Rollei magic II (1962)

The Rollei magic II is a twin lens reflex camera made by Franke & Heidecke in West Germany between 1962 and 1968, notable as an update to the original 1960 Rollei magic. Where that first model was locked into a fully automatic exposure system driven by a Gossen selenium meter, the Rollei magic II added the ability to manually control shutter speed and aperture, which the article frames as an important fix since selenium meters often fail with age. Other distinguishing traits carried over from the original model include front cell focusing rather than a moving lens standard, a side-mounted shutter release lever instead of a button, size 2 bayonet filters only, a slowest shutter speed of 1/30, and a Prontormat-S leaf shutter now improved to a 1/500 top speed. It uses a 75mm f/3.5 Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar taking lens and matching Heidosmat viewing lens, weighs 1024 grams, and shoots 120 film for twelve 6x6 exposures.

Handling the camera, the author found its controls unintuitive at first, particularly the coupled exposure wheel that ties shutter speed and aperture to a single EV value unless a button is held to decouple them, and the odd focus/exposure wheel placement compared to standard Rolleiflexes. However, once accustomed to it, the author enjoyed shooting it, praising the bright waist-level viewfinder with split-image focusing aid, smooth film advance, and simple front-cell focusing. Testing it in full auto mode with Foma 200 film, the author was impressed by the accuracy of the automatic metering even in tricky lighting, and found the Xenar lens produced sharp, contrasty images with minimal corner falloff despite being a simpler 4-element design rather than a premium Zeiss lens. The experience of using an AE TLR felt unusual compared to typical manual TLR shooting, but ultimately freeing.

The article's verdict is positive: despite the Rollei magic II's low original sales (an estimated 12,600 units, fewer than the original model) and reputation for having meters that no longer function, the author considers it a fun, capable, image-making camera that deserves more appreciation. The main drawback noted is the scarcity of working examples today, since most surviving units are shot in full manual because their selenium meters have died. The author recommends picking one up if a good example can be found, calling it a worthy addition despite its quirks and departures from the standard Rolleiflex formula.

AI-generated summary. May not capture every detail — read the full article below for the complete picture.

This is a Rollei magic II, a twin lens reflex camera made by Rollei-Werke Franke & Heidecke in Braunschweig, West Germany between the years 1962 and 1968. The Rollei magic series was part of the successful lineup of Rolleiflex TLRs but with the addition of automatic exposure. The Rollei magic II was an update to the original model released in 1960 which added the ability to manually control the shutter, a feature which the original model lacked. This allows the Rollei magic II to be useful today as it can still be used if the Gossen selenium meter is no longer working. In addition to the unique exposure metering compared to regular Rolleiflexes, the Rollei magic II uses front cell focusing instead of the more traditional moving standard, it only supports size 2 bayonet filters, and lacks shutter speeds below 1/30 second.

Film Type: 120 Roll Film (twelve 6cm x 6cm exposures per roll)
Lens (Taking): 75mm f/3.5 Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar coated 4-elements in 3-groups
Lens (Viewing): 75mm f/3.5 Heidosmat coated 4-elements in 3-groups
Focus: 3.3 feet / 1 meter to Infinity
Viewfinder: Waist Level Coupled Reflex Viewfinder
Shutter: Prontor Prontormat-S Leaf
Speeds (Auto): 1/30 – 1/500 seconds, step less
Speeds (Manual): B, 1/30 – 1/500 seconds
Exposure Meter: Gossen Coupled Selenium Cell w/ Programmed Automatic Exposure
Battery: None
Flash Mount: Cold shoe and M and X Flash Sync
Weight: 1024 grams
Manual: https://www.cameramanuals.org/rolleiflex/rollei_magic_ii-manual.pdf

If you were to draw a Venn Diagram for Auto Exposure Cameras and Twin Lens Reflexes, the overlap of those two circles would be extremely small. By all accounts, the Auto Exposure “Electric Eye” era began in 1958 with a large number of cameras with primitive automatic exposure systems, such as the Revere Eye-Matic 127 EE and the Kodak Brownie Starmatic. While these cameras were capable automatically adjusting exposure based on available light, they were still quite simple cameras, many of which had single, or a limited number of shutter speeds. The era of TLRs began in the very late 1920s with the release of the original Rolleiflex by Franke & Heidecke and became the camera of choice for the professional photographer in the 1940s and 1950s.

