Rolliecord IV advice

Chris L

Chris L

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We've had a Rolliecord sitting on a shelf gathering dust and I've ocassionaly wondered if it still worked. More recently I've been getting a serious itch to try shooting film, especially MF and so here we are!

A bit of research tells me the serial number makes it a IV K3D version with a Xenar 75mm f/3.5 taking lens. This matches up with the history of it being bought in Berlin back in the 50's.

The focus screen is a little dirty but the shutter still works, as does the focusing dial etc. I've seen numerous comments about various cameras needing new light seals etc. Does anyone have any advice of what needs checking? Also any idea where I could get hold of a roll of 6x6 film. I've found a listing on Amazon for some Ilford Delta 400 B&W but it's a multipack and I'd rather just get a single roll for now...preferably black and white.

Alternatively can anyone recommend someone who could give it a CLA and how much it should typically cost? Sorry for all the questions and I promise to come back and post some images from it once it's cleaned up and had a roll put through it :D
 
Looks like you have the model before mine. To be honest to see if mine was working I just stuck a film in and a fired off some shots. Any 120 film should fit, I have used Ilford HP5 a fair bit for black and white stuff. I tend to pick my rolls up from a local camera shop. Not sure where is best to buy online.

They are lovely cameras, though I tend to take more photos of mine than I take photos with it.
http://www.jimmylemon.co.uk/blog/images/20110413182429_rollei_on_a_rock.jpg
http://www.jimmylemon.co.uk/blog/images/20090615132724_rolleicord_in_the_field.jpg
 
I've found a link to AG Photographic who are selling HP5 120 for £3.48 each :)

Am I right in thinking the number of esposures is dictated by the format of the camera...i.e. 6x4.5 will give 16 exposures whereas 6x6 will give me 12?
 
[lots of swear words] I wish I just had a Rolleicord IV sitting on the shelf! :(

Yes, it's 12 square exposures. Check around the back, around hinges, that's usually where the light seals will be.
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
Looks like you have the model before mine. To be honest to see if mine was working I just stuck a film in and a fired off some shots. Any 120 film should fit, I have used Ilford HP5 a fair bit for black and white stuff. I tend to pick my rolls up from a local camera shop. Not sure where is best to buy online.

They are lovely cameras, though I tend to take more photos of mine than I take photos with it.
http://www.jimmylemon.co.uk/blog/images/20110413182429_rollei_on_a_rock.jpg
http://www.jimmylemon.co.uk/blog/images/20090615132724_rolleicord_in_the_field.jpg
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Hi Tom,

Thanks for the reply. My old avatar on here was a shot of my Rollie.

I think the waist level viewfinder's going to be fun :D

I know we're not exactly local to each other but who is your local camera shop. I guess someone like Dale in Leeds or .... I can't remember the name of one in Sheffield that I've seen recommended by a few on here. I'm also going to be going over to Manchester in the near future so a visit to Real Camera is going to be a must I think :)
 
freecom2 said:
[lots of swear words] I wish I just had a Rolleicord IV sitting on the shelf! :(
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So it wouldn't help to know that it was your comment about Rollie's in Andy's "I'm drunk...stop me buying something on ebay" thread that reminded me about it?:naughty:

Seriously though...if you're local you're welcome to bring along a roll of film and have a go with it :)

Can I ask, is it simply something that you haven't got around to getting yet or are they a bit rare? :)

freecom2 said:
Yes, it's 12 square exposures. Check around the back, around hinges, that's usually where the light seals will be.
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Thanks for the advice J. I'm still not sure what I'm looking at so maybe I'll take a couple of pics to see if anyone can advise me.
 
My local camera shop it just a very small one in the middle of Skipton. Still stocks a fair bit of film :) not a massive range, which is why I have only ever really used HP5 :)
 
Chris L said:
So it wouldn't help to know that it was your comment about Rollie's in Andy's "I'm drunk...stop me buying something on ebay" thread that reminded me about it?:naughty:

Seriously though...if you're local you're welcome to bring along a roll of film and have a go with it :)

Can I ask, is it simply something that you haven't got around to getting yet or are they a bit rare? :)

Thanks for the advice J. I'm still not sure what I'm looking at so maybe I'll take a couple of pics to see if anyone can advise me.
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Haha, yeah, that was a fun thread... not likely to get much responses other than 'buy stuff!' from people who have GAS (that said, I've managed to quell my gear acquisition syndrome a fair bit).

