miércoles, diciembre 28, 2011

Rolleiflex 3.5F in the Lanin

Click on thumbnail

I carried the Rolleiflex 3.5F Planar (third version model) in my backpack during our Lanin volcano climbing in November 2011, my son Nicolás surprised me with this image taken close to the shelter on 2600m as the pennant indicates, the Tromen lake is in the background (right) and the little white triangle in the last background on the left is the active Llaima volcano, there is a bit of volcanic ash in the atmosphere coming from the Puyehue volcano. The square images in this Flickr set were taken with the 3.5F, some of them from the same area:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itarfoto/sets/72157628240049097/

sábado, junio 04, 2011

Rolleiflex SL35M

(Image better seen at the largest size). The Rolleiflex SL 35M has some relationship with one of the lasts Zeiss Ikon cameras, the SL 706. The 35M and the identical Voigtländer VSL 1 BM have the QBM bayonet. The camera has self-timer, TTL Cds coupled lightmeter, DOF preview, double diagonal split image in the vewfinder, hot shoe and PC terminal for flash, shutter cable release, mechanical shutter with focal plane fabric curtain (B,1/2sec to 1/1000sec), it was made by Rollei Singapore from 1976 to 1979 and sold in the black version only.


The standard lens is a Planar 1.8/50 designed by Carl Zeiss based on the previous Carl Zeiss Ultron 1.8/50 for Zeiss Ikon and Voigtländer cameras, including the Zeiss Ikon SL 706. The Carl Zeiss Ultron was an evolution regarding the 1950 Voigtländer Ultron 2/50. The Planar was labeled Color Ultron for the Voigtländer cameras made by Rollei.-
Note: My blog about the Rolleiflex SL 35 System: http://rolleiflexsl35system.blogspot.com/2011/06/rolleiflex-sl-35-system.html

miércoles, marzo 30, 2011

Rolleicord I decorative plates patent

F&H wanted to distinguish the first Rolleicord  from the Rolleiflex using etched decorative metal plates shown in the original patent excerpt above (click on thumbnail), the decoration were based on well known Art Decò style patterns. The production camera was made adopting the camera front and camera back patterns for the lateral panels and viewfinder hood too. The Rolleicord I "Art Decò" or "Tapeten-Rollei" in German (Wallpaper Rollei ) was manufactured from November 1933 to March 1936. The patent mainly protected the decorative plates use to finish the camera.

miércoles, marzo 23, 2011

SCANS COMPARISON

The negative above was taken (Rolleiflex 2,8C Xenotar) and processed about six years ago, it is underexposed very clearly and has damage too. I scanned it several times and never liked the results, anyway they were better if scanning the neg on the scanner (Epson 4490) glass directly (image above); results using the scanner film holder produced a weak image or a blank scan, however I washed the neg again yesterday scanning it on the glass directly (image above) and using the film holder (image below), it was a surprise to me both results were about identical showing them a very slight difference in the histogram (1 point to reach the minimal black point, otherwise histograms are identical); problems are the Newton rings for the image above scanned on the glass directly, it shows them on the subject knee and anothers two rings on the pizza, they are very visible at higher image resolutions, the image scanned with the film holder (below) does not show this problem and then I prefer the image scanned with the film holder this time (both images received identical treatment). Now I obtained similar results  regarding scans for negs with right or about right exposure from the point of view you can't tell the image quality difference if scanned on the glass or with the film holder, the Newton rings are the main difference for this underexposed negative (click on thumbnails for the images largest size).    

lunes, febrero 28, 2011

ROLLEI 35 LENSES


The Rollei 35 camera was built from 1966 (Heinz Waaske design with some Rollei modifications), the model above was the first Rollei 35 "special edition", it was made from 1970 to 1971 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Franke & Heidecke


Carl Zeiss designed the Tessar 3,5/40 for the Rollei 35, it  was also made by Rollei under CZ license in Germany and Singapore. The cement for the third and fourth element was provided with UV depletion layer from 1968, it has simple lens coating. There was a Rollei 35 S-Xenar 3,5/40 (Schneider -Kreuznach) version, this is a Tessar type design with identical performance regarding the Tessar 3.5/40mm.



The Carl Zeiss design Sonnar 2,8/40 (above and below) was an improvement regarding the Tessar 3,5/40, the lens is moved as a whole for focusing and it has Rollei or CZ (T*) HFT multilayer coating; most Rollei 35 Sonnar lenses were made by Rollei under CZ license, the sample above is from the Rollei Fototechnik era, the button to retract the lens is now beside the lens according the Heinz Waaske original design, this way avoiding confusions with the shutter release button. 




The Triotar 3,5/40mm (below) was a decent coated cheaper lens for the simpler Rollei 35 models like Rollei B 35, Rollei C 35, Rollei 35 LED etc.

Note: My blog about the Rolleiflex SL 35 system: http://rolleiflexsl35system.blogspot.com/2011/06/rolleiflex-sl-35-system.html