Rolleiflex 2.8F User manual

Shorf- cvt to the First Expos ure
(D DIN - ASA Serins
tmmediqtely qfter looding the cqmerq: gently
press knurled knob ond set to the DIN or ASA
volue of the film used in comero importont
for getting correct exposure.
Set fitter scole to zero (+ poge 27).

@ Focusing
Rqise reor edge of focusing hood.
Composition ond shorpness con now be
exqmined on the focusing screen; turn the
focusing knob until principol obiect oppeors
with moximum shorpness. For more criticol
observotion of the imoge, roise mognifier by
gently pressing the direct view finder ponel.
Direct view finder *        22.                    .poge
@ Pre-selecling Shutter Speed
Turn speed selector wheel, using right .l$umb,
until the desired shutter speed (red figures)
oppeors in the center of the peep window.
$electing Shutter Speed * poge 14.           u.,
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             @ Sefiing the Exposureffi                        Turn stop selector wheel, using left thumb,
                                       until both pointers of the exposure meter ore  I                                     in line which eoch other.
                                  Jusi one more glonce - to check froming ond                          focus ond the Rolleif lex is reody to shoot.
                                    Incidentotty, by pre-selecting the diophrogm   '
                              opening, the depth-of-field required con be
                              determined first   ' (* poge l6). To line up the
                               exposure meter pointer, turn the speed selecfor
                             wheel: click shutter speed into position ond
                         moke finol qdiustment with diophrogm wheel
                                  (* poge 14).

             @ To Releqse Shutter
                                                                                                                                                                                 (+)                           Swing the sofety lever from O (locked) to
                                  (unlocked) posiiioni press shutter releose.
             @ Film Tronsport
                             Swing out cronk ond turn with one continuous
                            swing -   . forwqrd to stop ond bock ogoin
                                  to stop.
                                  This operotion cocks the shutler, odvonces the
                                                                                   f ilm to the next f.rome ond sets the picture
                                 counter to the next exposure. The Rolleif lex is
                                          rl,eody for the next picture.
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Evereody Ccrse

To open: lift the top from the r:eor @ ond fold
forwqrd qnd down. Before closing the cose set
comero to @.

Removing the cqmerq: swing locking levers on
                                               theeither side of strop holder downword @ -
two sides of the cqse con now be spreod oport.
Lift crqnk outword, spreod the sides slightly
ond pull comero forword. - To insert: spreod
the two sides of the cose slightly, guide the
rqised cronk through opening from the inside
ond lower the cqmerq bqckwqrds into the cose.
Press the sides together ond swing locking
levers upword
Detoching the  f ront (if required) : press clip
downword @, remove the front flop, lifting it
bockword. - To ottoch: insert the front flop in
hinge ond close evereody cqse.

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Lens Cop                             Neck Sfrop
To remove:  lift the lower port by the tob oi the   To qiloch: insert the retoining prongs ot
lower edge ond fold it ogoinst the upper port; remove   the ends of the strop into the strop
cop from the boyonet by turning it counter-clock-    holders (on comero or evereody cose)
wise @.                              ond they will immediotely snop inio
To oflqch: fit ihe folded cop into the viewing boy-    position.
onet - hinge pointing to the focusing knob -  fold  To releqse: press the retoining prongs
down ofter o shori turn @ ond snop into ploce.        together ond pull strop @.
The leqther loop ond sncp buttons on the left side of the evereody cose serve to hold the
protective leother cover for the lighi meier in ploce.  It is necessory to un-snop the lower left
button before opening the cose, when the meter cover  is used.

Looding ]he Comero
                                 Pleose do not try to insert your firsi film until you ore
                                        fully fomilior with the hondling of the comero. Otherwise
                                  continue on poge 11.
                              The Rolleiflex uses 2% x 31/2" rollfilm No. 120 (B ll 8) giving
                               12 exposures 21/+ x 2Y4",
                              The Film Pressure Ptqte inside the comero bock con be od-
                                                                                                         (using                                    iusted for .|20 rollfilm os well os for 35 mm film
                                          Rolleikin, -+ poge 33): when using rollfilm, lhe inscriplion
                                      2rh x 2Y4" musl be visible.
                              Never chonge film in direct sunlight! Utilize, ot leost, the
                              shodow of your own body!





