DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

47 years ago I had a Rollei 35, my first 35mm camera. I had a Rollei flash unit that was made for this model.I recently came across a Rollei flash unit and I am asking if any of you can identify it as one that was offered with the Rollei 35 camera. Pix posted. I want to list it accurately as possible
Thanks,
Dave

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

Doesn't look like the one I remember having - mine didn't have a textured front or the red release button, for sure. But that was a long time ago and they may have changed the design over the life of the camera.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Link https://www.google.com/search?q=rollei+35+flash+attachment+for+sale&rlz=1C1GGGE___US607US607&oq=rollei+35+flash+attachment+for+sale&aqs=chrome..69i57.18987j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

alx Loc: NJ

Once upon a time my ex-wife was a Customer Service Rep for Rollei. They made a number of small flashes to go with their range of compact and SLR cameras.

I know I had one of those units that I used as a pocketable flash with my Nikons when I needed a quick shot of light.

I don't recall if it was ever sold as a "kit". Mostly their flashes were marketed as just that, individual flash units to go with any camera on the market. They considered themselves to be a full range flash company and also had a range of very high end studio flashes.

User ID

Appears to be a generic flash sold under the Rollei brand. You didn’t post a view of the contacts in the foot.

Center contact only = generic.
Center plus one = sets synch speed on Rollei, plus generic use on others.
Three or more contacts = Rollei system dedicated.

I don’t see a “TTL” or “OTF” switch so very unlikely to be system dedicated. IOW a ten dollar item.

BebuLamar

But a flash designed for the Rollei 35 wouldn't have TTL and can't set the sync speed on the Rollei 35.

User ID

My remarks are NOT about the Rollei 35. They’re only about the Rollei flash in the posted photos.

BTW there were at least two verrrrrrry different Rollei 35s, plus at least one 35mm SLR.

User ID

The ultra tiny compact Rollei 35 has no specific synch speed anywho so I clearly wasn’t discussing that one :-)

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

That little flash packs a trigger voltage of 325 to 356 Volts. What's worse it has reversed polarity. Do not attach it to a digital camera you will mess up the circuity something awful and the metal body of the camera may become "live" and hand you a substantial shock.

A Safe-Sync. the adapter would be required but that may not address the polarity issue. It's not worth messing around with, the unit is too old, too weak, and has no TTL enablement.

I like and restore old files gear...not this one

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

BebuLamar

I understood the OP question is that would the flash in the picture were sold as kit with the Rollei 35 (the compact camera). Although there are several versions of the Rollei 35 they are all pretty much the same. I understood that the OP question wasn't about whether the flash is usable on a Rollei 35 because it certainly can be used on the Rollei 35. I understood that he wanted to know if the flash in the picture were sold with the Rollei 35 as a set. Also the OP didn't mean any 35mm Rollei. I think his question is more about collecting.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

I appears to be the same if not similar for the Rollie 35. For which I still have (somewhere). My Rollie was made in Singapore just like the flash you listed. I would say that it is a pretty good bet they were a kit or at least an add-on.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I don't know how "collectible" that flash unit is. I am very familiar with Rollei branded flash gear. I had a complete set of Rollelight Monolights in the 1970s. The equipment was made in Germany but no in the same plant as the Rolleiflex cameras. They were most like outsourced to the Mecablitz factory and some of the smaller speedlight-types were made in Asia- as were some of the 35mmm cameras.

The Rolle monolights were nicely featured with continuous power control, tracking modeling lamps, and stable flash durations throughout the entire power range- nice reflector designs too! Sadly, however, the did not hold up well in daily professional use and spent more time in the repair shop than the studio.

The speedlights were not necessarily sold as a kit- the could be purchased separately. The cameras they were designed for had mechanical shutters and standard hot shoe synchronization that probably would not be affected by the high trigger voltages, although that kind of high current was known to carbonize the synch. contacts of many cameras and they would eventually fail.

BebuLamar

When I were looking for a compact camera around 1979 I was considering the Rollei 35 and the Minox EL 35. I liked the Rollei because it has manual exposure controls vs the Minox only aperture priority mode but I liked the Minox because there is no need for lens cap. But both didn't have the rangefinder so I picked the Olympus XA which had rangefinder. The auto exposure control can be compensated for by changing the ASA setting. It's not nice but I can still control the exposure to my liking without having manual. I bought the XA kit that came with the flash and I didn't think of its disadvantage for a long time until I realized that I can't use any flash besides the one that was sold with it on the Olympus which I can on either the Rollei or Minox.