Rolleiflex SL66

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Has anyone any experience of the Rolleiflex SL66?

I saw a short review on it the other day and it has intrigued me?

Thoughts, pros/cons, likes/diskikes?

Buy one? Run away very fast guarding my wallet?
 
Barry Thornton was enthusiastic about his; a search on his name with sl66 added might be of interest to you.
 
Has anyone any experience of the Rolleiflex SL66?

I saw a short review on it the other day and it has intrigued me?

Thoughts, pros/cons, likes/diskikes?

Buy one? Run away very fast guarding my wallet?
Well I had one and didn't use it for my new interest for indoor portraiture as flash syn was 1/30 sec :confused:...... just my opinion is it's over engineered and the RB 67 was crude in comparison, but the RB worked and my Rollei developed shutter speed problem and had to have it repaired. My two lenses were excellent but only had 80mm and 250mm.
 
Has anyone any experience of the Rolleiflex SL66?

I saw a short review on it the other day and it has intrigued me?

Thoughts, pros/cons, likes/diskikes?

Buy one? Run away very fast guarding my wallet?
@sirch has/had one.
 
The one I have is perhaps not the best example TBH and that might colour my opinion but its certainly not my go-to medium format camera, in fact I haven't used it for a few years now and did consider selling it. Nothing really wrong with it, its quite heavy and feels "old" compared to my Bronicas if that makes sense. I was probably expecting a bit more given its legendary status and for me the magic wasn't there, its hard to explain, nothing particular wrong with it.
 
Thanks folks, most interesting. It's always tricky when youve never held a particular camera to know whether it will feel "right" in your own hands.

A little more research is required I think. :thinking:
 
Thanks folks, most interesting. It's always tricky when youve never held a particular camera to know whether it will feel "right" in your own hands.

A little more research is required I think. :thinking:
well I've got small hands:-
1759577495907.jpeg
 
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Thanks folks, most interesting. It's always tricky when youve never held a particular camera to know whether it will feel "right" in your own hands.

A little more research is required I think. :thinking:
Absolutely. My first medium format camera (apart from box cameras) was a Mamiya RB67. We went into a dealers expecting to come out with a Hasselblad (500CM I think was the then current model) but we both disliked the handling of a Hasselblad and preferred the Mamiya. It's not really a size thing, because the smaller Bronica ETRS also feel "right" to me.
 
I think it’s the built in tilt is what attracts me to it but I think the unreliabilty of it's shutter would concern me.
 
I think it’s the built in tilt is what attracts me to it but I think the unreliabilty of it's shutter would concern me.
It was the tilt that attracted me but judging focus on the corners of a small waist level finder is, for me at least, quite hard. I think that's the thing, it has tilt, it has reversible lenses for macro, it has complex interlocks to prevent mistaken exposures, its perhaps trying to do too many things
 
I own one and its my only medium format camera. I've commented about it in the past so will post an updated copy of what I've said previously:


I've owned a Rollei SL66 for about 4 years now. I actually had to return the first one I bought as the camera arrived totally broken, the internal mechanism was a mess. I have no idea how you would ever fix, or find someone to fix a problem like that these days. Thankfully on my second purchase I got a good one and it has been working great. The things are a total beast though. I was honestly shocked at the weight when I first picked it up. But being all mechanical you'd never have to worry about any electronics going faulty which I saw as a big plus. The photos it produces (with a f2.8 Rollei 80mm lens) are stunning too. I've since picked up 3 more lenses for it so I'm pretty committed to it these days. Funnily enough I've never used the tilt shift feature so I cant really comment on that. But the bellows are probably the most fragile part of the camera so you need to be careful.

I'd recommend one but you really have to get lucky with the working condition of them. The first ebay seller I got the broken one from must not have tested it at all, but thankfully accepted my return (but only after criticizing me for buying a second hand camera and expecting it to work :hungover:). You also need to make sure you get one with the Carl Zeiss f2.8 Rollei 80mm lens. Its honestly one of the best lenses I've ever used, regardless of camera - digital or analogue.


If you want to see some sample photos from my SL66 check out the link below

https://www.flickr.com/photos/193909861@N07/albums/72157719864176440/

If you have any questions give me a shout!
 
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I've owned a Rollei SL66 for about 4 years now. I actually had to return the first one I bought as the camera arrived totally broken, the internal mechanism was a mess. I have no idea how you would ever fix, or find someone to fix a problem like that these days. Thankfully on my second purchase I got a good one and it has been working great.
Today you would have to find a SL66 used by a careful owner from new, but then my one developed shutter speed problems, after using it for a while, and it was only about 10 years old when I bought it from a shop....it was in mint condition (with a case) and didn't look like it was hammered by a pro, was I just unlucky.................................
 
