Ok, Roland. Give us a list. Which 8 do you have? :-) On 9/26/07, Roland Smith <roland.dnai@xxxxxxx> wrote: > I discovered the Rollei 35 about twenty years ago and have always had good > results with the 2.8 Sonnar and the 3.5 Tessar even at wide apertures. > Guessing the distance and setting the camera has not been a problem for me. > I own eight of them and, unless I want a Leica with lens interchangeability, > use them most of the time. > > Roland Smith > Dublin, California > > -----Original Message----- > From: rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:rollei_list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jerry Friedman > Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 3:50 AM > To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [rollei_list] Re: Rollei 35S, SE > > The problem you will find using a separate range finder is > that it will not be in agreement with the settings on your > camera. With greater distance, past 30 feet, this is less > of a problem because DOF can help compensate and the > differences going out from 20 to 30 feet to infinity dimish > with distance. At close distances, a rangefinder is crucial > but, you will notice, the distances between each > additiional foot on the 35S is significant at closest > distances. Hence, differences between a separate > rangefinder and the Rollei focus scale will be emphasized. > > If you want a good separate rangefinder, seek out a > Watameter. I have used these and they are not only well > made but can be adjusted to the focus of your camera if you > use a ground glass on the camera to set each distance. > > The biggest problem is that a separate rangefinder is very > awkward to use and to carry about. Not impossible, just > not pleasant, esp. if your camera already has a built in > meter. > > I have never felt that differences in optical resolution > are that important, compared to proper focus. This is less > true at inifinity, of course. I would rather have an > accurate means of focusing than a lens of finer quality > that has so much space between each foot setting at close > focus on the camera lens as is true with the Rollei > cameras. > > There is one additipnal problem with a Rollei 35 camera, > though it may seem incidental. Have you noticed how many > are sold on ebay with dented corners? This is the result of > the satisfying but awkward weight and shape of the camera. > simpl,y stated, the corner's of the camera manage to catch > the flat sides of larger objects. The dent itself is less > important than what the original bump means to the > accuracy of the meter and to the oh so precise shutter to > body linkage that the camera uses to remain compact. Please > keep in mind what must be done before the camera can be > closed down and put away.There are so many separate steps > and stages between the various body, lens tube, shutter and > film advance parts that it is quite easy to throw off the > optical alignment with a good corner bump or, in other > circumstances, to even be able to collapse the lens. > > Rollei 35 cameras are excellent picture takers. Period. But > they are an ergonomic nightmare which leads to a series of > complications with years of use. They are lovely, and, for > the mid 1960s, even well designed. Think of the elephants > that were SLR cameras at the time. The Contax T2,T3 are > excellent, far more durable and certainly more capable than > the Rollei 35. And if additional camera size is not a > problem, greater size further removes the Rollei 35 from > serious contention. > > And this does not even begin to address the problem of > using electronic flash..... > > Jerry Friedman > > > > --- FG <fuktighet@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > Thanks again guys, > > > > I've been also looking around for the T2 and T3 and, even > > if small and > > light, they simply don't appeal to me as much as the > > Rollei. > > > > I have also considered the Konica Hexar (not really > > pocketable but w/ a > > beautiful 35 f2) and the leica Minilux (fantastic > > summarit 40 f2.4). > > > > But there's something about these Rolleis that keep me > > coming back. And I > > know that sooner or later I'll end up with one. > > It's just a matter of time. > > Has anyone of you used (read succeeded in using) an > > external rangefinder on > > the Rollei? > > > > > > > > By the way, nice shots with that T Carlos. > > > > flickr.com is packed up with amazing shots made with > > Rollei 35's > > > > > > regards, > > Juan > > 2007/9/26, Eric Goldstein <egoldste@xxxxxxxxx>: > > > > > > That's an excellent point. If Jerry was referring to > > the Contax T, T2 > > > or T3, I'd say the same about those cameras, too. > > Further, the Sonnar > > > on those cameras is excessively contrasty and not > > terribly rewarding > > > to print from... > > > > > > I know the XAs and while they are fine cameras, to say > > that the 35S/SE > > > and XA are comparable from f/8 on misses the point of > > shooting the > > > miniature format. I can certainly get good sharp focus > > on my 35 German > > > at f/4 and if f/2.8 on a Sonnar shooting close in is a > > problem, than > > > an cheap aux rangefinder on the hot shoe (hung upside > > down!) will get > > > you where you need to be. The focus travel from 3 feet > > to infinity on > > > the XA is about an inch and the focus patch is about as > > precise... > > > > > > I traded my user 35S for a beautiful German many years > > ago, and > > > speaking as a shooter rather than a collector/fondler, > > I'm sorry I > > > did. The Sonnar on that camera is really very > > exceptional... > > > > > > > > > Eric Goldstein > > > > > > -- > > > > > > On 9/25/07, Mike Kovacs <mskovacs@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > Very well put Jerry. > > > > > > > > I have a Contax G1 with its wonderful Planar 45/2 > > lens that I tend to > > > > use more often than my Rollei 35 these days, but I > > also have no > > > > illusions that this Kyocera Contax and Hoya Planar > > will probably long be > > > > relegated to the trash heap before my Rollei 35 > > quits! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Jerry Friedman wrote: > > > > > I have used the Rollei 35S and SE and found them > > fine > > > > > cameras. But they are not light and convenient to > > use for a > > > > > variety of reasons well known to all. Most > > important, it > > > > > has no rangefinder and the 40mm lens does not > > really > > > > > compensate for the lack of focus imprecision. > > > > > > > > > > If you want a more convenient camera that is much > > lighter > > > > > and somewhat smaller and also has no rangefinder > > but is > > > > > much much cheaper, try a Minox 35 GT or later > > series such > > > > > as the ML. Same problems and strengths as the > > Rollei but > > > > > for less money and it is lighter and intuitive in > > use. > > > > > > > > > > If you want a small package and a good rangefinder, > > look > > > > > for the also very cheap Olympus XA. Again, similar > > quality > > > > > lens, very small and light package and it uses > > small button > > > > > batteries too. Wide open, the lens is not as good > > as the > > > > > Sonnar and probably equiv to the Minoxar. Closed > > down past > > > > > f/8 and there is little difference between the > > cameras. The > > > > > Olympus also has a very fine electronic shutter. > > And it > > > > > closes up inside it own clam shell case. > > > > > > > > > > Do not get any of the other Olympus X series > > cameras as > > > > > they do not have the same lens or the rangefinder. > > There is > > > > > an XA4 with a very sharp deeply wide angle micro > > lens but I > > > > > do not believe this is a flexibile camera. > > > > > > > > > > The best thing about an Olympus XA is that they are > > sooooo > > > > > available and for soooooo little money. You will > > buy three > > > > > of them for the same price as a Rollei SE. It is > > > > > polycarbonate and hence not as lovely as the > > Rollei, but if > > > > > you are going to use such a tiny image size and > > would like > > > > > any sort of quality enlaregement, Rollei design > > quality is > > > > > nothing when you can have a rangefinder and as good > > a lens > > > > > as well and all for one third the price. With > > available > > > > > cheap button batteries. > > > > > > > > > > But you really have not asked the right question at > > all. If > > > > > you want a small high quality 35mm and price is no > > object, > > > > > there are Contax autofocus cameras that will strip > > the > > > > > paint off of the Rollei 35. They are not costly, > > have > > > > > exceptional lenses and can even close focus to > > about 13 > > > > > inches. Indeed, Zeiss has produced a series of > > excellent > > > > > small 35mm cameras with excellent lenses. > > > > > > > > > > The Rollei is a landmark camera. It buried half > > frame and > > > > > submniature cameras......over 40 years ago. The > > Rollei TLR > > > > > of that age may still be hard to beat but the > > Rollei 35S or > > > > > SE is not. > > > > > > > > > > Jerry Friedman > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- > > > > Rollei List > > > > > > > > - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > > > > > - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with > > 'subscribe' > > > > in the subject field OR by logging into > > www.freelists.org > > > > > > > > - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > with > > > > 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into > > www.freelists.org > > > > > > > > - Online, searchable archives are available at > > > > //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list > > > > > > > > > > > --- > > > Rollei List > > > > > > - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > > > - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with > > 'subscribe' > > > in the subject field OR by logging into > > www.freelists.org > > > > > > - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with > > > 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into > > www.freelists.org > > > === message truncated === > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ > ________ > Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel > and lay it on us. > http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 > > --- > Rollei List > > - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' > in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with > 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > - Online, searchable archives are available at > //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list > --- > Rollei List > > - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' > in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with > 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org > > - Online, searchable archives are available at > //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list > > --- Rollei List - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx - Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org - Online, searchable archives are available at //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list