Thank you very much for the offer, but I fear I'm a tad too far away; very kind of you though. They aren't especially rare, apparently nearly 50,000 were made. That's a lot less than the III and V's, but still a relatively large amount. I decided to get more in tune with my Yashica Mat before considering whether to purchase anything new (and also, GAS quelling).

There are likely to be manuals still floating around on the internet, have a Google, you'll be surprised :)
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
My local camera shop it just a very small one in the middle of Skipton. Still stocks a fair bit of film :) not a massive range, which is why I have only ever really used HP5 :)
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Cheers for the info Tom. I must admit I like the sound of HP5 anyway so I'll give that a go first along with some Delta 400 :)

freecom2 said:
Haha, yeah, that was a fun thread... not likely to get much responses other than 'buy stuff!' from people who have GAS (that said, I've managed to quell my gear acquisition syndrome a fair bit).

Thank you very much for the offer, but I fear I'm a tad too far away; very kind of you though. They aren't especially rare, apparently nearly 50,000 were made. That's a lot less than the III and V's, but still a relatively large amount. I decided to get more in tune with my Yashica Mat before considering whether to purchase anything new (and also, GAS quelling).

There are likely to be manuals still floating around on the internet, have a Google, you'll be surprised :)
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Yup, already found a scan of the original manual. :thumbs:

It also has the Rolleikin adapter so I can shoot using 35mm film in it too:)

Now googling to see what I can find about the light seals. Hopefully if it needs anything replacing there's still enough about to be able to get spares:)
 
For the lightseals - just open the back of the camera, and check around where the hinged back and the rest of the body meets. I'm not actually familiar with this particular camera, but usually, there's some form of seal to ensure light-tightness. This will usually take the form of some form of string or foam which will compress to take up any light-gaps. Foam eventually degenerates and goes sticky / falls apart, leaving gaps where light can get in. If you've a horrible sticky mess around the back openings, the chances are your lightseals are knackered!
 
TheBigYin said:
For the lightseals - just open the back of the camera, and check around where the hinged back and the rest of the body meets. I'm not actually familiar with this particular camera, but usually, there's some form of seal to ensure light-tightness. This will usually take the form of some form of string or foam which will compress to take up any light-gaps. Foam eventually degenerates and goes sticky / falls apart, leaving gaps where light can get in. If you've a horrible sticky mess around the back openings, the chances are your lightseals are knackered!
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Thanks for the advice :) Well, there's no sticky mess which must be a plus. On the other hand there's no foam either :shrug: I've no empty spool so I'll need to get a roll of something cheap to start me off along with some HP5+ and see what they look like when they've been processed.
 
PM me your address and i'll let you have a couple of empty spools if it'll help..
 
Happy to help Chris - Camera looks tidy, and I doubt there'll be any problems with lightseals from the look of it. I reckon bash a film through it and get dev/scan service from somewhere like club35 would be the next step.
 
Cheers Mark:thumbs: It was good to meet you and the EOS-3 was nice too. I'm now trying to decide which film to run through the Rollei. A toss up between Delta 400 or a roll of Portra 400 for some indoor natural light stuff
 
I've decided to get a roll each of Portra 400 and Fuji Neopan 400CN from 7dayshop. They should be here by next weekend :woot:
 
not half as much as the ones in the Homeless Holga thread... you wait 8 weeks for a camera to arrive, take 4 shots and pay £4 to post it to the next person... now that's pressure!

Anyway - you'll be fine - just don't forget your Sunny 16 rule ;)
 
My Rolleicord IV K3D had a slow shutter. I purchased some spanner wrenches and took out the elements, put some lighter fluid in it and exercised it for a while. Put a small pinch of that graphite lubrication powder. If it slows down again, I may take it in. I find it kind of hard to load film.

The picture makes it look in better condition than it is. But it works. It could use a new focus matte which is not very bright but okay in daylight.





​
 
Interslice on eBay is the man to get a light seal kit from. He doesn't have one specific to the Rollie but he says that the Yashica 124 kit should work as it's based on the Rollie. I bought the kit from him a while back to do my father in law's Rollie. Might have a go at it this weekend if I find the time.
 
Fairly sure that the rolliecord/flex does not use light seals.The back inter slots with the body to form a light labyrinth.
 
you're correct Terry - I called round and had a look at the OP's camera, and it's definitely a labyrinth seal. :thumbs:
 
AlanSmithee said:
My Rolleicord IV K3D had a slow shutter. I purchased some spanner wrenches and took out the elements, put some lighter fluid in it and exercised it for a while. Put a small pinch of that graphite lubrication powder. If it slows down again, I may take it in. I find it kind of hard to load film.