Through no fault of their own, by the mid 1950s, TLR sales started to drop, as more and more professional photographers embraced 35mm rangefinders like the Leica M3 and eventually SLRs like the Nikon F.

Upon its release in 1960, the Rollei magic was the first ever TLR with automatic exposure.

By the time the auto exposure craze had hit, the first cameras to feature the technology with economic cameras aimed at the novice. The idea that you could shoot a camera without any knowledge of exposure was appealing to beginners, but the pros saw the technology as unnecessary. Few if any, professional photographers looked at the shutter speed dial and aperture rings of their Leicas and Nikons and wished that the camera could do the work for them, so it would have been a difficult task to expect them to embrace auto exposure.

However, the winds of change were blowing, and as TLR sales were continuing to fall, the designers at Franke & Heidecke needed a breath of fresh air into stagnating Rolleiflex sales, so in 1960, came the company’s first ever auto exposure TLR, the Rollei magic. To make the “magic” work, the camera featured a large Gossen selenium exposure meter up top, and a brand new Prontormat-S shutter with a range of speeds from 1/30 to 1/300.

Upon its release, the Rollei magic was the first ever TLR with true automatic exposure. A similar camera, called the Ricoh Auto 66 beat the Rollei to the market but was only capable of semi automatic exposure in which the selenium exposure meter would make a reading based on available light and the user had to transfer the reading to the camera to make the exposure.

Although featuring the prefix “Rollei” in its name, Franke & Heidecke was wise not to call this a Rolleiflex as the camera was quite a bit simpler than the line of cameras that the camera was known for. Metering system aside, other major changes were that the Rollei magic was the first Rollei camera with front element focus. Unlike all previous TLRs, the front lens standard did not move when focusing the camera. This resulted in a simpler control and a flatter appearance to the front of the camera. Another very controversial change, was that the Rollei magic lacked any ability to manually control exposure without the meter. The target customer for the Rollei magic was someone who only wanted auto exposure and wouldn’t want to change shutter speeds or f/stops on their own. This was fine when the Gossen meter worked, but in lighting situations beyond the range of the meter, or when the meter fails completely, the camera cannot be used.

Reception to the Rollei magic was lukewarm. On one hand, that the world of automatic exposure had crossed over to high quality TLRs probably excited some people, but the complete lack of manual control, smaller range of shutter speeds, and cheaper front element focus resulted in many buyers keeping their pocket books closed. The Rollei magic was produced for only two years with an estimated 25,000 sold.

In 1962, Franke & Heidecke answered the public’s most glaring complaint about the Rollei magic and released an updated model called the Rollei magic II which added the ability to manually control exposure without using the meter. Advertising for the camera at the time promoted it as “two cameras in one”, one with automation for the beginner, and another with manual control for the pro. In addition to the new manual control feature, the Rollei magic II also offered an upgraded Prontormat-S shutter with a top 1/500 speed, compared to 1/300 for the earlier model.

With its new features, the Rollei magic II appeared to have the perfect combination of automation in a Twin Lens Reflex camera as contemporary reviews such as the one which appeared in the December 1962 issue of Popular Photography commended the features of the new camera, saying that the four element Xenar delivered excellent detail at f/5.6 and lower with minimal edge fall off. The exposure system was commended in most situations except those with strong backlight, which they were able to overcome through a clever use of the trap needle system. Overall, the camera was received positively, especially the bright viewfinder screen, and optional 16 exposure adapter which could be bought separately.

The retail price for the Rollei magic II was $185 for the camera, $15 for the ever ready case, and $7.50 for the 16-exposure attachment. When adjusted for inflation, these prices compare to $1950, $160, and $80 today.

This test report for the Rollei magic II was published in the December 1962 issue of Popular Photography magazine.

