Rolleiflex Hy6...One of the last medium format cameras in production

ic-racer · Sep 18, 2020

I processed my first films shot with the Hy6. I did find it difficult to determine which rolls came from the 6008i or the Hy6. I do know that my 2.8F makes hashmarks from the roller wheel, so those films are easy to spot. My guess is the Hy6 frames are the ones with close and very even spacing.

I was using my Nikon SB-28 flash. But it needs to run in NON-TTL mode and it hangs sideways. So, I'm not sure how wide the coverage is, I set the "ZOOM" wider than it needs to be to cover my 40mm and 50mm lenses. Looking forward to a Metz that sits upright.

I do have a complete set of attachments for the Rollei E36RE flash system and two working flashes (powered with LiPo batteries) however those flashes only cover 35mm lens in 35mm equivalent. So will only cover the 80mm lens of my MF cameras.

Pieter12 · Sep 18, 2020

Although I never quite figured how to use it, the 6008integral combined with the Master Control Unit could meter flash in the camera. I think it measured the light reflecting off the film surface. However I do not see that feature in the manual for the Hy6.

AgX · Sep 18, 2020

Enigmatic statement to me.
How could that unit "control" non-dedicated flashes? It then would need access to the thyristor of the flash, moreover the classic studio flashes even got no thyristor switch.

Pieter12 · Sep 18, 2020

AgX said:
Enigmatic statement to me.
How could that unit "control" non-dedicated flashes? It then would need access to the thyristor of the flash, moreover the classic studio flashes even got no thyristor switch.

It is poorly written. The manual for the Master Control more clearly states that is allows the camera's built-in meter to meter the flash. A frame of film is wasted to do this. One can use a second back loaded with the same film and set not to advance and just use that for metering in order not to waste too much film.

ic-racer · Sep 18, 2020

They did have this older flash meter for metering TTL off these 'film backs' with patterns on them. It is a null-meter; one would adjust aperture or flash duration to null the meter (after setting the ISO on the meter).

AgX · Sep 18, 2020

Alternatively one could make a metering back oneself, for the Gossen Profiselect TTL, even with a ground glass for positioning the probe.

Pieter12 · Sep 18, 2020

ic-racer said:
They did have this older flash meter for metering TTL off these 'film backs' with patterns on them. It is a null-meter; one would adjust aperture or flash duration to null the meter (after setting the ISO on the meter).

View attachment 255293 View attachment 255294

That meter only works with the 6008 Professional, I think. I have one of those & the meter...do you have a manual for the meter?

Sal Santamaura · Sep 19, 2020

ic-racer said:
I have wanted one a Hy6 ever since I first heard of it. I was kind of waiting for my Rolleiflex 6008i to break down or wear out but that never happened. With COVID I was concerned DW Photo (current manufacturer of Hy6) would go under. So, when I found out that new 2020 cameras were available I snatched one up...

This prompted me to find the DW Photo Hy6 pages and a photo of the film back insert. It's not clear whether the reverse-curl roller spacing is such that resulting film bulges (toward the lens) end up in image areas or between frames. If you are willing to sacrifice a roll of junk film, using a sharpie to outline the gate after advancing one frame at a time and waiting a few minutes for the acetate base to "take a set" / bulge, then spreading out the roll and noting where bulges exist, I'd be most appreciative.

Pieter12 · Sep 19, 2020

Sal Santamaura said:
This prompted me to find the DW Photo Hy6 pages and a photo of the film back insert. It's not clear whether the reverse-curl roller spacing is such that resulting film bulges (toward the lens) end up in image areas or between frames. If you are willing to sacrifice a roll of junk film, using a sharpie to outline the gate after advancing one frame at a time and waiting a few minutes for the acetate base to "take a set" / bulge, then spreading out the roll and noting where bulges exist, I'd be most appreciative.

