Good price on a Rolleiflex?

[John R.]

The first Rolleiflex built with coated lenses is the Automat 3, or K4B2, made from 1945 to 1949, with Tessar Carl Zeiss Jena, Tessar Opton or Xenar (Schneider).

But some earlier may have been coated many years after they were built; here is an Original (~1931) with a coated taking lens (Tessar f3,8); I suppose it was coated after WWII... Sometimes I use it : at f8, lens is nearly as sharp as a later Automat coated lens.

Andy .. That's a great old Rollei. Wish I had a real old one like it. I've got a newer one with a 2.8 Planar (incredible lens). The coated lens on your camera is very interesting. Where did you get the info on the date of that camera and lens? I would sure like to read more about the optic history of the Rollei's.

[Andy38]

Andy .. That's a great old Rollei. Wish I had a real old one like it. I've got a newer one with a 2.8 Planar (incredible lens). The coated lens on your camera is very interesting. Where did you get the info on the date of that camera and lens? I would sure like to read more about the optic history of the Rollei's.

I don't know much more about this camera .Serial numbers on front (106xxx) and on Tessar taking lens (1304xxx) let me think this camera is from 1931.

But I try to understand why it was modified...
All elements on taking lens were coated; camera has a synchro X (not M : flash fires when shutter blades are wide open) and ground glass screen is brighter than on other Original's, with a glued rangefinder spot on its center (perfectly working).
I suppose these modifications were expensive.
Why not buying a post-WWII Rolleicord, with its coated lenses and a more robust construction ? It's easier to use; and it uses 120 rollfilm; Original doesn't, only 117, or 620 when modified.