Taking Pics with a 100 Year Old Camera - the Original Rolleiflex #rolleiflex #film #filmcamera

#rolleiflex #filmcamerareview
this video I talk about my Original Rolleiflex from the early 1930's. I share the history of it and my experience taking photos with this truly vintage camera.

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[andybaldwinphoto]

That is a great bit of history. The oldest camera that I have is a Kodak Autographic from 1916. I did shoot a roll of film in it using a 116 to 120 adapter. The oldest camera that I regularly shoot with is a Leica iii from 1939.

[carbonejack]

Love those black and whites. Amazing it still takes such good images. I've got a 3.5 Rolleiflex with a Planar lens and two Rolleicords. Interesting history.

[joanmichel]

Enjoyed the black and white image results you got. Also the info you shared about the history, appreciate your research.

[sophietucker]

My oldest camera that I've shot with is my father's Argus C3 from about 1948. My most used is a Hasselblad 500C which is from 1967. I have an Exakta Varex VX and a Voightlander Vitessa both from the early 1950"s but they both have issues that make them difficult to use.

[andyvan]

in those early years no standard format existed, so you had 4x4 (the 'baby' or grey rollies), 127, 620, 120, 1/4 plate, 1/2 plate, plate, and as no enlargers existed, you had to shoot the form you wanted the final picture in (as everything was contact printed); later on 6x4.5; 6x6; 6x7; 6x9 6x12 & 6x17 where formalised, and are the standards today (with some 8x10", 4x10" and other formats existing, even if in special dry plate, or wet plate systems, custom cut to camera designs).

[amandacreamer]

Aly, thank you for sharing about your beautiful camera, your experiences and knowledge. So fascinating and I appreciated seeing your images!

[AlexLuyckxPhoto]

Stunning results with the colour and that old lens! While I don't have an OG Rolleiflex, I use my Rolleiflex 2.8F often. As for my oldest camera, I have a 1915 Canadian-made Kodak No. 2 Hawk-Eye Model C, which takes 120 film and is made of thick cardboard for the outside body, and super thin plate steel for the interior.

[ChrisTDownTheRabbitHole]

I just love 1930s cameras!
If i may a little correction. 35mm film in 1929 was still a novelty in photogrpahy. Commercially only used by Leica at that time but still did not built up steam. That hapened after 1930. Also the 135 format first appeared in 1934 with the first Kodak Retina.

As for the Compur shutters of that era, are easy enough to work on, and built to last forever. Ι worked on probably more than 100 of them. But of course you can not expect to unearth one after 50 or more years and hope to function as they should.
If you are interested you can check about the reassembly of a Compur shutter to my Old Standard Rolleiflex or Welta Weltix video in my channel.
Keep it up!

[markl]

Wow, awesome video, awesome camera and awesome photos! I like to think I know a lot about film photography, since I was a hobbyist back in the 1970s and, well, film photography was all we had. But I sure learned a lot from you today. I had no idea that the original Rolleiflex used 620 film instead of 120, and I didn't even known that there had ever been a 117 roll film. I also didn't know that the original Rolleiflex lacked a crank (in later years, the crank was the most obvious difference between a Rolleiflex and a Rolleicord), and I had always thought "Synchro Compur" was some sort of internal branding for Franke & Heidecke, kind of like "Hydra-Matic" is an automatic transmission made for GM cars. Now I find myself wondering what other cameras had Compur shutters. I guess it's never too late to learn something new -- or old, in this case. 🙃

Your mention of the lack of coating on your original Rolleiflex's lenses left me thinking that you might be the first person ever to shoot a roll of color in that particular camera. My few minutes worth of Google research suggests that your camera was built before general purpose color roll film was available. Even if that wasn't the case, your camera was almost certainly built with just b&w film in mind, as color photography wasn't popular among the masses until sometime in the 1960s due to higher cost, lower reliability and shorter print life.

The oldest camera I can remember shooting with were my grandpa's Kodak Holiday Brownie, which could have been made anytime from 1953 to 1962, but was probably bought closer to 1953 as that's when my mom and her sisters were in those childhood years when parents want to take snapshots of them. The first "real" camera I used was my dad's Rolleiflex, which I'm pretty sure was purchased new in 1956. Hopefully one of my brothers still has it.

