Introduction
While the SL 66 is a completely mechanical camera - except for the exposure meter - the SLX and System 6000 cameras are completely battery dependent. They have an electronic system board that controls all functions. Film transport is motorised and even shutter and aperture are driven by linear motors. The battery is rechargeable and contains standard cells. Originally Sanyo Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad) cells. In later years Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) cells. Next to the battery other power supply systems were offered. The cameras can be run from mains in the studio. On the road the system batteries can be charged from the car battery, etc. A power interface with exactly the same sizes replaces the battery in the camera and connects to external power supply components.
Power supply systems
System components
| Component | Identity Number |
Particulars |
|---|---|---|
| System battery | 39 715 | Rechargeable battery 1.25 A with active and spare fuses. The NiCad cells are routinely replaced for NiMH cells nowadays. |
| External battery connector | 98 200 | Intended for using the system battery away from the camera, near the human body in case of cold weather. |
| Battery chargers | Several versions G, N, C, D. Charges the System battery (and some can feed the Power interface). |
|
| Power Interface | 30 017 | Replaces the System battery in the camera and connects to a number of external power supplies. Needs 12 - 18 V ⎓, at least 200 mA. |
| Power supply unit | 30 019 | Mains converter to 12 V ⎓. Intended to feed the Power interface. |
| Connector cable | 91 187 | Connects a car cigarette lighter socket with the Power interface |
| Battery box | 30 036 | Box for 5 × 3 V Lithium cells, type DL 123A. With cable. Intended to feed the Power interface. |
| Einhell mobile energy station, with connector cable. |
12 720 91 187 |
Specialist third party product. |
System batteries
NiCad battery
The Rolleiflex SLX was supplied with a NiCad battery. In those days state of the art. A downside of NiCads is the so called ‘memory effect’. It means they should be recharged only when empty state is indicated by the camera. Recharging a partly discharged battery will eventually lead to a diminished capacity. Of course that is rather un practical. Most people prefer to start with a fully charged battery. That problem was worsened by rather primitive chargers (G and N chargers) that lacked a discharge circuit to fully discharge before charging. Quite some users switched to third party chargers like the Maha, now discontinued.
I understand modern NiCad cells are of a higher capacity now and do not suffer from memory.
NiMH batteries
While the factory sticked to NiCad, supposedly better suited for high currents drawn by the camera motors, users switched to NiMH when cells had to be replaced. NiMH cells have no memory effect and modern cells have a higher capacity than original NiCads. The Maha charger could fully charge NiMH batteries. The Rollei chargers G, N and later C are not designed to charge NiMH batteries. The Maha is designed for charging NiMH batteries.
It was only in 2019 that a Charger D fit for NiMH batteries was available.
Cells replacement
NiCad and NiMH cells do not live forever and have to be replaced after some years. The cells fit tightly in the battery house. Slightly too large cells cause the house to bulge and it will not fit into the camera. Cells also have to be matched. Reliable addresses for replacement of cells are
- Paepke-Fototechnik in Germany
- Key Camera Service in the USA
Glass fuses
| System 6000 models | IEC 60127 Symbol |
IN (Rated current) |
UN (Rated voltage) |
Designation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| German | English | ||||
| SLX 6006 6002 |
M | 0.8 A | 250 V | mittelträge | normal |
| 6006 model 2 6003 SRC 1000 6008 prof 6008 prof SRC 1000 |
M | 1 A | 250 V | mittelträge | normal |
| 6001 prof 6003 prof 6008 i 6008 E 6008 i2 6008 AF |
T | 1.25 A | 250 V | träge | slow acting |
Fuses
The SLX and System 6000 cameras are protected against overcurrent by glass fuses. The battery housing contains a spare fuse too. The fuse that is clearly visible is the active one. The spare fuse is hidden between the cells and can be accessed by pulling a plastic tab. Camera models don’t use the same type of fuse. The type of fuse is printed on the battery however that may not be the battery that was originally sold with the camera when new. When buying (used) batteries or cameras check active and spare fuse. Use the proper fuse for your camera. When the rated current IN is too low, the fuse may blow with normal use. A too highly rated fuse may not blow at all or blow too late in case of a fault and cause fatal damage to the electronics or components like the film transport motor and the linear motors for aperture and shutter. Repairs will be expensive.
