Rolleicord Ia

The Rolleicord in question

 Those who have been browsing through this blog would probably have noticed that medium format film cameras are not my popular choice. A combination of being expensive and quite bulky to use meant that I tend to prefer 35mm cameras. Over the years I dipped my toe in the medium format arena with different cameras (Nettar, Ikoflex, box cameras) but I would eventually sell them off to recuperate the expense. Somehow I remained inconvenienced as to whether this is for me. But an advert for an old camera came up locally and it was for free, so I thought "why not?".
The camera in question was an old Rolleicord. I can distinguish models III, IV and the different varieties of the V but for the different versions of the I and II, it seems I need some help. 

 Identifying the camera and serial numbers.
Rolleicords I, Ia and II had so many different models with different lenses that the only way to correctly identify which one you have is only via the serial number. And that is not even 100% accurate since different camera models used serial numbers within the same range. For example (and this is the case with my camera) serial numbers between 611.000 - 1.042.100 were allocated for Rolleicord Ia Type 3 - 531 (mine), the "Polizei" version of the Type 3 (same as Type 3 but Triotar f/3.5 - only 500 made, quite rare) and the Rolleicord II (Triotar f/3.5 and bridged speeds and aperture windows). Now the 431.000 serial numbers in the above range were allocated for all the above 3 models so you have to look on an online catalogue with the serial numbers and pictures to figure out which one is yours.

Now, dating them accurately is another cattle of fish altogether. My serial number is smack bang in the middle and this camera was produced between 1938 and 1947 so if Rollei managed to maintain a steady production rate throughout the war then this was produced somewhere during the war, possibly in 1942. But unfortunately it is not so straightforward as I said that serial numbers were allocated to other cameras too. But judging from the "DRP" on the left of the nameplate ("Deutsches Reichs Patent") which was used until 1945 before was replaced by "DBP" (Deutsches Bundes Patent) I would say that is a pre-war model going up to the first years of war. If someone has any better information on it, please email me to update it.

So my Rolleicord is not a top dog from that distant era but is still good enough. For those not knowing, Rolleicord was the cheaper line of cameras produced by Rollei, top dog was the Rolleiflex with a variety of different lenses and automatic advance and cocking of the shutter. 

But there is a historical first for the Ia model - it was the first Rolleicord with automatic film advance. And when I say "automatic" I mean that you didn't have to rely on the red window on the back of the camera to advance to the next frame - turning the film advance knob until it locks to the next frame was enough. That feature further increased the popularity of the Rolleicord series and sold very well.

Saturday morning in January. Aperture f/8
(ilford FP4 in HC110)

Build quality/ergonomics
This is a relatively small camera. Actually, it is smaller and (a lot) lighter that the Nikon F5. There is not a lot of technology involved with this camera, two knobs, one button and three levels do all the jobs. But still you need to read the manual in order to figure out how to load film in it (*see at the end of the review).

One thing that I noticed straight away was how dark the viewfinder was. I removed the hood and gently cleaned the mirror and the lens hoping that this will make things better - it didn't. But as I was putting the hood back on, I noticed a piece of plastic on the top of the focusing screen. Someone placed this magnifying plastic sheet in an attempt to make focusing easier. Once removed, the focusing screen looks so much better and easy to use. Of course, don't forget that the focusing lens is a f/4 so adjust expectations accordingly. Despite that I find it to be quite usable, especially in daylight.

A major designing hiccup is the magnifying glass. This folds from outside towards inside of the hood and hinges on  the right side of the hood. If for whatever reason you touch the hood whilst focusing, it unhidges and because it is spring loaded, it smacks you straight in the eye. It has happened to me twice - very unpleasant. Obviously Rollei learned something from it and redesigned it in the following cameras and placed it inside the hood.

On the back on the camera, there is a table with aperture and shutter speed combinations to help users figure out the exposure. Light meters were an expensive indulgence back then. Notice, these combinations are for DIN 18 film which is 50ASA. Also notice that aperture-wise it goes down to f/3.5 and not the f/4.5 aperture on the lens of this camera - the same back was used for the Rolleicord Ia Type 2 and the Type 3 541 version which had the faster lens.

Different online resources state that accessories for this model (i.e. filters or lens hood) are screwed on. This is not true, the accessories are pushed on of a 28.5mm diameter.

The Rolleicord Ia comes with a Compur shutter with the old standard shutter speeds (T, B, 1sec - 1/300sec). Surprisingly all shutter speeds seem accurate. Same thing with the advance mechanism, no signs of slipping or overlapping. There is a thread for a cable release but no self-timer (who needs one anyway).

*Important* The shutter is cocked by moving the level to one side and move it again towards the opposite direction to release it. Once you select 1/300 you can feel the resistance of the second spring involved to move the leaf shutter faster. DO NOT attempt to change shutter speed after you have selected 1/300 and cocked the shutter - you are risking damaging the second spring. I would suggest that you shouldn't change the speed after you have cocked the shutter anyway - if adjustments to exposure are needed, change the aperture instead.

Also remember that cocking the shutter and advancing the film take place independently so make sure you develop a shooting strategy otherwise you will end up with loads of double exposures.

Despite the small dimensions of the body the camera feels nicely robust and comfortable to hold. I use my right hand to focus and my left to hold the camera and operate the shutter button.  

