For the benefit of the newbies, this a twin lens reflex (TLR) camera taking 12 exposures on 120 film. Each negative is approximately 6x6 cms in size. It is fitted with a viewing lens and a taking lens. This means that you don't need a mirror assembly/pentaprism to allow you to focus, but, due to the small distance between the two lenses, you don't quite see what the taking lens does. This is not an issue for distant objects. TLRs had a following from professional photographers for a number of years, and are capable of very good results.
The Rolleicord is the amateur photographer's version of the full blown Rolleiflex, selling for a fraction of the price. It is a well made camera however.
Over the years a range of different lenses were fitted, with the most recent models receiving a 4 element Tessar type lens. Mine is fitted with a Schneider Xenar 4 element lens of this type.
Some Rolleiflex cameras also had Tessar type glass, but the later top of the range models used much better 6 element lenses.
The Xenar is capable of excellent results, but only if stopped well down. A 6x6 Xenar Rolleicord negative taken at f11 will blow any 35mm effort out of the water. At wider apertures the quality rapidly falls off however. I tend to use iso400 film to enable me to use smaller apertures routinely.
The camera is fitted with an anachronistic shutter mechanism that you have to cock before firing. That is you have to both wind on and cock the shutter. This is not a problem once you are used to it, and, compared to an SLR, the shutter is very quiet.
The view finder is not good. It's a bit like peering into a pit, and, when you are getting on a bit, any side light tends to prevent you from accurately focusing. If you are daft enough to carry around and use a black cloth to go over your head, that cures the problem
There are alternative third party focusing screens that are alleged to improve matters, but they are not cheap.
Did I mention that everything appears back to front, like looking in a mirror? This is fine for static subjects, but takes a bit of getting used to when your subject is moving. There is a so called "sports finder" where you abandon the viewfinder for a glassless view portal. This is actually quite useful.
The shutter speeds and apertures are linked. In use you take a light value from your (separate - it does not have one) meter and adjust both to conform, then as you change one parameter the other is automatically adjusted to maintain that constant exposure value.
When buying a TLR of any kind, you need to check that the focus is smooth and that the lens plate is parallel to the film plane. If the camera has been dropped there is a chance that this will not be the case.
The slower shutter speeds tend to jam up if the shutter is not well exercised, but a CLA will usually cure this.
Despite the fact that the camera has two lenses, it is not excessively large nor heavy. Compared to a typical 120 film SLR it is a pleasure to carry it around.
Conclusion. I have to say that, of the film cameras that I regularly use, it takes third place behind my 35mm Pentax and Bronica 120 cameras, but I have always liked the Rolleicord. It is an idiosyncratic camera, but an interesting and enjoyable photographic tool for occasional use.
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