7. May 2002

The
Rolleiflex 2.8 GX
- a review

The Rolleiflex 2.8 GX together with the Rolleiflex 2.8 FX are the latest TLR's (Twin Lens Reflex) from Rollei.
Despite its name, the FX is the very latest, but is almost identical to the GX.
This is a review of the Rolleiflex GX - you can assume that the things said here will also apply to the FX model.

Please observe that my medium format cameras are all Rolleiflex TLR's - this means, that although I'm familiar with a lot of other medium format cameras I do not have any practical experience with them. So read this review as a description of how the GX works, especially compared to older Rolleiflex TLR's.



History
The Rolleiflex TLR's made by Francke & Heidecke, Braunschweig in Germany are legendary medium format cameras.
Starting in 1928/29 they have been produced all the way up to present days. Of course with many changes and additions on the way. In the last 20 years or so, the production has been low and with a lot of special models for collectors only.
They had their "glory days" in the middle of the last century but have been made obsolete by the more modern SLR's (Single Lens Reflex) cameras.
I believe they earned their reputation because of ease of use, superb Carl Zeiss and Schneider optics and simply good design.
The Rolleiflex TLR's (and the cheaper Rolleicords) were developed and modified throughout the 20. century ending with the legendary 2.8F and 3.5F models with coupled light-meter.
Many people have written about the history of Francke & Heidecke, later Rollei Fototechnic GmbH on the net and you'll find links to those places in the link section below.


Technical specifications
What is a TLR anyway?
As the name implies, it's a camera with two lenses; one for taking and one for viewing.
The viewing lens is placed above the taking lens and the image is, via a mirror, projected onto a viewing screen.
The taking lens has an integrated leaf shutter.
The whole construction is rather simple and therefore very efficient. No mirror or shutter vibrations here!


Technical data (from the manual and advertising material):

Camera Type Twin-Lens reflex camera with TTL exposure meter and TTL (OTF) flash automatic. Frame size 6 x 6 cm. Film types 120-roll film for 12 pictures 6 x6 cm. Film speed Film-speed setting on camera from ISO 25/15° to ISO 6400/39°. Exposure metering Center-weighted average metering by two silicon photo diodes. Five-LED display in viewfinder. Measuring range Light values/Exposure values 3 - 18/3.2 - 100.000 asb/1 - 33000 cd/m at ISO 100/21°, with 80 mm f/2.8 lens. Lens Planar 2.8/80 mm HFT, diagonal coverage 53°, size III filter bayonet, focusing from ∞ to 1 m. Shutter Seiko (1 - 1/500 sec and B), X-synchronized. Aperture and shutter speed coupled with exposure meter.

Viewfinder system Heidosmat 80 mm f/2.8 viewfinder lens. Standard folding hood. Parallax compensation for focus distance. Interchangeable for 45° or 90° prism finder. Five interchangeable viewing screens. Flash synchronization 1/500 - 1 sec and B. Accessory shoe with center synchronization contact and contacts for TTL flash automatic in combination with system flash units and special adapter. X-synchronization socket for plugs according to DIN 19003. Flash automatic TTL flash measurement on the film surface (OTF) via additional Si-photo element. Film transport Transport crank coupled with shutter tension. Automatic stop at frame 1. Double-exposure lock with override. Frame counter from 1 to 12, automatically resetting when film is changed. Sockets Cable release connection. Tripod bush 1/4″. Junction for tripod head "Rolleifix". Dimensions (mm / h x w x d) 147 x 109 x 108. Weight Approx. 1275 g.

About the GX
Why make a review of and "old" camera like the Rolleiflex 2.8 GX?
Well, the 2.8 GX is in fact a modern camera. Yes, it is built upon the old TLR principle, but it includes a TTL light meter, a TTL (OTF - Of The Film) meter for flash photography, a SCA 356 accessory shoe and a Rollei HFT coated Planar lens.
No revolution, I know, but bear in mind that this is a medium format camera and should therefore be compared to other MF cameras.

Being an amateur I looked for ways to get into medium format cheaply. I found that a good way, was to buy a used Rolleiflex TLR. They offer very good image quality at an affordable price.
Since I liked the old Rolleiflexes so much, it became somehow obvious to me that a natural upgrade would be the Rolleiflex 2.8 GX.
Some people find the GX expensive, but actually at around 3.000 Euro/$2.500 it has the same price as an entry level Hasselblad 501CM kit without a light meter (not to compare these two very different systems any more) and perhaps a little bit more expensive than a Mamiya 7II kit.

