Rolleiflex Automat MX-EVS
Few camera names are as synonymous with photography as Rollei. Ceasing camera production only for World War II, the German company Franke & Heidecke continued to refine their original TLR (twin lens reflex) 1927 design through the 1970s. Through those refinements, the Rolleiflex was the standard against which other TLRs were measured and these cameras became the tools of processionals, both in and out of the studio, and desired by advanced amateurs for their quality build and fabulous lenses. While many professionals began using the slightly faster f/2.8 version of the Rolleiflex, the smaller 75mm f/3.5 is also a brilliant performer and the selection of options with this camera leave no photographer lacking the tools needed to make great images.
By the 1950s, the Rolleiflexes were known for being built solidly with an unequaled ease of use. Thanks to its unique film loading system which automatically advanced the film to the first frame, these cameras could be unloaded and loaded with fresh film very rapidly. The Rolleiflex Automat MX-EVS was produced from 1954 through 1956 and came with a 75mm f/3.5 lens that was either a Carl Zeiss Tessar or a Schneider Xenar taking lens. The answer to the question of which lens is better is a matter for long debates, but there's no question that each is a solid performer.
Of the features of the Rolleiflex Automat MX-EVS, perhaps the most useful is the system that locks the aperture and shutter speed together so that once one combination is calculated, all other appropriate combinations can be be accessed by turning either the aperture or shutter speed dial. The only other substantial change from the model that preceded the Rolleiflex Automat MX-EVS was the addition of a switch to override the film advance when re-cocking the shutter. This allows for intentional double-exposures and is a feature found on all subsequent Rolleiflexes.
Thanks to the superb design, engineering, and craftsmanship that come with these cameras, each has a feeling unlike any other camera or any other TLR. And thanks to each of these elements, the Rolleiflex Automat MX-EVS will be popular for many decades to come.
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