Rolleiflex 6008AF...Rollei's First Autofocus MF Camera.

[ic-racer]

The 6008AF was not out for long before being replaced by the more revolutionary Hy6.

However, for those that like the classic 6000 'form factor' the 6008AF might represent the pinnacle of Rollei's medium format technology.

 

[ic-racer]

I started using a Rolleiflex SLX in the mid 1980s and a knob like this on a camera that is a continuation of the SLX line, was science fiction.

 

[ic-racer]

I have had my 6008AF for a while but only recently started using it in AF mode. This is because AF lenses for the camera turned out to be a little difficult to locate. The AFD lenses for my Hy6 attach to the 6008AF and will autofocus but the shutter does not operate correctly.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Auto Focus would be nice if it were available on my Hasselblad. One of the feature that I do not have available.

 

[ic-racer]

I don't know how to feel about autofocus. Can it be a slippery slope? I already embraced aperture-priority in all my cameras, today it's adding AF, tomorrow - a fully automatic film processor, next thing you know - you're shooting digital and your friends don't want to talk to you anymore!

Actually I think it is more of a presbyopia thing than encephalopathy....

Seriously, it is really nice for waist-level finder use and nice when working with a dim pentaprism.

 

[Pieter12]

Seriously, it is really nice for waist-level finder use and nice when working with a dim pentaprism.

I find the pentaprism easier to work with and much brighter. Pretty much as heavy as the rest of the camera and lens, though.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I find the pentaprism easier to work with and much brighter. Pretty much as heavy as the rest of the camera and lens, though.

The prism on the Hasselblad is brighter, the viewing screen is larger and the left right reversal is gone. Well worth the additional weight.

 

[CJG]

I've had my 6008af for a bit now. I focus manually, shoot wide open a lot and have been experiencing intermittent missed focus shots. When I had a discrepancy between the electronic focus indicator and my eye, I went with my eye. After all I've been successfully focusing manually for over 50 years.

Some testing proved that was a mistake. I'm not sure if I was missing focus do to aging eyes, not having diopters/viewing dialed in, or a bit of each. But at a recent shoot a couple weeks back I leaned heavily on the focus indicator with good results.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I've had my 6008af for a bit now. I focus manually, shoot wide open a lot and have been experiencing intermittent missed focus shots. When I had a discrepancy between the electronic focus indicator and my eye, I went with my eye. After all I've been successfully focusing manually for over 50 years.

Some testing proved that was a mistake. I'm not sure if I was missing focus do to aging eyes, not having diopters/viewing dialed in, or a bit of each. But at a recent shoot a couple weeks back I leaned heavily on the focus indicator with good results.

Have you had a camera repair man make sure the camera and view screen are in alignment.

 

[CJG]

No, but after a lot of testing I've determined it is me. The camera was purchased new from the factory less than a year ago for what that's worth. I doubt it's out of whack, though could be. I have an appt with my eye doc next month and want to see if my eyes have changed and have a discussion with her about diopters and her suggestion for focusing.

 

[Sirius Glass]

No, but after a lot of testing I've determined it is me. The camera was purchased new from the factory less than a year ago for what that's worth. I doubt it's out of whack, though could be. I have an appt with my eye doc next month and want to see if my eyes have changed and have a discussion with her about diopters and her suggestion for focusing.

Your focusing problems say otherwise. You can either play around with the focus for years or get the camera checked out. It is your time and effort, not mine. I do not care one way or the other.

 

[CJG]

i appreciate your input Sirius but my focus errors are not consistent or in a consistent direction indicating an alignment issue.

 

[Sirius Glass]

i appreciate your input Sirius but my focus errors are not consistent or in a consistent direction indicating an alignment issue.

It is hard to analyze a problem from the distance by remote control, but I am working on it.

 

[ic-racer]

I find the pentaprism easier to work with and much brighter. Pretty much as heavy as the rest of the camera and lens, though.

It is the 90 that is a little dimmer and gives a smaller image than the 45, and I have more trouble focusing that one. One thing I like about the 90 is it gets the camera up higher with the wide lenses, otherwise I get too much foreground.

 

[ic-racer]

The AF on my 6008AF matches the microprism focus screen I currently have installed, and that microprism matches the film plane. So I am very happy with focus on that camera. Also, almost no film plane bulge detected (with HP5 in warm weather).

 

[DonW]

I don't know how to feel about autofocus. Can it be a slippery slope? I already embraced aperture-priority in all my cameras, today it's adding AF, tomorrow - a fully automatic film processor, next thing you know - you're shooting digital and your friends don't want to talk to you anymore!

Get new friends! Obviously the old ones are dicks!

 

[GarageBoy]

Is the 6008af precise enough for portrait work?

 

[Pieter12]

Is the 6008af precise enough for portrait work?

There are so many factors to producing a sharp photo. Generally, portrait work its done with a moderate telephoto lens, which would be the 180mm 2.8 AF for the Rollei. An excellent lens, but big and heavy. If you are considering it for portrait work, and shooting wide open, it is more than good enough with moderately fast film. Even better working on a sturdy tripod.

 

[GarageBoy]

Thanks - you would have to focus recompose, right? MF DOF is kinda thin. Just thinking out loud if the af was actually practical for head shot portraits, or if I'd be better off manual focusing

 

[Pieter12]

The AF on the 6008AF is not as good as the Hy6 Mod2. I would think manual focus might be better for portraits with a longer lens.

 

[ic-racer]

The AF lens I got for the camera is an 80mm/2.8 Xenotar AF PQS. So it has shutter speeds up to 1/1000 and has an aperture ring (unlike the 80mm AFD lens)

 

[ic-racer]

The lens looks like lenses that would fit the older SLX and 6006 but there is a warning on the lens not to use it on those older cameras.

It does, however, work fine on the newer Hy6.

 

[ic-racer]

The form of the 6008AF is very similar to the other 6008 models. The main differentiating control is the AF knob on the right side.

 

[ic-racer]

Comparison of three 80mm lenses. I also had the older SLX 80mm lens but sold it with the SLX quite a few years ago.

Right to Left:

80mm f2.8 Xenotar AF PQS (6008, 6008AF, Hy6)
80mm f2.8 Planar PQ (SLX, 6006, 6008, 6008AF, Hy6)
80mm f2.8 Xenotar AFD PQS (no aperture ring for Hy6 only).

Not shown is the current 80mm lens for the Rollei system; the 80mm f2.8 Apogon AFD. It is nearly identical to the Xenotar AFD.