I for one am unwilling to take a sharpie to the inside of my camera. I am also unclear how the film would bulge due to its path...it seems to be held pretty taut by the insert and magazine. The film loads like a Hasselblad magazine insert. Is this an issue with those? I have now run a few dozen rolls through the camera and despite other unrelated problems, I have not notice anything I would attribute to the film bulging in the camera.

ic-racer · Sep 19, 2020

Sal Santamaura said:
This prompted me to find the DW Photo Hy6 pages and a photo of the film back insert. It's not clear whether the reverse-curl roller spacing is such that resulting film bulges (toward the lens) end up in image areas or between frames. If you are willing to sacrifice a roll of junk film, using a sharpie to outline the gate after advancing one frame at a time and waiting a few minutes for the acetate base to "take a set" / bulge, then spreading out the roll and noting where bulges exist, I'd be most appreciative.

I can say from the wide-open images from my last rolls, I don't detect any bulge (focus behind the subject) with either the 6008i or Hy6.

I get this bulge pretty bad with my Horseman 6x9 backs with certain films and my old SLX did this also.

JeroenBouman · Sep 20, 2020

There's a 110mm for sale on eBay now, 'only' € 5000 or US$ 6000.
https://www.ebay.nl/itm/Rollei-Zeis...300855?hash=item3d664c9877:g:ljwAAOSwVK9bCBCU

k.hendrik · Sep 20, 2020

ic-racer said:
Even back when I got my SLX in 1986, I already had the mechanical 2.8F so I had to make a choice SL66 or SLX. If for some reason they still made the SL66E today along with the Hy6, I think I might have gone with the SL66E. One of the principles I was exercising is that of obtaining a NEW camera with a warranty.

This one is now for sale and in really mint condition but not NEW and no warranty
https://www.ebay.nl/itm/164376330351?ViewItem=&item=164376330351

ic-racer · Sep 20, 2020

Beautiful camera. In my opinion that is one of the best looking 6x6 SLRs ever made.

Sal Santamaura · Sep 20, 2020

Pieter12 said:
I for one am unwilling to take a sharpie to the inside of my camera...

The sharpie marks on the film. If any stray ink accidentally gets on the film back, it's readily removable using isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab.

Pieter12 said:
...I am also unclear how the film would bulge due to its path...it seems to be held pretty taut by the insert and magazine. The film loads like a Hasselblad magazine insert. Is this an issue with those?...

Yes, it is. I don't want to relitigate this subject, since those who religiously believe the issue doesn't exist will only become upset and cast aspersions at me. If you'd like to see how they reacted two decades ago, look at this thread:

https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/how-to-reach-max-film-flatness.9969/

ic-racer said:
I can say from the wide-open images from my last rolls, I don't detect any bulge (focus behind the subject) with either the 6008i or Hy6...

If memory serves, at least some 6008 film backs were reportedly designed to ensure reverse-curl bulges fell between frames. I asked if you'd perform an experiment to establish whether the same is true for a Hy6 back. Geometry is what determines the existence or absence of this issue.

ic-racer said:
...I get this bulge pretty bad with my Horseman 6x9 backs with certain films and my old SLX did this also.

Thanks for that observation. With an 80mm lens on the Hy6, you're not wide enough for bulge artifacts to be blatantly obvious, especially if shooting close up and stopped down at all from f/2.8. The shorter the focal length and wider the aperture, the more out-of-focus "strips" manifest from bulging 120 acetate base.

GG12 · Sep 20, 2020

This might be of some interest, although it was written a while back and before DW.
https://www.gigi-photos.com/hy6.pdf

Have been using Hy6 since 2011. Service with DW has been fine - a couple of weeks, no more. Only use the 80AF, prefer manual for other lenses. The 60 Curtagon and 150 4.5 on the bellows are just magic. Like walking around with the relatively light and small 250 Zeiss. Largely digital on a Credo 60.

ic-racer · Sep 20, 2020

Even the slightest bulge is visible if one knows what to observe in the negatives. Been fighting since I first noticed it in 1987 with rollfilm. So many variables, like type of film, time between exposures, ambient temp, camera construction, etc. I forgot the mention when T-max film first came out it was almost unusable in the SL2000f in the cold. Since getting the 6008i, I had almost forgot about the issue .

ic-racer · Sep 21, 2020

I got my Metz 54Mz-4 today and with my new SCA 3562 adapter I was trying the flash on all my Rolleiflex cameras. Just to see if I needed the older SCA 356 for the older cameras. It appears that the SCA 3562 works with the SL3003 and 6008i.
Since film flatness was being discussed, I did notice the following quote from the 6008i manual. Seems they are almost admitting the SLX didn't hold the film flat.

