New (to me) Rolleiflex 2.8 E

raid said:
Congrats on the 2.8E. I sold the 2.E3 and the 2.8F and I kept the basic 2.8D with Planar land. I have a Maxwell screen with focus aid, and for the photos that I take, it works fine. I understand where Sanders is coming from though.
Click to expand...

Raid, The 2.8C and 2.8D are great cameras
as well. I prefer the E only because of the
removable finder. My eyes are bad enough
that having the ability to mount a Hasselblad
chimney finder, with its adjustable diopter,
on the camera makes a difference to me.
Otherwise, I'm with you.
 
Hi Sanders, you know a lot about these cameras. I did a search and found the following info on the camera I own. When I focus, it has a lot of vignetting and in low light the ability to critically focus without a split screen/rangefinder is pure guesswork. I resort to estimating distance and setting the focus using the scale focus.

Do you have any suggestions for a screen and a way to 'brighten the image for better focus? Any help's appreciated.

Rolleiflex Automat 6x6 - Model K4A
June 1951 - March 1954
Serials: 1.200.001 - 1.474.999
Taking Lens:
Zeiss Oberkochen Opton 3,5/75; Tessar
Finder lens:
Heidoscop Anastigmat 2,8/75mm
Bayonet I
Shutter:
Compur - Rapid, 1 - 1/500 sec., T & B, self timer. X sync.
 
Jan, several options:

-- An accessory called a Rolleigrid is a
Fresnel that drops on top of the ground
glass and brightens the corners without
replacing the ground glass. Some prefer
this solution because they find it easier
to focus on the ground glass. You can
buy a Rolleigrid used for about $50.

-- Several people make cheap Fresnel
replacement screens -- Redleica on eBay
is the best-known seller of these screens.
They cost under $50 but you have to pay
a tech to install it for you.

-- The best solution is a Maxwell screen,
discussed earlier in the thread. It will
cost you about $200 but will give you the
brightest and easiest screen for focusing
and composing. That said, either of the
other solutions will vastly improve your
camera.
 
Here is a scan of one of the pictures from my first roll on the Rolleiflex, which is also the first negatives I developed myself. Sorry about the upper-left corner. I've photoshopped it to the best of my abilities - but there was a kink in the film there because I didn't get it on the spool correctly, and the film didn't process properly.

Otherwise, I'm happy. Any suggestions?
4356567386_ac5bf58580_o.jpg
 
Bill Maxwell will install the screen if you mail him your camera.
Some people favor using the screen for the Mamiya camera and cutting the screen to the right size.

There is also on ebay a screen that sells from HongKong. The reviews are mixed. I found it to be an improvement over the Automat's screen but others have said that the screen is lousy. The cost is less than $40.
 
Sanders McNew said:
Raid, The 2.8C and 2.8D are great cameras
as well. I prefer the E only because of the
removable finder. My eyes are bad enough
that having the ability to mount a Hasselblad
chimney finder, with its adjustable diopter,
on the camera makes a difference to me.
Otherwise, I'm with you.
Click to expand...

Hi Sanders,
The idea of mounting a Hasselblad finder on a TLR sounds very appealing to me since my eyes are also getting weaker each year. Prices for any sort of camera are falling down,and there good deals here and there to be found. One day maybe, I will get the Hassie finder and a TLR with removable finder.

It is important to maintain the Rollei TLR each few years to make sure that the mirror has not moved and that you actually focus correctly. I thought that the TLR is "rock solid", but after a long airplane trip, my photos came out unsharp. It may been the shaking inside the plane that threw off the mirror. Mark Hama did a good job putting the mirror back in the correct position. He also did other things, he said.

I have found the Fuji 100mm lens for the G690BL to be slightly sharper than the Planar on my 2.8D in my side by side photography with these two camera and blowing up photos 20x30. It could have been due to the 6x9 transparency size. I used Velvia 50 most of the time.
 
raid said:
Hi Sanders,
The idea of mounting a Hasselblad finder on a TLR sounds very appealing to me since my eyes are also getting weaker each year. Prices for any sort of camera are falling down,and there good deals here and there to be found. One day maybe, I will get the Hassie finder and a TLR with removable finder.

It is important to maintain the Rollei TLR each few years to make sure that the mirror has not moved and that you actually focus correctly. I thought that the TLR is "rock solid", but after a long airplane trip, my photos came out unsharp. It may been the shaking inside the plane that threw off the mirror. Mark Hama did a good job putting the mirror back in the correct position. He also did other things, he said.

I have found the Fuji 100mm lens for the G690BL to be slightly sharper than the Planar on my 2.8D in my side by side photography with these two camera and blowing up photos 20x30. It could have been due to the 6x9 transparency size. I used Velvia 50 most of the time.
Click to expand...

Raid, to mount the Hasselblad chimney on a
Rolleiflex, you need this adaptor:

http://www.baierfoto.de/tlr.html

Well worth the money -- it's a great piece
of equipment.
 
