What's new
DPR Forum

Welcome to the Friendly Aisles!
DPRF is a spin-off of dpreview. We are a photography forum with people from all over the world freely sharing their knowledge and love of photography. Everybody is welcome, from beginners to the experienced professional. From smartphone to Medium Format.

DPRF is a community for everybody, every brand and every sensor format. Digital and film.
Enjoy this modern, easy to use software. Look also at our Reviews & Gallery!

Why Rollei Hy6 at all

At the risk of this becoming a "mutual self-agreeing group", I support what you have all said so far. I also prefer medium format, from several vantagepoints:

- you can look at a proof sheet, or transparencies and still see what there is without a lupe.
- it is the most portable format that still will give outstanding images
- to compete with it, you either have to go LF (cumbersome) or extraordinary digital, which is costly and heavy.

I recently went looking for some way to solve the digital/ease of use/high qaulity/ carry it overseas dillemma, and ended up voting against the 6003 (my love at home) and in favor of a GX. A bit silly, but the joy of shooting (and composing) off the glass in unexcelled. THe competitors included:

- big DSLRs, but they weigh a ton and aren't fun to use
- sophisiticated point and shoots - but they really won't give the quality image
- other MF cameras (hassy 500, contax 645, Hassy H1), but they are all bigger, heavier, and not as easy to use. Plus they can cost a lot.
- other MF film based, such as Mamiya M6/7 , but they don't give the pleasure of composition.

Ironically, Rolleis have this wonderful combination of usability and practicality, with ergonomics built in. Once you get used to it, it is hard to give it up.

Also, some other hidden joys of the GX -
- a simple batttery, change every once and a while. No need for chargers, remembering when it last was done....
- mechanical operation (thank goodness, something works)
- film won't need to be transferred, updated, burned, etc. It self files itslef, by proofing number.

What could be easier? Spend a night looking through old proof sheets, and you'll wonder if all those CD's are really so wonderful for storing images. Hard to hold a CD in your hand late at night. And don't we get tired of seeing everything on screen? At least I do.

Just one person's thoughts (and yes, I'm taking a Canon S40 p/shoot too, for the kid shots!). Life is not pure, but rather a combination of things.
 
yes to much of that - but - how come rollei insted of making the wide and the tele, never got around to make a trl with exchangeable optics a 38, 50, 80, 110, 135, 150, ? without making the tlr into a monster like the japaneese models - I think it is hard to decide "only" to bring a normal lens for "overseas" travel. But the thought of also bringing a "wide" and a "tele" and how that would make you stand out in the crowd as an overloaded donkey - (a bit envy from my side as i don't have the wide nor the tele, and as I would probably bring them along and dont give a ... what people thought of me) well anyway it would be nice with the interchangeable lenses! - Happy glass composing and tlr shooting
 
Ruben_blaedel:
Rollei's answer to your question was the SL66. It gave you all the lenses you needed and was much more versatile than any TLR with interchangeable lenses could have been. The SL66 also opened the door to 3rd party accessories from Novoflex or Schneider via adapters and lens plates. It's great fun to experiment with this modular system. Admittedly it is not a small travel camera (but neither is the 6008!), yet SL66 lenses are fairly light weight and robust. Outdoor and travel photographers like Fritz Henle used the SL66 in their later years after having been committed to the TLR. The SL66 and esp. the SL66(S)E with TTL metering just came too late and were too expensive to make an impact in the MF market.
 
A question of service.

I own a 20 year old 6002 that I bought secondhand - I needed an English manual, Rollei sent me one free of charge, I needed help with TTL flash (see the 6002 forum), they replied within hours. In terms of support for my needs I consider that outstanding. That's not why I bought the camera but it's a great advert for their service.
 
Why do I use Rollei? It is a "friendly" camera.

I originally had a Rolleiflex T, then a 2.8D. When the SLX MkII came out I bought it because the feel in the hands was similar to the TLR's.

I now use a 6008 professional with a few goodies. Perhaps because I started out with a Rolleiflex I have never found any of the Hasselblads as quick or easy to use and the loading of the 6008 series is superior.

I also have a 6006, SL2000, 3003 and a 35SE along with 3 Rollei projectors.

Here in Australia Rollei 6x6 seems unheard of yet the 35mm compact type is readily available.

John
 
it may be emotion to me. My father used Rollei c-35 which is the frist i know camera.and the the phote is veru good by this
 
I got into Rollei because it was less expensive to get into vs the Hasselblad in the terms of used equipment. I think that the marketing of Hassy in the US totally eclipsed Rollei and because of it the price of used Hassies remained high. After using the Rollei for the first time I was amazed on it's usablility. I've been upgrading my system ever since from 6006 to 6008i to the new 6008AF. I'm a believer in the Schneider lenses as the ultimate in sharpness and color. I will NEVER get rid of my Rollei no matter how many Megapixles they come up with. I figure that when the time comes to use a digital back, I've got the best body and lenses, giving me an advantage over what other systems will produce. My ultimate system, Rollei 6008AF with Schneider lenses and an Imacon 6x6 full frame sensor back in the range of 40MP's...... just missing the back now, one day soon!
 
Phtoman48230 wrote: "...I will NEVER get rid of my Rollei no matter how many Megapixles they come up with..."

I can probably say the same for my Rolleiflex 3.5E (Xenotar). I did "get rid" of my SL66SE and bought a Contax 645 instead. Just didn't take the SL66 out enough because of its bulk and awkward handling. The Contax 645 is very intuitive if you use traditional layout SLRs. I considered the 600x system but the lenses are too pricey (esp. the Macro which I need first). I may reconsider if Kyocera no longer supports the 645. I do covet the excellent metering system in the Rolleiflex 6000 system and prefer the square format.
tessar_man
 
> I totally agree - now if only Imacon will cooperate and come down to a price that's affordable we could have the ideal system! >
 
> Do not look to imacon (actually hasselblad now) as the best digital > back solution. The eye-like eMotion 22 is a new back with Rollei > fitting and it costs less than the 132c back... further more it is > non-tethered and considered the best out there. Look into it on > robgalbraith.com forum on non-phase backs.

Ed
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top