The picture makes it look in better condition than it is. But it works. It could use a new focus matte which is not very bright but okay in daylight.



I must admit I wouldn't have a clue where to start with regards to dealing with a slow shutter :) Your Rollei looks to be in a bit better condition than mine. I think mine would have to be described as well used as the original colour of the leather is showing through on the sides and the chrome & paint on the strap lugs and other bits around the bottom of the view finder has pretty much gone completely. Once the film finally arrives I'll be able to see if the shutter is ok and what condition the lens is really in. The focus matte seems ok to me at least :)

Apparently my mother-in-law has remembered that she has a camera stashed away somewhere that was used by her cousin's great uncle in the Royal Flying Corp! :D No idea what format it is or it's condition atm. AFAIK that dates it to 1918 at the latest?



​
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TheBigYin said:
you're correct Terry - I called round and had a look at the OP's camera, and it's definitely a labyrinth seal. :thumbs:
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OK...so the two rolls of film arrived and I (tried) to load a roll in the Rollei but I'm pretty sure I've not done it properly. I managed to feed it through on to the empty spool to the correct point before closing the back and proceeded to wind it on waiting for the click and the exposure counter to move to #1.

Problem is that it didn't click even though I felt I'd wound it on quite a way. The exposure counter was no longer showing zero and was instead blank. I read that the film winder can dry out causing it to fail to feed the film at all so I decided to open the back and see what was happening...in a dark place...and heard a click. The film had moved on and when I looked at the counter it was showing #0:bang:

I had a good chunter, closed the back and tried winding it on again...this time after what seemed an awful lot of winding it clicked and the exposure counter was showing #1. The 1st question is...what are the chances that it's now part way between two frames and so likely that if left as it is will ruin any shots I try and take? 2nd question..Is it possible to (in a dark place) open the back, take top spool of it's spindle and unroll it back until the arrows match up to the markers, then close the back and start again?

Thanks in advance for any advice/help anyone can offer.:)
 
If you haven't exposed any frames, go to the dark place, open the back, and wind everything back onto the original roll good and tight, so it's back as it was when it came out of the foil, apart from the sticky tape being missing. Then just start again from scratch.

What had happened when you opened the back is the counter had reset completely, and was back at the "film is wound on, with arrows matching up" , even though you were probably wound to just short of frame 1. So, when you then closed up and wound on to 1, you were probably about a frame and a half from the end of the actual film.

At least you know now that the counter WILL go to #1, and so on, so just go back to square 1 and start again.

Welcome to 120 roll film :lol:
 
TheBigYin said:
If you haven't exposed any frames, go to the dark place, open the back, and wind everything back onto the original roll good and tight, so it's back as it was when it came out of the foil, apart from the sticky tape being missing. Then just start again from scratch.

What had happened when you opened the back is the counter had reset completely, and was back at the "film is wound on, with arrows matching up" , even though you were probably wound to just short of frame 1. So, when you then closed up and wound on to 1, you were probably about a frame and a half from the end of the actual film.

At least you know now that the counter WILL go to #1, and so on, so just go back to square 1 and start again.

Welcome to 120 roll film :lol:
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Thanks Mark :)

I'll do it tomorrow morning and then get some shots done. I'm already itching to have a go with some Acros 100 and I've not even taken my first shot with the Portra yet :lol:
 
TheBigYin said:
If you haven't exposed any frames, go to the dark place, open the back, and wind everything back onto the original roll good and tight, so it's back as it was when it came out of the foil, apart from the sticky tape being missing. Then just start again from scratch.
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Why?

Surely it's easier to just carry on regardless and keep in the back of your mind on this first test roll that you might run-out of film as soon as on the 11th shot rather than after the 12th..

Shoot 10 shots and then just wind through the end of the roll.. develop it and have the confidence of knowing that any light leaks or exposure problems were not caused by unnecessary opening and re-rolling of the film.

The frame counter isn't counting frames on the film, just the revolutions of the winder.


Edit: Or could run out of film as soon as shot 6.. having re-read the above posts.. No harm in shooting all the way to the end of the film..
 
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Why go back to scratch...
I had a good chunter, closed the back and tried winding it on again...this time after what seemed an awful lot of winding it clicked and the exposure counter was showing #1.
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Probably because when Chris opened the back, the counter reset, so he closed it again, and wound on until it re-showed 1 - "an awful lot of winding". This would probably take it to around frame 8-9 on the actual film before commencing to shoot at count 1 on the exposure # indicator. Personally, I'd be mightily PO'ed to pay for developing a film and only get a couple of frames at the end :shrug:

there's an initial wind-on takeup that takes in all the paper from the arrow on the backing sheet to the first numbered frame, before the first frame # comes up - it's the same on my Bronny film backs - but you normally wind them up with the take-up winder on the back, rather than the actual film winder.
 