While the Rollei magic II can be viewed as the ultimate auto exposure TLR, the new features did little to improve sales, in fact, with an estimated 12,600 cameras made between March 1962 – September 1968, the total production was barely over half of the first model. It would appear that the demand of the photographic public for an auto exposure TLR was very small. Upon its cancellation in 1968, no further AE Rollei TLRs would be made, and other than the also low selling Yashica E, would remain a tiny subset of overall 20th century camera production.

The Rollei magic series generally has a poor reputation as so many are found inoperable, but I was lucky to find this perfectly working model.

A Rollei magic II (nor the first model) were ever on my radar of cameras I had wanted to own. Their overwhelmingly negative reputation for not working and that the first model doesn’t offer any sort of manual exposure control, combined with what I consider to be ridiculous asking prices, meant that this was a camera I would only own under special circumstances.

In the summer of 2023, those circumstances would occur and this pristine Rollei magic II would come my way. Knowing the reputation of these cameras, I didn’t have high hopes, but upon playing with it and seeing that the exposure meter needle was responding to light and that the shutter appeared to work at all speeds, I decided to give it a try.

Setting aside that the Rollei magic were the only Rollei TLRs with Automatic Exposure, they also look different than any other Rollei TLR. In addition to the large selenium exposure meter above the viewfinder lens, there are several cosmetic and functional changes which differentiate them from any other Rollei. The most obvious is the lack of a moving front standard. Unlike every other Rolleiflex and Rolleicord camera, the taking and viewfinder lenses are not mounted to a plate which moves forward and back when focusing the camera. The Rollei magic uses front cell focus which is internally coupled to the viewfinder lens using internal gears. This works the same way TLRs like the Kodak Reflex and Argus Argoflex TLRs do, just that you cannot see the gears surrounding the two lenses. This one change gives the entire camera an entirely different look as the front of the camera does not need to move when focusing. The front plate of the camera is tapered in at the sides, giving the entire camera a slimmer appearance, even though the main body is approximately the same size as a regular Rolleiflex.

The Rollei maigc has two dials between the lenses like normal Rolleiflexes, but they don’t do the same thing.

Other changes are in the two control wheels between and to the side of each lens. Some regular Rolleiflex cameras have control wheels in this same location, however they work different on the Rollei magic. From the photographer’s perspective, the left one controls focus instead of the diaphragm like on other Rolleiflexes and the right one controls exposure. The Rollei magic II improves upon the original model in that it gives you full manual control over the shutter speed and diaphragm. The control wheel itself has no markings, but a rectangular window on the side of the camera above the shutter release displays what’s going on including focus distance.

A clear window on the side shows the focus scale, shutter speed, EV setting, and aperture. In AE mode, only the focus scale and the word “AUTO” appear.

In AE mode, the word AUTO is displayed in red, with nothing else about exposure. This puts the camera into Programmed AE mode and you just rely on the meter display atop the camera to make sure the needle falls somewhere between two red marks. Assuming the needle is not pointing to red, proper exposure can be made. Keep in mind that the shutter is limited to a slowest speed of 1/30. Slower speeds are not possible in either Auto or manual mode. In addition, the only AE mode is full program, there is no option for shutter priority or aperture priority AE.

Normally the exposure control wheel on the front of the camera couples both shutter speed and aperture to a set EV number which matches the meter display on top of the camera. This limits you to only exposure settings which are possible at that EV number. In order to choose any combination of shutter speed and aperture you wish, you must disable this coupling by press and holding a button in the center of the exposure control wheel while turning it. This also gives you the option for Bulb mode if you need something slower than 1/30. It sounds more complicated than it really is, and to give the camera bit of credit, this is similar to how other AE cameras from the same era worked. The early 1960s when this camera was available was still pretty early for AE, so complete unrestricted AE control was still about a decade away.

The Rollei magic relocates the shutter release to a lever on the bottom side of the camera.

