Roll-Op

The Roll-Op II was a medium format folding camera made by the German company Plaubel in the 1930s. The body was based on the Balda Baldax (for #0 shutter size), with the addition of a coupled rangefinder, separate from the viewfinder. This rangefinder unit was the same as the one mounted on the Makina.

The lens was a Plaubel Anticomar 7.5cm f/2.8 with helical focusing. It is possible that the same lens was used with the name Plaubel Makinar. The shutter was a Compur to 1/250 or a Compur-Rapid to 1/400. The body had an automatic exposure counter, that only needs a red window for the first frame.

The Roll-Op II did exist in two versions, one with 4.5x6cm format and the other with 6x6cm format. The differences between both were the finder size, the exposure counter going to 16 or 12, and the red windows. The 6x6 model had one centered red window with a rotating cover mounted in a round plate, while the 4.5x6 model had two red windows, at the top of the back, with a long rectangular sliding cover.

The Roll-Op was apparently the same camera without a rangefinder. At the end, it appears that the rangefinder version was sold as Roll-Op in short, sometimes written Rollop.

Links

• Medium format rangefinders by Daniel Herlent, scroll down for pictures of both the 4.5×6 and 6×6 versions of the Roll-Op II