Rollei 35 SE

The Mighty 35SE

This is a review of the Rollei 35SE - a camera that was generously donated to me back in December.

There are very few cameras that I can think of that attract the controversy that the Rollei 35 does. All these for a good reason, it is quirky, it is finely made and it is a viewfinder camera, meaning that you have to guess the distance. And this is usually where everything goes wrong.

There is no shortage of information online about these cameras, Wikipedia and 35mmc websites are the places to start if you want to know more about the ins and outs of this camera plus a bucket load of historical information that led to the creation of this camera.But I will limit this review down to the user experience. 

Rumors have it that the Queen ditched the Leica for the Rollei

Once you pick the camera up you notice the small square-ish size of it. With the lens collapsed it easily fits in a jacket pocket. Another thing straight away obvious: the film advance level is on the left of the camera. Other unconventional touches include placing the shutter speeds and aperture dial on the front of the camera and the hot shoe on the bottom. With the hot shoe being in the bottom, you can basically forget using any external viewfinder or range finder - it is just unuseble.

Elegant yes - usable? No.

When it came to subcontractors, Rollei chose the best. Compur produced the custom made shutter that allows to be collapsed and Gossen provided the light meter. No cutting corners there.

Now, my sample is a "Made in Singapore" one and came with a few issues. Speeds below 1/30sec are erratic and it also suffers with the usual problem that Rollei 35 cameras can suffer from. Somewhere along the way, someone tried to collapse the lens without advancing the film, so it seems that something has come out of alignment and does not always trigger the shutter. See pic for more details.

Left: Latched Correctly - Right: It will not trip the shutter

The only way around it is to advance the film and collapse the lens and extend it again - that places the latch at the correct position next to that boomerang-shaped part. This makes an awkward camera more awkward but I am hoping that a service will sort it out.

*NEVER COLLAPSE THE LENS WITHOUT ADVANCING THE FILM*.

The 35 series came with a variety of lenses. My sample has the highly regarded Carl Zeiss Sonnar 40 f/2.8. In my experience (and see the pictures on this post) this lens worths all the hype it receives on the internet.

Plenty sharp by f/5.6 (click for bigger size)

 It is sharp and has a lovely contrast while at the same time renders the image in a vintage sort of way (this is a poetic expression actually, not some sort of exact science that can be accurately described or replicated).

Ilford HP5 Plus in HC110 - Rollei 35SE

Another thing that I found difficult to deal with is the relatively sensitive shutter button. Pressing it to get a light meter reading has resulted in two occasions to trigger the shutter - it takes time to get used to it.

Using this camera is a good fun but not always easy. You need to be well versed to zone focusing and stick to f/5.6 - f/11 to get sharp pictures. Another thing to keep in mind is that this is a light camera and camera shake can be an issue. Stick to speeds above 1/125 sec - a 400iso film is preferable in good weather conditions.

The Rollei 35SE is capable of excellent results

Conclusion

A difficult camera to recommend. They are expensive and difficult to use if you are not used to zone focusing. It is a rare beast that requires a lot more than good intentions in order to get a good picture out of it. Overall, the lens is excellent and the light meter is accurate, it is small and inconspicuous but it demands your dedication and a lot of practice. Maybe start with another viewfinder camera and if it works well maybe pay the extra premium to get one of these. 

It is a real jewel of a camera but not user friendly.