Yashica D & Rolleicord

[John Parry]

A work colleague of mine is clearing his loft. He used to be something of a magpie, and is coming up with all sorts of old stuff. In addition to the Montanus I mentioned in another thread, I am now the owner of a Yashica D, and a Rolleicord. The Yashica seems to be a good workhorse (missing a cold shoe flash bracket), but everything else seems fine.

The Rolleicord seems in good condition, but it appears that I've bought something and I don't know what it is! Across the nameplate is:

Rolleicord

DRP

655767

DRGM

The sites I have looked at give lists of serial numbers, but none of them begins with 655. Does anybody know what they mean?

Regards - John

[PeterW]

Hi John,

I've got what I think is an almost identical Rolleicord to yours with the serial number 643824. I've established that it's a Rolleicord IIb (aka Model 3 by some Rollei collectors). The model was in production from February 1938 to January 1939, and 16,000 of them were made with serial numbers between 613000 and 859000. What happened to the missing 230,000 numbers between these figures I have no idea.

In 1939 it was modified slightly, and became the IId, then IIe and IIf (Models 4, 5 and 6). Don't think there was ever a IIc unless it was a prototype or pre-production model never released. The easiest thing to spot on the d, e and f models is a bayonet fitting for lens hoods or filters on BOTH lenses, the IIb had a bayonet only on the taking lens. The d, e and f also had a 1-1/500 Compur Rapid in place of a 1-1/300 Compur.

I think they all had Zeiss Triotar lenses. The Triotar on mine has a serial number 2190191 that dates it as 1937, and that's about right if Rollei bought the lenses for production in the year before the launch.

My info comes from the Global Rollei Club in Beverly Hills. They've got a great website at
www.rolleiclub.com

Hope this helps sort out which one you've got

Peter

[PeterW]

John,

I've just found out that some of the missing numbers in that 1938-1939 batch were allocated to Rollleiflexes. I think it was a quite arbitrary allocation between 'Cords and 'Flexes as they came off the line, a case of 'here's the numbers, take the next one'.

Peter

[John Parry]

Thanks for that Peter,

Must have missed that site. Have had a look now, and I think it's a 1A Model 3 (using the convention used on the site).

Neither lens has a bayonet, the number is on the Rolleicord plate, and there is no logo on the viewfinder cover. Will have a closer look at the lenses tonight. The taking lens is a CZJ Triotar, but I didn't notice the aperture. It would be nice if it was a 3.5 instead of a 4.5!!!!

In the 'B' position, the Compur shutter opens as you push the release lever to the right (looking into the lens), and closes as you release it - a rather loose movement. You can't cock it in that position. Does that seem right? Also, no sign of life from the timer - how are you supposed to set it? (I'm assuming that yours has the same shutter).

Many thanks - John

[PeterW]

Hi John,

If yours is a 1a it should have the normal type of rim-set Compur. Mine's got the different shutter arrangement with both lenses and the shutter inside a black figure of eight housing. Both the aperture and speed are set by levers, and you view the speed and aperture settings in little windows on the 'shoulder' of the bottom part of the eight, not so convenient IMHO.

On the Rollei Compur shutter (I think it's type C00), cocking and releasing is by the same lever at the bottom. Looking at the front of the camera you move it to the left to cock and the right to release.

You can't cock any Compur on B or T because you don't bring the mainspring or the delay train into action, they cock only on the other speeds. The lever on both my 'Cord and 'Flex feels a bit sloppy on B and T. If you dismantle a Compur and take the speed setting plate off, the shutter works as if it's on B setting.

I haven't got a self-timer (or delayed action whichever you like to call it), and I didn't think the 1a Model 3 had either. Don't hope too hard for an f/3.5 Triotar, I think all the Rolleicord 1 models, except one, had f/4.5 lenses. The odd one out was the 1934-36 Rolleicord 1 which had an f/3.8.

Enjoy your Rolleicord. You should get some fine pictures with it. I don't use any of my TLRs as much as I should because it takes me half a film to get used to the reversed 'left-to-right' view on the screen.

Peter

[John Parry]

Have checked it out now - Yes, you're right Peter, it's a 4.5 (3.5 would have made it a 'Police' model according to that Beverly Hills site, and therefore a limited edition).

Everything was as you described on the shutter. The confusion arose because I assumed that 'T' stood for timer. Don't know what it does stand for, but it acts as a 'latch' - push the release once and release it and the lens opens. Push it again and it closes. On 'B' it stays open only as long as you push the release.

So that's sorted - excuse my ignorance!

Regards - John

[PeterW]

John,

Alles ist in ordnung. T stands for Time (exposure). On shutters for the German market you sometines find it marked Z for Zeit.

Peter