Baby Rolleiflex 4x4
When astronomers look for habitable planets in other solar systems, they often consider the "Goldilocks Zone." That is a planet that's at the right distance from its star to not be too hot or too cold. Just as Goldilocks was looking for the porridge that was neither too hot nor too cold, a chair that was her size, and a bed that provided the correct amount of lumbar support, many photographers look for cameras that produce negatives between the now standard 35mm size and the square 6x6 format. That's where 127 film comes in.
Originally introduced just before World War I, 127 film was perfect for making small contact prints. Most cameras that used 127 film, however, were more consumer grade than professional grade, so cameras that shot 127 film lagged behind the technological innovations that other camera formats experienced. That remained the status quo until 1957 when the Rollei company introduced its Rolleiflex 4x4 camera to the world.
Looking much like a Rolleiflex 3.5 or 2.8 that got left in the dryer too long, the Rolleiflex 4x4 gave professional and advanced amateur photographers a chance to take more creative control over the picture making progress. Unlike most other 127 film cameras that came before, the photographer could now choose aperture and shutter speed, not to mention fine focus and top-of-the-line lenses. The consumer-grade film met a camera worthy of showing off its potential.
The 4cm x 4cm negative on 127 film gave the photographer 12 images; the same number as with a larger Rolleiflex and 120 film. With the introduction of a camera with more advanced controls, slide film could now be shot and the "Super Slide" became a favorite format for many a presenter. These slides captured almost twice as much information as a normal 35mm slide, which resulted in even more detail to be projected.
Between 1957 and 1968, Rollei produced a little more than 67,000 of these mid-sized cameras and other companies followed suit. Just like Baby Bear's food and furniture, this camera seemed to be just right.
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