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What to look for when buying a Rolleiflex.
By Harry Fleenor
When I am buying a used Rollei the first thing I look at is the lens and the general appearance. You cannot get excellent pix from a poor lens. To me the lens is the first reason for buying a Rollei. Of course on the Rollei TLR the taking lens is the most important reason to buy a Rollei.
Has it been kept in a case? During 30 years of repairing Rolleis I have noticed a marked difference in the appearance and functioning of a camera that has been kept in a case. Without a case the camera gets dented and abused externally and *dirt* internally.
Dirt is the biggest destroyer of cameras followed by impact, wear and fatigue of parts.
If the front panel is not parallel with the body on a Rollei TLR, it has suffered serious impact (however probably repairable). Common problems with the lens are scratching, (so called cleaning marks) chips, fungi, and separation.
Look at the lens and see if it is clean and clear. (If you can let me look at it before buying it, I can give you my opinion on the sharpness and clarity of the lens.)
To test the shutter try one second as this is the first to slow down or hang when the shutter needs service. (Count one thousand one.) Does the cocking handle wind smoothly? If it is hard or stiff it probably needs service. Are there other dents or loose parts?
For more in depth information, a 12 page report is available at,
FINDING YOUR ROLLEIFLEX TLR
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