Lately there were some people calling me about getting a Rolleicord. I think Rolleicords are getting more and more difficult to obtain and most local sets for sale are in pretty bad conditions (worn, lens seperation, scratches, etc) . Rolleicord has a higher collection value than a 'tool camera' value. Instead of wasting time/$ looking for this old German light tank, there are some Seagulls which can do the same job. (Same goes for Yashicamat)
Rolleicords Vb is the one to get and they are getting more and more scarce. Good samples maybe obtained via Mr. Wong of Fotographix but be prepared to pay. Buying from E-bay is always a risk and I have heard a lot of people spending $$$$ and ened up with a battered cord.
Rolleicords has a Scheidler lens and pretty good for colour prints. As there are not many good samples around, I believe the Seagull 4A107 is a good alternative (not really as good for picture quality, but not far off). My point is if you are going to spend about $500 for a used, old TLR and need to spend about $100++ to fix it, plus another $100-200 on accessories, you might as well save up to S$800 and get a decent Rolleiflex F3.5 Tessar or Rolleiflex 2.8F. The picture quality of actual Rolleiflex are superb, and it is easier to get a good 2.8E/F.
If budget is limited to below $500, then you can choose the ~$200 Seagull 4B-1 with 3 element lens, ~$300 Seagull 4A107 with Tessar copy lens, or ~$400 Seagull 4A109 Tessar copy lens. All 3 Seagull needs a lens hood and a decent filter to have good results.
1. Seagull 4B-1 ~$200
I am talking about the new English worded badge Seagull. This is a TLR that has 75mm F3.5 for both taking and viewing lens. The taking lens is a 3 element design. End result is a bit soft and not recommended to shoot wide open. A hood is a must. Try to get a 34mm to 46mm step up ring. At the taking lens, fit a 81A warm up filter for colour prints/slides and a yellow filter is a must for B&W. If you do not shoot a lot of 120mm, this is a good camera for holiday shoots for landscape. Stopped down to F8 the results are pretty decent. The old 4B-1 will Chinese word has mixed quality issue.
In the past there were Seagull 4B sold for only $90. The old Chinese word ones. Quality was really poor but the late production period ones are pretty decent cameras. I saw many British photogs shooting fantastic slides and prints using this camera (it was sold for about 100 punds in UK!!!!) The really old 4B had a very dim ground glass view finder with red grids. The new ones 4B-1 has a super bright Fresnel screen which looks like a Beattie! (not that refined but then its light years better than the old ground glass).
If you just want to play play 120, and dont really shoot that much, the 4B-1 is a good buy. Note you need to spend $11 on a UV filter to protect the viewing lens, $10 on a 34mm ->46mm step up ring, $20 on a Hama 46mm Hood, and $11 on a 81A filter. Get a cheap $30 flash and always use the flash as fill in when you shoot people (so you can set to F8). I have about 20 rolls of slides of my kid when he was only 3 years old. Great pictures for memory as it has very nostalgic look.
2. Seagull 4A-107 ~$300
This is the one with the new English worded badge. 4A107 has been very popular since 10 years ago when it came out in Popular Photography. An export model which has Minolta QC and management in Shanghai (but still some PRC standard!). The Tessar copy lens is much sharper than the 3 element type (found in 4B-1 or 4A105). However, colour saturation is not as good as a Rolleicord, a bit bland like.. Leica (?) The taking lens is a 75mm F3.5 Tessar copy. The viewing lens is a 75mm F2.8, hence brighter. But the viewing lens is only sharp in the middle and corners are damn soft. You need to use the center part to focus and then move your eyes about 2 feet away to do composition. Not as good as a Rolleiflex with a Beattie, but much much better than any Yashicamat or Rolleicord ground glass.
I use a 81A warm up filter (Hoya SMC 46mm) with a 46mm round lens hood. Pictures taken in Korea, USA has good saturation using Provia F or Reala. Stopped down to F8 the resolution is fantastic. Shooting B&W using Orange filter (Hoya SMC) gives very nice tonality, but not as refined as Rolleiflex 3.5 Tessar. There were many times people cannot differentiate the final prints from this setup to that of Rolleicord. Of course, if you do not use hood and without the 81A filter, the picture confirm will be shitty! Flare is the main problem as the lens is only single coated. B&W with a Yellow HMC filter, or even an orange filter, givens very nice result. I even tried Red filter, and even green filters to shoot people, to get really wierd results. See, you enjoy the cheap, good Hoya filters on Seagull. It is very hard to get decent filters for the Cord or even the Rolleiflex, unless you can find the Bay to screw mount filter adaptors.
One thing about Seagull is the shuttle blade sucks and will drop off a lot of dust during the first 100 times of firing of shuttle. If you set to F3.5 and B to observe the taking lens, you will surely see bakerlite flakes, dust, hairs, and even some scratches! Dont expect clean lens like a Nikkor. It is recommended you fire the camera off for at least 100 times and then send to a reputable repair expert (I recommend Andrew of P&G) to clean up the taking lens (and also check the focus). This may help in the contrast of the picture.
