herraiz <javier.herraiz@xxxxxxx>:
Carlos, thank you very much for your comprehensive explanation. There is a lot
of valuable information there.
Best regards,
Javier
Enviado desde mi smartphone Sony Xperia™
---- CarlosMFreaza escribió ----
The Rollei TLR sales and production started to decline from about 1960
slightly; this declining was more significant from about 1965 and it was even
worse from the '70s in general, some models suffered a drastic production
reduction from 1973 and others disappeared; figures show the process clearly.
The Rolleicord Vb had a production average of about 11125 cameras per year
from 1962 to 1966; and about 3000 cameras per year from 1966 to 1977. The
Rolleiflex T about 18665 cameras per year from 1958 to 1961; about 8600
cameras per year from 1961 to 1966; about 4666 cameras per year from middle of
1966 to 1972 and 1000 cameras per year from 1973 to 1976 (t I sometimes
considered " year" half year or a few months, to do easier calculationsr).
When Rollei did not want to pay for very expensives multicoated Zeiss lenses
for the TLR (almost imperceptible improvement regarding the TLR single layer
coating lenses for most lighting conditions) and did not want to pay the
license to manufacture them in the former Voigtländer Optische Werke and
Rollei Optical Co. Singapore taking in mind the TLR commercial situation
(Rollei already had significant agreements with Carl Zeiss Oberkochen to
manufacture multicoated lenses for the MF and 35mm SLR . SL cameras) Schneider
became the only standard lenses provider for the TLR.in 1973. Rollei had
Xenar lenses in stock because the Rolleicord Vb production diminished due to
low sales and they used this stock for the T Whiteface from 1973, in other
words, the Rolleicord Vb Whiteface and the Rolleiflex T Whiteface shared the
same Xenar lenses stock as shown in the serial numbers;; most of theses lenses
were manufactured in 1971 and 1972/73.-
There is a Rolleicord Vb whiteface with a higher SN than yours in the auction
site right now (usable only for parts), Rolleicord Vb 2677322; Xenar 12123440,
camera very close to the last SN 2677534 in January 1977; the Xenar was made
about ending of 1972 or in 1973; it seems Rollei only used lenses in stock
for the T Xenar whiteface and the lasts 'cord Vb whiteface; anyway the
difference between the lenses manufacture date and the cameras manufacture
date is a few years.
Carlos
2018-04-16 12:13 GMT-02:00 Javier Herraiz <javier.herraiz@xxxxxxx>:
This is very interesting. Recently I bought a Rolleicord Vb White face, serial
number 2.677. 078. According John Phillips’ The Classic Rollei, it is one of
the latest Rolleicord made, as production ended in January 1977, with last
serial number around 2.677.500. So probably the camera was made in
November-December 1976.
What puzzled me was lens serial number, 11.825.154. This is not in agreement
with camera manufacturing date. According with Schneider published data, we
should expect serial numbers in the range 12.500.000-13.000.000 for lenses
made in 1975-76.
Now it seems that this was not an isolated fact, but common to other cameras
made in the same period, like Carlos’ T White face that has a very similar
lens serial number.
Perhaps around mid 1975 Rollei Werke was running out of Xenars, then
discovered an old stock of lenses and decided not to place a new order? Those
were bad times for TLR’s, and probably everybody knew at the factory that
production was about to end soon.
Anybody knows of a very late Cord or T White face with the “correct date”
Xenar serial number?
Best regards,
Javier
De: rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
En nombre de CarlosMFreaza
Enviado el: domingo, 15 de abril de 2018 14:22
Para: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Asunto: [rollei_list] 2,8F Planar, Rolleinar 1 and Plate adapter
Yesterday I wanted to test the 2,8F Planar after the CLA and took an image
about the Rolleiflex T Xenar whiteface using the Rolleinar 1, the Rollei plate
adapter and Wephota 100 6.5x9 film sheet devolping it with the Romek PQ7
diluted 1+3,about 10 minutes. The T camera data on the white plate is visible
at the image largest size, it was made about May 1975:
https://flic.kr/p/J3Gt3h
Carlos
