Rollei Hy6: final design update Options

[oMoses]

There was some blame on color design of new Rollei Hy6 when it was announced couple of months back at Photokina 2006. Here you are few images of this camera in new and, most likely, final appearance:





The same Rollei Hy6 pictures (along with Hy6 initial, concept design & Rollei 6008 AF pictures) might be seen at oMoses Rollei equipment

[david olivier]

looks good...
next step availability and price...

[Kenneth Sky]

I disagee. From a visual inspection it appears "clunky" - a throwback to 50 years ago. The ergonomics - specifically the handle - don't seem to take into consideration the shape of the human hand. It would be nice to see a prism viewfinder as well.

[kendal]

I call it timeless design! "form follows function" in perfection

This post has been edited by kendal: Nov 16 2006, 10:10 AM

[oMoses]

I was fortunate enough to hold Rollei Hy6 and was surprised how well it sits at my hands - the ergonomic (grip including) is almost prefect. Most likely you would be interested in reading this Rolleiflex Hy6 (also Sinar Hy6 & Leaf AFi) - first impressions report by Erik de Goederen from Holland.

The price is not fixed yet but according to my sources at Rollei the camera body will cost under 5000€ (in Germany) including tax; availability - April-May 2007.

By the way, the third picture from the top shows Rollei Hy6 with 4.5x6 film magazine from the 6008 integral line. A new direct driven magazine for Hy6 currently is under construction.

On the accessory side, you can use all the accessories of the 6000 system with Hy6. The exception is the standard magazine 6x6, Polaroid magazine, release cables, NiCad-battery, charger and interchangeable finders. Soon Rollei will make a new 90-degree prism finder, very stylish and modern like this one:

[charles_m]

How will PocketWizard mount onto this camera body? Will it be forced to stick out the side? I fear it accident waiting to happen. It will snap off in middle of job? Made of cheap plastic. Very awkward, to have this design, with side mount. Left hand is focusing, but also hitting PocketWizard too? Is this camera for Tungsten only? Seems like oversight.

This post has been edited by charles_m: Nov 16 2006, 12:01 PM

[Graham Mitchell]

Charles, the 6000 series has always had the flash mount there. I doubt they would have continued this design for so many years and into the new model if people were finding it problematic. I imagine that the left arm would go under or over the PW. You could also get a short extension lead to avoid the problem.

What is made of cheap plastic?

[BJNY]

How will PocketWizard mount onto this camera body? Will it be forced to stick out the side? I fear it accident waiting to happen. It will snap off in middle of job? Made of cheap plastic. Very awkward, to have this design, with side mount. Left hand is focusing, but also hitting PocketWizard too? Is this camera for Tungsten only? Seems like oversight.

I normally double stick tape my PocketWizards horizontally to the prism when using Hasselblad 503cw or Mamiya RZ67II.

[william]

It'll work fine. The hotshoe's in the same position as on the 6008 and I never had any problems with that. If you must have the Pocketwizard/flash in the upright position, there are brackets/adapters that will accommodate that.

How will PocketWizard mount onto this camera body? Will it be forced to stick out the side? I fear it accident waiting to happen. It will snap off in middle of job? Made of cheap plastic. Very awkward, to have this design, with side mount. Left hand is focusing, but also hitting PocketWizard too? Is this camera for Tungsten only? Seems like oversight.

[RicAgu]

You can also buy velcro strips and place it on the prism or on the front of the waist level finder. PW's come with velcro and you just need to buy a small 10ft roll of Velcro to add to other products. I use it on all of my Profoto power packs.

They make different grades of Velcro and you can buy one that would not allow the pocket wizard to fall off at all. You have to tear it off.

We've been making adjustments in photography for years.

The camera to me looks great and I am Super PSYCHED about this system. I'll be one of the first to get this sytem once it is tested and working properly.

[Kenneth Sky]

I stand corrected. After looking at pictures from another angle, two things stand out:
1) the styling is retro - classic much like a Porsche 911
2) the handle was rotated to allow it to be photographed sitting flat on a table but can be repositioned at a more comfortable angle for the wrist when using an eye-level viewfinder
That takes care of the ergonomics. What remains to be seen is how well the digital sensors will handle lenses that were designed for film , especially at the edges.

