rolleiflex automat (1937), carl zeiss jena tessar 3.5/75mm with case, box & manuals a proper piece of camera history right here 🎞️ this is an early rolleiflex automat, made by franke & heidecke in braunschweig, germany, dating to around 1938 (serial 656345 on the nameplate). this is the model that basically invented the classic twin lens reflex format as we know it, the same general type used by war photographers like robert capa.
✨ condition body is clean and tidy for its age, no dents, no cracked leatherette, chrome still bright. focusing screen is clear, no fungus or haze that we can see. interior/film chamber is clean, no rust or corrosion, and the automatic film-sensing rollers (the "automat" mechanism) are present and intact. shutter has been checked and fires accurately across all speeds (1 sec to 1/500, b & t). 📷 the specs taking lens: carl zeiss jena tessar 75mm f/3.5, in a compur-rapid shutter viewing lens: heidoscop-anastigmat f/2.8 (brighter than the taking lens, for easier focusing) format: 120 roll film, 6x6 📦 what's included ✔️ the camera itself ✔️ original leather ever-ready case (embossed rolleiflex) ✔️ original manuals ✔️ original maker's box (well worn, but present and correct, this is genuinely rare to still have)
✔️ matching bayonet lens hood this is a fully working shooter, not just a shelf piece, load it up with 120 film and it'll take you straight back to 1938. a lovely find for a collector or a film photographer after something with real soul.
