The original Rolleiflex was introduced in 1928 in Germany by Reinholf Heidecke and Paul Franke. Since then, Rollei cameras have earned their
reputation because of ease of use, superb optics, and good design. The new Rolleiflex MiniDigi is a replica of the classic Rolleiflex 2.8F
Twin Reflex (Film) Camera albeit smaller, and digital.
Similar to the original design, the MiniDigi features a hand crank
that prepares the camera for the next shot, the classic pop-up hood
which surrounds the top-mounted viewfinder, and a square image-resolution
format which alleviates the worry over choosing "landscape" or "portraits".
But will heritage prevail to make the new Rolleiflex DigiMini a "must
own" camera for collectors, enthusiasts, and gadget lovers? Read on to
find out.
Opening the box and placing the Rolleiflex MiniDigi into my hand created quite a nostalgic feeling, even though I have never used the original
Rollei 2.8F, after which this was designed. The camera is incredibly small and unique, and I could not help but like this camera,
at least based on first impressions.
Camera layout
The bottom of the camera slides off and houses the included CR2 battery and 16MB SD-memory card.
The front of the camera features two lens openings, however the top
lens opening is strictly for aesthetics, since the Rolleiflex digital does not require
a separate viewing lens. Below the lens is the mode button, to switch
from camera mode to playback mode, as well as the shutter release button.
The right side of the camera features the power on/off button as well as the crank-handle.
The crank-handle is used to prepare the camera for the next photo. Once you snap a picture,
the shutter-release is locked until you crank the handle one full revolution, a unique
feature modeled after the original Rolleiflex 2.8F.
The back of the camera houses three small buttons that are used to navigate and
delete images while in playback mode, and to change resolution and "frequency" (color temperature)
in camera mode. The frequency option allows you to select either 50Hz (flourscent) or 60Hz.
The top of the camera holds the tiny 0.9" color LCD viewfinder, as well as the pop-up hood. The hood
features a pivoting flap that acts as a "sports finder" for times when you cannot shoot at waist level,
such as when photographing sports or taking pictures out a car window.
