Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
shawn
Mentor
I just put in the new mirror and a Rick Oleson brigthscreen. Dramatic improvement in the finder, much brighter and more evenly illuminated. Because the screen doesn't have the unfrosted area for the bubble level that is a little harder to see but is still usable.
I want to pull off the side panel and clean up the winding gears. It is very smooth unloaded but when I put film or just backing paper through it it sometimes hits areas that feel a little more notchy.
Shawn
I want to pull off the side panel and clean up the winding gears. It is very smooth unloaded but when I put film or just backing paper through it it sometimes hits areas that feel a little more notchy.
Shawn
Could be cool, but I’m perfectly fine looking at the regular Rolleiflex square images too...
shawn
Mentor
Side leather comes off easily. A little alcohol to wet the underside and it was able to be pulled back pretty easily. I ended up taking it all the way off. If you do that press the wet leather between something so it dries flat. I didn't and when it dried it was in a funny shape. I had to rewet it to smooth it out and I think that caused the leather to shrink slightly. Pulling it back just enough to get to the screws is likely a better option. You have to lift up a fair amount of leather on the bottom as the side cover isn't full body length.
Very little lubrication inside so it was really clean. The middle top gear fits into a bushing on the case. There was so hardened grease there so I cleaned that out and relubricated it. I think the slight grittiness I was feeling was from the silver gear top left. That uses the inside of the case face as a bushing and it has worn into the metal slightly and unevenly. That had dried grease too so cleaned that out and lubricated it. The middle gear was also slightly wearing into the case. It is smoother now advancing with paper backing in it.
Also tried to take before after with the mirror and focus screen replacement with the camera pointing at a blank wall.
Before: (1/8 f3.6 ISO800)
After: (1/8 f3.6 ISO800 and I think the room was slightly darker)
Shawn
Very little lubrication inside so it was really clean. The middle top gear fits into a bushing on the case. There was so hardened grease there so I cleaned that out and relubricated it. I think the slight grittiness I was feeling was from the silver gear top left. That uses the inside of the case face as a bushing and it has worn into the metal slightly and unevenly. That had dried grease too so cleaned that out and lubricated it. The middle gear was also slightly wearing into the case. It is smoother now advancing with paper backing in it.
Also tried to take before after with the mirror and focus screen replacement with the camera pointing at a blank wall.
Before: (1/8 f3.6 ISO800)
After: (1/8 f3.6 ISO800 and I think the room was slightly darker)
Shawn
Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
Nice job! Hmm almost makes me want open mine up and have a look.
JPD
Retina and Rollei user
@Shawn, save the original screen. I replaced the old one with a modern brightscreen in one of my Rolleiflex Standards, but put the old one back in after a short while because it didn't feel right. And I would never buy a Rollei that has an aftermarket screen. I like them 100% period, period. 
shawn
Mentor
Will do. I wrapped up the original screen and mirror to hang on to them.
Shawn
Shawn
Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
Riley on Her Walk by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
On Our Ledge by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Sunday Walk by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
Side leather comes off easily. A little alcohol to wet the underside and it was able to be pulled back pretty easily. I ended up taking it all the way off. If you do that press the wet leather between something so it dries flat. I didn't and when it dried it was in a funny shape. I had to rewet it to smooth it out and I think that caused the leather to shrink slightly. Pulling it back just enough to get to the screws is likely a better option. You have to lift up a fair amount of leather on the bottom as the side cover isn't full body length.
Very little lubrication inside so it was really clean. The middle top gear fits into a bushing on the case. There was so hardened grease there so I cleaned that out and relubricated it. I think the slight grittiness I was feeling was from the silver gear top left. That uses the inside of the case face as a bushing and it has worn into the metal slightly and unevenly. That had dried grease too so cleaned that out and lubricated it. The middle gear was also slightly wearing into the case. It is smoother now advancing with paper backing in it.
Also tried to take before after with the mirror and focus screen replacement with the camera pointing at a blank wall.
Before: (1/8 f3.6 ISO800)
After: (1/8 f3.6 ISO800 and I think the room was slightly darker)
Shawn
I did end up opening mine up to check out the reflex mirror, just out of curiosity, and it looked brand-new. Amazing that KEH considered my camera to have been in 'as-is' condition.
shawn
Mentor
I think they do that when they don't want to warranty an item. I've bought several As-is cameras that were in good to great shape and working fine.
