Ordered a Hy6 and Leaf Aptus II 12 today!

[johnnygoesdigital]

Graham,

Enjoy your new gear. Love the website, the models are stunning and make-up is fabulous!

I'm curious about support for the Hy6 here in the states, do you know of any contacts that could provide info? Thanks again for the photographs...and inspiration!

 

[Graham Mitchell]

There is a Leaf elec shutter cable, pretty simple, which goes in the back, and I guess DHW makes a more complex (and expensive) one that goes in the camera. The Leaf one has worked well so far, and no need for the other cable.

If the RC 120 is just a shutter release, then you're right. However, the Rollei 6000 release had both a mirror release and a shutter release, which was a great design. I'm hoping the Hy6 remote is the same. Hard to tell from this image:

 

[Graham Mitchell]

As to the plate... really great design idea - but not sure they optimized on the right plate manuf. No biggie tho.

True, they could have gone with a more universal option. At least the Novoflex seems very solid.

 

[Graham Mitchell]

I'm curious about support for the Hy6 here in the states, do you know of any contacts that could provide info?

Sorry, I don't know much about the US options, but there are some names in this thread you could try: http://photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00XgWk

 

[Geoff]

not to be glib, but US support is probably shipping back to DHW. There are a couple of Rollei 6000 guys in NJ, but I don't think they have worked on Hy6's yet.

If the RC 120 is just a shutter released, then you're right. However, the Rollei 6000 release had both a mirror release and a shutter release, which was a great design. I'm hoping the Hy6 remote is the same. Hard to tell from this image:

+1

 

[Anders_HK]

Try contacting Capture Integration, or else ask DHW direct per tele info on Rolleiflexpages.com.

Ah yah, the remote shutter release and shortness of aeasthetc pleasing built in plate are minor . Compared to other offerings the camera really shines!

On another note the rights to Hy6 are with Leaf per my understanding. With such excellent camera let us hope them and Phase One realize to take it further. Not only that, the lenses seem far better than Mamiya, all Schneider and Zeiss, not only quality but also very fine characters it seems.

 

[Graham Mitchell]

I dealt with Reiner Schönrock last week, who seemed knowledgeable and helpful. You can reach him on +49 531 6800 293

 

[jbaxendell]

Congratulations Graham. You have done great work with the 6008 so I am looking forward to see what inspiration you get from using the Hy6.

 

[David Klepacki]

Not only that, the lenses seem far better than Mamiya, all Schneider and Zeiss, not only quality but also very fine characters it seems.

We love the Hy6 camera and the images from the Rollei lenses. The Rollei lenses are built with high precision and extreme durability. HOWEVER, Rollei did not take into account one thing in their design .... environmental sealing!

We find the Rollei lenses to be the worst environmentally sealed lenses from any manufacturer, and we use them all (Zeiss, Leica, Mamiya/Phase One). For some reason, dust and moisture gets sucked into these Rollei lenses faster and worse than any other lens. If not regularly maintained, the helicoid threads as well as the aperture diaphragm will eventually "stick". We have even had one lens jam so badly that it had to be sent back to Rollei.

So my advice is to regularly maintain your lenses by having them CLA'ed every year. And be VERY cautious about buying used Rollei lenses, as many people do not properly care for them. You can check the accumulation of "gunk" inside these lenses in most cases by simply looking through it from the rear element. Shining a small flashlight from the rear can also help you see if specs of fungus have started to grow inside it.

Graham, Good luck with your new equipment. Other than its need for higher lens maintenance, it is a great system!

 

[Graham Mitchell]

Thanks, David, though I am a bit surprised to hear you had so much trouble with the lenses. Did you buy them used? Do you spend much time in hostile environments? I bought 6 Rollei lenses used and have used them for 3 years so far without issue. I do keep them out of the rain though.

 

[EH21]

Anders - YMVW but my experience shooting with the AFi-12 at slow speeds has been pretty good. I find that I am getting sharp shots handheld at 1/50 pretty easily and even slower like 1/20 on occasion (with wider lenses) all without using the mirror up. I'm really pleased with the Hy6/AFi body. The mirror up button is very convenient on the Hy6 - right by your thumb, but it seems the camera is pretty stable without it and I've not felt I needed it. Just curious - have you compared results with mirror up and without when shooting handheld?

