Finally, a Rolleiflex

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of the TLR. My first medium format camera when I returned to film photography was a Mamiya C330f, and I’ve since bought a Yashicaflex S. They are both very fine cameras but the Mamiya is very heavy, especially if you make use of its capabilities by carrying a few lenses and viewfinders! And the Yashicaflex has had a few issues with light leaks and film wind. So when I had the chance to buy a Rolleiflex 3.5f in good condition, I jumped at it. Yes, I would have liked a 2.8f but they are more collectable and command a much higher price, for what I understand is little real world improvement. Mine has the Schneider Xenotar 75mm f/3.5 taking lens, which is less fashionable than the Zeiss Planar.

I put a roll of film through it on a local walk across the marshes. The light was sadly flat and grey but I could immediately see what all the fuss is about. The camera is just a joy to use, being very light with every control falling to hand. I have always found it easier to make good compositions with a waist-level finder and square format and the compact size of the Rolleiflex allowed me to make the most of these virtues. The second roll of film was shot in brighter conditions with some friends from Whitstable Photographic Group and my friend Alan was eyeing the camera with interest. He’s a very accomplished medium format photographer from whom I’ve learned much, so I lent him the camera. A couple of weeks later he returned it, saying he wasn’t at all happy because it had made him realise all his other cameras were “rubbish”. He now owns a Rolleiflex too!

I wouldn’t go as far as to say my other cameras are now rubbish, there are situations where a rangefinder or an SLR are better than even the finest TLR, I like to use different tools for different jobs. My Bronica SQAi has interchangeable lenses and macro abilities, which the Rolleiflex doesn’t. My Mamiya 6 has automatic exposure and interchangeable lenses, and is very fast to use. My Ikonta 6x9 fits in a coat pocket and offers a huge negative. I’ll continue to use all of these. But I have to say I can’t see the Yashicaflex S or the Mamiya 330f getting much use now. Time will tell…

A shot from the test roll on a very dull day. A TLR makes it much easier to get low-level shots.

The sharpness of the images is quite remarkable.

The author with his 3.5f

The similarity with the Yashicaflex S is very obvious, but Yashica didn't just copy, they had a built-in coupled light meter a year before Rollei.