Sanders McNew said:
Jan, several options:

-- An accessory called a Rolleigrid is a
Fresnel that drops on top of the ground
glass and brightens the corners without
replacing the ground glass. ...

-- Several people make cheap Fresnel
replacement screens -- Redleica on eBay..

-- The best solution is a Maxwell screen,
discussed earlier in the thread.
Click to expand...

Sanders.. thanks, I'll check these out. I'm appreciative.

Jan
 
Sanders McNew said:
Jan, several options:

-- An accessory called a Rolleigrid is a
Fresnel that drops on top of the ground
glass and brightens the corners without
replacing the ground glass. Some prefer
this solution because they find it easier
to focus on the ground glass. You can
buy a Rolleigrid used for about $50.

-- Several people make cheap Fresnel
replacement screens -- Redleica on eBay
is the best-known seller of these screens.
They cost under $50 but you have to pay
a tech to install it for you.

-- The best solution is a Maxwell screen,
discussed earlier in the thread. It will
cost you about $200 but will give you the
brightest and easiest screen for focusing
and composing. That said, either of the
other solutions will vastly improve your
camera.
Click to expand...
I have ordered a focusing screen from Rick Oleson for my 3.5E Planar (rule of thirds grid). Reportedly it's as bright as DIY Mamiya screen which I find plenty bright on my Rolleiflex T. I can't afford a Maxwell screen at the moment and this one is cheap. I will post my impressions when it arrives.
The vignetting is what bothered me most with the native screen. BTW Rick is very helpful and provides installation instruction and a pair of self-adhesive plastic spacers to make the focus adjustment if needed (there was some thickness variation in Rollei screens).
 
The Rolleiflex 2.8E is at Harry Fleenor's now. I should have it back around Columbus Day.

Getting a new Maxwell Hi-lux focus screen with just a grid installed, as well as shutter and transport overhauls, and repair of the ASA setting knob.

This has definitely been a learning experience for me. Cannot wait to go out and shoot some square pictures.
 
Keep in mind that the adapter only works w/ Rolleiflex models that have the removable WLF on top. I had one of the adapters and used it w/ a Kiev Spot/TTL prism and didn't like it at all. The adapter has to put the prism way up high to get the full frame in the viewfinder, and you have to shift your eye from top to bottom to see the full frame. You can't see it w/ just a simple glance. The adapter is very well made but absurdly over priced, and the resale value is very low. I decided mine wasn't working for me and was only able to recoup about 1/4 of what I paid for it on the auction site. Now I use my Rolleiflex prism and the standard WLF w/ sports finder and am very happy w/ the combination.
 
My own 2.8E is at Koh's right now getting a CLA, dead-meter-ectomy, and a Beattie plain screen. I'll also report my experiences. Bought a 2.8C from him, though, with his CLA, and it's buttery-smooth, so my hopes are high for my "E".
 
you made a right choice to send the camera to Harry,
I just got my Rollie 2.8e back from him, $800 for complete overhaul + Maxwell screen +220 switcher. Quite expensive, consider that I bought the Rollie for $300. The camera had been with him for 7 months, part because I did't have enough cash to pay for the repairs :) In return, the camera operate smoothly, I felt instantly in love with it, I'm still getting use to scale focus with the Rollie. I have to say, after 7 years of using about 20 different systems, I found the right camera and it is the Rollie 2.8e.
 
lngu81 said:
you made a right choice to send the camera to Harry,
I just got my Rollie 2.8e back from him, $800 for complete overhaul + Maxwell screen +220 switcher. Quite expensive, consider that I bought the Rollie for $300. The camera had been with him for 7 months, part because I did't have enough cash to pay for the repairs :) In return, the camera operate smoothly, I felt instantly in love with it, I'm still getting use to scale focus with the Rollie. I have to say, after 7 years of using about 20 different systems, I found the right camera and it is the Rollie 2.8e.
Click to expand...

Isn't the Depth of Field scale on the Rolleiflex 2.8E a really neat idea? There are several really nice things about the camera. It is easy to fall in love with it. But my favorite of all: there is nowhere to put in batteries. :)
 
I recently joined the 2.8E club myself :)

My 2.8E1 came back from Harry about 2 weeks ago.

I have just ordered a screen from Rick as the standard one is the dimmest of all my TLR's and focusing on a model with the pressure of a shoot is a lot harder than focusing on the TV at leisure in the living room.

As I understand it on the 2.8E 1st series I will have to shim to achieve focus, is this correct ?
 
My 2.8E from Koh's Camera is back with a CLA, the meter removed, and a Beattie matte screen procured and installed.

Holy CRAP I'm happy! $145 for the CLA, $195 for the screen, $75 for the labor on the meter and replacement parts for where the meter knob was. The last $75 was an extravagance, but I really like the lowered width of the camera without the useless plastic bubble sticking out the side.

Runs super-silky smooth and solid now. When I got it, turning the shutter speed selector took a significant effort, and focus was stiff. Now it's all well-damped, but easy to move.
 
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