Some day I'm gonna find out the subtle differences that make a Rolleiflex
6008 a "professional HRC 1000" or "6008LR professional" ... just a name?
The Rolleiflex 6003 SRC 1000 is probably another mystery too.
Shown here to point out the lovely color ( "mixed left over metallic" ?).
Allegedly a special series, but most samples I saw had this color
and the ones "seen" in black I never held in my hands.
One might think Rollei made early mobile phones ... but the box to
be hung around your shoulder is just the JAZ-drive to save the pics
taken with the Q16 metric digital SLR with full frame 4096x4096 pixel
sensor (6x6cm chip size, so I don't have to "recalculate" the focal length).
They made a stationary version too, to hook it up onto a PC.
All in all 5 Q16 were made (one is supposed to be in Russia, disassembled
to the last screw and washer, one is here, where are the other three?).
Unfortunately the pictures are only Black&White and the JAZ-drive is a
pain in the well you know where.
In the first place the price tag required good nerves or a rich wife but I
was able to get a rebate for instant payment on pick up.
In its intended use (measurements of ships, planes, large antennas etc)
scotchlite marker stickers are placed all over the object and lit by the
ring flash, a rebadged Sunpack model (leaving just a faint image of the
original object).
First thought: Wow! Parking passes for Bespin, probbaly cost
the lives of many brave men to get them ...
close, but these are some of the scotchlite stickers. With flash they look like this:
The ones in the center have numbers and are coded for easy recognition in
the pics taken, the other ones - um-eh have other advantages - probably;-)
Before I had the Q16 I had to use this tool for my measurements:
A nice non-literal machine translation of "Are you nuts?" to German
and back to English is "Are you still having all cups in your cupboard!"
so-oh in front of the Q16 purchase I have to admit, not having all my
cups in my cupboard - and I prefer to use mugs anyway.
Hold it, this one isn't that boring. Upon close inspection you see ... lots
of dust, the lack of a serial number and "MULTICOATING" instead of the
usual "HFT" ... compare it to your Xenotars in storage ... probably all "HFT"
coated - a preproduction sample?
Still missing the new AF-Xenotar lens (and the even newer MF version
derived from the AF Xenotar), we see Rolleigon, Xenotar (here with
PQ and HFT), the Planar: first version for SLX (pyramid rubber), with
one coarse, ribbed, lubed and flavored rubber for 6006, with two coarse
rubber rings (PQ and PQS - and again with 67mm filter thread the EL) -
with and without window for aperture pointer, with bright chrome or
(as long as it is new) black anodized filter-&shade mount.
A great marketing-stunt was the introduction of the Rolleigon lenses - they
brought us a new "letherette" and the 67mm filter thread, so we may mount
much cheaper filters:
In case you have the old 6006/6002 propaganda pamphlet (or some "literature"
quoting it) do compare the family pics and the single pic of the 4/50mm "Rolleigon".
You don't have to be a pro to recognize a Distagon with make-up (and 67mm
filter thread) in the family pic (not the Rolleigon with 77mm thread) ... naturally
Rollei introduced srew mount shades (77mm shown, 67mm somewhere in my cellar)
and another fine solution in search of a Problem: the adapter ring (shown on the
80mm Rolleigon mounted to the camera) to convert the 67mm filter thread mount
back to Bay VI (so Rollei didn't have to warm up the old 67mm fitler series known
from SL35-times :-)
Let's talk about caps, my secret passion. Hard to believe how many
prototypes you have to build for a new camera range:
Left the well known die cast Rolleiflex SLX/600x-body cap,
right, made out of a solid plastic chunk the prototype
OK, another classy accessory for the classic SLX:
the quick-focus handle had to be invented too:
Left the ordinary products.
The pouches for the SLX's quick load inserts were planned in a more
classy way than what finally came to us:
Marked with a typewriter written "Made by Rollei Singapore" sticker ...
Even pistolgrips have to be reinvented periodically. As always with
Rollei stuff, this one is fascinating! The grip itself is oval and normally
rather straight, but the slanted separation line is a (next to perfect)
circle and there the grip (and the (electrical) release button) can be
swiveled around:
to make a rather twisted personal grip.What??? My text is too complicated,
you no inderstand?? Well, just read it up in US Patent 4097883, how the
inventers Adamski and Prochnow write it down (short quote): "The grip part
proper is angularly adjustably connected to a head carrying the camera whereby
the grip axis and the axis of rotation are inclined to each other and the latter is
inclined to the center axis of the head. The correspondingly oblique interface is
additionally used to hold an adjustable ring carrying a camera release switch.".
Much better, aint it? Maybe a picture will help (slashdotted line for straight position):
The next pistolgrip invention (PR 1020/0 and US Patent 4097883) was intended
to be used across the system borders for SL 2000 F and SLX/6006 (later even
for 2,8GX). Here shown on /under a 6002:
In the first stage purely machanical 100% copper worm proof,
later with electrical switch and cable.
The cable in this pic leads us to the data back 220 ...
Maybe it will even look partly familiar to some Nikon friend. The need
for 220 film drove me through several cities and nearly crazy: "We'd
have to order 220 film, why not just take two 120?" - "My data back
isn't strong enough to go through the back paper!") - well I found a few
rolls "to go" in Frankfurt
and the local lab managed to screw it up by leaving pink/purplish
spots on the emulsion :-( it took them a little longer to replace
my 220 film ...).
We may have a dispute about good product design not requiring any
aditional grips in your product line ... but what is happening when
people from a foreign country start designing grips for your product???
As we all know, hell is organised by the French; logically the kitchen
there is all British, the lovers are Swiss, the comedians German and
Italian engineers take care of the grip for our camera (and the trunk
lid of our new 7series BMW).
Not to mention an almost secret part, poo-pooed in the Rollei propaganda,
the additional sportsfinder frame 150 / 250 / 350mm for SLX-6006
I don't know to which camera the FM 1 was invented (SL 66 E, 6006 or
SL 2000 F/3003) here shown on a 6003 SRC 1000. Fact is, the electronics
are different(ly fast).
The FM 1 for 6006 will work with the SL 2000 F / 3003 with shutter
speeds well well longer than 1/100s only, so the Rolleigraph will buy
two or this one with the "3000/6000" switch.
In case you intend to buy one, do ask the seller if and with which
camera it will work! The"working" green LED won't tell much, but if
it does not get switched off automatically after about 90 seconds,
chances are good the FM1 will not give proper readings ...
You think everybody is trying to cheat on you? Welcome to the club!
With the Tester Integral we may at least check how many times our
baby's shutter was fired ... and a few more details.
Wires up to the regular remote socket and off goes our trip through the internals.