TheBigYin said:
Personally, I'd be mightily PO'ed to pay for developing a film and only get a couple of frames at the end :shrug:
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I've had test rolls through a new camera come back completely unexposed.. so I'd count even a couple of shots that proved the camera light-tight and working as a bonus! :thumbs:

I'd be equally PO'ed to open the back, rewind the roll, shoot 12 frames and not know whether the light leak was caused by my fluffing up loading the film, fluffing up opening the back and re-rolling the film, simple lens flare, or a genuine light leak.. hopefully there won't be any problems, but if there is it would be easier to keep the variables to a minimum.
 
to be honest Alastair, if it was mine, i'd probably just shoot it and soup it as it stood - but then I buy film in bulk to keep prices down, and souping my own film so it's cheap. Truth is, since the cameras been opened now, either of our approaches has it's upsides and downsides, and I guess it's down to Chris what he feels more comfortable doing in the end.
 
So Chris how have you got on with your first roll of film, took me a couple of rolls to get the hang of loading etc and out of those I even managed a couple of exposures that could be used LOL, mind you that was on the Mamiya 330 now as you know I've progressed to a Mamiya 645 pro,two months in still on the first roll LOL must get that sorted and se if my early days into film are working, mind you I am sticking to black and white only.
Once I've completed the roll, memo to self come on get it done I will upload on here my first go at this media, you never know the 5D Mk11 could be out the window or it could be the Mamiya, nope really in it for the long haul.

Sorry to rant on Chris but one thing that comes across is you appear to be enjoying it regardless of the mishaps, good on you

LesF
 
Well, I've thought about it some more and decided to leave it as it is and just shoot from wherever it is on the film. Although I wound on for what seemed a long time to me, my only experience of how far I need to wind the film on between exposures is based on a Zenit 11 last used over 30 years ago :D

Issey said:
So Chris how have you got on with your first roll of film, took me a couple of rolls to get the hang of loading etc and out of those I even managed a couple of exposures that could be used LOL, mind you that was on the Mamiya 330 now as you know I've progressed to a Mamiya 645 pro,two months in still on the first roll LOL must get that sorted and se if my early days into film are working, mind you I am sticking to black and white only.
Once I've completed the roll, memo to self come on get it done I will upload on here my first go at this media, you never know the 5D Mk11 could be out the window or it could be the Mamiya, nope really in it for the long haul.

Sorry to rant on Chris but one thing that comes across is you appear to be enjoying it regardless of the mishaps, good on you

LesF
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Well, I don't think there's much in the way of weatherproofing on the Rolleicord compared to my old 1Ds2 so in light of the glorious weather we had earlier today I decided to stay in and wait for my only model at the moment to arrive home and took my first shot using it, natural light, f/4, 1/50th sec.

Even though I've messed around with it before putting film in, it still surprised me how quite the shutter was. Oh yeah...Several minutes later I remembered to go back over to where I'd put the camera down and wound the film on to #2 exposure :lol:

You're right Les, I am really enjoying it, whether it's learning new things, relearning things I'd forgotten or just "un"learning bad habits :D

I really enjoyed the buzz from having to take so much care to ensure the exposure and framing were correct rather than just clicking and checking the lcd & histogram before adjusting as necessary :) Not sure if the image will be sharp given it was handheld, with what I think is a relatively slow shutter speed and large aperture (It has a 75mm f/3.5 taking lens)

I want to use the Portra 400 in it just for portraits this time round so may not finish this roll until Friday. Once it's done I'll send it off and see what comes back before I use the Neopan 400 in it just in case there's a problem with something like the shutter or a light leak etc.

I believe the Mamiya 330 is a TLR camera like my Rolleicord? TBH, I'll be pretty happy with two good shots from my first roll too :)


TheBigYin said:
Oh my - the West Yorkshire Mafia are out in force in this thread aren't we :lol:
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Indeedy :)
 
Chris L said:
Well, I've thought about it some more and decided to leave it as it is and just shoot from wherever it is on the film. Although I wound on for what seemed a long time to me...
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As a data point, on my Rolleicord IV, it is about 7, 360° turns of the film advance knob to see the #1 frame counter after I aligned the arrow with the red dot and closed it up.
 
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