To be more precise: Claus Prochnow started to work for Rollei from 1 March
1955, after Hans Logé was hired by Walter Voss in January 1955. Richard
Weiss, Rollei Technical Manager, hired Prochnow and introduced him to
Reinhold Heidecke. Heidecke asked Prochnow about his technical background
and changed his face expression when he interpreted Prochnow did not have
an apprenticeship, but he changed again for a better expression when
it became clear that an instrument-maker's apprenticeship was a requirement
for Prochnow's precision-engineering studies. Prochnow integrated the teams
to develop the most important Rollei cameras and accesories from 1955 to
1991 and he became Rollei Technical Head. He retired in 1991, after 36
years working for Rollei.
Carlos
2015-12-16 10:32 GMT-03:00 CarlosMFreaza <cmfreaza@xxxxxxxxx>:
John:
You are welcome. I only have Rollei brochures and Claus
Prochnow's Rollei Report books, he was Rollei engineer along 32 years from
about 1955. I think he replaced Hans Logè in the Richard Weiss team when
Hans Logé was contracted as Walter Voss-Diax Cameras technical head in 1955.
Carlos
2015-12-16 9:50 GMT-03:00 John Wild <JWild@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
Thanks Carlos, your knowledge of Rollei history, production and models
far exceeds mine. I know if I bowl a dummy ball, you will bat it way out to
the boundary, but that’s how I improve my knowledge ;-)
John
On 16/12/2015 11:44, "CarlosMFreaza" <cmfreaza@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
2015-12-16 6:50 GMT-03:00 John Wild <JWild@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
"...Carlos may well correct me but the 2000 were made in Singapore and
when that plant closed, the 3003 was assembled using many 2000 parts in
Germany by the new Rollei company. They desperately tried to sell the 3003
and I bought a ‘specially’ priced kit including 35, 50, 135 and 200mm
lenses. Similarly kits were available with the 6002 and 6006 for the same
reason. I have heard on the grapevine that rather than flooding the market
with reduced price 3003 cameras, which would degrade the Rollei name,
thousands of cameras were destroyed so they could not appear on the
market..."
John:
About June 1974, the new Rollei CEO Dr. Heinrich Peesel had
talkings with Messrs Franzmann, an architect studio from Hamburg, they
presented some ideas about a cubic" camera with motor and modular design.
In a second meeting in August 1974 they presented a prototype to
Rollei shown in the page 44-850. This prototype had similarity with the SLX
camera and looked like a mini MF SLR camera. Rollei became interested about
the first prototype developing. Franzmann original idea was about a
mechanical camera with additional motor, Rollei decided to introduce
several of the Rolleiflex SL 35E electronics and a few of SLX electronics
to the prototype, Franzmann prototype only was the cubic body almost empty
with a few parts. Dr. Alster from Rollei had examined the prototype and
there was enthusiasm about the idea. The camera developing had problems due
to some electronics parts. Ernst Moeckl,. linked to Rollei through some
cameras and projectors design, finished the prototype in 1977, however the
developing work was ready at the ending of 1979 and in October 1980 the
camera SL 2000F and 2000 F motor started their regular production,
according Prochnow keeping the highest quality standards and they were made
in Germany only, he describes the developing along four pages with
photographs, data and dates.
Perhaps it is not a well known fact that the Rollei electronic shutter
used for the 2000, 3003 and 3001 cameras during the Rollei Fototechnic era
was only made in Singapore before the bankruptcy process in 1981. During
the seventies Seiko and Copal became the main electronic shutter suppliers
for 35mm cameras and Rollei wanted its own electronic shutter thinking in
the cubic camera mainly, and then they developed the symmetrical electronic
shutter with the control components distributed on both shutter sides,
while Japanese shutters had these components on one of the sides only,
Rollei symmetrical shutter was specially suitable for the cubic camera with
the lens mount at the center of the camera front face, anyway this shutter
was used for the Rolleiflex and Voigtländer E cameras for the first time.
Rollei Singapore had made a lot of electronic shutters thinking about the
2000F production and Rollei Fototechnic became this inventory owner, they
used the shutters for the 2000 and 3000 cameras production because to
reassume the shutters production in Braunschweig would be expensive too
much. In 1994 the shutters inventory was running out and Rollei decided to
stop the 3000 cameras production, there was still a market for this model
but it was not large enough to invest for new shutters manufacture or to
invest for camera body modifications to allow the electronic Japanese
shutters use.
The manufacture dates for the 3000 cameras belong to the Rollei
Fototechnic era and _they only made cameras in Braunschweig/Brunswick_. The
1981 bankruptcy administrator had included the Rolleiflex SL 2000 within
the cameras models to be manufactured in Germany by the new Rollei owner.
The only finished cameras made in Singapore during the bankruptcy process
were Rollei 35 models that Rollei Fototechnic sold up to about 1983.
Some people bought Rollei symmetrical electronic shutters and other parts
for Rollei SLR 35mm camera in auctions during the 1980/81 bankruptcy
process. They are still used to repair these models.
Carlos