On final change is the location and style of shutter release. On the Rollei magic, the shutter release is a small lever on the side of the camera, near the bottom. It is in easy reach of the photographer’s right hand, but for regular uses of other Rollei cameras, its location and motion feels a bit strange. Initially, I thought the camera lacked a cable release socket, but I thought that was strange considering the shutter offers a Bulb mode, but then I found it. A very tiny hole below and behind the shutter release is threaded for a shutter release cable.

Where a focus knob would be on any other Rollei camera is the flash shoe and sync port.

The sides and the back look more like a traditional Rollei camera, but there are a few changes, the most obvious of which is the complete absence of a focus knob. In its place is an accessory shoe with a flash sync port in the enter, which is complete bizarre as this location prevents you from attaching anything to the shoe with a cable plugged into it. I assume the Rollei magic had some kind of flash unit designed for this camera, but I do not use flash enough for me to have done any research into how it would have worked.

Two rectangular buttons are used as levers to pull out the post holding in the support and take up film spools.

Another somewhat welcome change is the presence of two rectangular buttons on the side of the camera, which at first, its not obvious what they do. But when loading and unloading film in the camera, pressing these buttons act as sort of an eject button for the take up and supply spools. A nice feature which isn’t present on any other Rollei I own.

Loading film is the same as most TLRs, just remember to advance the START mark to the two red dots.

Otherwise loading film is the same on this camera as any other Rollei TLR. Opening the film door is done by releasing the lock on the bottom and flipping the door up. Film transports from the bottom to the top, so you must transfer an empty supply spool to the top, and then load in a new roll on the bottom. Stretch When loading in a new roll of film, two red dots on either side of the film gate are where you are supposed to advance the backing paper to the START mark before closing the door. This ensures that the film is properly advanced to the first exposure before firing off the first shot.

The Rollei magic advances film just like the Rolleiflex.

The camera’s right side has a typical film advance lever which works as you’d expect and an automatic resetting exposure counter. Both sides of the camera are also equipped with typical Rollei strap lugs. A plastic tipped release lever is used to detach the strap from the body.

The viewfinder is nice and bright with a split image focus aide in the center.

The viewfinder is a typical waist level finder as you’d expect to see on any other TLR of the era. Viewfinder brightness is also comparable to other 1960s TLRs, which is to say it is very good. The focusing screen has etched grid lines for keeping your horizon straight, but also features a split image focus aide in the center. I know other TLRs came with split image focus aides, but this is the only Rollei in my collection to have one, so I am unsure of how common they are. Unlike other parts of the camera which differ from “regular” Rolleiflexes, the viewfinder hood on the Rollei magic II can be removed and replaced with a Rollei prism finder for eye level shots if you so choose.

When looking down into the viewfinder, in front of the lid is the exposure meter display which also has an ASA film speed dial in the center. Pressing in while turning this dial allows you to choose between ASA and DIN speeds from 12/12 to 1600/33.

With the film speed set, proper exposure can be made as long as the needle isn’t pointing to a red region.

The exposure meter display is to the left of the film speed and only shows EV numbers from 8.5 to 18. The display has two parts, a white needle which is coupled to the meter, and a red “no exposure zone”. The red zone changes depending on which film speed you’ve selected, and when the white needle is in the red zone, this tells you that the proper exposure is outside the range of the camera’s capability. When this happens, you either need to recompose your image to get different lighting, or in an over exposure situation, use something like a neutral density filter to darken the image. If neither of these are possible, you simply do not want to make an exposure. When shooting in manual exposure mode, the meter still works and you can optionally take a reading off the EV number and transfer that to the shutter.

I’ll admit, the first time I picked up the Rollei magic II, its controls were not intuitive. Although I will say that many of the exposure limitations are consistent with other cameras of its era, this is still not a camera that the first time user is going to immediately feel comfortable with, without first reading the manual (or this article). With a little bit of practice however, you will get the hang of it quickly. The Rollei magic II has an unusual operation and limited manual shutter speeds, so if you need the features from a fully featured Rolleiflex, you’ll need to use a fully featured Rolleiflex. Since the signature feature of this camera is its AE operation, I decided that I would use it, so I loaded in a fresh roll of Foma 200, set the meter to ASA/DIN 200/24, put it in full Auto mode and went out shooting!

