After I purchased my first digital camera, a Canon EOS 350D, I told my friends that my next camera won’t be a digital. I know it’s not a popular decision – most people seem to upgrade their 350D to 400D, 40D or even 5D – but I also didn’t realize at that time that it will happen sooner than I expected.
I have always on the look out for the right camera. Not too expensive but one I believe will help me produce a good – if not great – results. I was considering a Canon AE-1 and a Nikon FM3. I’m glad I didn’t take them because a couple of days ago Budi offered me not one but two Rolleis.
The first one is his Rollei 35S. A sweet little camera with a fixed but awesome Carl Zeiss 40mm/2.8 Sonnar lens, made in Singapore to decrease the pricing tag. I believe it’s one of the smallest 35mm cameras. And it will make you learn again to use it. I believe the analogy from one of the reviewer was perfect.
“Imagine you get behind the wheel of a new car, and suddenly discover that the pedals have been changed around. The accelerator is now on the left, the clutch is in the middle, and the brake on the right! You hunt around for the gear lever, only to find it behind your seat in a position that you can reach if you don’t mind dislocating your shoulder! Happy? I doubt it! Carefully, very carefully, talking yourself through every action like a pilot on his first solo, you manage to drive it out onto the road. After a couple of miles, you realize that in spite of all the quirks, you’ve bought a very high performance car with superb handling, even if it means learning to drive again!
Welcome to the world of the Rollei 35! Introduced in time for Photokina in 1966, I can’t help thinking that the designers must have either been collectively insane, or just too brilliant for us mere mortals to understand. Probably the latter. Well, a pull-out lens wasn’t new – Leica thought of that trick decades before. A left-hand film winder wasn’t exactly a novelty, either, the ill-fated Alpa SLRs and various Exacta-Ihagee models had this, too. But shutter and aperture controls on the FRONT! Flash shoe on the BOTTOM!! Insanity! Or maybe just a successful attempt to blow away some paradigms, to nail the “We’ve-Always-Done-It-Like-That” brigade firmly into their coffins and teach them a lesson in precision engineering at the same time? Read on!
The other Rollei was a Rolleiflex SL35 SLR. Carl Zeiss 50mm/1.4 Planar. Made in Germany. Excellent condition. And even though this camera was his friend’s which is actually also my friend (yes, the world is that complicated and small) Budi promised to give me a roll of Kodak Tri-X 400 as a bonus.
Surely an irresistable offer. Both were in a reasonable price. Both were in good condition. Each has its own uniqueness. But I need to choose one for now.
And so I choose the Rolleiflex SL35.
I know most people today start straight from digital and upgrade it when possible to the latest and better gear available. Some start from film/analog, converted to digital and never come back. Welcome to the world of gadget. Some stay in the film/analog world. And I believe I am among the one who start in digital and later converted to analog.
Just a trend? I hope not. Just want to be different? Certainly not.
I’m happy with my choice. And for now I will just be a man with two cameras on the street. Results will come out soon.