Rolleiflex 4x4 "Baby" Models (updated 12 December 2018)
In 1931 Rollei introduced a TLR that used 127 film. The negative size was 1 5/8" x 1 5/8" or about 4x4 cm. These cameras were known as the Baby Rolleiflexes In 1957 a Grey model was reintroduced which is the most common one found today.
I've used a Grey Baby Rolleiflex since 1982 or so and I love them. Getting 127 film now is difficult to do. As of December 2018 there are a few sources for 127 film. EFKE, the last major producer of 127 film is out of business and some old stock is available on eBay at very high prices.
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127 Film
Getting 127 film takes some effort and it is not cheap. No major manufacturer regularly spools 127 film. There are some sources for 127 film so don't give up hope. Expired 127 film shows up on eBay all the time - most of it is not useable. If it has expired before 1995 or so results will be degraded unless it has been frozen since fresh. There's a new kid on the block and it is Rera Pan & Rera Chrome 127.
In the USA there are a number of vendors who carry some 127 film.
B&H has re-spooled Ilford HP5+ :
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=39571&fct=fct_film-format_3106%7c127
Freestyle carries Rera Pan 400
https://www.freestylephoto.biz/500127-ReraPan-400-ISO-Film-127-Size
Lomography gets Rera Pan 100 or 400 in on occasion:
https://shop.lomography.com/en/rera-pan-100-127
Frugal Photographer carries 127 film but seems to be sold out:
https://frugalphotographer.com/
In Europe Maco Direct carries Rera Pan B&W and a new Rera Chrome E-6 slide film. I received a roll of the Rera Chrome E-6 in Nov 2018 from Maco but have not shot it yet. From what I can tell Maco is the company who has the Rera films made in Japan & then distributes them to other sellers. If you live outside the EU Maco takes the VAT tax off so the price is lower. Rera Pan 100 is discontinued as it was Fuji Acros film and Fuji has stopped making it. No one seems to know just who makes the Rera Pan 400 replacement.
https://www.macodirect.de/en/search?sSearch=127&c=604&p=1
Efke R100
http://www.fotokemika.hr/details/35/0/black-white-films/120-127
Efke's web site is still up but the plant is long closed.
Efke IR820 127
http://www.fotokemika.hr/details/46/0/black-white-films/120-127
If you have 127 spools & 127 backing paper film you can re-spool your own 127, You will need 46mm non-perforated film or you can slice down 120 film or 70mm film to 46mm wide. When I finish off my last 53 rolls of Efke 127 film I plan on slicing down 120 Ilford HP5+ to 46mm and spool my own. I have been saving my spools & backing papers for 12 years now.
Here's a great tutorial by The Frugal Photographer on re-spooling 46mm film in 127 rolls:
http://www.frugalphotographer.com/Publications/Re-spooling%20127%20film.pdf
There's a vendor jrdnmrk on eBay who sells re-spooled 127 film and will spool whatever you need:
https://www.ebay.com/usr/jrdnmrk
funtimecamera AT gee mail dot komm
Problems with 127 Film in a Rolleiflex 4x4
There have been reports in the past that some 127 film on the new plastic spools jamming in a Baby Rollei. I have had some problems. What I do is to use only METAL take-up spools in my Baby Rollei. I have salvaged about a dozen metal spools and I save them as I do my own developing. If you send out your film make sure you tell the lab that you want your 127 spool back!
I buy old 127 film on Ebay just to get the metal 127 spools!
Frugal Photographer had a page discussing this here. Since the link is dead, here's what they said back on July 8th 2009:
"Until 1995, 127 film was sold on metal spools with thin end flanges (approximately 0.75mm in thickness).
The 127 film available today is spooled on injection-molded plastic spools. Two types are being manufactured: those made in Croatia have a slotted brass insert at the winding tip; and those made in Canada are all plastic.
It is the Croatian brass-tipped spool that sometimes causes problems for "Baby Rollei" users. The plastic end flanges are about 1.15mm thick, rather than 0.75mm, and the exterior flange-to-flange distance is correspondingly greater.
Some "Baby Rollei" users find the camera's film takeup chamber is quite tight, and describe problems with the film jamming when these brass-tipped spools are used as takeup spools. There is apparently no problem using these spools in the supply chamber.
