Rollei: Alive and Kicking

Zoltan Arva-Toth | Film | March 8, 2010 | 6 Comments |

Photoscala reports that you can still order classic Rolleiflex TLRs and Rollei 35 cameras, as well as the modern Rolleiflex Hy6, from a company called DHW Fototechnik, based in Braunschweig. The German site says that the company now employs 30 former workers of Franke & Heidecke, and plans to raise the number of employees to 50 by year’s end. According to the General Manager of DHW Fototechnik, the future is all about limited editions and made-to-order cameras. The Rollei 35, for example will be manufactured in batches of 1-5, and sold for 4000-4,500 euros each. Rolleiflex TLRs will be produced in three versions, differentiated by the lens used - with a choice of the Super-Angulon 50mm f4, the Planar 80mm f2.8 and the Tele-Xenar 135mm f4 on offer - priced from €3,500 to €6,000. As DHW Fototechnik has access to Franke & Heidecke’s stock of already manufactured Rolleiflex Hy6 cameras, these can also be ordered, and will be delivered with all early production bugs fixed. DHW even has a new lens in its assortment, named the Tele-Apogon 150mm f4 AFD. You can also order the Rolleivision 66 dual P medium-format slide projector, if that’s what you are after.

Website: Photoscala

Illustration source: Wikimedia Commons | Author: Juhanson | Reproduced under a GNU Free Documentation License

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6 Comments so far | Newest Oldest first | Post a comment

#1 Jon Payne

Great news! These cameras are truly beautiful not because of their classic style but because of their beautiful user experience, optics and image quality as a whole. They are truly great tools that function on a plain higher than most modern cameras. This is true in my opinion of all good medium format TLRs.

5:54 pm - Monday, March 8, 2010

#2 nintendo ds

I use a Rolleicord va with a Xenar lense circa 1940's Its a great camera but I'm thinking of getting a Rolleiflex...

6:39 am - Tuesday, March 9, 2010

#3 John Cicchine

Great news! I love both my Nikon's and my Rollei's!

6:14 pm - Wednesday, March 17, 2010

#4 Matt Alfano

I love my new Canon. John Cicchine, all the years we worked together I finally understand your enthusiasm for photography.

2:16 am - Sunday, September 12, 2010

#5 David Miles

Congratulations to Hans Hartje and his colleagues plus the best of luck.

I still use an old 'flex built in 1959, plus a 'cord Vb. Wonderful tools, and so quick and easy to use.

I hope that in time they come up with a real digital TLR, Based on the current models with a digital back. (Not the Minox mock TLR with only one lens + a dummy second lens)

10:25 am - Saturday, November 20, 2010

#6 John

I tried buying a TLR at Target and failed miserably.

4:21 pm - Thursday, February 17, 2011