Hello everybody,
my name is Gregoire VDS. I live in Belgium, Bruxelles.
A recent reflexion lead me to the fact that I had the most fun and took the best pictures I ever did, with my rolleiflexes TLR.
I'm not new in the world of Rolleiflex TLR: I had my first MX-V (or MV-X?) in 1997, and my first 3.5F in 1998. I used them with an incomparable joy until around 2004, where I sold the last one, I don't remember why.
And now, I missed that wonderful camera, and went for a small hunt here in Bruxelles. I found a very nice 3.5F type 3, and a superb 2.8F type 1/2. Both are perfectly working.
I replaced the meter window on the 2.8F which was broken with a brand new one. Now the speed knob is really hard on the 2.8F, due to a front plate a little bit bent. I dismantled the front face, and lenses and synchro-compur are sound and perfectly working. I found a front plate for 2.8F on internet, and will replace it soon. The 3.5F has still an ugly rolleikin knob, that will soon be replaced by an original taking spool knob.
I'm so happy to have these cameras again. This is such a pleasure to make medium format photography with these. I find myself back in time almost ten years ago with this camera in hand, and am shaking a little bit telling you this.
And the 2.8F lens reflections, glare and hues of the coating are fascinating, I can look at it, doing nothing, being simply gorgeously happy.
I dream of a factory-new planar 2.8F white face, but have not the budget, nor know where to find that.
Maybe some of you will be able to help me: I was for a long time a member of the RUG, then cut off the stream. But now, is the Rollei User Group totally dead, as the Leica User Group is too?
And a last batch of question: can I usually trust sellers of Rolleiflex on eBay, or should I search somewhere else for very nice cameras? Especially eBay sellers from China and Hong Kong, are these trusty? I saw things sold mint- or 'as new perfectly working', which were scratched, heavily used and some levers showed traces of dismantling...
So, hello to everybody here, Nice to chat with you all about Rolleiflex TLR and what we can achive with them
Gregoire