This issue appears to arise only with "Baby" Rolleiflex TLR cameras, and only with some of them. There are "Baby Rollei" users who say they have never had the problem. It has never been reported as an issue with any other camera.
The issue does not arise with Bluefire 127 film, which is spooled on an all-plastic spool. This spool has the same external dimensions as the canonical metal spools, and does not cause jamming in either the takeup or supply chamber."
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Rolleiflex 4x4 Models
| Models | ||
| Model 1 60mm f/3.5 Tessar | 1/300 Top Speed | 1931 |
| Model 2 60mm f/3.5 Tessar | 1/500 Top Speed | 1934 |
| Model 1 60mm f/2.8 Tessar | 1/300 Top Speed | 1931 |
| Model 2 60mm f/2.8 Tessar | 1/500 Top Speed | 1934 |
| Model 3 | ||
| War Model | 1942? | |
| 1957 Grey | 1957-1961 | |
| 1963 Black | 1963-1968 |
Serial Numbers
The exact serial numbers are not fully known. Different experts quote different models and serial numbers. Here's what I have been able to come up with so far (Source: Peter Rongsted)
| Start S/N | End S/N | Production | Start | End | Model | Prochnow | Parker | Evans | |||
| 1 | 125,000 | * | 145,100 | * | 6,200 | March 1931 | Jan 1933 | Rolleiflex 4x4 3,5 model 1 | Baby 4x4 1931 Rolleiflex | 3.5 Original Baby | |
| 2 | 125,000 | * | 145,000 | * | 3,300 | July 1931 | Jan 1933 | Rolleiflex 4x4 2,8 model 1 | Baby 4x4 1931 Rolleiflex | 2.8 Original Baby | |
| 3 | 127,000 | 523,000 | 300 | Feb 1933 | Dec 1934 | Rolleiflex 4x4 3,5 model 2 | Baby 4x4 1934 Rolleiflex | Black Baby (type 1) | |||
| 4 | 150,000 | * | 154,999 | * | 1,680 | Feb 1933 | Dec 1934 | Rolleiflex 4x4 2,8 model 2 | Baby 4x4 1933 Rolleiflex | Black Baby (type 2) | |
| 5 | 150,000 | * | 154,999 | * | Rolleiflex 4x4 3,5 model ? | Baby 4x4 1933 Rolleiflex | Black Baby (type 1) | ||||
| 6 | 155,000 | * | 523,000 | Rolleiflex 4x4 2,8 model 2 | Baby 4x4 1934 Rolleiflex | Black Baby (type 2) | |||||
| 7 | 155,000 | * | 524,999 | * | 3,100 | Dec 1934 | Jan 1938 | Rolleiflex 4x4 2,8 model 3 | Baby 4x4 1937 Rolleiflex | Black Baby (type 4) | |
| 8 | 155,000 | * | 523,000 | 140 | Dec 1934 | Jun 1936 | Rolleiflex 4x4 3,5 model 3 | Baby 4x4 1937 Rolleiflex | Black Baby (type 3) | ||
| 9 | 622,000 | 734,999 | * | 2,174 | Feb 1938 | Feb 1941 | Rolleiflex 4x4 2,8 model 4 "Sports Rolleiflex" | Baby 4x4 1938 Rolleiflex | Sports Rolleiflex | ||
| 10 | 850,000 | 850,999 | * | 500 | 1941 | 1944 | Rolleiflex 4x4 2,8 War model? Type 2 | Baby 4x4 1938 Rolleiflex | Sports Rolleiflex | ||
| 11 | 2,000,001 | 2,064,999 | 63,250 | Jul 1957 | Apr 1963 | K5 | Rolleiflex 4x4 grau | Baby 4x4 1957 Grey Rolleiflex | Grey Baby | ||
| 12 | 2,064,000 | 2,069,120 | 4,930 | May 1963 | Mar 1968 | K5 | Rolleiflex 4x4 schwarz | Baby 4x4 1963 Black Rolleiflex | Post-war Black Baby | ||
| 85,574 | |||||||||||
| Source: Peter Rongsted | |||||||||||
Clearly, the most common model is the Baby Grey of 1957 with 63,250 units made.