One thing good about the viewfinder of the Seagull is it is very bright and have parallex compensation. Parallex compensation is not found in the 4B-1. If you sweat a lot like me, you can remove the view finder after one day's shoot and wash it under running tap. Yes! It cleans up the Fresnel screen too (but never never wipe it). Air dry it and your camera is ok again. If you see many second hand TLR, most of the view finder side is so corroded due to the sweat / crap from the user. I had washed my view finder Nth times already, and it is still good as new.
Rolleicord's original focusing screen is dim like hell. The older the model, the more dim. They need light assist like a video camera. I really hate it. Some do not even have split imaging focus assist. Some Rolleicord lovers spend $200++ or more to fit a Beattie. To the user, a beattie can be a life saver in dim lights. Well, for a price of a Beattie, you can get a 4B-1 (!). Even so, I fitted one for my Rolleiflex and really love it. This what I call ' Real Time Imaging' and those from a DSLR is a real joke. You can order a new Fresnel screen for the Seagull from China. I am not sure if it can be used on a Rolleicord directly. However, I have fixed one on a old Yashica B and it works.
2. Seagull 4A-109 ~$400
This is the improvement over 4A-107 in terms of shuttle and F stop setting knobs. Then again, these are made of plastic! Copying the Yashicamat 124G but still using the same taking lens of 4A1-07 and same shitty PRC QC in terms of lens clearity/cleaniness. 4A-109 does not match the built quality of Yashicamat 124G. (Yashica was already using metal parts and superb precision in the 60s!) However, the Chinese Tessar copy lens is far superior than the Yashicamat in terms of sharpness. Colour of the Seagull is more bland, but can be improved using a 81A Hoya MC filter. In terms of picture qualtiy, Seagull wins the Yashica.
Considering most Yashicamat 124 are very old and shuttle is prone to failure/inaccuracy, I believe the 4A1-07 or 109 are much better buy, and cheaper too. And you get a new camera. 4A-109 may rival the Rolleicord if shooting B&W and set to F5.6 and above. Shooting wide open is not recommended. Set to F4 or F5.6 at least.
So here is my suggestion. Get a Rolleiflex 3.5 or 2.8F if you are going to spend more than $800. The picture of the 2.8F is something to die for. Even wide open the picture is lovely and timeless. If you do not want to spend too much, then a Seagull is one to carry around and can even swing at someone when needed. The picture is pretty decent. Seagull 4A107 is my de-facto travel 120mm camera. You should have one.
Rolleicords Vb is the one to get and they are getting more and more scarce. Good samples maybe obtained via Mr. Wong of Fotographix but be prepared to pay. Buying from E-bay is always a risk and I have heard a lot of people spending $$$$ and ened up with a battered cord.
Rolleicords has a Scheidler lens and pretty good for colour prints. As there are not many good samples around, I believe the Seagull 4A107 is a good alternative (not really as good for picture quality, but not far off). My point is if you are going to spend about $500 for a used, old TLR and need to spend about $100++ to fix it, plus another $100-200 on accessories, you might as well save up to S$800 and get a decent Rolleiflex F3.5 Tessar or Rolleiflex 2.8F. The picture quality of actual Rolleiflex are superb, and it is easier to get a good 2.8E/F.
If budget is limited to below $500, then you can choose the ~$200 Seagull 4B-1 with 3 element lens, ~$300 Seagull 4A107 with Tessar copy lens, or ~$400 Seagull 4A109 Tessar copy lens. All 3 Seagull needs a lens hood and a decent filter to have good results.
1. Seagull 4B-1 ~$200
I am talking about the new English worded badge Seagull. This is a TLR that has 75mm F3.5 for both taking and viewing lens. The taking lens is a 3 element design. End result is a bit soft and not recommended to shoot wide open. A hood is a must. Try to get a 34mm to 46mm step up ring. At the taking lens, fit a 81A warm up filter for colour prints/slides and a yellow filter is a must for B&W. If you do not shoot a lot of 120mm, this is a good camera for holiday shoots for landscape. Stopped down to F8 the results are pretty decent. The old 4B-1 will Chinese word has mixed quality issue.
In the past there were Seagull 4B sold for only $90. The old Chinese word ones. Quality was really poor but the late production period ones are pretty decent cameras. I saw many British photogs shooting fantastic slides and prints using this camera (it was sold for about 100 punds in UK!!!!) The really old 4B had a very dim ground glass view finder with red grids. The new ones 4B-1 has a super bright Fresnel screen which looks like a Beattie! (not that refined but then its light years better than the old ground glass).
