The Ultimate Photographic Machine (or only cool guys use a Rolleiflex)

The first rule of Rolleiflex club is you don't talk about Rolleiflex club

This post is inspired by the recent road to Damascus conversion of a certain Mr Micheal Reichmann of the Luminous Landscape fame who recently purchased a Rolleiflex in order to 'rediscover his craft'.
In an earlier essay on the LL a guest writer elucidated:

"While I was browsing Flickr and searching for some inspiration for my next portrait assignment, I came across some beautiful medium format portraits taken by excellent photographers using Hasselblad and Rolleiflex cameras. I was really impressed by the characteristics of those pictures: nicely balanced composition in square format, beautiful black and white (B&W) tones, shallow depth of focus and “mind blowing” micro-contrast details. As a digital shooter and owner of a Canon 5D mark2, it was something new to me that I have not seen before. Needless to say, I fell immediately love with medium format photography and I wanted to have a medium format camera to take pictures with similar characteristics".

Praise indeed! Especially from a writer on Mr Reichmann's LL blog which is not normally noted for espousing the advantages of film photography over full frame digital SLRs

My experience with Rolleiflex cameras goes back a few decades to the 1980's when I found myself training as a wedding operative.
The cameras have many great features and only a few drawbacks, the most obvious of which are the lack of truly close focus, the lack of interchangeable lenses and the laterally inverse (mirror) image on the focussing screen.

Rolleinar 1 on a Rolleiflex T

The close focus can be somewhat ameliorated by the use of the Rolleinar close-up lenses which come in three (1, 2 and 3) strengths number three being the strongest; they can also be stacked and give surprisingly good results. I would say the Rolleinar is the must have accessory for the flex along side a lens hood.

As a young man I found using the Rolleiflex both inspirational and slightly frustrating, the top wedding guys all had Hasselblads and that was the camera I aspired to. It was only when I started using the 'Blad I started to appreciate the quiet handling and unobtrusive manner of the Rolleiflex, and in practical use interchangeable backs and lenses really didn't prove such a great advantage.

Perceived advantages
So what  is the reason I preferred the Rollei to all other medium format cameras I've owned? 
Top of the list is the way it handles, and from the waist and almost goes unnoticed during portrait shoots; you maintain eye contact whilst still being able to frame the subject–in other words there isn't a camera plastered in front of your face so the subject has a more relaxed less intrusive sitting.

Easier for Selfies? Would this be better with an SLR stuck to his face?

Did I mention it was whisper quiet in operation? No mirror slap or shutter clop just a smooth sounding schtick that makes medium format SLR cameras seem clunky in comparison.

The build quality is exemplary; photographers from the modern era that hold one find the solid feel and positive operation even after fifty years of use are often extremely impressed–these are not consumer electronics with built in obsolescence; the Rolleiflex is a well engineered machine build to last a lifetime.

Optical quality is also impressive, Zeiss and Schneider are two of the best lens producers in the world Tessar, Planar an Xenotar types are as good as it gets optically, and have drawn many iconic images over the years.

The master at work

Those images were created by an astonishing list of photographers, far too many to list although a personal favourite being David Bailey (pictured above) who said recently "If I had to use just one camera it would be a Rolleiflex"

Not all of us have the skill of Bailey, Avedon and Arbus or even Mr Reichmann but few will deny that quality tools are great to have and use–even if we don't aspire to being as cool as this guy:

How many digicam users look this cool?

Quality never goes out of style, and life would be too short not to have owned a Rolleiflex. Or possibly you might be one of the many 'tonally starved' DSLR shooters like the one in the LL blog who would like to see 'mind blowing micro contrast and tones like you've never seen before' there is one thing for sure people will be creating wonderful images with them in the future just as they did in the past.

One Roll of Film –The Rosary Cemetery, Norwich, England



The Rosary

The Rosary Cemetery was the first non denominational burial ground in the UK. It was established in 1819 by Thomas Drummond a non-conformist minister; the first burial being that of his wife in 1821.