My GX is the Rolleiflex 2.8 GX Edition. It's actually not a collectors camera. No engraved anniversary plates, no gold or platin. Just a plain users camera (well, in my eyes anyway). There is no doubt in my mind, that a Rolleiflex TLR is very easy to use and handle. It's a lightweight construction and can be carried in a normal, small 35mm SLR bag. Focus, dial the aperture and speed dials until you get a green LED and take the picture! Almost like point and shoot!

The optics
The taking lens is a well-known 5 element Planar 2.8 lens made by Rollei under license from Carl Zeiss. It features the Rollei HFT multi-coating.
The viewing lens is the also well know Heidosmat 2.8 type also with HFT coating.
These are my very un-scientific observations with this multi-coated Planar lens:
I don't have an old Planar (or Xenotar) 2.8, but I do have a Planar 3.5 and a Schneider Xenotar 3.5 and it seems to me, that the older lenses are a lot more prone to flare. The old Planar 3.5 is a little bit warmer and the Xenotar is a little bit cooler - remember that these are MY observations and that they are by no means scientific.

The GX uses the size III filter bayonet and thus can use all bay III accessories like filters, Rolleinars (close-up lenses) and Mutars (wide and tele attachments).


The metering system
The new center-weighted averaging exposure metering system with LEDs in the GX is really good and accurate. The meter-cells are placed behind the viewing lens and although this position isn't the most ideal place - it would have been even better if it was behind the taking lens, but a lot more difficult to construct - it is really great to have and one of the reasons I decided to buy the GX.

You activate the meter by pressing the release button half way down (like almost any other camera these days). The metering area is illustrated in this picture (although Rollei calls the meter "center-weighted average" some might call it "semi-spot" or "large-spot" since the measuring area is quite small):



The LEDs are simple to read : A (red) = at least 1 exposure value under-exposed, B (yellow) = about 1/2 exposure value under-exposed, C (green) = Correct exposure, D (yellow) = about 1/2 exposure value over-exposed, E (red) = at least 1 exposure value over-exposed.

If you use a filter of some kind, you can simply place it in front of the viewing lens to take a meter-reading through it before putting it back on the taking lens.
If you use a Rollei Mutar (wide or tele attachment to put in front of the existing lens) on the GX the loss of light is bigger in the viewing lens than in the taking lens, so here the meter will give you a wrong measurement and you have to compensate. I will write a separate review about this subject.

In addition to the light-meter the GX also has a build-in flash TTL meter. It measures the light reflected from the film plane.
You can attach a SCA300 compatible flash (like a Metz flash) to the SCA356 hot shoe on the side of the camera body and then you have TTL controlled flash.

Above is a picture of the GX with a Metz mecablitz 54 MZ-3 attach via the SCA356 adapter. This adapter is a bit special, because it's turned 90° so that although the hot shoe is mounted vertical you still get the flash in horizontal position.
I will publish examples of using the flash in a later article.

The batteries I've used has lasted for about 50-55 films, but of course this varies. There is a small button for checking the battery status and that should be used, because the meter tends to over-expose just before the battery runs flat (the green lamp will only light up for a small second when the battery is flat).

In use
If you are used to 35mm SLR's the TLR is a very odd camera. You have to get used to using only one focus length (80 mm) and at short distances using Rolleinar close up lenses parallax problems can occur.
You focus with a knob on the left side and you have to use your thumbs to dial the aperture and speed dials. However ones you get used to it you realize that the layout of controls is almost ergonomic.
Also using the waist level finder might be awkward to some. The waist level finder, by the way, is in no way special to the TLR's you'll find these on many medium format cameras.

Actually I only use my right thumb on the speed dial and my index and long finger on the aperture dial (see picture). This way I can quickly move my fingers to focus.