The lens comes off in 3 pieces

The lens
This version of the camera comes with a garden variety Cooke triplet lens called Triotar. A Cooke triplet sounds rudimental by today's standards but you will be surprised to see how good it performs on film. It was very easy to design a 75mm lens of about f/6.3 that would perform remarkably well and making triplets of about f/4.5 were easy to produce and optically very sound. Any further than that (i.e. f/3.5) you are pushing the triplet design to its limits with performance wide open that leaves a lot to be desired. The uncoated Triotar 75 f/4.5 in this camera is good - definitely on a par with the post-war coated Novar of my old Nettar, although the coating on the Novar gave it more contrast. I doubt though that the Triotar will let you down - wide open is distinctively soft but very usable and at f/8 it is as sharp as the Tessar on my Ikoflex or the Yashinon on my YashicaMat used to be. Also, the lack of coating reduces the chances of being infected by fungus who love chewing old lens coatings.

My experience with triplets open to f/3.5 shows that aberrations and field curvature makes difficult to use them with anything other than subjects that occupy the dead centre of the frame. Of course everything is personal, aesthetics included, but personally I would invest £10 to get a tripod than search the internet for the f/3.5 version.

Wide open there is a visible vigneting. Image
also turns softer

Another sign of good engineering design is the fact that all lens elements can be taken apart just by using your hands to unscrew them. The two elements are screwed together and you can take them apart easily. Cleaning the whole lens assembly takes no more than 10 mins - incredible!

Cleaning the camera
The camera came in quite a state. The (n)ever-ready case was covered in mould and the camera had thick layers of dirt stuck on it. To clean it, I put some windows cleaner liquid (important to choose something without vinegar or any other acids added) and rubbed the dirt off. Then I covered the leatherette with black leather shoe polish and left it overnight. The following day I cleaned it with a clean soft cloth and put some wax for leather jackets. Left it overnight and the following day I cleaned any left with a clean soft cloth.

The lenses were cleaned by blowing air with a brush in order to get rid of any dust particles that can scratch the lens whilst cleaning it with a cloth. Then cleaned the glass with cotton buds dipped in lighter fluid and wiped with a micro-fabric cloth for lenses. The lenses were put under UV light with the shutter open in T to kill any fungus.

Focusing screen was cleaned with a slightly dump cloth for cleaning lenses.

Now I am trying to figure out how on earth to clean the (n)ever-ready case....

My other TLR's

Compared to other TLRs

Compared to the Ikoflex the Rolleicord has a dimmer focusing screen and a slower lens. The Ikoflex is a bigger and heavier camera though with a lot of interlocks that make the handling of that great camera very fiddly and tiring..

Compared to the YashicaMat, they are both small TLRs but the 20 years gap between them is starting to show. Coated faster lens, brighter screen, automatic film advance and shutter cocking - these make the YashicaMat much easier to use. Unfortunately, I had to sell mine as it started overlapping frames and the advance crank wouldn't always cock the shutter.

Compared to the Voightlander Brilliant, the Rolleicord is a better camera. The Voightlander is made out of bakelite and was linking the focusing and the taking lens with a set of milled rings that were too easy to slip and miss focus, it constantly needed re-calibration. The Voightlander came with a Heliar lens but I never saw the advantages of it as it would always produce out of focus pictures in a variety of degrees.

I know this sounds like a bizarre thing to say but I feel that the Rolleicord looks the cutest of them all - it comes from the end of the Art-deco era and although not as cute as it's "wallpapered"* predecessors, I think it looks very nice.

* The early Rolleiflex and Rolleicords with the patterns were designated as "wallpapered" (Tapeten) and in my opinion they are the most beautiful cameras ever made.

A contre jour picture. This is a scenario
that can ruin any picture.
The old uncoated Triotar isn't an exception

Performance
In many ways, it reminds me of the results of the old Zeiss Nettar folder. Sightly swirly bokeh and low contrast at f/4.5 and f/5.6  which improves in terms of sharpness and contrast between f/8 and f/11. My recommendation is to stick to iso125 films in good weather and push iso400 film to increase the contrast in dull winter months. Nailing focus in low light can be a bit of a challenge but the depth of field of the lens wide open at a 2 meters (about 30cm) always helps a bit. I include a few pictures to have a look and draw your own conclusions.

Wide open at f/4.5
(ilford FP4 in HC110)

Summary
Ah, not sure what to say really. The Rolleicord comes from an era where ergonomics were a long way from home and using the Rolleicord can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. Personally, I appreciate it more as a precision instrument of a long gone era that still works as it should. I appreciate the engineering and the art-deco beauty of it. Also the pictures can have a very pleasing aesthetic quality. If all these are important for you then the Rolleicord should be high up on your watch list. But it poses significant limitations when using it on a day to day basis - shutter speeds are limited and the f/4.5 can limit the work in low light.

I got this for free, I like it and although I can't say I will be using it very often, I think it might become my standard choice for portrait photography. If you are into TLR photography and you find it cheap, then grab it. Otherwise, Japanese TLRs from the 50s might be a better choice. They won't be Rollei though.

Post-Script:
Loading the camera can be a real fuff. Here is a printscreen from the manual and a picture that might make it a bit easier to figure out how it works. In orer to check if the transport system works well, a film needs to be used.

Long lasting impressions

There are very few cameras in my collection that gives me that sense of satisfaction when I develop the negatives as this little Rolleicord. It really punches way above its weight with results consistently being great. But no camera is perfect, so this Rolleicord has 3 main hiccups.

a) The magnifying glass keeps getting unhinged and constantly slapping me in the eye. I've ended up keeping it down with tape.

b) When you have a lens hood on the taking lens, it is virtually impossible to see what aperture value you have selected. I just have to remove the lens hood to adjust the aperture.

c) A small lever, part of the shutter mechanism, that moves during exposure can catch the tip of your woolly gloves and screw your exposure. It has happened twice to me.

All the above issues were resolved with the next model, the Rolleicord II, so this is (I assume) an easier model to work with.

Despite that, the little Rolleicord Ia keeps delivering the goods - i like it so much I sent it for a service and it is now in perfect working condition, begging to be used again.