David Klepacki - what's your shooting environment like and are you referring to specifically AFD or older lenses? I've never seen that myself, nor heard that complaint before and I correspond regularly with many rollei shooters. The one issue I have encountered having moved to the AFi from 6000 series is that some older AF lenses will report an error when shooting - even though they work fine with the camera, and need a firmware upgrade.

Regarding the lens firmware - which is reported in the camera grip display - has anyone seen a list of what is current for each lens?

 

[Geoff]

Eric -

lens firmware? Didn't know it existed. Is this for the AF lenses only or also the PQ manual lenses?

As to weather sealing - haven't had a problem with this issue, and I have had some of the lenses for over 15 years. But sometimes the oil and the shutter blades can be an issue - and it is recommended by one service guy to store the lenses face up, and to exercise them every few months.

 

[David Klepacki]

The lenses are not that old. I think the oldest we had was the Rollei 110/2 from 2005. You can see how poorly they are sealed by just looking into the rear element while focusing. The electrical wires are typically exposed and you can practically insert your finger inside the lens barrel.

We have had dust/gunk problems in all the Rollei lenses, but only two of them that actually needed immediate service. Once we acquired the newer AFD lenses, we were much more careful and aware of the environmental issues.

Please do not misunderstand me. The optical quality of these Rollei lenses are superb. They just need much more care. To this day, I would only feel safe with using the Rollei lenses in the studio. You cannot bring them to a desert environment without getting a ton of sand and dust in them. For example, there is no way a Rollei lens would survive a shoot in the red centre of Australia (e.g., Coober Pedy ranches or places in and around King's canyon). The inside of the lenses will be caked with red dust. You will have similar lens issues if shooting north of Beijing in the desert there. And of course, some of the slot canyons in the southwest US can be merciless as well if there is any rock movement to get the sand/dust airborne. I would also not feel comfortable using the Rollei lenses for long periods (days) in high humidity areas for the same reasons.

I think it is a lot like sausage. Maybe you do not want to look to actually see what is inside.

 

[delled]

When my AFi camera firmware was upgraded to 3.10A3 by DHW, they also "upgraded" firmware in two AFD lenses from 1.14A to 1.13B: AFD 2.880 and AFD 2.8/50. 1.91 Firmware in my AFD 2.8/180 was said to be up to date. Both lens and camera upgrades required both hardware and software changes, so everything had to be shipped to DHW.

I've asked both DHW and others the following questions about these upgrades, but haven't succeeded in finding anyone who can answer them:

1 - What is the new "focus Sensor" size selection and how it might be used in practice. It would be helpful to have a diagram showing the effective sensor sizes and locations.

2 - What are the units in "AF Focus Offset" and how are they applied? Can this adjustment be used to touch-up infinity focus for different backs or lenses? How do you recommend that adjustments be made and calibrated?

3 - Does "AF Focus Offset" have effect only with AFD lenses? What about Rollei AF lenses? And do these also need an upgrade? How is focus confirmation (for manual focus lenses) affected? Or focus of AFD, AF, or manual focus lenses in manual focus mode?

4 - What is meaning of the "Status II" display, i.e., each of the following:
• Focus
• Target
• Exp meter
• Back sync mode
• Back in/out

5 - I see that the new upgraded firmware level in my 2.8/50 and 2.8/80 AFD lenses is 1.13B. The firmware was previously at level 1.14A. What gives? I'd also appreciate an explanation and description of the upgrade changes made in each of the lenses.

6 - How will future upgrades be made? Will it be possible to download revised firmware or will it be necessary to return the camera and lenses to you for further upgrades?

7 - My Rollei AF 2.8/80 lens, has firmware version 1.12B. Does it need upgrade, too? And what about my Rollei 6008AF (I don't have Rollei Masterware so I can't read out the firmware level)?

Dave.

 

[baudolino]

In reply to delled's posting, specifically your point 2:

(1) as to the AF offset, one way to do this is (I presume) to have DHW make the measurements for you and tell you what the offsets should be for each of your AF lenses. I had this done by Sinar while I was in Zurich to get my Sinar Hy6 fixed (it had a simple problem with one of the pins in the bayonet, they fixed it while I waited and also upgraded by firmware and printed a little card with offsets for each of my lenses). don't know if DHW would do this for you, but you can ask. My 80 mm lens gets +1, the 50 mm lens gets -7 and the 180 mm telephoto gets -6. I am not sure if there is any difference between AF and AFD lenses as far as this feature is concerned. In any event, the camera does not automatically change the offsets depending on the lens you are using - you have to change the offset manually every time you change the lens. I see no reason why this would not work with the AF lenses; my lenses are AFD though.

