Franke and Heidecke (Rollei MF cameras and projectors) close to an end

[PHOTOTONE]

Please be aware that the Rollei films have nothing to do with F&H. Maco is the vendor for Rollei branded films, and they licensed the name. They are not the subject of this post.

[archphoto]

THANK GOD !!!

The trouble with F&H was that they did not listen to the market. They came with the FX at the end of that era.
The never competed succesfully with Hasselblad an so on.

At one time I had a SL66 for a CLA in and a Hasselblad with a problem with a 120 back, so I could compare the two.
I loved the SL66 and still have one, I liked their handling better, esp with the grip on the SL.

Now all we can do is wait and see what happens......

Peter

[jfdupuis]

This is very sad news. I hope that Rollei will be rescued again. At least, I hope that knowledge will be transferred and that someone will be able to offer servicing and/or supplying spare parts.

[Palantiri7]

My Rollei 6008i/6003 are the best cameras I've ever used. I was saving up to buy the 6008AF. Now? Well..

[Ian Grant]

THANK GOD !!!

The trouble with F&H was that they did not listen to the market. They came with the FX at the end of that era.
The never competed succesfully with Hasselblad an so on.

Peter

To be fair the FX camera's were only made because there was a demand for new TLR's, the Rolleiflex's have competed with 6x6 SLR's since the mid 1930's onwards. A major problem for all film camera manufacturers is the vast quantity of good second-hand equipment with similar specifications at a fraction of the new prices that's currently flooding the market.

Let's hope something can be saved from the ashes.

Ian

[Uncle Bill]

Sad news but not surprising considering the economic climate out there.

[archphoto]

Thank God was ment for the films, not for the demise of F&H.
And yes, they had a lot of competition from the japanese.
I overhauled a 2.8F many years ago, it works like a charm and I will keep it untill my end has come.

[FilmIs4Ever]

Is this the end of MF projectors? I think there's one company still left making 35mms. . .

[Q.G.]

the Rolleiflex's have competed with 6x6 SLR's since the mid 1930's onwards.

Since the early 1950s, really.
They caved in in the early 1960s, starting to produce SLRs themselves.

The company that did that, however, has long gone.
The company that has declared bankruptcy now, though bearing the name Franke and Heidecke, is a quite new, almost completely unrelated engineering company, a couple of companies removed from the original Franke and Heidecke.

Sad to see the TLRs go.

[Ian Grant]

A new camera has only just been released by Fuji/Cosina

Ian