The Rolieflex cameras, notably the 35mm 2000 and SL66 medium format, are engineering marvels in photography. Their abilities are equally sophisticated. However, overengineering the cameras is a drawback since it makes them difficult to repair. One of the system's six distinctive features is the ability to reverse-adjust each lens for close up macro photography, which is remarkable and mind blowing.
Great video, I have on of those cameras and like it a lot. Aperture wise, I believe this particular copy of Zeiss 85/1.4 is either defective or someone deliberately modified the aperture to achieve a triangle shaped opening.
Woohoo! Now this is the video I have been waiting for! I am definitely going to check out the sl35 in my store closer because I already really liked the rotating focus it has, and a triangle bokeh would be cool! I thought I would be using the timer a lot but now I know about the removable shutter button cover I am sold!
My chrome SL 35, which looks like a Pentax, works well, but years ago I gave up on my SL 35M because of shutter problems. I have an adapter that permits Pentax screw mount lenses to be used my my SL 35.
If you look at some of the Zeiss superspeed cine lenses, they have the same triangular blades which produces those weird specular highlights. The Shining is a great movie to reference as Stanley Kubrick was a big fan of Zeiss Superspeeds. The C/Y lenses are very similar in design.
The ability to flip the lenses for macro photography on the Rolleiflex SL66 is one of the greatest optical engineering achievement that I have ever seen.
