The Rollei 35 is Positioned to be the best 35mm film camera ever
Sep 10, 2024
David Prochnow
Our resident “how-to” project editor, David Prochnow, lives on the Gulf Coast of the United States in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He brings his expertise at making our photography projects accessible to everyone, from a lengthy stint acting as the Contributing How-To Editor with Popular Science magazine. While you don’t have to actually build each of his projects, reading about these adventures will contribute to your continued overall appreciation of do-it-yourself photography. A collection of David’s best Popular Science projects can be found in the book, “The Big Book of Hacks,” Edited by Doug Cantor.
Share:
Who would believe it? In 2024, there are now three brand new 35mm film cameras! YAY! We already have the Alfie Cameras TYCH and Pentax 17 (and you can compare them too), but now the upcoming collaborative lovechild of Mint Camera and Rollei, the Rollei 35AF, is due to arrive in October. While the two former film models are half-frame snappers, the Rollei 35AF is a full-frame 35mm compact camera.
Please, digital camera devotees, don’t try to rain on the newly minted Rollei 35AF parade. It’s almost equivalent to a super high-megapixel point-and-shoot with a couple of great digital camera-like features.
For example, this new diminutive dynamo has a built-in autofocus system using advanced Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology for precision focusing. Oh, and did I say that it has focus lock, too? Now couple that revolutionary focusing system (i.e., for a 35mm film camera) with its automatic exposure system, and you’ll soon see that the Rollei 35AF is unlike any other film camera that you remember from your youth (see Figure 2).
At half the cost of the predictably unavailable FujiFilm X100VI, the Rollei 35AF is also equipped for all of your night moves. A built-in flash system handles all of the calculations needed for yielding perfectly lighted scenes whenever you elect to turn it on.
If you have a need for complete control over your camera, the Rollei 35AF isn’t a one-trick pony. All of the manual controls are fully on deck. You can set both shutter speed and aperture whenever you want to “drive” the camera for yourself. Best of all, however, is the employment of both a manual film advance lever and a manual film rewind knob. This is a very satisfying “touchstone” harkening back to all of those vintage film cameras from the history of photography.
Even though the new Rollei 35AF shares some design cues from its original film camera cousins, there are a couple of differences between now and then. The most significant change is that the old school cameras used a collapsible Carl Zeiss lens, while the new Rollei 35AF uses an extended 35mm f/2.8 Rollei Lens (see Figure 3).
There is one more oddity that clearly separates old from new: the OG Rollei 35 (see Figure 4) featured a bottom-plate-mounted hot shoe. This old style arrangement created some humorous electronic flash attachments that would dwarf the poor little Rollei. As a footnote to this hot shoe placement, KEKS sells a minuscule light meter that is specifically designed for mounting “upside down” on a vintage Rollei 35mm film camera. Nice touch, KEKS.
The new Rollei 35AF comes in two flavors: silver for $799 and a black option which costs $828. Either camera is open for pre-orders now with an expected shipment date in mid-October (see Figure 5).
Enjoy.
David Prochnow
Our resident “how-to” project editor, David Prochnow, lives on the Gulf Coast of the United States in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He brings his expertise at making our photography projects accessible to everyone, from a lengthy stint acting as the Contributing How-To Editor with Popular Science magazine. While you don’t have to actually build each of his projects, reading about these adventures will contribute to your continued overall appreciation of do-it-yourself photography. A collection of David’s best Popular Science projects can be found in the book, “The Big Book of Hacks,” Edited by Doug Cantor.
Join the Discussion
DIYP Comment Policy
Be nice, be on-topic, no personal information or flames.
7 responses to “The Rollei 35 is Positioned to be the best 35mm film camera ever”
this is fan boys insanity…go pay $800 for a point and shoot with slow fixed glass or pay $50 for an F100 that opens your world to decades of Nikon glass or of you need small, a Canon G series…
If that was the only opinion in the world, maybe, but many thousands are happy to spend money on a high end compacts. Look at the prices on the Contax, Nikon and Leica premium compacts.
Best 35mm camera ever??? Dear author obviously has never held my camera LEICA M-3 or other classic cameras or he is completely delusional or both.
Don’t fall for it guys, it’s just Yashica Y35 ver2.0, a HK based company labeled with a well respected traditional camera brand name, yes the brand name only, with bunch of marketing nonscence, the final product is just a cheap, full plastic body with some AliExpress parts inside
While the Yashica Y35 is a black mark, there is no indication that this will be more of the same. Stop spreading rumors please.
My Rollei Prego 90 has autofocus. And that cost a lot less than $800.
If Rollei did a digital version I would buy it Also if Someone did twin lens reflex digital I would buy as will.Been doing photography for over 55 year.I Love the old cameras,but would not go back to film…