Carl Zeiss RB 50/30 aerial camera

Franke & Heidecke as civil firm did not have a significant militar production during the WWII, however they were required for some specific work sometimes like to manufacture the Carl Zeiss RB 50/30 aerial photogrammetric camera used on several Luftwaffe aircrafts for aerial reconnaissance, this camera was provided with motors to work automatically, it took 60% overlapped images that could be used sterescopically too. Anyway this camera needed some parts and accesories to work that F&H did not manufacture.-

TLR ROLLEIFLEX IN THE EVEREST

"Edmund Hillary after his successful attempt on Everest with Alfred Gregory and Tom Bourdillon at advanced base camp" Alfred Gregory was the 1953 Everest expedition official photographer, the Rolleiflex is hanging from his neck; photograph taken by George Band. (Very low resolution image from the RGS, higher resolutions are for sale, click on thumbnail).

"Tom Stobart with cine camera and Alfred Gregory with camera preparing to take images of the Sherpas who had reach high altitude", photograph taken by George Lowe on 30 May 1953 during the British 1953 Everest expedition. The red arrow indicates the Gregory's Rolleiflex camera used for the expedition (Very low image resolution from the Royal Geographical Society, higher resolutions are for sale, click on the thumbnail)

"...I also took a twin-lens Rolleiflex which I used for black and white.Despite being more bulky than the Contax and Retina it was extremely easy to use and with its superb Zeiss lens it was capable of producing pictures of exquisite quality. I took it as the South Col and the final results made the extras effort well worth while. When in recent years these three cameras were stolen I felt I had lost a very real part of history..." (Alfred Gregory, 1953 Everest expedition official photographer).

Diax IIa and other cameras

From left to right: Contax II coupled rangefinder with Sonnar Zeiss 1.5/50mm (1937); Walter Voss Diax IIa coupled rangefinder with Xenon Schneider 2/50mm (1954) and Rollei 35 viewfinder with Tessar Zeiss 3,5/40 (1973). The direct flash light produced some strange reflection on this automatic digital image, click on thumbnail for a larger image.-

220 film with Rolleicord IV

It's possible to use 220 film with a Rolleicord IV, you only need to open the camera back after to shoot the frame 12 (in complete darkness before to advance the film!) to reset to "0" the film counter and closing the camera back again, you could lose 1/2 to 1 frame only. You can see below my first 220 Kodak Tri-X 220 film drying (only B&W film available for 220), you also can see some blank frames, they have nothing to do with the film or camera film transport, it happened because I was taking nocturnal photographs and the cable release did not lock the shutter at the open "B" position. (click on thumbnail)

The old and reliable Rodinal

Rodinal Data sheet (click on the image)
Last Rodinal bottle (click on the image)

Digital ICE and No digital ICE samples

The image below was scanned with an Epson 4490 scanner without to use Digital ICE technology, the second one had identical scanning process but using Digital ICE technology, the original is a 6x6 Agfa RSXII 50 slide taken with a Rolleiflex 2.8C Xenotar, there is no visible difference about sharpness for both images(please click on thumbnails).

© Carlos M. Freaza 2008

Rollei TLR cameras weight

I weighed these cameras with an electronic precision scales originally, the cameras weight is the same using this kitchen scales except for the Rolleiflex 3.5F, it looks some grams heavier because it was loaded with film, the original measurement without film was 1140 g and now due to the film is about 1170g; the 2.8C weight for both measurement without film was 1200g and the Rolleicord IV without film for both measurement is 850g. The kitchen scales used below is pretty exact according the electronic scales, with divisions each 20g and more significant is the fact the cameras were weighed using the same scales. Please click on thumbnails to see details.
The first one below is the 2.8C Xenotar 2.8/80, afterwards the 3.5F Planar 3.5/75 and the third is the Rolleicord IV Xenar 3.5/75.

Rolleiflex 2.8C Xenotar 2.8/80

Rolleiflex 3.5F Planar 3.5/75Rolleicord IV Xenar 3.5/75