[rollei_list] Re: comparison Rolleiflex - Super Ikonta BX

  • From: Marc James Small <marcsmall@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:37:48 -0400

At 09:13 AM 8/29/2007, Jan Decher wrote:

Upon shooting both my Super Ikonta BX and the 3.5E from about the same era over the summer I decided to part with my restored Super Ikonta BX (already sold to France) and stay with the Rolleiflex. You can see images from both cameras on my Flickr site.

The Rolleiflex clearly won in most categories:
sharpness (yes, 3.5/75 Xenotar wins over 2.8/80 Tessar!),
precise composition (dinky fuzzily-outlined BX finder is no match against the Rollei's Maxwell-enhanced reflex finder), handling ease (it's easy to forget tensioning the shutter on the BX, as film transport and shutter are uncoupled)
and film spacing (the BX has a real issue with modern 120 film).
The only category the Ikonta clearly wins in is portability (a nice flat, though heavy package). I will probably look for a 6x9 folder (Bessa II, Linhof? other suggestions?) since I may be getting an Omega B7 enlarger this week.
Jan

Jan

I am not a great fan of the Super Ikonta BX but I do love the Prewar Super Ikonta B and own two of them. I also own a Voigtländer Bessa, two Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex TLR's, two Rollei Babies, a Rolleicord, a Rolleiflex Automat Type III, a 2.8F and a 2.8GX. I love the Rolleiflex TLR concept -- they invented the idea and no one ever made it better. But the Super Ikonta folders have their place as well.

The Rolleiflex TLR's, with a single exception, use front-standard focusing. This provides a sharper image across the focus range when compared to the front-cell focusing used by the Ikontas. And the later Rolleiflex TLR's use Xenotar and Planar lenses which are capable of generally more satisfactory results, while the Super Ikontas went only to Tessars.

I like using them all. Horses for courses, of course: each camera has its place.

Marc



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Cha robh bàs fir gun ghràs fir!

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