Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Are Rollei Planars a bargain?
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:35 pm    Post subject: Are Rollei Planars a bargain? Reply with quote
I notice the Rollei HTF 50mm and 80mm Planar lenses seem to be cheap, despite being produced under licence from Zeiss with a coating said to equal the T*. Is this an opportunity to pick up something that is being seriously undervalued? Will the Rollei - EOS adapters work with these? I don't know anything about the Rollei mounts.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I don't have the any Rollei 50mm but the 85 Planar is excellent.
It does have a 3 bladed aperture. Care must be taken with OOF Highlights when stopping down.
There are two Varriants of Barrel style. Both are German made and and excellent.

As to adapters. Spend money for a Kindai. Rollei QBM mount leaves very little thickness for the adapter.
Cheaper made ones may have trouble with infinity.
I don't think that the 85Planar will cost less than a Contax 85 Planar.

Here is a thread with pics of the 85 and it's strange aperture.

http://forum.mflenses.com/something-a-bit-planar-t7742.html

Search the site also for some samples I put up showing unique Textured Triangle Bokeh.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Are Rollei Planars a bargain? Reply with quote
PaulC wrote:
I notice the Rollei HTF 50mm and 80mm Planar lenses seem to be cheap, despite being produced under licence from Zeiss with a coating said to equal the T*. Is this an opportunity to pick up something that is being seriously undervalued? Will the Rollei - EOS adapters work with these? I don't know anything about the Rollei mounts.

I've both have Planar 50/1.8 and 1.4 but also sadly they both have mirror issues with 5D. 50/1.8 on 5D:
http://forum.mflenses.com/samples-from-5d-and-rollei-planar-50-1-8-hft-rollei-qbm-t10983.html


PostPosted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I might trim my 5D mirror, now it's old and I've got a mark II to replace it. As well as the 50mm I was wondering about the 80mm (the medium format lens, not the 85mm which I think was for a 35mm rollei). It is a handy length and might make a great 5D portrait lens. It looks as if it is selling at well below $100, just as the 50mm is, which just seems crazy for a Planar.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:56 am    Post subject: Rollei value Reply with quote
If you search the site there was a recent thread on how to adjust the infiniti focus if you are having trouble clearing the mirror. Involved accessing screws under the front element. So assuming it clears your mirror it is a good value.

I have a rollei hft 25mm distagon that if you believe what you google on the internet is actually the zeiss distagon with t coating. Supposedly some of the lens made in w. germany were made in zeiss factories rather than in rollei factories under liscense. FWIW googling results also speculate that the rollei planars made in singapore are inferior to the ones from germany. Even if you get HFT coating again googling claims that is close to t coating in quality. Got the lens for 250 dollars much less than a zeiss 25mm distagon. Says made in w germany, looks identical to zeiss distagon and feels of better quality than my made in singapore 50mm planar.

Remember, do your own due deligence, don't trust everything you read on the internet or my middle aged memory of what I read. Hope this helps anyway. Good luck.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:33 am    Post subject: Re: Are Rollei Planars a bargain? Reply with quote
PaulC wrote:
I notice the Rollei HTF 50mm and 80mm Planar lenses seem to be cheap, despite being produced under licence from Zeiss with a coating said to equal the T*. Is this an opportunity to pick up something that is being seriously undervalued? Will the Rollei - EOS adapters work with these? I don't know anything about the Rollei mounts.


Laughing Laughing
What do you mean with cheap ?


PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 7:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think the Rolleo Planar 1.8/50 is one of the last real bargains you can find regularly.
It's an excellent (and beautiful) lens and can often be found for less then €50,-.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
As a long time Rollei user, albeit I sold off all my 35mm Rollei gear I am intersted to know if there is an adapter to use these lenses on a 4/3 mount? Links would be gratefully received.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Rollei value Reply with quote
spb37 wrote:
If you search the site there was a recent thread on how to adjust the infiniti focus if you are having trouble clearing the mirror. Involved accessing screws under the front element. So assuming it clears your mirror it is a good value.

I have a rollei hft 25mm distagon that if you believe what you google on the internet is actually the zeiss distagon with t coating. Supposedly some of the lens made in w. germany were made in zeiss factories rather than in rollei factories under liscense. FWIW googling results also speculate that the rollei planars made in singapore are inferior to the ones from germany. Even if you get HFT coating again googling claims that is close to t coating in quality. Got the lens for 250 dollars much less than a zeiss 25mm distagon. Says made in w germany, looks identical to zeiss distagon and feels of better quality than my made in singapore 50mm planar.

Remember, do your own due deligence, don't trust everything you read on the internet or my middle aged memory of what I read. Hope this helps anyway. Good luck.


In the especialized magazines, the writter said that the QC of singapure didn't equal to the germany ones.

On this way, the Rollei 35 with the sonnar 40 mm made in singapur weren't so looked for as germany ones.

I don't know if it was true.

I had a relleoflex SL 35 (germany) and SL 35 E (singapur). The automatism of the SL 35 E didn't job well.

The lenses were more solid in germany ones, but all the lenses (the japanese mamiya's rolleinars, the germanies and singapur zeiss and the germanies schneiders) that I had were first class

If I don't remember in the wrong way the rollei's zeiss were a bit warmer than the C/Y Zeiss.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
My 50/1.8 is Singapore version but it performs really great. If you want I can barrow my friends German version and make a quick comparision.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Page 1 of 1