Lenses Rolleiflex SLX and 6000 System

Introduction

Lenses

The Rollei factory introduced the SLX in 1976. The first camera in the System 6000 was the Rolleiflex 6006 of 1984. The SLX and System 6000 cameras use lenses by Carl Zeiss Oberkochen or Joseph Schneider of Bad Kreuznach. The Rollei factory has the capability of building top quality lenses since 1971. In that year they took over the famous Voigtländer Optical Works from Zeiss-Ikon Voigtländer. Part of the deal was a license to build some of the Carl Zeiss lenses. Zeiss designed lenses made by Rollei bare the lens name (Planar, for instance) but not the Carl Zeiss name. The present Rollei factory, DW Photo and its predecessor DHW, made lenses under their own Apogon brandname. The lenses resemble the Zeiss lenses.

Several types of lenses were offered with different specifications. The original lenses - with nu further indication - were meant for the SLX. PQ, Rolleigon, EL and PQS lenses were intended for the System 6000. Nearly all have HFT multi-coating.

Lenses for the SLX

The original lenses for the SLX have no further indication on the lens barrel. They support only manual exposure and shutter priority automatic exposure. Although marketed at the time of the 6006 the economy line Rolleigon lenses have the same technical specifications as the original lenses. They are best used with an SLX. Both types do fit later cameras but the lenses are a limiting factor for using some of the cameras functions.

PQ Lenses for the System 6000

PQ lenses are meant to be used with System 6000 cameras. They do fit the SLX but obviously that camera limits some PQ lens functions. The top shutter speed of PQ lenses is 1/500 s. PQ lens is engraved or printed on the lens barrel just right of the aperture numbers. The economy line EL lenses are like PQ from a technical point of view. They lack some refinements like bayonet mounts for filters. ‘EL lens’ is printed on the lens barrel in white just right of the aperture numbers.

PQS Lenses for later System 6000 cameras

PQS lenses have a top shutter speed of 1/1000 sec due to lighter shutter blades. PQS lens is engraved or printed on the lens barrel just right of the aperture numbers.

When the 6008 Professional was introduced in 1988, development of the new PQS shutter was well on its way but the PQS lenses were not introduced until 1990. The 6008 Professional was built for timing shutter speeds up to 1/1000 sec right from the start but this was not formally announced. ‘1000’ is not engraved on the shutter speed knob. Past ‘500’ there are just three unnamed marks. This is confusing because the name of the later 6008 Professional SRC 1000 suggests that the faster top speed first came with that model. Not so.

PQS lenses cannot be used on cameras introduced before 1988. The second generation linear motors of the PQS lenses draw a stronger current and cameras like Rolleiflex SLX and Rolleiflex 6006 cannot handle this.

AF lenses for the Rolleiflex 6008 AF

The auto-focus AF lenses are intended for the Rolleiflex 6008 AF. Apertures can be set on the lens, lenses have aperture rings. The AF lenses can also be used on the Rolleiflex Hy6 although this camera does not necessarily need lenses with aperture rings.

AFD lenses for the Rolleiflex Hy6

Auto-focus AFD lenses are meant for the Rolleiflex Hy6 only. The AFD lenses have no aperture rings. Obviously the AF does not work on non-AF cemeras and those cameras have no in-camera setting of apertures.

Rolleiflex SLX, System 6000 and Hy6 lens generations

Original Non-PQ lenses are often sold as HFT by the trade. This is confusing because all lenses except one are labeled HFT.
The faster PQS lenses draw a higher electrisc current than PQ lenses. Cameras made earlier than the 6008 (1988) cannot handle this higher current.
AFD lenses have no aperture ring. The 6000 System has no in-cameras aperture control. Aperture has to be set on the lens. That makes AFD lenses unsuitable for 6000 System cameras.

Lenses

The list of lenses is huge for several reasons. First of all there are two lines of top quality lenses with refined handling specifications, Zeiss and Schneider. Next to these was a line of very good or top quality lens with slightly lower handling specifications, the Rolleigons first en later the EL Economy Line.

There is the time factor too. Not all lenses on the list were produced at the same time. I have listed all I could find. The PQ lenses for System 6000 gradually replaced the original lenses of the SLX. The PQS lenses were a later addition for the 6008 and following cameras. The lens offer was rationalized to a certain extend. Of the lenses that were offered in both PQ and PQS, the PQ version was sometimes ‘down graded’ to EL in order to increase the difference in price. We find them in both the PQ and EL lists. Examples are the standard Planar 2.8/80 mm and Sonnar 4/150 mm. I have listed all variations.

The Rolleiflex 6008 AF needed auto-focus lenses. That brought us the AF PQ and AF PQS lenses. Mainly Schneider lenses were upgraded to AF. The Schneider lenses are more recent designs in comparison with the (much) older Zeiss lenses. Another line of lenses - AFD - without aperture ring is meant for the Rolleiflex Hy6 only.

In recent years the Zeiss lens names were gradually replaced for Apogon. An example is the Makro-Planar 4/120 mm PQS that is replaced for the Makro-Apogon 4/120 mm PQS. The 2.8/80 mm Planar was replaced for the AF Apogon 2.8/ 80 mm PQS.

Zeiss Lenses for the Rolleiflex SLX and System 6000

Rolleigon Economy Line Lenses for the Rolleiflex System 6000
(Made by Tokina)

Rollei Economy Line Lenses for the Rolleiflex System 6000

Schneider Lenses for the Rolleiflex System 6000

Rollei Apogon Lenses for the Rolleiflex System 6000

Additional Optical Accessories for the Rolleiflex System 6000