[Carl Glover]

Kenneth,

The lenses are brilliant!

I use a lot of Rollei glass and the eMotion 22 hasn't shown anything nasty at the edges yet...


Carl

www.alephstudio.co.uk

[BJNY]

lenses that were designed for film

I didn't notice any artifacts or chromatic abberation in the Aptus75 files I captured a couple of months ago when I had to use a 25-30 year old black metal barrel Hasselblad 50mm Zeiss Distagon lens.

This post has been edited by BJNY: Nov 16 2006, 02:21 PM

[eronald]

I didn't notice any artifacts or chromatic abberation in the Aptus75 files I captured a couple of months ago when I had to use a 25-30 year old black metal barrel Hasselblad 50mm Zeiss Distagon lens.

The combined shutter/diaphragm design is a bit strange. One can just hope the apertures are circular enough to ensure decent bokeh.

Edmund

[pss]

the lenses (especially the schneiders) are better then anything else out there...and they are coming out with a whole new line...there is no system with that many available lenses out there...not even close...
the ergonomics are phantastic..anyone who has ever held a 6008 knows....i just had to shoot with a H2 with the 55-110....whoever designed this camera should be forced to hold it vertical for just 2hours straight....total weight with the lens almost 10pounds, horribly distributed, all held by a smallish grip, you don't know what is worse..holding it grip down and breaking you wrist or letting it hang from your wrist grip up and doing some permanent damage that way....add the mirror slap to it....amazing....i used to get sharp shots handholding a 680GX at 1/15th...with the H2, the 1/125th look a little off....
add to that the 15 lock ups during one afternoon of shooting (grip off, grip on...) and the fact that this camera uses non-rechargeable batteries!!!!! are they nuts?


anyway...i hope the world wakes up and sees that the emperor has no clothes at all...
both contax and mamiya have vastly superiour ergonomics and much simpler, more intuitive controls, the 645afdII better af...combined with excellent glass for both at less then 25% of the price....
the rollei will have no problems taking over from the H1/2/3/4/5 if the (non existend) marketing dept doesn't mess it up....
i mean, a completely new camera that still takes all lenses, finder attachments, even some film backs? and still looks to be the best, most versatile and open digital platform? how can it not succeed?
but i guess judging from the success of the H1, the priorities lie elsewhere...

[pss]

The combined shutter/diaphragm design is a bit strange. One can just hope the apertures are circular enough to ensure decent bokeh.

Edmund

how can you even tell from these pics? how do you come up with this stuff?
by the way: a simple solution: why don't you check it out...all the lenses have been available for a while....

This post has been edited by pss: Nov 16 2006, 02:49 PM

[Graham Mitchell]

Here is a sample of Rollei bokeh: http://www.pbase.com/sikario/image/70183437/original.jpg

See this thread: http://oomz.net/mf/viewtopic.php?id=3386

[mkravit]

how can you even tell from these pics? how do you come up with this stuff?
by the way: a simple solution: why don't you check it out...all the lenses have been available for a while....

You are correct, I owned these lenses years ago with my 6008AF.
I am truly amazed at some the stuff that is said here.

[eronald]

how can you even tell from these pics? how do you come up with this stuff?
by the way: a simple solution: why don't you check it out...all the lenses have been available for a while....

Why should I limit myself to these pics for information ? The Rollei documentation is much more interesting, and as I posted the link floating around fm I assumed you'd seen it.

They seem to have some new technology in the carbon-fiber shutter of the new lenses - see bottom of page 2 of the link I posted earlier.

http://s_gravesen.perso.libello.com/HY6%20engl..pdf

I have the impression there are some novelties there. Am I right that flash sync speeds are going up compared with the 600x lenses ?

Edmund

This post has been edited by eronald: Nov 16 2006, 04:30 PM

[oMoses]

Thank you, pss and foto-z - I completely agree with you on Schneider optics and have nothing to add. It is simply The Best (but expensive ) lenses ever.

This post has been edited by oMoses: Nov 16 2006, 04:31 PM