How Could I Ignore My Rollei 35TE?

Last week, I was going through my drawer of smaller 35mm cameras, and on a whim, I opened up a leather case to see what was inside. Right. It was my Rollei 35 TE, which I probably had not shot with for a bunch of years.  The slow shutter speeds were off - as in anything at 1/15 sec or slower = B, but the rest were just fine.  That might have been the reason I hadn't used it, but I suspect it was more likely that with all the newer compact cameras such as the Olympus XA, Minox 35, Olympus Infinity, Chinon Bellami, Minolta AF-C, and so forth, the Rollei 35 got pushed to the back where I ignored it.  

This particular Rollei 35 is possibly the camera that I have had the longest, aside from a Kodak Retina IIa, as both were gifts from my then mentor, Bill Brudon.  One day I was visiting  Bill, and he handed me two Rollei 35 cameras. One was a Rollei 35 S in chrome, and the other was a black 35 TE.  He asked which one I preferred, and after a few seconds of shock, I told him the TE,   I guess because it was all-black.  "It's yours, then!"  Bill said. That was in 2001, so I have had the camera for 20 years, the longest that I have owned any particular camera.

I used it quite a bit early on, even taking it on a trip to NM and CO in 2003, where it produced excellent results - even on slide film.  The thing about the Rollei 35 models is that they are jewel-like, fully manual metal-bodied compacts that are incredibly innovative and also just a bit frustrating.  The film advance lever is on the left side, which is the slightly annoying part.  It's not a rangefinder, so one has to gauge distance while rotating the front of the  lens to focus, and red/green diodes tell you when you have adjusted the exposure to where it should be. It takes a 5.6 V Mercury PX27 battery (and I had several extras for years), which I found was now dead, and replaced it with a Silver Oxide S27PX.  If you are not relying on the camera's meter, you don't need to bother with a battery.  The meter's not especially reliable in low-light, but outdoors it does pretty well in most situations.

After replacing the battery, I popped in a roll of Ultrafine Extreme 400 film. The interesting/annoying thing about the Rollei 35 is that to load film, the back comes completely off, and you flip open a "door" which acts as a pressure plate and keeps the film really secure across the width of its travel from the cassette to the take-up spool, which is to say, a very short journey in this compact camera.  

More about the Rollei 35 series 

The Rollei 35 is a "high-class" compact camera that was introduced in 1966 and sold until about 1999.  The first version was just the Rollei 35, with later models offering improvements, and differentiating between the models with Sonnar (40mm f/2.8) and Tessar (40mm f/3.5)  lenses with S and T, and later, SE and TE.  I think the additional E just means "Electronic." Early models were made in Germany, and later, most models were manufactured in Singapore - but not all.  The final versions - higher-priced specialty models , were made in Germany in the 1990s.   These cameras appeal to collectors, since there are many iterations of the Rollei 35, including  gold-plated models. You can expect to pay a premium price for the special editions, and the plain-vanilla Rollei 35 in very good condition will still set you back a couple of hundred bucks.  

What makes these cameras so darn cool is that they have excellent 40mm  lenses, a telescoping lens tube, which makes them very compact to carry, rugged design, and shutter speeds from B, 1/2 - 1/500 sec.  They do have a hot-shoe for flash, but it's on the bottom of the camera! The bright albada viewfinder is a nice feature with projected frame-lines.  They are very quiet to shoot with as well.  You can also put one on a tripod and use a cable release, just like a much larger camera.  

In doing some internet sleuthing - it appears that because the shutter is tensioned when not in use, spending a long time unused isn't good for the less than 1/30 shutter speeds. That explains why my camera has that problem.

I took my Rollei 35TE on a visit to Marshall, NC and shot the entire roll of the UFX 400.  It was a sunny day, and the metering and my sunny-16 sense were sympatico.  Of course, since almost everything I shot was farther than 20 feet, I just left the focus on infinity and the aperture at f/11 or f/16.  I developed the film last night, and all of the shots were excellent.  How can it be that I let this camera linger in the shadows for so long?  Maybe I am more confident now with shooting a camera that doesn't have a rangefinder focus? Maybe it's experience?   Whatever the reason, I need to take this camera out more often.  It need not be sitting in the back of the drawer like an old pair of socks.

