Rolleiflex
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Rolleiflex is the name of a long-running and diverse line of high-end cameras made by the Rollei company. The "Rolleiflex" name is most commonly used to refer to Rollei's premier line of medium format twin lens reflex (TLR) cameras. (A companion line intended for amateur photographers, Rolleicord, existed for several decades.) However, a variety of TLRs and SLRs in medium, 35 mm, and digital formats have also been produced under the Rolleiflex label. The Rolleiflex series is marketed primarily to professional photographers.
The Rolleiflex TLR film cameras were notable for their compact size, reduced weight, superior optics and bright viewfinders. An ingenious tapered mirror allowed the size of the viewing lens (the top lens) 'internal compartment' to be reduced, and this smaller compartment was dovetailed with the bottom taking lens 'compartment', which decreased the overall size and weight of the camera. The Zeiss lenses, particularly the later coated versions, had superior sharpness and bokeh to comparable cameras from other manufacturers. The mechanical wind mechanism was robust and clever, making film loading semi-automatic and quick. A wide range of accessories made this camera a more complete system, allowing close-ups, added filters and quick tripod attachment. Some art photographers still shoot with Rolleiflex TLR film cameras and black-and-white film, the later 2.8F and 3.5F models being very popular. A modernised version of these models, the 2.8GX with multi-coated Zeiss optics, is still being manufactured. The late-model cameras are collectible, particularly in Japan.
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[edit] Notable models
[edit] Original Rolleiflex
This first Rolleiflex was produced in 1928, and was the first medium format roll-film camera. It was a twin-lens reflex camera.
[edit] Rolleiflex Automat
- Introduced an automatic film counter; this counter senses the thickness of the film backing to accurately begin counting frames, obviating the need for the ruby window that forced the photographer to read the frame number off the back of the film itself.
- This model won the Grand Prix award at the Paris World's Fair in 1937.
- The first Rolleiflex to offer a Schneider Kreuznach Xenar taking lens as an option, in addition to the Carl Zeiss Tessar.
[edit] Rolleiflex 2.8A
Incorporated the first f2.8 taking lens (either an 80 mm Carl Zeiss Tessar or Opton Tessar) into the Rolleiflex line. It also added an X flash synch contact.
[edit] Tele Rolleiflex
This camera used a 135 mm/f4.0 Carl Zeiss Sonnar taking lens.
[edit] Wide Rolleiflex
This camera had a 55 mm/f4.0 Carl Zeiss Distagon taking lens.
[edit] Rolleiflex SL66
Rollei's first medium-format SLR, introduced in 1966.
[edit] Rolleiflex SL 35
A 35 mm SLR introduced in 1970.
[edit] List of models
[edit] TLRs
- Original Rolleiflex
- Standard Rolleiflex
- Rolleiflex Automat
- Rolleiflex Automat X
- Rolleiflex Automat MX
- Rolleiflex Automat MX/EVS
- Rolleiflex 4x4 Baby Rolleiflex (1930s)
- Rolleiflex 2.8A
- Rolleiflex 2.8B
- Rolleiflex 2.8C
- Rolleiflex 2.8D
- Rolleiflex 3.5C
- Rolleiflex 2.8E
- Rolleiflex 4x4 (1950s; in Gray and Black)
- Rolleiflex T
- Rolleiflex 3.5F
- Rolleiflex 3.5E
- Tele Rolleiflex
- Rolleiflex 2.8F
- Wide Rolleiflex
- Rolleiflex 2.8F Aurum
- Rolleiflex 2.8F Platinum
- Rolleiflex 2.8GX
- Rolleiflex 2.8FX
- Wide Rolleiflex 4.0 FW
- Rolleiflex 2.8F Mini
- Rolleiflex MiniDigi
[edit] Medium format SLRs
- Rolleiflex SL66
- Rolleiflex SL66 E
- Rolleiflex SL66 X
- Rolleiflex SL66 SE
- Rolleiflex SLX
- Rolleiflex SLX Metric
- Rolleiflex 6002
- Rolleiflex 6006
- Rolleiflex 6006 Metric
- Rolleiflex 6008 Professional
- Rolleiflex 6008 Metric 3D Industrial
- Rolleiflex 6008 Professional Gold
- Rolleiflex 6008 Professional SRC 1000
- Rolleiflex 6003 SRC 1000
- Rolleiflex 6008 ChipPack Digital Metric
- Rolleiflex 6008 E
- Rolleiflex 6008 Q 16 Digital Metric
- Rolleiflex 6008 AF
- Rolleiflex 6008 integral
- Rolleiflex 6008 integral2
- Rolleiflex 6008 Metric
- Rolleiflex 6003 Professional
- Rolleiflex 6001 Professional
[edit] 35 mm SLRs
- Rolleiflex SL35
- Rolleiflex SL350
- Rolleiflex SL35M
- Rolleiflex SL35ME
- Rolleiflex SL35E
- Rolleiflex SL 2000 F
- Rolleiflex SL 3003
- Rolleiflex SL 3001
[edit] External links