(2) you can do this yourself, with the Lens Align Pro. The best way is to tether the camera/MFDB, have it save images to your HD via Captureshop or whatever SW your back uses so that you can compare subsequent images quickly. Start with 0 adjustment and see where the lens is focusing and try the adjustments until you get it right. I haven't noticed any focus shift with the lenses, so if you do this wide open for each lens, you should be good.

I am afraid I don't know the answers to your other questions. I usually use the smallest focusing sensor size and assume that it is the same size as the little circle in the middle of the viewfinder.

 

[EH21]

David Klepacki,
Unless you plan on traveling with your rear lens caps off, I can't see why what you describe could be a problem. Definitely one can see into the rear of the lens - same is true into the mirror box, and also true for every camera that has interchangeable lenses. I've traveled all around with my Rollei... death valley, yosemite, etc ... been caught in the rain, and not had problems, but I'm not foolish enough to open up my camera and change my lenses in a sandstorm, and I'll bet most readers of this forum are not either.

Dave,
Regarding the AF sensor size setting in the options setting of the camera that has three area sizes, I have only used the smallest area which is the default setting, and should experiment with the other settings. I too would like to know how much the area changes by.

The offset setting is used to calibrate the focus confirmation indicators in the display seen through the viewfinder. As it does not change the physical placing of the sensor, lens or focus screen I doubt that this setting can do anything other than change where the camera thinks the sensor is and thus where the focus indicators will show focus. It will affect all lenses not just AFD lenses. You mention infinity focus - this is something I've put a lot of time into - not being able to focus to infinity is either a function of the infinity stop on the lens not being set correctly or the spacing of the sensor/film plane not being set correctly. Contact me privately for more info.

btw - My AF 50/2.8 also shows firmware 1.13B and was purchased new just a few months ago.

Geoff,
That's a good tip on storing the lenses, and from my experience 'exercising' them is a good idea.

Eric

 

[David Klepacki]

Eric,

I take meticulous care of my own equipment, always use the lens caps and of course never change lenses without protection. I am just sharing here my own experiences with lenses that I have used over the last 15+ years. I have used many camera systems over the years, including Contax, Hasselblad V, Rollei 6008, Sinar M, Sinar Hy6, and Mamiya/Phase systems, and have owned quite a few of the Zeiss and Schneider lenses for these systems. All I can tell you is from my experience, the Rollei lenses are the least weather sealed of any of these other lenses, and were found to have the most dust problems. Of course, your mileage may vary.

I am only advocating awareness to those people on this forum who may not be aware of this weakness in the Rollei lens designs, so that they do not find out the hard way.

 

[Anders_HK]

Anders - YMVW but my experience shooting with the AFi-12 at slow speeds has been pretty good. I find that I am getting sharp shots handheld at 1/50 pretty easily and even slower like 1/20 on occasion (with wider lenses) all without using the mirror up. I'm really pleased with the Hy6/AFi body. The mirror up button is very convenient on the Hy6 - right by your thumb, but it seems the camera is pretty stable without it and I've not felt I needed it. Just curious - have you compared results with mirror up and without when shooting handheld?

Most shooting handheld so far, only two times on tripod. However, my impression after just two months of using the Hy6 is in line with yours.

Adding to it, compared to Mamiya 645 it is not only that the grip and balance is better, but I believe the fact of using a waist level finder result in a more stable hold since there is no need to lift camera high to head level and which otherwise makes heavier to hold and thus more difficult to hold steady.

Regards
Anders

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Anders/Graham,

Do either of you hesitate to use the Hy6 in inclement weather such as dust or harsh environments. I ask only because of the fan located in the DB. Thanks.

 

[Uaiomex]

Graham congrats. I wish you give us the eye candy of looking at your new camera through pictures at different angles. How about a little video on Youtube showing how you operate the camera? Pleeeeeeeease
Eduardo