Battery chargers
Battery chargers
| Particulars | Charger G | Charger N | Charger C | Charger D and X | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity Number | 64 899 | 98 451 98 452 |
||||
| Power source charging unit | Mains | Mains | Converter | Converter | ||
| Converter | Voltage | - | - | 100-250 V | 100-240 V | |
| Cycles | - | - | 50-60 Hz | 50-60 Hz | ||
| Input charging unit | from mains | Voltage | 100-240 V1 | 100-240 V | - | - |
| Cycles | 50-60 Hz | 50-60 Hz | - | - | ||
| from converter | Voltage | - | - | 15-18 V ⎓ | No information | |
| Power | - | - | min. 10 W | No information | ||
| Auxillary2 | Voltage | - | 12 V ⎓ | - | - | |
| Powered by car battery | No | Yes | Yes3 | No information | ||
| Output charging unit | for charging | Voltage | 15 V ⎓ | 15 V ⎓ | 15 V ⎓ | No information |
| Current | 650 mA | 1 A | No information | No information | ||
| to Power interface | Voltage | - | 12 V ⎓ | - | - | |
| Current | 0.5 A | - | - | |||
| Rapid charging | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Trickle charge after Rapid charging | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Designed for charging battery with | NiCad cells | NiCad cells | NiCad cells | NiMH cells | ||
| Optional discharge before charging (NiCad cells only!) | No | No | Yes | No | ||
| Capable of charging battery with other cells | No | NiMH with limitations |
NiMH with limitations |
NiCad cells | ||
Charger G
This is the charger of the SLX era. It is the simplest charger of them all. I have never used it and I never see one offered. The Charger G is unfit for charging NiMH batteries according to Mr Dieter Paepke of Paepke Fototechnik. This one is completely obsolete.
Photo © 2021 F.W. Stutterheim
Charger N
I purchased my 6008i when it was a currant model. It came with a NiCad battery and a Charger N. Charger N is more sophisticated with “trickle charge”. There is no risk of over-charging. When the battery is fully charged the charger reverts to pulses rather than a continuous current. The charger works well with NiCads but the memory effect is clearly present and quite annoying especially when the camera is not used regularly. I replaced it for the Charger C as soon as it was offered.
The Charger N recognises three cases for shutting down. Case 1 is the normal situation: battery fully charged. Case 2 is after 1 hour of charging. Charging a battery with the original type of cells is completed within 1 hour. When higher capacity cells are fitted it may take longer than one hour. In that case remove the battery from the charger after one hour and replace for a second charging session. Case 3 is battery over-heated. This can happen with faulty cells.
Both my batteries are now fitted with NiMH cells. The Charger N was my favourite Rollei charger for charging NiMH batteries before I purchased the Charger D. Charger N is rather straight forward with no frills and charges the NiMH battery up to 95% according to Mr Paepke to whom I turn to for replacing cells. The 95% charge is reached when the charger shuts off after 1 hour. It is possible to re-start charging by removing the battery and replacing after a minute or so and charge for another 15 minutes. When charging NiMH cells the Charger N does not shut down when the battery is fully charged. I also used the Maha charger occasionally. Charging NiMH batteries is in one session and it stops when fully charged.
Photo © 2021 F.W. Stutterheim
Charger C
The Charger C performs a status check on the battery cells before charging and also has the discharge option. The C model from 2005 is still the preferred choice for NiCad cells when it comes to “memory’ behaviour. Never the less I do not like it very much. The status check triggers control lights. I have to check the manual for their meaning all the time (red blinking = discharge, red = charging, green = fully charged, yellow = error). Quite often the thing finds a fault and refuses to charge a NiCad. I suppose there may be some fault but the Charger N happily charges the disqualified batteries anyway.
When charging a battery with NiMH cells the discharge circuit should not be used. The whole point is NiMH cells can be charged when only partly discharged. On the contrary they should not be deeply discharged. I feel that is not a real problem with System 6000 camera»s because the system will show “charge” and shuts down before that happens. The fancy control lights are useless with NiMH cells. They don’t indicate properly.
I feel this charger causes more (small) problems than it solves.
Photo © 2021 F.W. Stutterheim
Chargers D and X
This is the most recent charger. The charger supplies a pulsating charging current intended for modern NiMH cells. The unit consists of two parts. The power supply part is suitable for 110-240 Volt and adjusts itself automatically. The battery is placed in the separate charging station. The charging runs from 1h to 1h30m4. The charger is suitable for NiMH as well as NiCad batteries. When charging the power supply shows a red light that turns green when the battery is fully charged. Simple and straight forward. The Charger X is similar to the Charger D.
Power interface
The Power Interface offers power supply options for cameras of the Rolleiflex 6000 System, allowing a wide variety of power sources to be used instead of the battery. This greatly facilitates use of the cameras both in the studio and on location.
The Power Interface is the same size as the system battery and takes the latter’s place in the battery compartment. It connects to a variety of power sources, such as the Rollei Charger N, the Rollei 12V power-supply unit, the Rollei battery box for lithium batteries, the Mobile Power Station by Einhell or a car battery connector, to mention just a few.
The Power Interface is designed for 12 – 18 V ⎓ with a minimum of 200 mA.