Some examples from Marshall, NC 

Some Rollei 35 Resources -

• Caual Photophile - https://casualphotophile.com/2017/03/24/rollei-35-se-camera-review/
• Japan Camera Hunter - https://www.japancamerahunter.com/2014/09/rollei-35-review-david-aureden/
• Mike Eckman - https://www.mikeeckman.com/2021/02/rollei-35-t-1974/
• Mike Butkus' camera manuals - http://www.cameramanuals.org/rolleiflex/rollei_35_s.pdf

Nikon FE10 - Hands On Review

 I recently decided that it was time to reduce the number of camera systems that I had been keeping on-hand, so I sold my Cosina-manufactured Canon T60 and lenses that I have had for a few years. I replaced it almost immediately with a mint-condition Nikon FE10 from KEH. I'd been wanting an FE10, because operationally, it was very similar to the T60, as both were made by Cosina. You may not have heard of the FE10, as it was only made for a short time in the mid-late 1990s, and it was not as common as the FM10, also a Cosina body that features only manual settings. 

 Why an FE10? I really liked the lightweight Aperture-priority Canon T60, and the Nikon FE10 is similar, but with more features. Just as lightweight, it comes in at 1 lb 6 oz with a 50mm f1.8 Nikkor, camera strap, and roll of film. Obviously, an ABS plastic body, with that champagne silver and black body that we also saw in the Nikon N60. While it obviously isn't a typical Nikon build, the FE10 has the following features: 

•  Aperture-Priority and Manual exposure, with speeds indicated via diodes in the VF. 
• Shutter speeds B, 1-1/2000 sec (in A mode, up to 8 seconds) 
• Flash Sync at 1/60 and 1/90 with Nikon TTL Speedlights 
• ISO settings 25-3200 
• Exposure lock button 
• Exposure compensation dial built-in with ISO settings. 
• Cable release socket in shutter release button 
• Depth of field preview lever
• Self-timer 
• Film roll window in back 
• Multiple-exposure lever 
• Lock setting on shutter speed dial to conserve battery power and avoid accidental exposures 
• Viewfinder - 93% coverage, with matte focus screen, microprism collar and split-image center spot (Nikon "K" screen) 
• Power- 2 1.5V LR-44 cells (required to operate camera) 

Some Observations - 

Manual Nikon SLRs have the shutter lock when the advance lever is flush against the body and once the lever is brought out about 30 degrees, the meter is activated and the camera will operate. After using Nikons for over 20 years, it's an automatic thing that I rarely think about. However, I recall a couple of times when I put a Nikon FE in a bag and the advance lever got pulled away, resulting in drained cells when I tried using the camera. The Lock setting on the shutter speed dial is a good feature, especially for those that might not have a long history with Nikon SLRs. 

Shutter speed dial set to Aperture-priority

ISO and exp. compensation dial

 Exposure compensation dials are typically separate when they are included on a Nikon SLR - i.e., all AF camera bodies, and on the Nikon FE, FE2, FG, FA, FM3a, F3, and N2000. Manual-only bodies do not require the +\- exposure comp. dial. At first I thought this setup was a bit ungainly on the FE10, but in reality, it does teach how +/- works - you are setting the ISO speed +/- in stops. So, if I have ISO 400 film and I want a stop extra of exposure, I set the dial to the +1, and the ISO speed is set at 50. The only drawback with this setup is that you might forget to change back to the actual film ISO. It's a compromise, but it does work. 

The shutter release does not require much force to activate, but once I got used to it, I had no problems.

Using the FE10 -

 After I received the camera from KEH, I installed 2 fresh LR-44 cells, and popped in a roll of Ultrafine Extreme 400. I have to say that the only thing the FE10 lacked was that new camera smell, (Okay, I confess, there is no such thing). The body looked like it had never been used. 

 I used it with a Nikon SB-18 Speedlight - a small flash that is a perfect match for this camera. I also shot it with several lenses, under different conditions, and I was so sure of the operation of the FE10 that I packed it as my only SLR for a long weekend in Pittsburgh. Once I got used to the touchy shutter release, I found using it to be good experience. The FE10 was a good choice, as I visited some interesting areas, one of which was Carrie Furnaces National Historic Site. There were a few times when I used the exposure compensation dial to accommodate the dark tones of the site. The FE10's simplicity of operation and the Aperture-priority automation makes it a great choice as a street camera. The lighter weight was nice, too. Of course, it's not like a Nikon FE2 (weight 2 lb, 3 oz in a similar configuration) either in sturdiness or feel. It was designed for countries that wanted cheaper cameras with the Nikon badge all while AF bodies were the rage. The FE10 and FM10 may not have been built like other Nikons, but as a "student" camera, I certainly can recommend them. 

