Rolleimatic
Rollei Matic was the name of a Rollei - finder camera for miniature film . With a new operating concept and design, it should appeal to a wide range of buyers. The Rolleimatic was the last camera redesign from Rollei to go into production before the bankruptcy in 1981.
planning
Planning began in 1977. Instamatic system cameras were popular because of their ease of use, but the film cassettes were relatively expensive. They also did not meet all quality requirements, e.g. B. in the flatness of the film. Heinz Waaske was commissioned with the construction. He was reluctant to change his design of the Rollei 35 , instead he envisaged a completely new design. More than ten years had passed since the Rollei 35 was designed. Plastics and electronics created new possibilities that Waaske wanted to use consistently for the new camera.
construction
The central element of the construction is the “multifunctional swing arm”. When closed, it serves as protection for the lens and viewfinder. With the swing arm, the lens (Rolleinar 38mm f / 2.8) is also extended and retracted and the film is transported.
- To open, the rocker is pushed to the side until it protrudes about a centimeter to the right
- With a tilting movement of the rocker, the lens is extended and the camera is ready to take a picture
- After the release, the film is transported and the shutter opened with two actuations of the rocker. The lens does not move.
- The swing arm is folded out to retract the lens. Then the button on the front is pressed and the rocker is moved back while the button is pressed.
- To close the swing arm is pushed in front of the lens
The description is complicated to read, but it is easy to use.
The exposure is controlled electronically. The camera has a program automatic, manual exposure control is not provided. For the use of a flash unit, however, an aperture can be preselected, the shutter speed is then 1 / 30s. The film speed is set manually, from 100 to 400 ASA.
The distance must be estimated. Symbols for setting the distance are affixed to the top of the lens and scales in meters and feet are affixed to the bottom.
production
A pilot series of fifty pieces was launched in Braunschweig . Series production began in Singapore in June 1980 without extensive testing of the camera, as was otherwise the case. The redesign of the camera meant a large number of new elements, so that the details had to be revised again and again, as was normally done in the test phase. On the other hand, there was considerable deadline pressure to bring the new camera onto the market as quickly as possible. In Singapore, the shutter drive was changed shortly after the start of series production.
Rollei's bankruptcy ended the production of the Rolleimatic in September 1981. Heinz Waaske had left Rollei at his own request in 1978 to work as a freelance designer. 30,000 pieces are said to have been produced. Former employees, however, assume an even lower number.
distribution
The Rolleimatic received great praise in the trade press. The concept of simple operation together with the new design worked. Even critical specialist journalists were impressed by this high-quality and easy-to-use camera.
A sales catastrophe occurred at an event for specialist dealers from the Braunschweig area. Not a single Rolleimatic worked satisfactorily. What was intended to save the good reputation of the Rollei company turned into the opposite. After similar problems with the SL35E and the A110 , Rollei should have been warned, but preferred to push for a quick market launch.
The Rolleimatic would have had the potential to be a bestseller if it had worked reliably. The time pressure that management had built up did not allow the usual testing. An underdeveloped product was prematurely brought onto the market, which contributed to Rollei's bankruptcy. So this camera was forgotten.
In retrospect, the basic idea of an easy-to-use 35mm camera was confirmed. In the course of the 1980s, automatic 35mm cameras completely replaced Instamatic and pocket film . Heinz Waaske himself used a Rolleimatic privately in 1994 .
literature
- Jörg Eikmann, Ulrich Vogt : cameras for millions . Heinz Waaske, designer. 1st edition. Wittig Fachbuch-Verlag, 1997, ISBN 978-3-930359-56-1 .
- Udo Afalter: From Heidoscope to Rolleiflex 6008 . Lindemanns, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-928126-51-2 (comprehensive work with a chronicle of Rollei products, e.g. Heidoscop, Rolleiflex SL 66, Rolleiflex 6008, Rolleiflex SL 35, Rolleiflex SL 26, Rolleiflex 2000 F / 3003, Rollei A110, viewfinder cameras, super-8 cameras, projectors, flash units, studio flash systems, films, slide frames, enlargers, special constructions, metrics, binoculars, tripods, lenses, accessories and Voigtländer products from 1972 to 1982).