Which Rolleiflex should you buy in 2023?
Rolleiflex first launched their twin lens reflex camera in 1929 and they were immediately extremely popular all over the world, so much so they had trouble meeting demand from their factory in Braunschweig, Germany and they were producing around 20,000 cameras per year. The lenses came in both f3.5 and f2.8 maximum aperture with the f2.8 being the most expensive and most sought after model for that extra half stop. The Rolleicord and Rolleflex T only came with an f3.5 lens.
From the Automat models onwards (1937), Rolleiflex cameras came with an advanced feature that allowed uses to load the film in such a way that it was not necessary to align markings on the backing paper with a red dot on the camera back/ Instead, there was a roller under which the film was loaded that sensed the change in thickness of the film and backing paper to automatically know when the first frame was reached.
In 1933, the company launched the Rolleicord, a more budget friendly model aimed at amateur photographers who wanted the best quality at a more affordable price. They were approximately half the retail price of Rolleiflex equivalents with some design differences to save on cost and distinguish the two ranges. Firstly, the levers to adjust aperture and shutter speed were on the side of the taking lens, making it slightly less convenient to adjust compared to the Rolleiflex. Instead of a winding crank, there was a knob that was twisted to advance the film, and a separate switch at the bottom of the taking lens was used to cock the shutter and also to fire the shutter (this is demonstrated on the YouTube video). This also made it slightly less convenient to operate than the more expensive range, but with some practice, it wasn’t really that difficult to use. And one final difference between the Rolleicord and the Rolleiflex design was the aperture and shutter speed window which was slightly to one side meaning it was less convenient to glance at while composing the image compared to the Rolleiflex.
In 1958, the company launched the Rolleiflex T which filled the gap between the Rolleicord and the Rolleiflex ranges, effectively creating 3 price tiers for their cameras, giving consumers a wider choice of options. This was the mid-tier model, which had a proper winding crank like the Rolleiflex, but without the automatic film sensing mechanism. The shutter speed and aperture indicator windows were on the top of the viewing lens, making it more easy to read than the Rolleicord.
All models are compact (for medium format cameras), have exceptional lenses, are easy to operate and produce relatively large 6x6cm negatives, allowing decent sized prints, especially when compared to 35mm film.
In my opinion, the Rolleiflex is a great camera made with the best materials and some extra conveniences. However, both the Rolleiflex T and Rolleicord ranges are incredible cameras in their own right and as long as you get a clean, working model, ANY of these cameras are capable of taking stunning images in the right hands. Buying from a dealer may be more expensive than private sales, but you will reduce the risk of acquiring a faulty copy that either takes pictures poorly or in worst cases, simply doesn’t work at all. You should be able to get some kind of guarantee buying from a dealer and it will already have been checked to ensure it is in working order.
So, I hope that has been helpful to you. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and I will try my best to answer your questions.
Additional Notes:
Rolleicord
Entry level consumer / amateur range
Production:
1933-1976
Rolleicord I (Art Deco) (1933-1936)
Rolleicord I (leatherette) (1934-1936)
Rolleicord Ia (1936-1947)
Rolleicord II (1936-1937)
Rolleicord II, type 2 (1937-1938)
Rolleicord II, type 3 (1938-1939)
Rolleicord II, type 4 (1939-1949)
Rolleicord II, type 5 (1947-1950)
Rolleicord II, type 6 (1949-1950)
Rolleicord III (1950-1953)
Rolleicord IV (1953-1954)
Rolleicord V (1954-1957)
Rolleicord Va (1957-1961)
Rolleicord Vb (1962-1976)
Lens:
Originally Zeiss Triotar 75mm lens
Later models had improved 4 element f3.5 Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 75mm
Also used in Rolleiflex but f2.8 not an option for Rolleicord
Specifications:
Shutter speed: 1/500 to 1 sec, plus Bulb
Aperture: f22-f3.5
Self timer
Parallax error correction
Rolleiflex T
Intended to fill gap between Rolleicord and Rolleiflex
Production:
1958-1976
Model 1 (1958-1961)
Model 2 (1961-1966)
Model 3 (1966-1976)
Lens: Carl Zeiss Tessar 75mm (also Schneider Xenar lens for model 3)
Specifications:
Shutter speed: 1/500 to 1 sec, plus Bulb
Aperture: f22-f3.5
Self timer
Parallax error correction
Rolleiflex
Professional range
Production:
1929-1981 (excluding modern models)
Lens:
Various lenses over the years including Schneider-Kreuznach f2.8 Xenar, Carl Zeiss 80mm f2.8 Planar, Tessar and Xenotar
Specifications:
Shutter speed: 1/500 to 1 sec, plus Bulb
Aperture: f22-f2.8
Self timer
Parallax error correction
Automatic film loading (since Automat, 1937)