                                                      Digitally signed by Mike Butkus
                                        DN: cn=Mike Butkus, o=Butkus camera
                                            manuals, ou=butkus.org, email=mike@butkus.Mike Butkus  org, c=US
                                               Date: 2023.12.19 14:58:36 -05'00'

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To open cqmerq: turn the sofety bock lock clip   Teor off tope seol.
ot the tripod socket O), lift bock lock lever @                                          Threod the beginning of the bocking poper -ond pull bock open.                                                  printed side outwords - through the rollers of
                                                                                                    theTo odiust film guide plote: press the plote   the film feeler mechonism @ ond push
ogoinst the bock, push it up or down until it   poper leoder into the long slot of the toke-up                                              spool (using ihe cronk for correct positioning)stops  @ ond let spring forword into the normol                                  @. Tighten the bocking poper by one holf turnplone.                                               of the cronk, while broking the full spool with
                                               the thumb @.Inserting new film spool: pull out film spq{
knob of lower spool chomber @, insert filni,   To close cqmefq: press the bock with the polm
right side first, ond ollow film knob to return   of the hond, fold down the bock lock lever
lo position.                                  r.ond secure @.
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Focusing for Sharpness
To open the focusing hood: lift reor edge of hood @ ond
roise cover. To close: fold in both sides @.
To rsise mognifier: press direct viewfinder ponel inword,
following this simple method: grip upper edge of hood
with two fingers, pushing the ponel gently inword with
the fingertip @. Alwoys hold mognifier close to the eye. -
To close: push mognifier support down @.
Focusing: turn the focusing knob until the        oppeors
with moximum shorpness.





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This is on eosy rule. All you hove to do is to
wotch two pointers. Thus Rollei cleorly signols:
The exposure is correcl, when both pointers
ore oligned.   .
The exposure meter is directly cross-coupled
io the speed qnd stop seitings. Adiustmenl
occording to the meter outomoticolly sets the
depih-of-field indicotor os well. This focilitotes
focusing even further. Now you con olso
pre-select the diophrogm opening, wiihout
checking ihe diophrogm setting, - dependingupon whether you prefer o foster shutter
speed (* poge l4) or o greoter depth-of-field

Selecfing the Shulter Speed
                                The red seclion of the scole
                                    denotes instontoneous, shuiter timed speeds, in froctions of
                       o second (500: 1/500th sec., I :111 :1 sec.). Intermedioie
                                    volues between clicks connot be used therefore: qlwqys set
                                          shutter so thqt desired speed figure is in the middle of the
                                          indicqlor window. This rule olso opplies when pre'seleciing
                                           depth-of-field. Only ofter clicking the speed into position
                             con the finol odiustment of the exposure meter pointers
                               be mqde with the diophrogm control wheel.
                                The green seclion of the scqle
                                           is for time exposures only ond indicotes the required ex-
                                    posure time in full seconds.  lt is used only when unfovoroble
                                          iighting conditions require greofer exposure, while ot the
                              some time further stopping down in order to goin depth-of-
                                               field. After lining up the exposure meter pointers, the green
                                 numbers indicote, in full seconds, the time the shutter hos to
                         be kept  open  (* time exposures, poge l8). Intermediote
                                      volues conc nbebe u sed intn the greengreen shutters      speed section.on.

             Automotic, shutter timed exposures                        Time exposures by hond


                                                                                                   1l/500 1t250 urzs I l/60 1/30 | 1/15:c/8 1t4 1t2
                       moderote     quick       I                                                     scenes without movement (tripod)
           movements
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Whot Shuffer Speed ?
Selecting o sufficiently short shutter speed is'  As o guide: sport scenes l/500, running chitdren
qn importont foctor in getting o shqrp picture.    11250, quick morching pedestrions 1l1ZS, people
First rule: in hond-held shots, use fost speeds   wofking leisurely 1160 or-from some distonce-to ovoid comero movement. The longest per-    1/30. To eliminote the possibility pf blurred
missible shutter speed is l/30 sec. Sofer on.d    scenes, remember this generql rule, Ihe donger'                                       of subiect movement is greotly reduced Lymost widely used: 1160 ond 11125 sec.         . 'S                                                increosing the toking distonce qnd shooting
Second rule: In scenes involving motion, the   os neorly in line with the direction of motion
foster the obiects move, the shorter the ex-   qs possible, in other words, rother from the
posure hos to be, to prevent o blurred picture.    front thqn from the side.
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Whot About D epth-of -Field?

  shorp focusing screen imoge indicotes thot the comero
  focused correctly on the moin subjeci.

But both before ond behind the plone of shorp focus ihere
is olwoys o suff iciently shorp zone. The ronge of this
"depth-of-field"  is shown by o white bond on the focusing
knob: the length of the white bond indicotes on the distonce
scole the depth-of-field ovoiloble.

    indicotor bond chonges when the diophrogm selector
         is turned, permitting o quick ond direct coordinotion
           s;leed ond depth of field. The foster the film,
            is it to toke core of speciol needs colling for
           ter speeds ond greot depth-of-field.

               definition does not breok off obruptly, but
            nges io unshorpness. Therefore  it is difficult
         he exoct limits of the depth-of-field. Moximum
          olwoys prevoils of the focusing dislonce.

