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