Emmanuel and Carlos,
Thank you for your helpful addition and yes Emmanuel, next time you see a rare
item of Rollei memorabilia it would be a good idea if you purchased it just to
ensure that if someone would like further information in the future, you would
be in a good position to supply it. ;-) ;-) ;-)
I additionally quote from a question and answer column in
Amateur Photographer, September 18th 1974
Enquiry Desk manned by Rex Hayman
Re "Magazine back for Rolleiflex"
Question: "I have just bought a second-hand Rolleiflex camera and remember reading
somewhere - probably in AP - of a device for converting this to take over 100 exposures
on a roll of film. Neither my dealer nor Rollei are able to provide any information."
Answer: "The device you refer to is a magazine back for converting most twin
lens Rolleiflex cameras to take 150 pictures without re-loading. It is made by P
Lachaize, 45, Cours Tolstoi - LYON VILLEURBANNE - France and is a complete magazine
unit which fits in place of the standard back without modification to the camera.
The back may be loaded, fitted or removed (even partially exposed) in daylight, a
built-in cutting device enabling the exposed portion of the film to be removed for
processing.
The film used is a standard 61.7mm wide roll about 35ft long with opaque paper
leader at the beginning and end. The magazine back has a built-in counter and
accepts adaptors for shooting 200 6x4½in pictures. It can also be adapted for
using 35mm unperforated film to give a picture size of 31 x 42mm or for normal
perforated 35mm material for a picture size of the standard 24 x 36mm.
Obvious uses for this special back are for press - especially sports work -
industrial, education and research (providing the means for identical
processing of a large number of exposures), wedding and banquet work, and for
lengthy portrait or fashion sessions. However, its real advantages lie not only
in the convenience of not having to stop to re-load the camera resulting in
broken continuity or at the worst a lost picture, but in economy since, not
only can a conventional film be loaded into the camera immediately before or
after using the back, but you can change to a 120 roll midway through at the
loss of only half a frame in the back.
The accompanying illustrations show the back fitted to a camera and also open for
loading. I really don't know whether it is still available - or its price - but you
could drop a line to the manufacturer."
Does anyone have information on this 150 exposure back for the TLRs?
I hope to be inundated with mail ;-) -- I would like some information
to publish in Club Rollei User Thanks John
John.
I know no more than what is in the Rollei report.
The Lachaize long roll non perforated film back was used by photo-reporters
covering the Tour-de-France in the early sixties.
There is a built-in knife to cut part of the roll.
There was one of this back on display for sale mounted on a 3,5F at AMC Photo,
Boulevard Beaumarchais a few yeasr ago... so I apologize, I should have bought
it in prevision of a detailed report for Mr. Wild of England ;-);-)