Fun fact: When I started shopping for my own SLR back in 1979, I really wanted a Rolleiflex SLR, because I had enjoyed Dad's Rolleiflex TLR so much and I knew what a high-quality camera it was. Alas, Rollei only had one line of SLRs available at the time, the Rolleiflex SL35. It was reportedly well-built and took fine photos, but it was heavy and clumsy to use, and expensive to boot. It was also completely devoid of any electronics, which I know many people view (both then and now) as a good thing, but one of the reasons I was buying a new camera at the time was that I wanted some automation to help me get more action shots, so, alas, the Rolleiflex SL35 didn't qualify. I ended up spending about $350 for my Minolta XG-1 outfit, which included the body, normal lens, case, wide neck strap and a bunch of other useful accessories. That same amount would have bought just the Rolleiflex SL35M body (I think that was the least expensive variant at the time) and the f1.4 normal lens I wanted. I guess I could get one now if I really wanted one badly enough -- there seem to be plenty out there on eBay!

[everydaypatriot]

Great old camera, Aly. Thanks for sharing so much information about its history. And thanks for helping to keep film alive. Wonderful shots as examples.

[davidspidell]

I really love my much younger Rolleiflex Mx-Evs, and I loved how deep you dug on the history of the company. Learned a lot of new things. I think I will try and date my Rolleiflex now. Thanks for the inspiration.

[KurtClark]

The image quality is impressive! You have a real winner there for sure. Oldest camera I shot with is a Kodak box camera that takes 116 film. Its 100+ years old. Shot some Ilford 3200 in the 120 size and loved it. Spooky old school awesomeness. Thanks for sharing your Rolleiflex in this video!

[Dwarvenchef]

Nice to see you out and about 😊 Dusting off the shelf queens and seeing what they can do can be very rewarding. I just got back from Tennessee (and bought way too many cameras) and working through a “New to Me” batch of war era folding cameras and lenses. I really should think about getting my blog out of the dirt and dust it off, showing my collection like you have. Currently I’m just posting on IG and Grainy.

[richardsimms]

This is another very, very well made video. I remember my mother in the 1950’s using totally non-electric pure mechanical cameras. I wonder how you develop your negatives.
Thanks so much.
RS. Canada 🇨🇦

[TheFilmFellow]

Would be cool to see a video of you giving it a CLA. Enjoyed this Aly! I’ve always been interested in a TLR. I’ve never shot one. The closest thing is my Mamiya 645 with a WLV but the viewfinders are so expensive. Might get one anyway because it seems like such a neat way to shoot. Especially street.

[EdwardIglesias]

Great video. I've got a Voightlander Brilliant that is probably from the 30s.

[Blofeld]

This was very interesting video. I have older Rolleiflex also. It's Rolleiflex Standard model 622 from 1937. Rough but in working order. I'm thinking if thing with the frame size is due that your camera has converted to use 620 film. Some of Rolleiflex Original cameras were converted to use use both 620 and 120 film. Have you tried if your Rolleiflex accepts 120 film also?

[ripemangosmdm]

Great video, love this camera. Have you done the clipping the edge of the film spool with toenail clippers to be able to use 120? I do that with two of my older 620 Kodak cameras, works great, no weird spacing or focus issues from loose film or anything. Stays tight and rolls on through as it should. Then you can use any 120 you want and save money!!! Wahoooo

[photos]

Hi Aly, sorry this is off topic but I watched one of your videos where you were looking for the “right” black and white film. But I can’t remember which one you decided on. Was it the Ilford HP5? All your videos are great, I appreciate them.

[stephenfoster]

Greetings from Australia. I have recently uncovered a Rolleiflex Original that my father used before I was born. No 39XXX, in its original leather case. It has the f3.8 shooting lens. Thank you for posting this video, and for the references to resources, which cleared up a number of queries that I had. Could you help me with three queries please? 1. The focussing knob doesn't turn (no film loaded) when I use a small amount of force. Should it rotate freely, or does it lock somehow? 2. Is there a specific order in which the flaps should be closed after using the finder hood e.g holding it as it is used is it left, right, magnifier or right, left ...? 3. There is a mirror in the top cover of the finder hood, which can be folded flat on top of the focus screen after releasing it with a small lever in the left hand edge of the finder hood top. Why is it there and how is this used? Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge and for inspiring me to try shooting some photographs like my father did in the 1950s, and perhaps earlier.