James Tocchio is usually a author and photographer, as well as the founder of everyday Photophile. He’s expended yrs studying, collecting, and taking pictures common and collectible cameras. As well as his do the job listed here, he’s also the founder of the online digital camera store Fstopcameras.com.
At the same time where Rollei’s cameras ended up at their peak in recognition, Swedish digicam makers at Hasselblad had produced good progress in making a top quality SLR medium format digicam. In 1948 they released the Hasselblad 1600 file. although this digicam was made in constrained numbers and proved to generally be quite fragile and expensive to generate, it laid the groundwork for what would turn into Among the most prosperous cameras in medium format pictures. In 1953 Hasselblad produced a Substantially-improved version of its SLR camera. This was known as the Hasselblad one thousand file. This digicam was tasteful and refined, could mount numerous Extraordinary lenses and accessories, and had in essence solved or circumvented almost all of the restrictions on the TLR digicam. In 1954, the influential American photography magazine fashionable images
Flash – 2X Computer Sockets X anf FP; Flash sync beneath 1/thirtieth of the next, or at all speeds with leaf shutter-equipped lenses
proven here, 80mm lens retro mounted and camera bellows thoroughly prolonged. This ends in a magnification of 1,5x without having applying accessories. certainly, retro mounting can be coupled with extension rings or extra bellows.
I’ve managed to build up a program in a slow speed, this digicam was very costly when introduced (and more recent SL66 E, X, SE and SE edition are even costlier), and continue to is nowadays, plus the lenses and add-ons are not low-priced or effortless to come by.
when the digicam’s spec sheet is spectacular in that it hints at greatest functionality, what’s most attention-grabbing regarding the SL66 is a decide on couple features and functions which other equivalent cameras simply just don’t have. So, let’s begin Using these couple of stand-out characteristics. The Rollei SL66 is differentiated from your Hasselblad in a number of strategies, the 1st and most quickly recognizable getting the concentrating mechanism.
Another issue that sets the Rollei aside is its ability to reverse-mount its lenses with no want of any adapters or Exclusive tools. By simply removing the lens, flipping it all-around, and mounting it backwards to the lens mount, the camera is able to concentration to Serious shut distances for macro photography. Increased flexibility, yet again. 1 other special element of the SL66 would be the digital camera’s capability to tilt its lens up or down by eight degrees. This appealing trick will likely be only accessible on large format cameras or from the use of specialized tilt lenses.
to improve depth of field in this case, you tilt the lens airplane so the top goes ahead (away from the film airplane) and the bottom goes back (toward the film plane).
Carl Zeiss lenses for Rolleiflex SL66 collection cameras represented correct point out-of-the-artwork optical style. due to the fact a leaf shutter did not have to be integrated into Each individual lens, Zeiss were being in a position to generate lenses which have been lighter in weight, sturdier, and less expensive than typical medium-format SLR lenses.
The 1957 launch on the Hasselblad 500c would effectively cement Hasselblad because the premier medium structure digicam-maker for the following sixty yrs.
The shutter launch button terrifies me. It protrudes through the front-correct of your camera at an odd angle, a little something like forty fiveº. I can’t assistance but anxiety that a single good, accidental bump from a tough surface would sheer it suitable off. To its gain, there’s a constructed-in cable launch socket, and the release by itself is lockable with a straightforward twist. The movie progress and shutter pace selector are positioned on the best-hand facet in the camera overall body, plus they do the job as we’d expect.
The digicam was major and major, but Great for near aim use. The near-emphasis means was Increased by the potential for reverse mounting the lenses, and tilt, practical to regulate the main target airplane sv66.com in near-up pictures using the Scheimpflug theory.
Gold plated shutter launch button and version selection plate. Titanium coated shutter time knob with polished ring.
I’ve owned my SL66 for that in addition to a fifty percent a long time now and wouldn’t section with it for anything. It really is the best combination of possible graphic high quality and suppleness I’ve at any time encountered. If you at any time want to possess a tiny further exciting which has a SL66 observe down a blank lens board or two and you may mount all sort of appealing lenses.
guide designers Richard Weiss and Claus Prochnow invested the next two several years Performing to develop Rollei’s initial at any time one lens reflex medium format camera. Importantly (not less than for people of us who surprise When the products we’re working with have been made and constructed to the absolute optimum specifications) the development in the digicam cost three.