Norwich, a city in the east of England was like most places in the UK rapidly expanding during the 19th Century and a growing population also needed larger areas for burials.

The city also had a large congregation of non conformist worshipers including Quakers, Presbyterian and Congregationalists and these people had no burial ground as the law stated they needed to be buried in their local churchyards under the authority of the Church of England.

The meeting houses and Chapels rarely had land attached to them hence the reason for Mr Drummond purchasing the land.

The Rosary is situated near Thorpe Road not for from the Railway station and covers an area of 13.5 acres. The oldest part is where most of these pictures were taken, it has a wonderful faded grandeur the Victorians had a certain way of celebrating the lives and achievements of their citizens these memorials are really quite ostentatious to the modern eye; but reflect the status of those interred.  

If you wish to see then larger just click on the images.



The last resting place of 'Love and Riches'



This is the tomb of John Barker, a steam Fairground proprietor who was killed in a tragic accident by his own machine

These images were taken on a Rolleiflex T with Ilford FP4 film developed in Rodinal 1:50 for 12 mins. It was part of a project that I has researched and planned and placed in a book of future projects last year.
They were taken on a dull afternoon just before the gates were closed, I chose this time and lighting to give weight to the sense of decay and faded splendour.

Phone box Museum

Deep in the heart of Rural England lies the village of Farthingstone which has a old British red phone box that is the village museum.

Rolleiflex, Kodak Ektar, May 2015

One Roll: Rumburgh Morris dancers

Morris dancing is an old English tradition dating from the 15th Century. No one really knows its origin exactly but it is likely to have come from outside the UK. It is mentioned in several texts and it has been recorded that Will Kempe danced from London to Norwich in the year 1600.

This is the Rumbough Morris from Suffolk, taken in May on a Rolleiflex T with Fujifilm NPH 400.

One roll: Minsmere RSPB Reserve.

 Minsmere was established in 1947 by the RSPB. It was created by flooding farm land during the war in order to make the coast easier to defend. This encouraged many wading birds (including Avocets) to colonise the areas of reed beds and lowland wet grassland. The nature reserve is recognised for its high diversity of bird species and other wildlife and is used as a demonstration of successful reed bed management. It is visited by thousands of bird watchers each year hoping to see Bitterns, Marsh Harriers and other wetland birds.

Minsmere Sluice

Cable reel in drainage ditch

Teasels

Birdwatchers follow incoming geese

Drain

Tree in North marsh

View across north marsh

Pond at South Belt cross road





View over the west scrape

All of the images were taken on a Rolleiflex 3,5F with Kodak Portra 400 film on a single day in March 2015

Better Than Real Life

Those were the words used by my daughter while looking through the waist level finder of my Rolleiflex TLR. She found herself captivated by the large viewfinder 'it looks just like a film (movie) - like watching your life on a cinema'
'Can I have a camera like this one'?

The large reasonably bright screen with built in magnifier is a very attractive system, the focus 'pops' in nicely and is especially easy with the built in magnifier.
The viewfinder shows the minimum depth of focus, so some imagination is needed to judge the sharpness through the finder although there is a DOF indicator on the focus knob.
The only other caveat is the laterally inverted image which makes it harder to track moving objects as everything is reversed left to right.

That said the view is marvellous and has a three dimensional tangibility that makes it look like a focussed window on your world.