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Service
Ross Yerkes has serviced a Baby Rollei for me and did a great job:
Ross Yerkes Camera Repair
342 Kirby Street Los Angeles, CA 90042
Telephone (323) 256-1018
Harry Fleenor doe not work on the Baby Rollei
If you know of a service person/repair shop that has done satisfactory work on a Baby Rollei, let me know and I will add it here.
If you want to re-cover your Baby Rollei, CameraLeather.com has re-cover kits that are very good.
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Using the Baby Rollei
I currently use my Baby to take pictures! Read this to find out more on using the Baby 4x4.
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Accessories
Rollei made a lot of accessories for the Baby 4x4. Here's a list of them from the 1957 price list:
| Baby Rollei Price List April 1957 | ||
| 1957 CODE | Description | Price |
| VYBAX | Rolleiflex 4x4 Xenar | $133.65 |
| BERVY | Everready Case | $11.55 |
| VYOBE | Lens Hood | $4.95 |
| BAUNE | Rolleinar Lens, set 1 (40-18") | $14.95 |
| BADOS | Rolleinar Lens, set 2 (20-12") | $14.95 |
| BAIHE | Light Yellow | $4.95 |
| BAIMI | Medium Yellow | $4.95 |
| BALIN | Light Green | $4.95 |
| BAEEN | Green | $4.95 |
| BAORA | Orange | $4.95 |
| BAUBI | Light Red | $4.95 |
| BABLA | Light Blue | $4.95 |
| BAFIR | Infrared | $4.95 |
| BASKY | UV-protective | $4.95 |
| BAHAZ | H 1-filter (UV filter for Daylight Color Film) | $4.95 |
| BARWO | R 2 red colored | $6.95 |
| BARFU | R 5 red colored | $6.95 |
| BAREL | R 11 red colored | $6.95 |
| BAWOB | B 2 blue colored | $6.95 |
| BAFUB | B 5 blue colored | $6.95 |
| BAELB | B 11 blue colored | $6.95 |
| BATAR | Rolleipol Polarising | $16.95 |
| BATNU | Rolleisoft Diffusion Disk 0 | $8.95 |
| BATON | Rolleisoft Diffusion Disk 1 | $8.95 |
| VYCOM | Leatherr case contating 1 lens hood, 2 sets Rolleinar lenses and your choice of 5 filters | $59.95 |
| VYLEE | Leather case as above without contents | $5.95 |
| VYSET | Leather case containing: 1 lens hood and your choice of 2 filters | $14.85 |
| VYSOF | Leather case as above, without contents | $2.95 |
| ETSIX | Leather case containing 6 color conversion filters | $39.95 |
| ETVER | Leather cas as above, without contents | $3.95 |
| BASYN | Rolleiflash Attachmanet | $24.95 |
| BOXIN | Boxin Case for 1 Rolleiflash + 1 Rollei comb. | $4.50 |
| CEKAB | Extention Cord foe Flash-Attachment 10 ft. | $2.75 |
| FLACO | Extention Flashholder Rolleiflash comb. with connecting cord 80" | $14.95 |
| TRIKA | Extension Cord for Rolleiflashcomb. 10 ft | $2.75 |
| BLIKA | Flash Connecting Cord 32" | $2.00 |
| FOFIX | RolleiFix tripodhead | $5.95 |
| FOEAD | Pannorama Head | $13.95 |
| Listed in Owners Manual May 1957 | ||
| VYGUZ | Sholder Pad for Neckstrap | |
| Listed in Owner's Manual November 1967 | ||
| Metal Eveready case | ||
| Rolleilux (Lens hood + exposure meter) | ||
| Rolleinar Lenses Set 3 (12.5 -9.5") | ||
| R1 red color | ||
| B1 blue color | ||
| Rolleiflash 2 attachment | ||
| Rolleiflash comb. 2 Attachment | ||
| Carrying Case for Rolleiflash | ||
| 10 ft. Extention cord for Rolleiflash 2 | ||
| 32" Cord for Rolleiflash 2 | ||
| Colied cord 1'/3' for Rolleiflash 2 | ||
| Connector for 2 cords | ||
| Rollei Micro-Tube | ||
| Rollei Micro-Prism | ||
| Rollei Pistol Grip | ||
| Accessories Not Listed | ||
| Replacement Strap | ||
| +3 to -3 Magnifiers for faulty vision | ||
Last Updated: 12/12/2018