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When Does One Need                   Londscopes with foreground: to extend the
Deplh-ot-Field?                                depth-of-field os for os possible into the fore-
                                             ground, do not set the comero to oo, but turnExtended depth-of-field becomes very helpful                                                  the focusing knob until the oo mork is opposite
when toking surprise snopshots, sport scenes    the end of the indicotor bond.
wiih constontly chonging subiect distonce ond
subiects with extended depth.                   Subiecls wilh greot depth: focus seporotely on                                             the neoresi ond forthest point brocketing theSnopshots with the comero pre-focused to i[e                                                   subiect. Turn ihe focusing knob so thot the
onticipoted distonce: work with extenddd   white bond reoches both distonce figures. lf
depth-of-field to compensote for chonges in the    necessory, extend depth by turning selectingfocusing distonce. (Sports Finder * poge 22.)    wheel.

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Refeosing Shutter                 Up lo the mbment of exposure oll comero
                                                      settings ore kept under perfect control: shorp-
                                              ness,  f roming, exposure, shutter speed ond
                                                         depth-of-field. They con be reodiusted instontly
                                                                          if the subiect so requires.
                                     To unlock shutter releqse: move releose guord
                                              from rtz (locked) to lower tl) (unlocked) position.
                                            Snopshot Exposure (1/500 - I sec.) : press shutter
                                                  releqse gentty, selected speed goes off outo-
                                                        moticolly.
                                   Time Exposure (over  I sec.): press shutter
                                               releqse ond hold for required time. Shutter
                                                     will close when you let go.
                                       Long Time Exposures: press releose ond lock
                                        with sofety guord. Terminote exposure by      I
                                                    releosing lock, (Coution: Do not shoke cqmero!
                                               Shield the lens with your hqnd when opening
                                     ond closing the shutter.)                                 il
                                          Coble Releqse: insert in coble releose socket
                                            with sofety guord locked.

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 Film Trqnsporl
 crnd Shuffe r Tensioning
 After eqch shot: swing out cronk, turn it for-
 word with one continuous swing, until it stops
 ond then bock ogoin to stop.
 The shutter is now qutomqticolty cocked. The
 cronk will turn only ofter releosing shutter.
 Double exposures or blonk fromes qre posi-
. tively eliminqted.  lf the cronk cqn be turned,
  it must be turned - forword ond bock to lock.
 Only if  it is locked the comero is reody to
 shoot.

 The cronk need not be folded down ofter eqch
 shot when shooting in ropid sequence.
 When using the Rolleikin: the film tronsport
 for the 35 mm film is occomplished in exo.ctly
                                                                                                                                     ' s the some mqnner os obove.                  ,
 When using the PlqteAdopter: turning the crqnk
 by one holf turn will suffice.to cock the shutter.

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A Few Words obouf the Care ol Your Comero

Your comero deserves coreful hondling - dependoble performonce will be your reword.
Sporkling cleonliness, especiolly of oll the opticol ports, is o pre-requisite for moximum shorp-
ness. In cleoning oll opticol surfoces (lenses, focusing screen, reflex mirror, flot gloss), use o
comel's hoir brush to remove dust, then wipe off fingerprints with o soft cloth or doeskin. On
the contoured undersurfoce of the focusing screen, use o cleon soft brush only; ovoid touching
the screen. To prevent o dust-ottrocting electrostotic chorge, breothe onto the surfoces before
ond ofter cleoning ond let moisture evoporote, do not wipe off. -  lncidentolly, the lenses hove
obrosion resistont onti-reflection cootings. The reflex mirror, too, is covered with o speciol
protective loyer to wiihstond scrotches ond corrosion. However, ony cleoning should be done
corefully ond only when necessory.
Do not forget thot moisture, dust, sond, strong sunlight, o hord blow or foll con be hormful
to o precision comero. lf possible, olwoys use the evereody cose, for heovy duty operotions
the stronger ond tightly closing metol evereody cose. Corry comero oround neck ond when
riding in your cor, keep your comero in o sofe spot, well protected ogoinst the hot sun ond bumpy
roods. In o nutshell: be kind to your Rolleiflex!
And pleose remember: Fronke & Heidecke olwoys mointoin their interest in the welfore of your
comero. The Service Deportments of the"foctory ond the foctory representotives in foreign
countries will olwoys glodly toke core of ony speciol technicol problems thot might come up
during your photogrophic proctice.                                                          \..
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Using fhe Sports Finder
                                             Sport scenes ond fost moving obiects con be
                                            fromed more conveniently through the direct view
                                                      finder. Only o slight roising or lowering of the
                                           comero is needed to olfernote between observing
                                                       the center portion of the focusing screen (to control
                                                shorpness) ond the full open view in the direct
                                                            finder.
                                         To open sports finder: press ponel inword oll the
                                  woy O. To close: top both sides of the hood
                                               gently @ - Alwoys use the direct view finder
                                                close to the eye, looking directly ot ihe subiect
                                                 without tilting the comero.
                                .ra    \r+                         ,*1'     q

