Film The diminutive Rollei 35

During the 70's/ 80's this superb camera was my permanent climbing camera. Operable one handed on a belay stance, it travelled with me to the Alps and produced some wonderful shots on Agfa CT18 50asa. With it's Carl Zeiss Tessar f3.5 40mm lens colour saturation and generous DOF it's the perfect travel companion. The top mounted CDS meter performed well under a wide variety conditions encountered in mountain environments
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I had one until 2 years ago. I loved it and preferred it to my Minox 35GT. Then one day at the terrace of a cafe, a spring popped up, a screw flew off and it stopped working. I was never able to fix it. Missed it since.
 
I'm trying to sell some stuff, to make way for a pocket film camera. I'm definitely not going for any of the premium alloy wonders that fill the auction sites these days. In my search, I've discovered some interesting cameras previously unknown to me. The Ricoh FF-1 and the Cosina CX-1 and CX-2 come to mind. I was never very good when I had a couple of scale focus cameras in the past, but I'm willing to give it a go again.
 
I'm trying to sell some stuff, to make way for a pocket film camera. I'm definitely not going for any of the premium alloy wonders that fill the auction sites these days. In my search, I've discovered some interesting cameras previously unknown to me. The Ricoh FF-1 and the Cosina CX-1 and CX-2 come to mind. I was never very good when I had a couple of scale focus cameras in the past, but I'm willing to give it a go again.
Looking at those cameras, I think it'd really depend on the price asked - Minox cameras are common and great performers, no matter what lens version (Minotar or Minoxar - I'd just steer clear of the Minar), and they're a known quantity. I get great results from mine. But the Rolleis really play in a different league quality-wise (I mostly mean build quality). That said, the models you dug up really are interesting - I looked at a FF-1 the other day, and it's a nifty little Minox copy, very nice indeed. But I'd still go for the real thing - the Minox GT goes for a song these days. The Olympus XA is another matter - but I can't seem to bond with that camera, or more specifically, the less contrasty and a bit more veiled results compared to my Minox. The Tessar type Minox lenses really pop ...

M.
 
That's some good information, Matt. In all the reading and searching I've done, I've come to the conclusion that the camera I really want doesn't exist: pocketable 35mm film, metal body, 30-35mm FOV lens no slower than f/2.8, full manual controls. I think I already own the closest I'm going to get in the Olympus 35RC, with its 42mm f/2.8 lens.
 
Waiting on my Rollei 35 to arrive on a slow boat from Japan. I would have preferred a 35mm FL, but I got the Rollei for less than 1/2 of the cost of a new-ish Minox 35-GT. Some of the other Minox models were going for around $100, but I also prefer a compact metal body. Both cameras are well regarded, and the image samples I looked at on Flickr for the Rollei lead me to think it may become my principal film camera.
 
I spent a bit of time this evening in a sunny meadow full of wildflowers snapping away with the Rollei. I've had a couple of scale focus cameras, and I'd forgotten how they really make you retune your thinking. I could have just zone focused and called it an evening, but I was experimenting with DOF and different focus distances. We'll see how I did after I finish this roll of film. Neat little camera, though. Totally different from shooting an SLR or RF.
 
Interesting Russian version of what looks like a Minox 35 Camera. I had one of the Minox versions, I wonder how this matches up with it?

Kiev-35A Vintage Soviet Compact Camera. With Case. Tested. BOXED. | eBay
A very good copy indeed - though it's fashioned after the EL (earliest version, missing a view features). I'm intrigued by the description of the lens (five elements, eh?), but I also found this:

Kiev 35A - The small camera with the BIG problems

The guy doesn't sound too knowledgable - either that or the camera's a bag of balderdash (an f/2.8 lens with aperture markings from "2-16"? hardly ...). Anyhow, I think it's an interesting find; at the prices Minox GTs still go (below $50 around here), I'd opt for the real thing, though.

M.
 
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A very good copy indeed - though it's fashioned after the EL (earliest version, missing a view features). I'm intrigued by the description of the lens (five elements, eh?), but I also found this:

Kiev 35A - The small camera with the BIG problems

The guy doesn't sound too knowledgable - either that or the camera's a bag of balderdash (an f/2.8 lens with aperture markings from "2-16"? hardly ...). Anyhow, I think it's an interesting find; at the prices Minox GTs still go (below $50 around here), I'd opt for the real thing, though.

M.
I agree Matt, I did have a Minox for a short while when I was trying to travel light on my bicycle and the results were excellent, possibly better than the Rollei 35 which I had adopted as my climbing camera in the 70's. If I ever decide which scanner to buy then I will scan a couple of slides and post them
 
Aperture UK said they would not repair my B35. After further examination I found that the problem was with the spring in the back plate. Ordered a cheap faulty 35 LED on ebay with a working back plate. Swapped. And hey presto, been shooting it for a month. Have a few rolls being developed.

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