To quote someone seeing it for the first time "It's better than real life"

Rolleiflex factory sale

I recently read that the Rolleiflex factory was being liquidated, this might come as no surprise to some as sales must have been small, I bet not many were aware that you could even buy a new Rolleiflex in 2015!
Still the passing of one of the all time greatest camera designs should be at least noted and even celebrated for the iconic status the camera achieved.
The list of great photographers that used these wonderful camera's is a long one, celebrated British photographer David Bailey said if he could just have one camera it would be a Rolleiflex.
Personally I feel an incredibly lucky to have owned and used one for many years, these cameras are a joy to own and use, there are no automated features to fall back on you really do make images with this camera; like flying a single seated aircraft you are on your own with your skill will define the way the image will look, no auto anything.
Life is too short not to have shot with a Rolleiflex, I have two and hopefully they will last me the rest of my life.
Here are some images from the liquidator of the Rollei factory

CNC Lathe

It's sad to see it all go, and know that an era has passed I guess that's what some call progress.

Rolleinar Close up Lenses

When I sent in my Rolleiflex for its service to Brian Mickleboro, I had a chat to him about my use of the camera. I said my only criticism is that I'd like it to focus a little closer, Brian suggested I try a Rolleinar close up lens.
Brian explained-Rolleinars come in three versions 1 for head and shoulders, 2 for close crop of head shots and 3 which is for very close up subjects like flowers etc.
Here's what they look like on the camera:


Rolleinars normally come as a set of two the thinner being the taking lens, i say normally because earlier versions are 'three piece' with two identical diopters that are interchangeable and a wider parallax lens that can be paired with either of the thinner lenses.
The wider of the two lenses goes on the top (viewing) lens and it is important that the red spot faces upright for parallax correction:


Performance:
I know what you're thinking, putting extra glass in front of the lens is a bad idea for the quality minded photographer right?
Not with these little wonders it isn't.
So what of the performance? Well to sum it up these close up lenses work very well, surprisingly well would be an understatement.
Here is a close up of my daughter shot at 1/60 F5,6 on Adox CHS 50 ART (EFKE KB17) with a Rolleinar 1


The 100% crop


I'd say that for the money (I paid £10 for the Rolleinar 1) that every Rolleiflex/Cord owner should have one in their camera bag, the performance of the lenses is very good indeed and makes them a 'must have' accessory.

© All text and images Mark Antony Smith 2008

Rolleiflex T

The Rolleiflex T was originally designed to fit between the budget Rolleicord and the Rolleiflex F models.
The 'T' designation is understood to stand for Tessar as the camera is fitted with the cheaper 4 element lens often found on Rolleicords rather than the Zeiss Planar or Schneider Xenotar found on the 'F' models.
Some say the T really stands for (T)heodor after its designer Theodor Uhl whose sevices were apparently dispensed with after the bean counters at Rollei saw his handiwork.
That didn't stop the camera becoming a success with a production timeframe of 1958-76 and about 127,250 units being made.
My version of the camera comes in grey leather and judging by the serial number was produced in the early 1960's as a rule of thumb most grey cameras are early (pre 1966) a majority of T's are black.
A list of serial numbers can be found here
should you wish to date your Rollei.


The picture above shows the easiest way to tell the T model from a distance, it is the only Rollei with the shutter button on the side.
Even though the camera is positioned between the budget 'cord and the pro 'flex it certainly has more of the Flex's 'genes'
I've often seen people give the advice to get a Rolleicord over the T as the lenses are pretty much equal and the cords are cheaper, I'd advise that prospective purchasers should get a T as they are much better in daily use.
Below is one of the main reasons I prefer the T to my Rolleicord


The view above graphically illustrates how much brighter the T is compared to a similar aged Rolleicord, no doubt later Cords have better screens but I've always found them duller and slower to focus.
The Tessar lens is a design classic, less elements than the Planar and by some accounts not as sharp at the edges, but for the Portrait type work that TLR's excel it is a wonderful lens.




Both of the above images were taken within minutes of ripping open the box, they were taken on Neopan 400 with guessed exposures.

Edit:

I've had the camera and just love it if you are teetering on the brink of buying a Rollei just do it!

I recently saw this quote on a Photo forum:

"Get a Rollei. Life is to short to have spent it with photography without a Rollei".

©Text and Images Mark Antony Smith 2008