The speed and aperture you select can be seen from above:



When I loaded a film for the first time, I noticed that the metal-part tightening the film was very tight compared to the older F model. You have to unwind a long part of the film in order to wind it up easily. When you get used to it it's no problem at all.
The GX is limited to using only 120 film (12 exposures) and can not take 220 films, but as an amateur this is no limitation for me at all - using 120 films suits me normally fine.
Setting the ISO dial is easy and you are ready to shoot.
The new shutter release is stiffer than the older ones (I'll comment a bit more on this later), I feel that hand holding at 1/60 has unfortunately become more difficult. On my old F models I can get good results when hand holding at 1/60 second, but on the GX I must be very careful.
The viewing screen is bright and clear, making focusing as well as framing easy even in low-light conditions. You (still) have a flip up magnifier for precise focusing in the waist level finder.
I like to use the waist-level finder, because you can use both eyes to judge the framing. Looking down on the focusing screen is a bit like seeing the slide before you take the picture. I do occasionally use a 45° prism on the F-models although I do prefer the normal finder.

The light meter is easy to use. Although not a spot meter you can easily see what you are measuring and you'll get accurately exposed images easily.

How about giving the TLR a change? Think about it - you can use it for many applications ranging from street photography to landscape work (ok, filters might be difficult to use, because you have to move them to the viewing lens in order to see the effect).
It'll fit into a smal bag and you can therefore easily carry it to almost any location - and it gives you high-quality medium format pictures.


Image quality
- or The Personality of the Planar 2.8...

Well, maybe I should have set up a test with other cameras and other lenses trying to compare the results and in that way trying to judge wether it's better than this one or worse than another one. If I get the opportunity to do that one day, you'll be the first to know!
The "problem" with the Rolleiflex TLR is, that it doesn't have interchangeable lenses, so you are (more or less) stuck with the one you have. Comparing to SLR's with interchangeable lenses makes less sense.
However, the quality has got to be high, otherwise you wouldn't bother buying a GX.
I've decided this approach for demonstrating image quality: I'll show you examples of what I like about the pictures and then you can judge for yourself if you agree with me. I'm not comparing with another camera, just demonstrating what I like with the Rollei Planar 2.8.

Bokeh
The way the out-of-focus areas are rendered:



Warm tone
The Planar 2.8 does produce pretty "warm" pictures:
(The above picture with the bust from Cannes was taken in low sun-light, so that's bound to be a warm-looking picture)


Sharpness/details
Well, needless to say, that you can get very sharp pictures with lots of details. If this is more or less than other lenses I really can't tell. The medium format 6x6 slide contains a lot of information:


Vignetting
At open apertures the Planar does suffer from some vignetting:



Accessories
Although not quite a system in the traditional way - with interchangeable lenses and film-backs - the list of accessories for the Rolleiflex cameras is quite long. I do not intend to give a full overview here, but I will mention some accessories.

The GX manual and the advertising material lists the following GX accessories (I know that some of them are not available anymore):

Interchangeable focusing screens:
• High-D screen for a super-bright screen image and precise focusing.
• Bright focusing screen with central microprism and split-image rangefinders.
• Ground glass screen.
• Bright focusing screen.

Folding lens hood



This is a lens shade made of rubber. Not as beautiful as the original metal lens hood, but easier to carry, since it folds.

Filters
Rollei mentions a yellow filter and a color-conversion filter, but many filters are available from B + W etc..

Prisms
45° and 90° prism finders.
These are newly designed prisms. Very beautiful.

Pistol grip

Soft leather case

SCA 356
Rollei SCA 356 flash adapter (and with that a number of flashes).


Other
Many accessories from the older days are very usable on the GX as well. This includes the Rolleinar close-up lenses, the Mutar 0.7 and the Mutar 1.5, the Rolleifix quick release adapter as well as the old 90° prism etc.




The focusing screens are different from older models.

My "custom made" accessories include a 45° Kiev TTL metering prism and an adapted Zenza Bronica magnifying hood.




Compared with the older models
It has been claimed on the Internet that the GX is a poor replica of the F-model and that it contains electronics that will fail and that is has plastic parts. To this I must say, that although the GX is not 100% as well constructed as a model F there are absolutely NO plastic parts on the exterior. The camera will work without the electronic, because the only electronic is the light meter and the TTL flash meter. The shutter is totally mechanic.
To those familiar with the older Rolleiflex models I can say, that the GX is a bit like the cheaper T model but with an F front with good optics. I do agree however, that the older F model does give a slightly more solid impression, but only slightly. The camera back door lock is similar to the one on the model T, not the Model F:



The self-timer has been removed.

The sports finder - the eye level frame finder mode of the finder hood - doesn't feature a mirror for focusing anymore.