If you just want to play play 120, and dont really shoot that much, the 4B-1 is a good buy. Note you need to spend $11 on a UV filter to protect the viewing lens, $10 on a 34mm ->46mm step up ring, $20 on a Hama 46mm Hood, and $11 on a 81A filter. Get a cheap $30 flash and always use the flash as fill in when you shoot people (so you can set to F8). I have about 20 rolls of slides of my kid when he was only 3 years old. Great pictures for memory as it has very nostalgic look.
2. Seagull 4A-107 ~$300
This is the one with the new English worded badge. 4A107 has been very popular since 10 years ago when it came out in Popular Photography. An export model which has Minolta QC and management in Shanghai (but still some PRC standard!). The Tessar copy lens is much sharper than the 3 element type (found in 4B-1 or 4A105). However, colour saturation is not as good as a Rolleicord, a bit bland like.. Leica (?) The taking lens is a 75mm F3.5 Tessar copy. The viewing lens is a 75mm F2.8, hence brighter. But the viewing lens is only sharp in the middle and corners are damn soft. You need to use the center part to focus and then move your eyes about 2 feet away to do composition. Not as good as a Rolleiflex with a Beattie, but much much better than any Yashicamat or Rolleicord ground glass.
I use a 81A warm up filter (Hoya SMC 46mm) with a 46mm round lens hood. Pictures taken in Korea, USA has good saturation using Provia F or Reala. Stopped down to F8 the resolution is fantastic. Shooting B&W using Orange filter (Hoya SMC) gives very nice tonality, but not as refined as Rolleiflex 3.5 Tessar. There were many times people cannot differentiate the final prints from this setup to that of Rolleicord. Of course, if you do not use hood and without the 81A filter, the picture confirm will be shitty! Flare is the main problem as the lens is only single coated. B&W with a Yellow HMC filter, or even an orange filter, givens very nice result. I even tried Red filter, and even green filters to shoot people, to get really wierd results. See, you enjoy the cheap, good Hoya filters on Seagull. It is very hard to get decent filters for the Cord or even the Rolleiflex, unless you can find the Bay to screw mount filter adaptors.
One thing about Seagull is the shuttle blade sucks and will drop off a lot of dust during the first 100 times of firing of shuttle. If you set to F3.5 and B to observe the taking lens, you will surely see bakerlite flakes, dust, hairs, and even some scratches! Dont expect clean lens like a Nikkor. It is recommended you fire the camera off for at least 100 times and then send to a reputable repair expert (I recommend Andrew of P&G) to clean up the taking lens (and also check the focus). This may help in the contrast of the picture.
One thing good about the viewfinder of the Seagull is it is very bright and have parallex compensation. Parallex compensation is not found in the 4B-1. If you sweat a lot like me, you can remove the view finder after one day's shoot and wash it under running tap. Yes! It cleans up the Fresnel screen too (but never never wipe it). Air dry it and your camera is ok again. If you see many second hand TLR, most of the view finder side is so corroded due to the sweat / crap from the user. I had washed my view finder Nth times already, and it is still good as new.
Rolleicord's original focusing screen is dim like hell. The older the model, the more dim. They need light assist like a video camera. I really hate it. Some do not even have split imaging focus assist. Some Rolleicord lovers spend $200++ or more to fit a Beattie. To the user, a beattie can be a life saver in dim lights. Well, for a price of a Beattie, you can get a 4B-1 (!). Even so, I fitted one for my Rolleiflex and really love it. This what I call ' Real Time Imaging' and those from a DSLR is a real joke. You can order a new Fresnel screen for the Seagull from China. I am not sure if it can be used on a Rolleicord directly. However, I have fixed one on a old Yashica B and it works.
2. Seagull 4A-109 ~$400
This is the improvement over 4A-107 in terms of shuttle and F stop setting knobs. Then again, these are made of plastic! Copying the Yashicamat 124G but still using the same taking lens of 4A1-07 and same shitty PRC QC in terms of lens clearity/cleaniness. 4A-109 does not match the built quality of Yashicamat 124G. (Yashica was already using metal parts and superb precision in the 60s!) However, the Chinese Tessar copy lens is far superior than the Yashicamat in terms of sharpness. Colour of the Seagull is more bland, but can be improved using a 81A Hoya MC filter. In terms of picture qualtiy, Seagull wins the Yashica.
Considering most Yashicamat 124 are very old and shuttle is prone to failure/inaccuracy, I believe the 4A1-07 or 109 are much better buy, and cheaper too. And you get a new camera. 4A-109 may rival the Rolleicord if shooting B&W and set to F5.6 and above. Shooting wide open is not recommended. Set to F4 or F5.6 at least.
So here is my suggestion. Get a Rolleiflex 3.5 or 2.8F if you are going to spend more than $800. The picture of the 2.8F is something to die for. Even wide open the picture is lovely and timeless. If you do not want to spend too much, then a Seagull is one to carry around and can even swing at someone when needed. The picture is pretty decent. Seagull 4A107 is my de-facto travel 120mm camera. You should have one.
