Rollei Unleashes new 35mm Rangefinder?

[Red Dawn]

There isn't an official confirmation on the Rollei USA website as such, but this website has pictures of the new Rollei 35mm Rangefinder camera, designed no doubt to play in the same space as Leica and Voigtlander / Cosina.

On first glance, it looks like they have rebadged Voigtlander / Cosina's Bessa R2. Right down to the accessories shown on the page (eg the viewfinder) they are distinctly Bessa accessories with a new name.

Interestingly, the lenses to be released (40mm and 80mm f2.8) have names like Planar and Sonnar marked over them, but are marked as made by Rollei. Now the question is, are these genuine Carl Zeiss optics or rebadged Cosina / Voigtlander lenses, or lenses made by Rollei with the trademarks licensed from Carl Zeiss?

 

[YSLee]

.... it looks like a Bessa R2...

 

[ckiang]

Now our friend here is switching to Rollei systems...... :devil:

Get the 6008AF!!

Regards
CK

 

[beachbum]

can't believe Rollei is doing this..... what happened to their integrity and ingenuity? but i guess in these time of commercial partnership, money talks....

 

[ed9119]

in the niche market of 35mm rangefinder cameras in current production, if you look at what's avaliable, its a Sahara Desert with literally a handful of offerings
unlike huge amounts of product offerings in the P&S and SLR markets

1. Leica M6/M7
2. Contax G2
3. Konica Hexar
4. Voightlander Bessa R2
5. ........?????

the demographics are very different and focused as well

 

[Red Dawn]

Hi

someone who can read Jap just confirmed that it is an M mount camera (which makes it almost certainly a Bessa R2 copy ) that can take Leica M mount lenses (hopefully with none of the incompatibility problems associated with the Hexar RF).

it's supposed to cost 193,000 yen (how much is that in SGD) and comes with the 40mm f2.8 lens.

YS: yes, sure looks like the Bessa R2 with new clothes

ck: i tot u wanted the 6008AF? :devil:

beachbum: i think the lenses have "made in germany" on them, so if that's the case, then maybe Rollei is not as lazy as we thought they are by simply just rebadging Cosina / Voigtlander stuff.

 

[Jason Ho]

Originally posted by Red Dawn
....it's supposed to cost 193,000 yen (how much is that in SGD) and comes with the 40mm f2.8 lens....

Around S$2800+

 

[Ozz]

What's happened to Rollei?? What a shame!!

 

[ed9119]

why is it a shame?

 

[Ozz]

Rollei can do much much better than that. IMO.
(Give me a Rollei 35S any day, IF only it has a RF)

 

[djork]

Originally posted by Ozz
Rollei can do much much better than that. IMO.
(Give me a Rollei 35S any day, IF only it has a RF)

is it the tiny camera you're referring to? i'm trying to get my hands on one..

 

[Ozz]

Yes. It is one tiny & beautiful camera with great performance, IF only you know how to control everything manually. Both Sonnar and Tessar lens are superb. I have compared images made with these tiny lenses with that of summicron/Leica lens, they are as good if not better.