Chris's camera pages

This very nice TLR, that I have only recently been given, is fitted with a Schneider Xenar 75mm f/3.5 taking lens and a Synchro-Compur 1 to 1/500 MXV shutter. The viewing lens is a Heidosmat 75mm f/3.2, which gives a nice, bright image on the ground-glass screen.

The Rolleicord line was Franke & Heidecke's lower-priced option to their Rolleiflexes, and they typically found homes with well-heeled amateur photographers. Probably the most immediately obvious difference between the Rolleicords and the flagship Rolleiflex cameras was that the 'flexes had a lever operated film advance that also cocked the shutter automatically, whereas the Rolleicords used a knob to advance the film, and the shutter-cocking was done manually for each exposure.

With this Rolleicord I also was lucky enough to get the original instruction book, the 'Accessories Guide', and some very interesting accessories. One was this plate-back kit, which allows the use of 6x9cm glass plates.