Missing Serial Number

[swamiji]

[DPurdy]

[swamiji]

I looked on ebay and I don't see anything similar. My GX is grey or Titanium, looks similar in color to my Rollei 35 Classic Titanium. Other than slight rub marks on the film pins, it's like new. The only Rolleiflex that seems to have similar markings is the Royal, but mine does not even have the lens serial number, and of course is just simple grey, with titanium trim. I am traveling, when I get back I can post a photo[/img]

[DPurdy]

It is hard to say for sure what might be the case with your camera. It is not the first time I have seen or heard of a GX that is seemingly unique. I have done the web searching that you have also done with ebay and google but I can't find an 80 year anniversary that is in the grey color. I find lots of 60 year anniversary in the grey and with a gold name plate. Also every GX I have found to look at has a serial number above the name plate. You could search the serial number on the Planar instead though as I said before it is easily changed. Still it might give you a rough idea of when the camera was put together by comparison to other GXs. If there isn't enough confusion about these cameras there is the other thing that the anniversaries they celebrate are for different events. Some for the start of the F&H company and some for the start of the TLR. I know it confuses me.
Dennis

[DPurdy]

Oh I see now that you said even your lens has no number. That is also odd. They stopped putting serial numbers on the Planar not long after they introduced the FX. As far as I have ever seen there is always a serial number on the GX Planar.
Dennis

[swamiji]

Well I returned to my house and rummaged the back room, and found the product Garantie.

It says, "2,8 GX "80 Jahre", produktnummer 66666", in black ballpoint ink...

So whether or not, it's on the top plate, I guess it does not really matter, it's on the back...

I just created a cameraporn gallery, with a few pictures...

[DPurdy]

It is a beautiful camera. I think you must have gotten hold of some sort of prototype. You can google Rolleiflex 2.8 GX Expression and see the same camera with the dark grey cover and blue name plate. Seems that was the Expression from about 1994/5. The only difference is the back door name plate and the missing top serial number.
Also I can't quite tell but it looks like you have the FX strap hanger on your camera.
It is not the first time I have seen a unique Rollei. I think you must appreciate it's beauty and uniqueness.

[swamiji]

I agree it's beautiful, it's almost to pretty to use... a work of art. But since it is also a wonderful camera, I hate not to use it. So I use it carefully...

You mention it might be a prototype, it's possible. My friend whom I bought it from would have access to such a camera. He has been in camera sales for 40 years.

The plaque on the back says it's from 2000, so I wonder what would it be a prototype of? But who knows, it could have been sitting on Rollei's shelf for a while before the released into the wild, with an odd placard on the back.

But no matter what, it's pretty and unique!

[DPurdy]

Well right here in the Rolleiclub info page it says that the year 2000 GX type 2 was made to commemorate the 80 year anniversary of Rollei but that the special edition camera didn't come out till April.
Clearly the 66666 edition number is fictional as they only made a few hundred. The 80th year cameras I see on ebay are number in an edition of 500. They say like... 177 of 500. Also the front top serial number is missing as well as the writing on the focus knob commemorating the 80th Anniversary.
You'd have to say you have a GX type 2, from there the story is whatever you can imagine. There is still a chance that the name plate got damaged and so they put one on that had no serial number.
The samples I have found on line from the 80 year anniversary cameras all have black name plates not the blue on yours. The cameras I have found with the blue name plates are from 1995 near as I can tell.
Does it have an FX strap hanger on the sides? It looks like it in your pictures. Does it take the old style alligator clip strap? That again would make you think that this particular camera was sitting around in the quality control office.
Dennis

[swamiji]

I did some additional research, I also found the box, on the box the serial number is also 66666. I contacted the original owner, and the camera has never seen service since new. The camera pretty much as delivered (minus the ware marks). It was however obtained direct from Rollei, not through the normal supply chain.

Yes, it has the old style alligator clip type strap.

[DPurdy]

Ok so it has a strap hanger from 2005 a name plate from 1995 a back door from 2000 with a fictitious number, and it came from the factory direct. Still I see no reason to think it is in any way inferior. Just as likely it was the QC managers pet camera. My uneducated over active imagination guess is that when Rollei was seriously struggling with finances they had an efficiency expert walking through the plant and he told them to sell the camera. They passed it off to a guy who wrote the number 66666 on the paper work to match the only number on the camera and sold it. Now you are the proud owner of an absolutely unique Rollei. javascript:emoticon(':)')

[swamiji]

If I were to take your uneducated over active imagination guess (which may not be far off from the truth), and read between the lines from what my friend said. This camera was not meant to see the light of day, it was a presentation to their top dealer. They expected it to sit on display as a trophy, in the shop where my friend work for almost 30 years. When the shop went out of business they gave to my friend for his years of service. My friend only sold it when he was under financial distress, and made me promise never to sell the camera... and has asked for photographic proof that I still have it. Since I am not a collector, I don't mind as it has opened a whole new world of Square shooting....

Also I agree, that it's history no way degrades it's performance as a camera, but only makes it more unique... and valuable. Is the serial number fictitious? Or just different? Another thing that is Unique about it?

[DPurdy]

A later update. I see now a 75 anniversary GX with grey metal and brown covering that has no serial number. The ebay seller claims it is some sort of prototype. It has a 07/04 by the handle.