Wide-Angle Rolleiflex

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The Wide-Angle Rolleiflex is a medium format Wide-angle TLR camera manufactured by Franke & Heidecke and later on by Rollei.

General

The Wide-Angle Rolleiflex was Rolleis answer to the growing demand of a Rolleiflex with a wide-angle lens.
This choice to design and produce a wide-angle TLR was furthermore induced by the appearance of the Mamiya C serie of TLR's which feature interchangeable lenses. In fact Rollei did design a prototype with 3 interchangeable lenses but decided that the needed extra mechanisms did lower the handling capacities too much.

It is designed using the Rolleiflex E as a base.

There were 2 models manufactured :

• Model 1 from 1961 to 1965
• Model 2 from 1965 to 1967, which could handle both 120 and 220 film rolls.

35 years after the end of the production Rollei introduced a follow-up, the Rolleiflex 4,0 FW.

Specifications

• Format : 12 exposures of 6 x 6 cm on 120 type rollfilm.
  Model 2 also 220 type rollfilm (24 exposures of 6 x 6cm).
  Furthermore a Plate adapter for sheet film and a Rolleikin adapter for 35mm film cartridges can be used.
• Taking lens: Carl Zeiss Oberkochen Distagon 1:4 f=55mm.
• Viewing lens: Heidosmat 1:4 f=55mm.
• Filter Bayonet : Both lenses, size 4.
• Shutter: Synchro-Compur MXV CR0 leafshutter. Speeds 1 to 1/500 sec. and B. Selftimer.
• Flash synchronisation : Synch socket on front panel, M and X synchronisation.
• Lighmeter system : Optional, coupled, Selenium photo element, 2 ranges.
• Dimensions WxDxH: 128 x 113 x 152 mm
• Weight: 1355 grams

Bibliography

• Claus Prochnow, Rollei Report 2, third edition, Braunschweich, Lindemanns Verlag, 2008, ISBN 3-89506-220-0.