Rollei 35 - one year

I measured the distance from my nose to my fingertips with extended arm that is a little less than 0.9m. So I can use the arm for near distances. Minor differences from this distance can be estimated, which needs some experience at f3.5. For other distances between 2 and 4m I usually visualize a two-meter folding rule. Being a stonemason I have some experience in estimating distances and sizes.
 
An idea I have used when shooting a scale-focus camera (not anywhere near as effectively as Petronius I hasten to add) is to simply measure the distance of some things in the longest room in your home. That is likely to be several metres (I hope) and you can then compare distances to five metres with decent accuracy. Further than that things become less critical, for normal lenses.
 
I use the " + 5.6 and fast film" method. Rollei 35 is a good camera to use 1/30s or even 1/15s shutter speeds. With 400 speed film and 1/30s you can use f/5.6 inside in window light.
 
Carlos, I have the camera in my hand wherever I walk, even on the way over the parking lot to the supermarket. Be prepared!
Martin, measuring rooms/spaces you know well and transfer the distances to new situations is exactly the same as I do. It doesn´t work always!
 
I have really enjoyed and been inspired by the photos on your Rollei blog. I'm following it regularly. Great stuff!
 
Thanks to you and all the other RFFers, who constantly encourage me to go on with the sometimes not so easy work. There are days I want a SLR with a 1,4/50 so badly!
 
Yesterday I visited a camera fair and bought a Watameter rangefinder for the accessory shoe of my Rollei. Looks cool down there! I´m planning to use it as a control tool for my estimating skills and for wide open shots in the coming dark season.

To stay with one camera for a year becomes really painful when you stumble over gear you were searching for years.
Since I started the Rollei project, I found some of my dream cameras for next to nothing and now they are standing here, looking at me, whispering "Take me ...":
An Agfa Optima 1535 for 5,-Euro, a Nikon AF600 for 10,- Euro, a clean Retina Ia with a Xenar 3,5 for 20,- Euro and yesterday a Pentax Spotmatic SPII with a 1,4/50 mm at a flea market.
I asked the guy for the price and he said "5,- Euro, because the front ring of the lens with the data engraving is missing." I decided not to haggle and paid the five Euro;-)
 
I have been following the project too - I'm amazed at your discipline in posting so regularly. It also reminded me how much I miss my Rollei 35S - I really must replace that soon.

Keep up the good work ;)
 
I'm a real admirer of your work - I'm looking at your pix almost each day - gives me a lot of inspiration and I'm trying to have my camera always with me. Great work!
 
NICE pictures on that blog!.

I got given a Rollei 35 SE a couple of months ago, and hadn't known quite what to do with it, or what to expect of it.

That Has Now Changed.
 
Really nice results. You are going back a few decades to when most only had 1 camera and tende to shoot 1 film. Life was much easier. Sunny 16 rule ruled though some lucky ones could afford a Weston Master or GE PR series meter. Understanding of DoF and Zone focusing was 2nd nature.

I think the 40mm lens is the near perfect length for 35mm and most of my 35mm cameras have that length mounted on it, even my Bronica ETRS when I use the 35mm back.
 
I'll be enjoying the RSS feeds on this one, for sure. Just saw the post today.

Since the 220 will be sitting lonely all year, why don't you send it over to me and I'll keep it company. ;)
 
I'm glad I found this thread. Petronius your work is very inspiring. Looking foward to following the rest of your year with the Rollei.
 
On November, the 14th I´ve been shooting with the Rollei 35/Polypan for three months.
For those who are interested in numbers (including me;-):

93 rolls shot and developed, 3348 pictures (100%)
I count my bulk loaded rolls with an average number of 36 frames; some had more, some less. Remember, 90m of Polypan can´t be put into a bulk loader, so I have to guess the number of frames when rolling the film onto the spool.
1372 frames scanned (40,97%)
401 pictures uploaded to my blog (11,98%)
74 pictures in my Best-of-folder (2,2%)
 
Petronius,

You have ruined me ;) - I have a Rollei in the mail from Germany and can't wait.

It must be 5 years since I had my last 35s and I won't be parting with this one :D
 
What a challenge!
You must be good at organizing stuff, while messing with that much rolls and files :)
I really like the photo with the white pigeon and black road, it's like a traditional printing technique.
 
BTW - I think photo 2 of roll #93 is outstanding - it sort of fans out on my monitor when I scroll - groovy :)
 
Naumoski said:
What a challenge!
You must be good at organizing stuff, while messing with that much rolls and files :)
I really like the photo with the white pigeon and black road, it's like a traditional printing technique.
Click to expand...

Thank you Naumoski and John;
organizing on my Mac is easy. I use the organizing tools of Graphicconverter, a application I highly recommend!
The real challenge is to develop and scan asap! Thanks to my family I have the time to do this!
 
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