The aperture dial runs in steps of half-stops, on the older models it's totally step-less. Both the aperture dial and the speed dial runs in reverse compared to the F-model. On the F-model you could set the speed to up to 60 sec. - the shutter would only go to 1 sec. but you could use it to measure the light in low-light conditions. This was a nice feature that the GX lacks.

Apart from the added TTL light meter and TTL flash meter there are some other changes compared to the F model (I'm comparing to the F model here, because that was the latest model produced prior to the GX).
The automatic film-detection or film load has been removed - you now have to roll the film all the way to the arrows.
The interior of the back door has been made simpler - instead of having a "light labyrinth" you now only have some foam to prevent light from entering from the outside. This is NOT as good as the F model.

The back door of the GX can not be removed like on the F-models. The little "un-hinging" knob from the F-models is not present on the GX.



This might mean, that the Rolleikin accessory (to use 35mm film in the TLR) can not be used with the GX. I didn't dig into the details of this. It might be, that the back door can be removed by un-screwing the strap-holders, but I'm not sure if the Rolleikin door will fit in.
By the way, the strap-holders on the GX are different from the older models while the newer FX model have holders similar to the older ones.
The shutter release is stiffer. I think this is due to the fact that you shall be able to press it half way down to trigger the light meter - like in any new SLR. The old Syncro Compur shutters where very smooth, but on the other hand, a GX has a newer shutter than any F models (more recently produced I mean) and it's needless to say, that it gives very consistent results.

The new build in meter is superb! It's a great improvement over the older selenium meters. It's accurate and you now what your are measuring (read above more details).


Conclusion
Good things do last!
I have the impression that Rollei would rather move on (and indeed they do, take a look at the new Rolleiflex 6008 AF) instead of keep making TLR's.
From what I've read on the Internet they have already announced the end of TLR's years ago, but customers still want to buy them.

The Rolleiflex 2.8 GX is in some respects a camera from the past, but with the addition of coated glass and a new metering system you get superb pictures and ease of use. For many photographers this camera could perhaps be their "fun" camera or their play tool. They could bring it, where larger medium format systems would be difficult to carry. Other more modern cameras like the new MF rangefinders (Mamiya 7II, Bronica 645 etc.) also offers this kind of flexibility, but if you - like me - like to compose your image on the ground glass (viewing screen), then a TLR is the way to go.


Update/Corrections
14.05.2002
Mr. Ferdi Stutterheim author of the Rolleigraphy.org informs me, that the type 1 GX (produced from 1987) still had the Synchro-Compur shutter - not the new Seiko shutter.
He also informs me, that a few hundred FX's are made every year at the moment - so there might be a chance to get one!(?).


Links
PHOTOgraphical.NET
I've written a small article about using a Kiev TTL prism on a TLR.
I've also written a review/test of the Rollei Mutar 0.7 x wideangle attachment for Rolleiflex TLR's. Take a look.
If you already are a "TLR fan" you might want to check out the Rolleiflex Wallpaper Gallery

[NEW]
27.09.2002
In my report from Photokina 2002 you'll find interesting news about Rolleiflex TLR's!
04.09.2002
If you liked this review, you might like to read my review of the Voigtländer Bessa R2 also?

Other sites
There are many sites and pages about Rolleiflex TLR cameras on the Net, here you will find links to pages that I've found very good and informative:
• Another review by Doug Hughes of Rolleiflex TLR cameras.
• Rolleigraphy.org by Ferdi Stutterheim - this site contains lot of information about TLR's and you'll find many links as well.
• Rollei.org - links and manuals.
• The Rollei Page by Dave Wyman - lots of links and information from photographer Dave Wyman.
• Rolleiflex TLR page by Torbjorn Aase - lots of information about TLR and accessories.
• Rollei Only - Canadian Collector of Rollei TLR Cameras.
• Rollei Fototechnic GmbH - the Rollei factory web site.

Where to buy
Well, It's likely that a GX can't be bought at your local camera shop, so here are links to shops that sell them:
US:
• B & H Photo Video Pro Audio - search for "Rollei GX" and you'll find it.
UK:
• Robert White - Robert White once had a few Rolleiflex FX's, maybe he can get more?.
DK:
• Photografica - based in Copenhagen. They have both the GX and the FX models. I think they'll ship them anywhere.