Today you would have to find a SL66 used by a careful owner from new, but then my one developed shutter speed problems, after using it for a while, and it was only about 10 years old when I bought it from a shop....it was in mint condition (with a case) and didn't look like it was hammered by a pro, was I just unlucky.................................

Hello Brian,

If the shutter speed issue is in the lens? With a leaf type? Real camera Manchester provide lens servicing service. prices start about £99.00. better than losing the camera system.
 
Hello Brian,

If the shutter speed issue is in the lens? With a leaf type? Real camera Manchester provide lens servicing service. prices start about £99.00. better than losing the camera system.
Hi Wayne......no it was a mechanical camera like 35mm SLRs, but there was IIRC a 150mm lens that could be used with a leaf type shutter (very expensive ).....when I became interested in indoor (and outdoor) portraiture with flash, I bought a RB67 and Bronica ETRS and as the SL66 had a flash syn of 1/30 sec didn't use it anymore so sent the camera to Jessops about 20-25 years ago to sell for me and no one wanted it and took about 3 months to find a buyer......IIRC the SL66 with case and 80mm and 250mm lenses (with commision) sold for about £375
My two pro flash units must be simple as they still work (y)
 
Today you would have to find a SL66 used by a careful owner from new...
With any professional type film camera, one trick I lucked onto was to look for a well used unit that was previously owned by an organisation such as a newspaper, advertising agency or even a hire company.

Such machines were often serviced on a schedule and although battered on the outside could be smooth as silk on the inside. Unfortunately, the days when you could go into a professional shop like Pelling+Cross and look through their second hand stock for such a machine, are now long gone.
 
With any professional type film camera, one trick I lucked onto was to look for a well used unit that was previously owned by an organisation such as a newspaper, advertising agency or even a hire company.

Such machines were often serviced on a schedule and although battered on the outside could be smooth as silk on the inside. Unfortunately, the days when you could go into a professional shop like Pelling+Cross and look through their second hand stock for such a machine, are now long gone.
That could be used for a lens.....a worn one could be because it was an excellent copy that gave excellent results compared to a mint one that wasn't used much because it gave inferior results. On forums how many times have you read "I would never sell my lens" so that would suggest some lenses on the bay are inferior lenses (copies)........all luck with copy variation in the manufacturing of lenses.
Many years ago I read pros would go to their friendly shop and try different lenses and pick the best one for results........and this was Nikon o_O
 
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Has anyone any experience of the Rolleiflex SL66?

I saw a short review on it the other day and it has intrigued me?

Thoughts, pros/cons, likes/diskikes?

Buy one? Run away very fast guarding my wallet?

I had an SL66E that was in fantastic cosmetic and mechanical condition. They’re quite fun, capable of great results, and feature laden. The tilt feature really only works for macro though with native lenses, so I adapted a few lenses for it to enable tilt even at infinity (good for landscapes).











 
Today you would have to find a SL66 used by a careful owner from new, but then my one developed shutter speed problems, after using it for a while, and it was only about 10 years old when I bought it from a shop....it was in mint condition (with a case) and didn't look like it was hammered by a pro, was I just unlucky.................................
I read a review a while back that the best SL66s to buy are the ones that have been used a lot by the previous owners. Its when they sit on a shelf never getting used, the mechanism can seize up apparently. I always keep mine "running" so to speak, even when im not shooting with it for a while. So sometimes the more well used ones might actually be better. It sounds like you did just get unlucky with your one though.
 
I read a review a while back that the best SL66s to buy are the ones that have been used a lot by the previous owners. Its when they sit on a shelf never getting used, the mechanism can seize up apparently. I always keep mine "running" so to speak, even when im not shooting with it for a while. So sometimes the more well used ones might actually be better. It sounds like you did just get unlucky with your one though.
erm well I was using it and it was not left in a cupboard and one day I had the shutter speed problem.....in the old days (might be 35 years ago) no problem getting it fixed.
 
Thanks for all your input, all really helpful. I think I'll leave for now until one falls into my lap for peanuts or I win the lottery :D
 
Thanks for all your input, all really helpful. I think I'll leave for now until one falls into my lap for peanuts or I win the lottery :D

The 6000 series cameras were far superior and are probably the best medium format cameras available as long as you accept that one day they will be an ornament but then again most film cameras you buy will acheive that status sooner or later!
 
Well you could say that for most mechanical or electrical things from digi cameras (any one still using the first digi cameras that came out o_O ), cars, washing machines etc etc etc
 
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