Add Filters to the Rollei 35AF

[Please note: See an important update at the end of this article.]

Up until now, accessories for the Rollei 35AF have been curiously nonexistent. For example, owners of this 35mm film camera have been clamoring for the ability to add filters to the lens since the product’s release in late 2024. Well, wait no more, Rollei 35AF owners. Adding filters to your beloved camera is as easy 1-2-3.

After a considerable amount of “trial-and-error” fitting, the ideal filter size for attachment to the front of the Rollei 35AF lens was determined to be Bayonet I. This size enables the filter to sit snuggly on the lens without any overhang which might occlude the light meter. Ironically, bayonet-sized filters earned a favored reputation on Franke & Heidecke Rollei twin lens reflex (TLR) cameras. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that this selected size is keeping these filters “all in the family.”

How to Add a Filter

Finding a “modern” Bayonet I filter can be a challenge. Luckily, Nisha makes a wide assortment of Bayonet I filters. From a clear filter to blue and priced at $14.95 each, it just becomes a matter of matching an appropriate filter to the task at hand. For example, shooting Leica Monopan 50 film with the Rollei 35AF might necessitate the installation of a Bayonet I red filter on the front of the lens. This chore becomes a trivial task with this simple procedure:

1. Choose your Bayonet I filter. In this case, a red filter is being used in conjunction with exposing Leica Monopan 50 film inside the camera.

2. Lay the camera (lens up) on a flat surface. Gently set the filter on top of the lens and center it on the inner raised ring’s ridge.

3. Using tape, attach the outside edge of the filter to the outside edge of the lens.

You are now ready to use your filter-equipped Rollei 35AF. Prior to each exposure, however, you will need to set the camera to manual mode and take a normal meter reading. Use this reading to adjust the shutter speed and/or aperture for adding the required compensation for your selected filter. In other words, the previously selected red filter would require a 2- to 3-stop exposure adjustment to the meter reading prior to exposure, or you can use the Auto Mode (e.g., A+2).

If you find yourself wishing to be more flexible in the use of various filters, a Nisha Bayonet I to 52mm Step-Up Adapter Ring priced at $19.95 can be substituted for the dedicated Bayonet I filter. In this case, the adapter ring would be taped onto the outside edge of lens and threaded 52mm filters could be interchanged on the front of the lens.

There is one drawback to using this adapter ring on the Rollei 35AF, however. It partially blocks the camera’s light meter. Therefore, you will need to use an external handheld meter when attaching filters with this alternative setup.

[Update: As this article was being prepared, Rollei announced the release of a magnetic filter kit for the Rollei 35AF. Priced at $99 the set includes a 40.5mm adapter ring, UV filter, yellow filter, and black mist 1/4 filter. Although Rollei doesn’t confirm nor deny that this filter kit blocks the built-in meter, you might have to still use manual exposure compensation accompanied with a handheld meter.]

Enjoy.

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