 As a backup body, the FE10 would be so light to pack in with the rest of your gear, you might not notice it's there. I'm not going to be a snob and turn up my nose at the FE10, just because it's not made in a Nikon factory. If you want a bit more about the history of this camera - check out this review.  The only manual focus Nikon body I have that's newer is the FM3a. Overall, I found the FE10 to be a good companion on my Pittsburgh trip. I shot 6 rolls of film with it, and all the exposures were to my liking. I'll probably be using this camera in my travels, as I easily packed it in a shoulder bag with a flash and several lenses. I have other Nikons that are better-made, fuller-featured, but heavier. I can see packing my FM3a with the FE10 as a backup on a trip. As a walk-about camera, the FE10 won't weigh me down, and based upon my results, it's a better choice than a 40-year old Nikon FE. 

 And now, for some photos...

Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 - Review

It’s interesting how one changes an opinion about a camera over time.  What was once considered a modest point and shoot camera that was neither full-featured nor extremely compact, now is a desirable camera that has a good lens, and is possibly a “sleeper” in terms of being a street photography camera.  Such is the case with the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2!  I had one of these cameras come my way over 20 years ago, and did not think much of it.  It certainly was not as good as my SLR, and I wanted a camera that would allow me to have CONTROL over what I was doing.  Point and Shoot was not what I was looking for at the time. 

Now, it’s 2018, and cameras like the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 are in demand by people that want a camera that fits the street photography ethos - not threatening, no flash unless you really need it, and relatively quiet.  A good lens is a bonus.  No DX coding, so that you can use weird films, and your home-rolled stuff.  The ability to use a filter, and a not-quite-wide but not-really-normal lens that gives you a bit wider view.  No motor drive to make noise.  Easy to hold in the hand.
That pretty much describes the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2. 

This Minolta AF2 came my way as a “not quite working” donation to the FPP's school donation project.   Any cameras that we send to the schools have to be fully operational, anything otherwise becomes a problem for someone learning photography.  For those of us experienced folks, we can find work-arounds, but that doesn’t mean that a 7th-grader can do so.  After some fiddling with this camera, I decided to bring it home and see what I could do with it.  It turns out that the camera works fine, except -- the pop-up flash is dead.  Maybe it’s nothing more than a corroded wire somewhere, but I am not going to tear the camera open to find out.  The 2 AA batteries power the camera just fine, and all other functions work. It just cannot be used in flash mode, so most indoor or evening photography is out.

clean layout on top

in case you forget how it works

Camera Specifications

Release date - 1981
Original price - suggested retail was $248 according to May 1981 Popular Photography.
Shutter Speeds - ⅛ to 1/430 second, auto-programmed by the camera with the appropriate aperture according to the ISO setting.
Aperture - f/2.8 - f/17
Flash sync speed - 1/40 sec
Lens - 38mm f/2.8 - 4 elements in 3 groups, filter ring diameter is 46mm
Exposure - determined by a CdS sensor next to the lens, with range of EV 6 to EV 17
ISO range - 25-400
Focus - Auto-focus, 1 meter to infinity, parallax-correction in viewfinder, red LED in viewfinder to indicate focus.  Pre-set AF by pressing shutter button halfway.
Power - 2 AA cells
Self-timer and tripod socket included
Size - 2 ⅛ x 3 x 5 1/16 inches, weight 14 ounces with batteries.

Impressions and Results

Overall, fairly average specifications, and nothing that stands out as unique.  It’s not too dissimilar in specifications from the Canon AF 35M (1979)  or the Nikon L35 AF (1983) that came out before and after the AF2.  However, one thing that I find attractive about the camera is the lever-wind film advance, and not a motorized drive that eats up batteries, let alone the noise that they make.   The camera is certainly not compact, but it isn’t fiddly, either.  The AF is based on infrared, meaning that it may have a problem properly focusing on really bright objects in a scene.  Since the AF is center-based, you’ll need to pre-focus if your subjects are off to one side if the background is at infinity.  Easily done if you press the shutter button halfway and you see the red LED indicating focus.  Then, recompose and press the shutter all the way.

After I was sure that the camera was pretty much working, I loaded a roll of Ultrafine Xtreme 400 to give it the test.  I walked around town for an hour and shot the roll.  The next day I processed the film in Rodinal at 1:25 for 7.5 minutes.  The negatives were scanned on my Epson V700 Photo scanner.

