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Rollei rangefinder with Mmount

>I am an architect and I think Zeiss could attract some of my > colleagues too if manufacturing the aforementioned lenses in > M-Mount. ================================================================

Even though the lenses might say Zeiss, they probably will be made by Cosina or perhaps another asian manufacturer. Remember the Rollei's made in Singapore. "Zeiss made by Rollei".

Until we see the lenses and someone publishes the specifications we will not know whether or not they are the existing optics in a new lens mount.

I agree that it is wonderful that someone is making an AFFORDABLE entry level rangefinder camera. And the fact that the lenses coming from Cosina are of very respectable optical quality is a far better thing than was available when I was first old enough to be interested in photograpy. The American importers became millionaires overcharging those who wanted to pursue the hobby with a fine camera.
 
When the 16mm f/6 Hologon was announced, Leica did ask about have it made in an 'M' mount. The Contax people said no.
 
Yes perhaps Cosina should have had the courage to stick with their own = name and "upmarket" it as Konica have stayed with their own name.
 
The Rollei may be a humble Cosina, but according to a German photo magazine, the parts are shipped to Germany where they are assembled to strict quality standards. The lenses are M-bayonet and are being advertised as Zeiss lenses, in the same way as Contax uses the name Zeiss. This may mean that the lenses are made in Japan (as are Contax-Zeiss lenses), or in Germany (where Rollei makes its medium format lenses). According to the German magazine the Rollei body is all metal and made to the highest specifications and tolerances. We'll see. The pictures are not that convincing: it's more a Bessa R2 make-over with the Rollei name on it. But then, so is the Rollei AFM 35 (aka Fuji Klasse) and what a great camera that is! Remeber: a Hasselblad X-pan is also a Fuji camera, and no one's complaining about that. What matters is the 'thinking part': whoever designed it and what effort they put in it. Not so much who made it, as long as the quality of materials and workmanship are up to the (high) expectations and guaranteed.
 
Hi,

I talked on a fair in Frankfurt last week-end with Rollei and Zeiss about the new Rollei 35RF.

First, it is exactly a Bessa R2 in a new colour. Not surprising. The R2 is solid and has a graet viewfinder. I was looking at one at a dealer. A lot better then the Bessa R.

But if you compare the price difference between the R2 and the announced price of the Rollei RF, there is not really a reason to buy the Rollei, except the name on the plate.

Second, the lenses are all old designs (confirmed by Rollei) They are from Medium Format and from the old Rollei 35. No new lens design there. No news about the future lenses.

Zeiss designed these lenses years ago and gave Rollei the license to produce it. Therefore it is called Zeiss-lens, but Rollei is printed on them (and also HFT coating instead of T*).

Third, it is not yet sure, whether the Rollei 35RF will be offered outside of Asia. This is strange, since they describe it in a German news-broshure, but who knows.

If I look at the information available by now, it seems it is more a collector item like a Rolleiflex GX. As long as there is no real strategy to push for a new product line and above all no newly designed lenses for this, it looks more like trying to find another cash cow without paying to much.

In the past Rollei disappointed me because of the lack of committment in marketing and investments in new lens designs, especially the 80mm. The bodies are great but expensive and heavy. They are with their bodies in the past (Rolleiflex) and at present with 600x far ahead of the competition. Very well thought through.

It is a pitty that Rollei tries to make still money with old products in new coats with this RF. And this for a very high price. They could have created here really a strong new product line.

An old investmentbanker rule is: If you do not buy a stock, you will not have the performance of it.
 
> Rollei / Cosinsa ==============================================================

I think the real story here will be who is marketing it and where. We have to remember that neither Rollei or Voightlander is a real company anymore. Merely names used under license.
 
I'm sorry, but I do not agree completely.
Voigtlander may be only a marketing name, but Rollei is certainly still a manufacturer of high-end photo equipment. They do make their own professional slide projectors and medium format camera's. There are genuine Rollei plants in Germany. Only their mainstream 35mm autofocus camera's (and digital camera's?) are sourced from third parties. Rollei specifies the design and lenses (usually Schneider). This is common in the industry, almost all brands use this method: Leica, Nikon, Pentax, Canon etc. They all have their large quantity consumer products (centainly P&S camera's) made to their specifications at companies that specialize in this business.
 
Hi,

The Rollei 35 RF may be a badge engineered Cosina/Voigtländer, but Rollei itself is a "real" company with a "real" plant in Braunschweig, Germany (their medium format cameras are made there, also the medium format lenses under a license agreement with Zeiss). By the way, Voigtländer was also based in Braunschweig and was owned by Rollei from the early seventies (when Voigtländer 's previous owner Zeiss-Ikon went out of business)until the early eighties when Rollei itself ran into financial troubles. The Voigtländer brand is nowadays just a brand name owned by Ringfoto in Germany and used by Cosina for RF-cameras and RF- and SLR-lenses under a license agreement with Ringfoto.

Jacques
 
It is even better:

Rollei had different owners in their history. In the 90ies it was Samsung. But in 1999 the managment made a buy-out and now it is in private hands again.

I find this very impressive. These people are really convinced about there products and are willing to take their own private risk for it - not just an ordinary salary plus bonus. And this in a very difficult and tiny market like Medium Format...

Dirk
 
Very impressive indeed! Rollei is even reviving their wonderful TLR-line with new wide angle and tele versions. Isn't that wonderful for a design dating from 1930? Only Leica did better, as the M7 is a direct descendant from Barnack's Ur-Leica from 1913. While both Contax (made by Kyocera with optics designed by Zeiss) and Voigtländer (made by Cosina) are mere brand names nowadays, I have to admit that many of their products are in the best traditions of their German predecessors.

Jacques
 
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