Men gathering

Leica M6 TTL

Mel and Keith came to Hkg for holidays. Originally, I thought the Rolleiflex is a good camera for Keith but instead he prefers the Leica M6 TTL  35mm camera. As a result, I have decided to swap. This is Keith`s Leica M6 TTL with 50mm lens. Best wishes in his transformation from digital to film. Hope he is happy with his Christmas gift!

Hwa Zhong vs Rolleiflex

Hwa Zhong TLR camera

After some cleaning, glad that the lenses are in good condition

Hua Zhong Twin lens camera

The Hua Zhong is a Chinese TLR camera that is similar to the Seagull 4B and was made in Central China from the 60's to the 80's. 

It shoots 120 film in either 6x6 or 6x4.5 format with a removable mask. Film advance is simple knob and red window with windows for both formats. The taking lens and the viewing lens are both marked Hua Zhong 1:3.5 75mm SFJ-3. The shutter is labeled chinese script and has a speed range 1 - 1/300 and B.

The aperture range is f/3.5 to f/32. The shutter is cocked manually using the lever on the right front. The finder screen is plain without any special focusing aids but has central cross line composition lines and 6x4.5 framing lines. It has a built-in action finder and a critical focusing magnifier.

Pearl River TLR Twin Lens Reflex Collectible Medium Format Cameras

Pearl River TLR Twin Lens Reflex Collectible Medium Format Cameras

Hong Kong Vintage Camera shop

This is a famous Hong Kong Vintage camera shop in Tsim Sha Tsui. The shop is like a museum where you can find hundreds of vintage cameras.The owner is very helpful and knowledgeable. Price sis not the cheapest but you can get genuine vintage camera for sure. happy hunting!

Wan Chai Hong Kong

Kowloon Sam Sui Po

This is a Vintage watch shop at Sam Sui Po

Good old days

During the early days, these twin lens cameras were mainly used by professionals...

Twin lens Twin cameras White face versus Regular

Rolleiflex 2.8f white face and Regular edition

The Rolleiflex "whiteface" is distinguished by a white finished surround on the viewing and taking lenses and the fact that the serial numbers are not engraved onto the upper face plate but are part of the graphics in the surround. There are no engraving lines at all and the typeface for the markings--including the serial number--is 6 pt to 8 pt in a light sans serif typeface for the White face version.

The regular edition has two black engraved lines, each 1 mm wide, at the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions on either side of the taking lens and these 1 mm lines are bordered by .25 mm lines to the inside and outside of the surround ring. The Franke & Heidecke name at the bottom of the taking lens is in boldface type about 12 pt in size(3 mm high.

Rolleiflex Whiteface cameras came in both sizes, 2.8 and 3.5, both lenses, Schneider and Zeiss, The zeiss by the time the White face came out was the six element version. The changeover began in 1971 and the first run lasted until 1976, making these the newest and probably the best condition these days and therefore most expensive..

Given that the first and last models were Schneider Xenotar fitted, some were special ordered with Planar Zeiss lens. A second and last run began and ended in 1979. 

The 2.8 began life as the 2.8 type four with serializatons in the range, 2799xxx - 2959xxx and ended production sometime prior to 1980., the model immediately succeeding the whiteface was the 2.8 Aurum edition of 1982.

The white face camera was the last of the regular production run of both the 3.5 camera and the last except the special editions of the 2.8 camera. Not all white faces are from the concurrent build dates of the nameplate. Unsold stocks of the previous model, the model four were fitted with whiteface nameplates then in production or in stock at the last gasp of the continuous production of tlrs by rollei which had begun in 1929. 

The first run of white face 3.5's sport serial numbers beginning somewhere around 2840xxx, and end with serials around 2857149. The second run in 79 began with 3555000 up to 355999. There was a 12/.24 option on both sizes. The nameplate read, rollei-werke franke and Heidecke 3.5 F 2xxxxxx, it was wider and lighter in color than the previous nameplate, kind of a flat silvery look rather than white.

The introduction of the white face marked the so called type five, of the 3.5 model, and type four late, of the 2.8. 

The TLRs were very hard to sell in the mid seventies, and stocks languished, special orders were filled up through 1980 from existing stock. So, your white face may have a body and lens made for a type four run camera with the expected white face nameplate attached in the years between 1971 and 1980.

Source: Information from forum

Rolleiflex F/2.8 White Face 120 Film Camera

Rolleiflex F/2.8 White Face 120 Film Camera
Made in : Germany
Type : TLR (Twin-Lens Reflex) Camera
Film format : 120/220 film
Shutter Speeds : 1 – 1/500 sec
Aperture : f/2.8 – f/22
Remark : This version comes with the Carl Zeiss Planar lens. Built-in exposure meter.

https://www.rolleigraphy.org/sn80.php

Rolleiflex 2.8f white face Zeiss

This is a nice rare Rolleiflex 2.8f white face, which I have found after much searching. I am waiting to go photo shooting with Keith this coming December in HKG, each arm with one vintage Rolleiflex 2.8f camera.