It is possible to fit the back of a Rolleiflex 6002 or SLX on the Rolleiflex 6008 "integral". However, there is a risk of unsharp pictures due to unsatisfactory film flatness.

NortheastPhotographic · Sep 21, 2020

The Hy6 Mod 2 is a phenomenal camera with some of the best lenses I've used for any system. What Rollei achieved with it is amazing, and for a certain type of person it's worth every penny. I count myself among that group. All three lenses that I have are great but the simple 80mm 2.8 AFD is incredible.

Tom Kershaw · Sep 22, 2020

NortheastPhotographic said:
What Rollei achieved with it is amazing, and for a certain type of person it's worth every penny. I count myself among that group. All three lenses that I have are great but the simple 80mm 2.8 AFD is incredible.

I guess the comparison would be with the Pentax 645N/Z or the Mamiya 645AF system? Those cameras aren't 6x6 however...

ic-racer · Sep 22, 2020

On second try, it appears that with the Rolleiflex 3003, the Metz and SCA 3652 DO NOT work in TTL mode. The flash does fire, but it is always giving maximum flash output, as if the lenscap were in place. Good news is the SCA 365 units seem to be easily obtained via the internet.

NortheastPhotographic · Sep 22, 2020

Tom Kershaw said:
I guess the comparison would be with the Pentax 645N/Z or the Mamiya 645AF system? Those cameras aren't 6x6 however...

Yes, no 6x6. Plus the lenses were not sufficiently updated to come close IMHO. But really, having the camera be 6x6 puts it in a class of it's own.

ic-racer · Sep 22, 2020

Was using the Hy6 yesterday and realized how much I have relied on the prisms on my cameras. I got prisms for my 2.8f and 6008 many years ago and have gotten used to that way of shooting. I use both the 45 and 90 degree prisms.
So, I try to do certain photography from inside my car, for safety reasons (traffic, etc) and was confronted with something not encountered since the mid 1990s....I can't take a picture out of the window of my car with a waist-level finder

Tom Kershaw · Sep 22, 2020

NortheastPhotographic said:
Yes, no 6x6. Plus the lenses were not sufficiently updated to come close IMHO. But really, having the camera be 6x6 puts it in a class of it's own.

Which lenses are you using for the Hy6? Are you simply using it as a film camera or with a digital back option?

warden · Sep 22, 2020

Great thread. Thanks!

NortheastPhotographic · Sep 22, 2020

ic-racer said:
Was using the Hy6 yesterday and realized how much I have relied on the prisms on my cameras. I got prisms for my 2.8f and 6008 many years ago and have gotten used to that way of shooting. I use both the 45 and 90 degree prisms.
So, I try to do certain photography from inside my car, for safety reasons (traffic, etc) and was confronted with something not encountered since the mid 1990s....I can't take a picture out of the window of my car with a waist-level finder

Yes, I use mine with the WLF all the time even though I normally preferred a 45 degree prism. Mostly because the AF is reliable and because the weight is a LOT less. A friend who has one and shoots a lot of 645 uses the 90 degree prism.

Tom Kershaw said:
Which lenses are you using for the Hy6? Are you simply using it as a film camera or with a digital back option?

I am using the 80/2.8 Xenotar AFD, 50/2.8 Super-Angulon AFD, and manual PQ 180/2.8 (plus the 1.4x extender). I use it always with film in 6x6, but I have shot digital with it. I would consider a Credo 60 back for it if I got it for really cheap, but I don't think it would be better than Ektachrome personally.

Rolleiflex Hy6...One of the last medium format cameras in production

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