I am researching the production of Rolleimarin housings and ask if anybody has one or a friend who has one and can give me the following details:
- Serial number;
- Which model/camera (see below) it is for;
- The internal dimensions of the housing opening/lid - this was made deeper (front to back) at some point and we are trying to find out why and when this happened.
- The country of original purchase.
Two friends and I have models for the 3.5A with SN below 515 and they all have the smaller size housing than later models.
The numbering started at 500. The housings were prototyped by Hans Hass using the 3.5A up to SN 504 but by the time the housing was released the then current camera was the 3.5B
Any help would be much appreciated.
- 3.5A = RM1
- 3.5B = RM2
- 3.5C = RM3
- 3.5F = RM4 - 3.5F inscribed on speed knob
A variant of RM4 was made for the 3.5 E3 - that has 3.5 E3 inscribed on the speed knob. This is not listed anywhere but I have some spare part knobs so it must have been planned even if not actually sold. The variant is because the 3.5F has a coupled meter which means that the speed/aperture adjustment is not linear to compensate for the sensitivity variation of selenium meters to bright/dim lighting. The 3.5 E3 (including 3,5B, 3.5C and 3.5 E2) have a lockable EV linear exposure scale and so the internal aperture/speed gearing is matched; the 3.5F is not.
The housings were, in essence the same, the only difference between the different models (other than the size for earlier units) was the knob/camera coupling gear and the control knobs. A purchaser would specify which camera the housing was for and the housing would be fitted with the correct knobs and coupling gear; the serial numbers do not relate to RM model, just the sequence that they were produced.
Please email me at jwild@millstream-hotel.co.uk
Many thanks for any help,
John
