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Manufactured by Franke & Heidecke, Braunschweig, Germany
Model: c. 1947, Type K4B2 = Model 3, (produced between 1945-1949)
all Rolleiflex Automat produced between 1937-1956
according to Rolleiclub
TLR film camera, film: 120 roll (B2), picture size 6x6cm
Taking lens: Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 75mm f/3,5 filter size: Bayonet I, serial no.1987202
Franke & Heidecke Braunschweig engravings under taking lens
Aperture: f/3.5 - f/22 setting: via a thumb wheel between the lenses, scale in the small indicator window, on top of the lens plate
Finder lens: Heidoscop Anastigmat f/2,8 75mm
Focus range: 0.85-20m +inf
Focusing: matte glass screen, via a big knob on the left side of the camera, w/ distance and DOF scales
Viewfinder: waist level finder, opens by a latch on the back, w/ magnifying loop and sports eye level magnifier.
For using the latter, there is a reflector in the hood and opens by a small knob on the left side of the finder,
Shutter: Compur - Rapid, speeds: 1 - 1/250 +T & B,
setting: via a thumb wheel between the lenses, scale in the small indicator window, on top of the lens plate
Cocking lever: also winds the film, on the right side, with auto double exposure prevention, you must return the lever to its resting position after the cocking for making the next cocking
Shutter release: on the left lower front corner of the camera, w/ a locking cap
Cable release socket: on the right lower front corner of the camera
Frame counter: auto reset, above the winding lever, not works without the film in the camera
Self-timer: on the left upper corner of the camera
Back cover: hinged, also removable with bottom plate by latches on the sides, w/ exposure guide table, opens by a latch on the bottom of the camera
Film loading: insert the take-up spool into the upper side by pulling-out the knob right upper side of the camera, then insert the film into the lower side, move the film leader under the chrome cylinder and pull and insert to the take-up spool; close the cover and turn the cocking lever untill number 1 seen in the frame counter window
Tripod socket: 3/8''; Strap lugs
Body: metal; Weight: 928g
Engravings beneath the Rolleiflex logo: D.R.P. and serial no.1079399
(D.R.P. means Deutsches Reichs Patent stating that this design or part of it was patented sometime between 1890-1945)
The camera could be used with Rolleikin I to use 35mm film or with the special glass plate film adapter. More info:
(*)Сокол Автомат - (Sokol Automat) by Lomo sn/7110984 Rangefinder soviet camera
ИНДУСТАР 70 - (Industar 70) - 1:2.8/50mm soviet lens by Lomo
Kodak Ultramax 400 @ 320iso (135)
Tetenal Colortec C41, 30 °C - tank AP Compact.
Epson V600
Rolleiflex automat for 6X6cm exposures on 120 film Compur Rapid shutter T,B,1-500 speed with Tessar f3.5/75mm lens, Made by Rollei-Werke Franke & Heidecke Braunschweig Germany c1937
Lomo Sokol Automat with 2.8/50 Industar-70
Rangefinder camera with parallax compensation
Shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/500 and B
Nearest focus distance: 0.8 m
Shutter priority automatic exposure and manual mode
What an amazing camera. It's big and heavy, but not as big as the Yashica Electro 35. The lens barrel is also a bit oversized (filter thread 55 mm), but it doesn't include a fast six-element lens, "only" a four-element Industar.
The Sokol was introduced in 1966, the first versions had 6 meter cells at the front, later they were reduced to 3. The camera above has the flash contacts at the body and not on the lens barrel, so it was produced in 1972 or later. In 1979 the Sokol was replaced by the Sokol-2.
The aperture of my copy didn't close correctly, somewhat sporadic. My attempt to fix it was very unsuccessful. I did not even find out if the blades just stuck together or there was a failure in the very sophisticated mechanism of the automatic exposure. But the opening of the camera body revealed some astonishing details. This camera has the most solid rangefinder mechanism I have ever seen, it is like looking into a vintage sewing machine. The viewfinder itself is also surprizingly good.
Now to the amazing part: I read in a camera blog, that the Sokol will adjust the shutter speed automatically, if the range of f-stops is not sufficient in automatic mode. I had my doubts, because this would be a kind of program mode. But is true, in automatic mode the chosen speed/f-stop pair is displayed in the viewfinder, when the shutter button is pressed halfway. I could not really test it, because the meter is also dead, but the mechanism is described here.
Notes:
The shutter speed and the f-stop can only be selected, when the shutter is cocked.
I could not find out, if the meter works in manual mode.
The camera needs a PX625 1.35V mercury cell.
Another question which remains: what was the archetype of this camera?
Rolleiflex Automat Modello II (K4-632), prodotta nel 1945 dalla Franke & Heidecke di Braunshweig, Germania.
Ottica di ripresa Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 75/3,5.
Ottica di mira Heidoscop-Anastigmat 75/2,8.
Otturatore Compur Rapid con tempi da 1 secondo a 1/500 più posa B.