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Rollei 35 made in Singapore low serial number
Posted:
Tue Jan 06, 2015 2:35 amby jayem
Hello,
I've been looking on this site to learn more about my Rollei.
It is made Singapore and has a Zeiss Tessar lens so I think one of the earlier ones made around 1971.
The site says serial nos. for these cameras run from 3,312.000 to 4,499.000. My camera is 3253477.
can anyone tell me why this is?
Thank you
Re: Rollei 35 made in Singapore low serial number
Posted:
Tue Jan 06, 2015 4:26 amby JanBoettcher
- You got cheated. You have a Rollei 35 "Made in Germany" but someday somebody replaced the (dented?) back with a new one "Made in Singapore"?
- The entire serial-number business is monkey business?
- Rollei goofed with some of the serial numbers?
What serial number is your camera's Tessar?
My Rollei 35 Nr 3260498 with Tessar Nr 5488309 claims to be "Made in Germany"
My Rollei 35 Nr 3263944 with Tessar Nr 5539538 claims to be "Made in Singapore" ...
Re: Rollei 35 made in Singapore low serial number
Posted:
Wed Jan 14, 2015 5:17 amby jayem
Your first theory seems likely.
Tessar Nr 5480179.
Perhaps it is two different cameras put togather. German made main body and Singapore made back casing?
Thank you for replying.
Re: Rollei 35 made in Singapore low serial number
Posted:
Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:24 amby Steve Pitchford
In the camera repair business parts are parts. There are other clues that can help determine when or where cameras were made. In the last year plus I have bought and sold a dozen Rollei 35's in search of near mint conditions with low serial numbers. I currently have two excellent condition fully working models, one German , (Honeywell branded), body ser. 3094812 and lens ser. 4742296 Carl Zeiss maker. And a second, a Singapore model ser. 3304065 with a Schneider S-xenar lens, no serial number. The body numbers help to gage a point in time when production moved from Germany to Singapore. Of course that move didn't happen over night and initial production in Singapore was made with parts from Germany and Japan. The use of the Schneider lens vs the Zeiss for production also points to a particular production era that can be tied loosely to serial numbers. Other things I've noticed with my two cameras - the view finders are different as are the film back locks. Other difference are hidden. Soon I will post pictures of the camera, (I also have two B35 models, one German and one Singapore), for further discussion.
Happy trails,
Pitchrock