Although considered a “lesser” lens than what’s often found on Rolleiflexes, the Schneider Xenar still delivered great looking and sharp images.

In the section above, I detail the many differences between the Rollei magic and other Rollei TLRs. Yet one area isn’t much different, which is the camera’s ability to make nice images. While the Rollei magic II isn’t blessed with 4 or 6-element Zeiss lenses, the 4-element Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar is more than up to the task of creating sharp images with excellent contrast and very minimal fall off near the corners. I think the choice to go with a simpler lens rather than a top of the line f/2.8 Sonnar was a wise one as it kept the price of the camera low. In addition, those lenses appeal to deep pocketed pros, the same group of people who in the early 1960s, were not ready to trust an automatic exposure system, and would have preferred full manual control. The Rollei magic was aimed at the hobbyist photographer who was interested in new, state of the art automation, but didn’t have infinitely deep pockets to afford a high end TLR with a high end lens.

The base has a tripod socket and the film door release latch.

Moreso than the quality of the images I got from my test roll, I was absolutely blown away by how good the metering was. Even in tricky lighting situations such as my bathroom selfie mirror shot, the exposure was spot on. While I have a great deal of experience shooting AE cameras, I’ve never shot an AE TLR, and I’ll be honest with you, it is weird. Not bad weird, but weird in the sense that this is a style of camera that I am not used to giving up control to. Walking around with the Rollei magic II around my neck, I felt like I was using a normal TLR, but using it like a point and shoot where I only had to compose, focus, and then press the shutter release was foreign to my vintage camera shooting sensibilities. My “TLR Muscle Memory” struggled with this mightily!

This Rollei magic II was distributed by Honeywell.

Once I started to let go of my instincts, I quite enjoyed the experience, so much in fact, that I feel as though I may struggle to want to shoot “regular” TLRs again as with this camera, you still get the TLR experience, but much faster. I’m not lazy, and am more than capable of manually setting exposure, but when you don’t have to, and you know you’re still going to get great images, who would want to?

Apparently, the answer to that question is “not a whole lot” as the Rollei magics sold slowly. With an estimated 12,600 made, and no Rollei magic III ever hitting the market, it was clear that not many people appreciated this rare combination of features. This ho-hum reaction from the shooting public was not unique to Rollei cameras too, as limited AE TLRs were produced by other companies either. My best guess is that the lack of support for this style of camera was less about TLRs having AE, but rather by the time these models were produced, smaller 35mm cameras appealed to more people and the few who still appreciated the 6×6 format, were happy to still choose their own settings.

Besides the lens and the metering system, using the Rollei magic II was a pleasure. The viewfinder was bright and easy to compose in, advancing the film was uneventful, and even focusing with the tiny knob to the side of the lens was not a challenge. Surprisingly, I don’t shoot a lot of Rolleiflex or Rolleicords, so I was able to easily adjust where my hands expected this to be, similar to the experience of shooting a Minolta Autocord or Flexaret VII.

An exposure counter automatically resets and shows how many exposures remain.

I wouldn’t quite call the Rollei magic II, “magic”, but it is a lot of fun. The camera is easy to use, makes great images, and for the most part doesn’t get in the way. I do question the change how the camera focuses and to a shutter release lever from a button, but neither of these made a significant negative impact on my shooting. In fact, if there’s one big “con” to this camera it is that so few can be found working today. Selenium meters can die, and although the Rollei magic II can be shot fully manually (the first model cannot), almost nobody does it.

That there are so few working Rollei magics out there is a real shame as these are super cool cameras, and I think that if more people were able to experience a film TLR with AE, they’d get a lot of use. Hopefully this article hasn’t caused too much GAS as I doubt finding one in good shape will be easy, but if you ever do, this is a camera worthy of adding to your camera bag. It may have a lot of differences from a regular Rolleiflex, but what it does share is an great platform to make excellent images from and I’d call that a winner in my book!

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