Shawn
mothertrucker
Well-known
I love my Old Standard, I have a 622. I pieced a good one out of three parts cameras but I also had to get a new mirror.
F3.5 is fast enough to do concerts as long as the lighting is good and you are close up. Not that we'll have any of those anytime soon!!
F3.5 is fast enough to do concerts as long as the lighting is good and you are close up. Not that we'll have any of those anytime soon!!
Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
Nice shot - almost looks as vintage as the camera!
mothertrucker
Well-known
Thanks Vince - i am really enjoying your series of shots as well. The musician is a guy named Pokey Lafarge -his schtick is 20's style St. Louis boogie. His band is really tight, they clearly practice a lot. Not really my favorite music but they put on a great live show, he's just a natural showman.
I had a K4a and this 622 and I kept the 622. Unfortunately the K4a had some separation (Zeiss Opton Tessars apparently known for it). The 622, no issues at all.
The 622 does flare a bit more due to the lack of coating apparently, I have gotten an original Rollei hood for it but the clamp mechanism is not very good and i don't trust it to stay on. The Contina hood you found to fit looks like a good solution.
I had a K4a and this 622 and I kept the 622. Unfortunately the K4a had some separation (Zeiss Opton Tessars apparently known for it). The 622, no issues at all.
The 622 does flare a bit more due to the lack of coating apparently, I have gotten an original Rollei hood for it but the clamp mechanism is not very good and i don't trust it to stay on. The Contina hood you found to fit looks like a good solution.
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
Vintage Look Portrait shot with an ancient Rollei
Vintage Look Portrait shot with an ancient Rollei
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/rffgallery/showphoto.php?photoid=298432&showall=1
I took this Vintage Look portrait of Amelia with my 1932 Rolleiflex Old Standard and uncoated 75mm f/3.5 Zeiss Jena Tessar lens. I replaced the original mirror with a modern front surface mirror and the original plain ground glass screen with a Maxwell Hi-Lux screen. These upgrades vastly improved viewing brightness and focusing precision. Handheld exposure: 1/100 sec at f/4-5.6 on Ilford HP-5 Plus film. To see image please click on live link at top of text.
Vintage Look Portrait shot with an ancient Rollei
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/rffgallery/showphoto.php?photoid=298432&showall=1
I took this Vintage Look portrait of Amelia with my 1932 Rolleiflex Old Standard and uncoated 75mm f/3.5 Zeiss Jena Tessar lens. I replaced the original mirror with a modern front surface mirror and the original plain ground glass screen with a Maxwell Hi-Lux screen. These upgrades vastly improved viewing brightness and focusing precision. Handheld exposure: 1/100 sec at f/4-5.6 on Ilford HP-5 Plus film. To see image please click on live link at top of text.
mothertrucker
Well-known
Nice shot Jason. I haven't gotten brave enough to use mine on my son yet, he is a little too fast for my focusing skill, and most of the time I bring out a camera he wants to see how it works instead of posing! 2 year olds....
wpb
Well-known
I’ve had very good results just replacing the mirror and cleaning the screen on a couple of Flexes. The mirror seems to get hazy after 50 or 60 years and cleaning it is next to impossible. I’d say before you go through the trouble of an aftermarket screen do a mirror replacement and clean the original screen first.
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
Screen replacement on Rolleiflex Old Standard
Screen replacement on Rolleiflex Old Standard
I agree that replacing the old mirror and cleaning, rather than replacing, the original screen is a valid (and less expensive) option and it will certainly improve viewing brightness. However if you plan to run more than an occasional roll of film through your Old Standard, installing a Maxwell screen will not only enhance viewing brightness and evenness of illumination even more, but also provide noticeably greater focusing precision, which is really the name of the game. I've done it both ways so I know whereof I speak.
Screen replacement on Rolleiflex Old Standard
I agree that replacing the old mirror and cleaning, rather than replacing, the original screen is a valid (and less expensive) option and it will certainly improve viewing brightness. However if you plan to run more than an occasional roll of film through your Old Standard, installing a Maxwell screen will not only enhance viewing brightness and evenness of illumination even more, but also provide noticeably greater focusing precision, which is really the name of the game. I've done it both ways so I know whereof I speak.
Vince Lupo
Nobody's Mentor
Only issue I could see with a Maxwell screen is that if you only paid $70-$100 for your camera (I paid $65 for my beautiful KEH ‘as-is’ example), I’d have a hard time justifying putting a $339 focusing screen in it.
