![rolleiflex 2.8 c camera rolleiflex 2.8 c camera](https://assets.community.lomography.com/83/3be718ab9cb4c7ae50622ad0aae29f00bbbf3d/253x256x2.jpg)
With the exception of the modern GX and FX models, Rolleiflexes are very old now. However, it should be noted that buying a Rolleiflex is a big investment that requires a lot upfront. The camera has a signature rendering I have yet to see in other lenses, one that combines clinical sharpness with beautiful individuality. My second reason was the lens – my model has a Schneider Kreuznach Xenotar lens, an alternative to Rolleiflex’s standard, but equally impressive, Planar lens. The Xenotar contains the highly sought-after 10-blade aperture, which renders very rounded out-of-focus highlights, producing incredibly unique bokeh.
#Rolleiflex 2.8 c camera full
The wider aperture also takes full advantage of medium format’s greater depth of field, allowing for greater subject isolation. But with the Rolleiflex’s f/2.8 aperture and motion-less leaf shutter, one can handhold at 1/15 sec relatively easily. With medium-format cameras, handholding at shutter speeds longer than 1/60 sec is almost unheard of. My primary reason was the f/2.8 aperture, as Rolleiflex makes the only TLR’s with such fast lenses. For me, there were two reasons I chose the Rolleiflex 2.8C.
![rolleiflex 2.8 c camera rolleiflex 2.8 c camera](https://1.img-dpreview.com/files/p/E~TC4x3S590x0~articles/7757130511/2AF312D4-BA63-4D33-A992-8C4FA5698307.jpeg)
They are all impressive, and each model has distinct qualities that can cater to any photographer’s needs. There are practically no mediocre TLR’s on the market, whether it be Yashica, Mamiya, Minolta, or Rolleiflex. And TLR’s just have a complexity about them - when you hold one, you can’t help but appreciate the quality of craftsmanship. And since the photographer has to frame by looking downwards rather than straight forward, subjects typically aren’t intimidated or threatened, providing a much more intimate relationship between the photographer and subject. Looking down the massive viewfinder is an experience in its own, providing a 3-D depth and clarity the human eye just doesn’t naturally perceive. The TLR design also utilizes a leaf shutter that is more quiet than even Leica M shutters, can sync flash at any shutter speed, and prevents shutter blackout upon firing. In a camera no bigger than a Canon Rebel, you get the extraordinary depth and resolution of medium format. But in my time with my Rolleiflex, I’ve come to regard TLR’s as the perfect blend of 35mm rangefinders’ stealth and medium format SLRs’ image quality. It’s difficult to explain what makes TLR’s so great.