1. I'm not a huge TLR fan, but if it's reasonably priced (-it's a Rollei though so chances are it won't be-) :-) I'd consider that for wide angle MF
2. The 6008 is a nice system already - and - considering its competition (blad) - it's actually cheaper. Now add the Auto focus into the mix and Rollei has jumped ahead of Hasselblad. As long as the AF is solid and the rest of the camera isn't affected by the addition of the AF system then it should be a great boon to MF. Now, that being said, the cost of either system brand spanking new is not cheap (Blad 501c/m kit - $5,200 CDN Rollei 6008 kit - $4,700 CDN Rollei AF body/back/finder - $5,800 CDN) - I just hope that some of those Rollei 6008i's go into the used market. 3. The Rollei RF (as you said, a dressed up Voigtlander Bessa R2) is something I'd pass on - BUT - the Zeiss glass in M mount would be INCREDIBLE to see. Put that glass on any M-mount rangefinder and it should be magic. Even more so if the glass is mounted on an M6 or M7. Sure, Leica glass is nice and very expensive, but direct comparison of existing Zeiss rangefinder glass (for the Contax G2) and a Leica 50mm Summicron, didn't yield any particular advantage for either glass. So, that being said, if the Zeiss glass is a wee bit cheaper than the Leica glass, it would be a good deal because the image quality is basically equal (Leica Purists can now flame me as they see fit) :-) Cheers, Dave -----Original Message----- From: Robert Soames Wetmore [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 10:07 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: OT: Rollei was the biggest news at Photokina! <snip> 1. A wide-angle "50mm Rolleiflex TLR"! Simply awesome news. I finally have a good reason to upgrade from my Yashica TLR. I'm drooling like a fool right now. 2. A 6008 series autofocus body - the "6008AF" - the first autofocus 6x6. The 6008 system was already in my opinion the greatest 6x6 system, and possibly the best medium format system in the world (depending of course on one's needs and preferences) - and the AF system may be the iceing on the cake. When someday soon I finally go MF, it's looking more and more like Rollei is the way to go. 3. The Bessa R2-based rangefinder "Rollie 35RF" with three very desirable Leica-mount Zeiss lenses. I'm not a rangefinder guy (and if I was, I'd go the Hexanon route), but this is potentially big news for rangefinder fans. After so much stagnancy, so much has been happening with RFs lately: Konica, Voigtlander, Bronica MF, and even Leica finally getting autoexposure (the M7)...now Rollei and Zeiss enter the game. </snip> Robert Soames Wetmore _____________________