Overall, I am happy with the results.  There were a few times that I felt the camera was having difficulty achieving proper focus, which may have had something to do with the bright sun that was at a low angle in the December sky.  The camera is certainly easy to use, and while the flash did not work, it was not a hindrance shooting in the day.  Of course, with ISO 400 film, you can shoot indoors at 1/8 sec at f/2.8, so have a tripod handy. I have put a roll of color film in it, and will see how that does in the near future.

Prices
How much?  Although the 1981 list price was nearly $250, I am pretty sure the camera sold well below that, especially after the revised AF2-M version came out in 1982 with a motorized film advance, which brought it more in line with Canon and then Nikon's AF point and shoots.  Today, prices are all over the place.  I'll bet you can find one in a thrift store for less than $10, but on eBay, prices seem to be climbing over $50 for one that is tested and working perfectly.

The Kowa SETR - an excursion into leaf-shutter 35mm SLRs

There are two predominant types of shutters in cameras - focal-plane shutters, and leaf shutters. Focal plane shutters typically are rubberized cloth and travel horizontally, or are Copal- square type shutters that are made of metal blades and travel vertically. The focal plane shutters are behind the lenses, right in front of the film plane.  Focal-plane shutters are found in most 35mm SLR cameras, some medium format SLRs (such at the Pentax 6x7 and Pentacon 6), in the large-format Graflex SLR RB cameras.

Leaf-shutters however, are usually located within the lens assembly and are comprised of a series of thin plates (leaves) that overlap and typically operate at a maximum 1/500 sec, and because of their mode of operation, are also able to be used with a flash at any shutter speed.  Some leaf shutters may be quite simple and consist of 2 blades. Leaf shutters are found in twin lens reflex cameras (TLRs), medium format SLRs such as the Hasselblad and Kowa 6, folding roll-film cameras, large-format cameras, as well as many 35mm rangefinder and zone-focus cameras (for example, Kodak Retina and Argus).  One advantage, albeit only a slight one, is that a leaf-shutter tends to have less vibration, and is also quieter than a focal plane shutter.  This comes at a cost, as the lens assemblies are more complex to accommodate any removable lenses.  Over time, as these 35mm cameras have aged, the leaf-shutters are not as reliable and usually need a good cleaning and lubrication to maintain any usability.

In 35mm cameras, the focal-plane shutter is the preferred type in SLRs and some rangefinders (Leica and Contax and the clones from Japan and the USSR).  The focal-plane shutter allows for much simpler lens systems, and thus, a far greater variety of focal lengths and mounts, as the shutter is independent of the lens being used.  In addition, a focal plane-shutter allows for much faster shutter speeds. In SLRs, focal plane shutters are behind the mirror.  The mirror flips up, the shutter fires, and the mirror returns (early SLRs required the shutter to be cocked to return the mirror). I'm not going to get into the exact mechanism of a focal-plane shutter, but there are some good online references should you want to know.

That 80mm f/4 lens looks great, huh?

However, there are always some camera manufacturers that do things differently. Kodak used leaf shutters in their Retina reflex cameras of the 1950s and 60s, and these are common finds.  Zeiss-Ikon used Compur leaf shutters in their Contaflex SLRs, too, and they are beautiful cameras.  Voigtlander's Bessamatic, which first appeared in 1959, featured a Compur shutter, and a built-in meter.  It had interchangeable lenses as well.  Other models of the Bessamatic were made until 1969.  All of these leaf-shutter SLRs are attractive, well-made, and collectible. 

The Nikkorex 35, Nikkorex Auto 35, and Nikkorex Zoom 35 are fixed-lens SLRs from 1960-1963 with leaf shutters. Not exactly up to the quality of a Nikon F,  and they are rare finds today.  They are also unlikely to be in working condition. 

Bought this for $5 in 2013

Topcon came out with a Topcon Uni SLR in 1964, which featured through the lens metering, and a behind the lens Seikosha SLV shutter. The camera has an interchangeable lens, and the 53mm f/2 was standard.  It was also sold as the Beseler Topcon Auto 100. The Topcon Unirex followed in 1969, and it had full-aperture spot and average metering.   I didn't use the Topcon Uni all that much, but I did like the bokeh from that lens.




KOWA!

A very clean, uncluttered look.