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Exposures with SeIf -]imer
lf you photogroph o group of people or toke o
remembronce snopshot ond you olso wont to oppeor in
ihe picture, cock the self-iimer before releosing the
shutier. When pressing the shutter releose, the shutter
will open for the previously selected exposure time
ofter o deloy of opproximoiely l0 secs.
The self-timer con be used with oll instontoneous speeds
1/500 - 1 sec. (red section of speed scole) ond olso forflosh shots with the /  conioct setting. lt operotes only
when the shutter is cocked.
To operole self-fimer: cock shuiter  (f ilm tronsport),
move self-timer tensioning lever V in the direction of
the orrow until it stops. Releose shutter os usuol.
Shutter ond self-timer moy be left iensioned even when
comero is not in use  spring strength will not
deteriorote.
fripod Piclvres
Length of the iripod's screw must not exceed the normol                                       Rolleif ix                           use q spcis)r of proper3116' (4.5 mm) -  if necessqry,
thickness. A reducing bushing is ovoiloble for use wiih
English threod (114"). More procticol: Rolleifix for
instont mounting of comero to tripod.
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      il*#'I.ffi +                 r  [i[=l,tlr;]"           ffi
                                                                              speeds                                    a]-Jfi              M-contoct for
                                              nlio;;J ;;;i"*rhsec                                                          Irtrttlffiilt ti I                               tffi.ilI I                 rwr\


The correcl exposure depends on the light output of the flosh ond ihe distonce between flosh
ond subiect. Therefore,  it connot be determined with on exposure meter. Exoct doto regording
choice of proper contoci, exposure time ond diophrogm moy be gothered from the moteriol
furnished by lhe lomp monufocturers.
Adiusring lhe exposure (os per instructiolr rrpplied by the flosh monufocturer): Using peep
window, select shutter speed first, then set diophrogm opening (-* poge 26).
The exposure meter pointers ore disregorded qompletely.
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Diophragm                        Double Exposures At Wiil
    In procticol use, observotion of the diophrogm    For intentionol muliiple or trick exposures the
    is necessory only when shooting without   double exposure prevention mechonism con be
   meosuring the exposure (flosh shots, dim light,   by-possed (possible only with roll-film looded    night exposures).                                                   comero) : move releose ring of bose of cronk
                                             in direction of orrow ond then turn cronk
                                                    one complete bockword revolution until         f          - stop 4   5,6  8       'll   16    22      through oco6666                                                                   it siops. This operoiion cocks the shutier   Higher number diophrogm+ figures indicote                                                            odvoncing the film. After releosing   smoller openings ond increosed depth-of-field   withoui
    (- poge 16), but closirrg down to eoch succeed-   the shutter, repeoted tensioning for multiple
    ing stop cuts the light possing through exoclly    exposures possible. An obsolutely firm tripod
   in holf, requiring double the exposure of the    is o pre-requisife for this kind of work.
   preceding stop.
   The correct diophrogm opening is indicoted
    in the center of ihe peep window. lntermediote
    volues con be used. (f : 3.5 is o mid-point stop
   between f :2.8 ond f  : 4 in the internotionol
   diophrogm scole.)
  To permit the use of the entire diophrogm
   ronge when toking monuolly controlled,$me
   exposures (over 1 sec.), keep the shutter'speed
    scole set to the volue "2" of the green section
   of the scole.

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Normql obiect meqsuremenl
                                                covers the overoge cose: this is on evenfy
                                                       illuminoted subiect, with front lighting or the
                                                       light portiolly  f rom the side, well bolonced
                                                     differences in light ond shqde ond no heovy
                                             shodows. (When shooting color, only front
                                                            lighting will produce the most soturoted colors.)
                                                        Detqil meqsuremenl of the obiect
                                            becomes very helpful in speciol coses: when
                                                      either very light or dork oreos prevoil ond
                                                    there is cr greot illuminotion controst between
                                                         rnoin subiect ond bockground. Exomple: o sun-
                                               tonned foce in front of bright clouds whot
                                                                  is wonted is correct exposure is for the heod,
                                          but os comero position meosurement olso
                                                       includes the sky, on qveroge reqding, resulting
                                                                                              be   Three Ways to Correct Exposure        in under-exposure of the foce, would
   With the  Rolleiflex, even difficult  light    obtoined.
   conditions ore no problem os long os you   For proper meosurement of detoil in such   keep the following in mind  :    ls these o greot controst in      i I I uminotion    coses, move the Rollei towords obiect until   between the moin subiect ond the rest qf the    only the moin port of subiect oppeors in the
    picture oreo ?                                     focusing screen. Set comero to the reoding now
   On the correct onswer to this question, depends   obtoined ond return' to  originol comero
    the choice of the proper meosuring method.  ,,      position.
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