Rolleiflex in E.U.

[arigram]

I am looking to buy a new Rolleiflex 2.8FX somewhere in the E.U.
Where is the best price I can get?

[Uhner]

Check out http://www.photografica.com/

They are probably not the cheapest seller in Europe, but their prices may serve as a point of reference.

I think you are doing yourself a great service, contemplating the purchase of a Rolleiflex. I absolutely love my bastardised 2.8 E2 with F front plate and Planar optics.

[markbb]

Robert White in the UK: http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/product...leiflex-2.8-FX

[arigram]

Thank you but I was hoping for a better deal.

[André E.C.]

Try here Ari!



http://www.leicashop.com/

or

http://www.collectcamera.com




Cheers



André

[Ian Grant]

Ari, is there a particular reason why you want to buy a new camera as opposed to a good second-hand model with a dealers 6 month warranty. After all Rollieflex's are fairly simple and there's little to go wrong with them.

My reason for asking is the second hand value of Rollei's has dropped significantly over the past 4 or 5 years.

Ian

[arigram]

Originally Posted by Ian Grant

Ari, is there a particular reason why you want to buy a new camera as opposed to a good second-hand model with a dealers 6 month warranty. After all Rollieflex's are fairly simple and there's little to go wrong with them.

My reason for asking is the second hand value of Rollei's has dropped significantly over the past 4 or 5 years.

Ian

It is because even 500 euros is a lot of money to invest and if I am going to sell a kidney to buy it, I might as well go for a sparkling new camera.
I want the very latest model with the best lens and screen and other details in perfect working order and absolute mint aesthetics. After all, this will be a camera to replace my Hasselblad, so it has to be perfect.
Rollei has introduced so many different models through the decades which often age badly at the hands of abusive owners that I am frightened to give a lot of money to something less than ideal.
If I can find a 2.8FX in perfect shape I will buy it second hand. Otherwise I don't know if I should bother.

Btw, off topic, where in Turkey are you at the moment Ian?

Andre, thanks for the links.

[Ian Grant]

PM sent Ari.

I'll keep a look out for Rolleiflex's on my trip back to the UK. I have a mid 50's model which is mint, but need a CLA/repair unfortunately because it's only had 5 or 6 films through it since new, the shutters spot on but the film advance sticks as the lubrication has gone solid.

Have you used a TLR, they are very different in handling compared to a 6x6 SLR, I tried a Yashicamat while at school then later progressed to a very early Rolleicord, followed by Mamiya C33/C3's. Good reliable cameras & fun to use. I have a Yashica waiting in the UK that I bought off APUG last year.

The best UK dealer is probably Robert White, I've bought a few items and they have always been superb, he has well deserved excellent reputation, keep an eye on his website he does get Rollei SH cameras in occasionally.

Ian

[Dave Miller]

I have a Rolleiflex 2.8FX that I brought from Ffordes https://secure.ffordes.com a few months ago in mint condition for about 40% of the list price, and am very pleased with it. They, like most reputable dealers do offer an inspection and return period of, I think, 21 days, so they may be worth looking at.

[dpurdy]

Ian your observation of the falling prices of used Rolleiflexes is different than mine from watching ebay. You must be referring to a different used market, perhaps used camera shops or something? The prices of used Rolleis continues to rise on ebay and is up significantly from 4 or 5 years ago.

Ari, I have a sparkling new Rollei FX as well as a very late 2.8 F with Xenotar. In some ways the older Rollei is actually better and it might be an option to consider that you could buy the newest nicest old Rollei like mine from 1980 and have it completely overhauled for less money than buyin g a new FX.

What you will lose by going with a new camera is 220 capability, self timer, focusing sports finder on the WLF and auto film loading.

What you gain by going with the new camera is HFT coated Planar (which is slightly better, especially wide open and certainly less flare prone), through the lens meter system (actually meters off the focusing screen) and much easier focus (it takes much less physical effort to turn the focus knob).

The difference between the 1980 Xenotar with single coating and the 2008 HFT Zeiss Planar is so slight as to be hardly mentionable. Also the shutter release button on the FX is slightly less smooth partly due to it's turning on the meter half way down. It isn't bad but the F shutter release is amazingly smooth and easy and the old F shutter is about half as loud as the new FX shutter, though even at that it is pretty quiet.

The cheapest prices I have seen on new FXs are on ebay from Hong Kong. There is a place in Europe called Arsenal that carries new and used Rolleis.

http://www.arsenal-photo.com/