Now, I am finally getting around to the Japanese Kowa SLRs.  The Kowaflex first appeared in 1960, and was a pretty basic SLR with fixed 50mm lens and a Seikosha SLV shutter.  Shutter speeds were B, and 1- 1/500 sec -- pretty much the standard for leaf-shutter SLRs.  Later models had various improvements, such as meters, but still had the between the lens  Seikosha shutter  and fixed lenses.  In 1965, the Kowa SER appeared, and it featured a Seikosha leaf shutter behind the lens, a CdS metering system, and a suite of lenses that ranged from 28mm to 200mm. The Kowa SET followed in 1966, but it was a fixed lens SLR with TTL metering and Seikosha SLV shutter. 

The Kowa SETR and the subject of this review, was manufactured from 1968-1971.  It features TTL full-aperture metering and the Seikosha behind-the lens leaf shutter, accepts interchangeable lenses, and with the 50mm f/1.9 lens sold for about $100 in 1969.  I do not know if the lens mounts of the SER and the SETR are the same, but I am assuming that they are. 

My example of this camera is in very good cosmetic and mechanical condition. The serial no. is 906004.  There is no flash shoe, but I can see how one might have clipped on via the eyepiece flange.  The PC flash socket is on the front of the camera, and the top deck has only the film advance lever, shutter button, frame counter, and rewind lever.   All of the exposure controls are on the lens barrel and at the base of the lens.  This makes sense, as the shutter is behind the lens itself, but in front of the mirror, of course.  This is unlike the Retina SLRs, which have the shutter between the lenses. There is a set of rear elements that remain in place, and the front elements are the only ones that change with the lens system.  That means that the lenses can never be very fast, especially with longer focal lengths.  In the Kowa SLRs, that's not the case, as the lens unit is self-contained, and while the focal lengths are not as varied as "normal" SLRs, the size of the rear element is constrained by the throat diameter through the shutter assembly, so you won't see 50mm f/1.4 lenses.  The f/1.9 is pretty fast by leaf-shutter SLR standards. The filter ring takes 49mm filters.

control rings

To set the ISO, you move the ASA dial (range 10-800)
to match the film speed with the maximum aperture of the lens. There is a small chrome knob on the aperture ring that is pulled out slightly to set the ISO.  Everything is nicely marked in colored paint, and is easy to see. The meter is visible in the viewfinder, and while it originally required a mercury 1.35V cell, I just used a 1.5V alkaline SR44 and the meter sprang to life.  The needle centers when you have a proper exposure, and under-exposure makes the needle go towards the top, over-exposure makes the needle go to the bottom.  No aperture or shutter speeds are visible in the viewfinder. The viewfinder is therefore, quite uncluttered and easy to use and focus. There is a microprism spot at the center to get critical focus. 

press in that lever on the chrome ring to remove lens

Looking at the front of the camera, there is a small silver button on the lower right which is pushed in to switch to M, X, and V for flashbulb (M), Xenon strobe (X), and self-timer (V).  At the the 7 o'clock position, there is a small angled lever that when pressed, allows you to remove the lens from the body.  The ring closest to the body controls the shutter speed, and the ring above that controls the aperture.  The outer-most ring is for focus.  Overall, all are very well implemented and the camera is easy to use.  Because this is a leaf-shutter, you can fire the flash at any shutter speed, from B to 1/500 sec.  That certainly has its advantages over the focal-plane SLRs of the day which usually had a flash sync of 1/60th sec.

Lens removed from the body. 

The camera is easy to use overall. There is a satisfying sound when the shutter is fired, and its different sounding than that of an SLR with a focal plane shutter.  I shot a test roll of Ultrafine Xtreme 400 in the Kowa SETR, and developed it in Rodinal at 1:25 dilution for 7.5 minutes.  I am quite pleased with the results. The Seikosha shutter works fine at all settings, and the exposures were well within the acceptable range. 

Perhaps I ended up with an exemplary example of this camera.  Using it has certainly changed my opinion on leaf-shutter SLRs a bit. My previous experience with leaf-shutter SLRs has been limited to Kodak Retinas and a Topcon Uni.  I would say that anyone considering using a Retina SLR make sure that the shutter gets a CLA, as more often than not, the shutter will need service to make the camera usable.  I'll keep using the Kowa on occasion, as it works fine, and certainly has a clean and very retro look to it.  I'll also keep my eye on eBay for additional lenses.  A working, clean, Kowa SER or SETR will probably cost you around $100.  Finding one with a full set of lenses will cost you far more.