The History

The company's founders Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke wanted to build cameras which were perfect and easy to handle. They wanted to make photography not only accessible to the professional photographer but to the wide range of amateurs. In 1929, the result was the legendary "twin-lens" which became the standard tool of professional photographers and the dream of every amateur enthusiast.

The "twin-lens" formed the beginning of a long line of product developments. Others followed and among them the launch of the Rollei 35 in 1966, the Rollei SL 66 with built-in bellow, the first electronically controlled medium format camera Rolleiflex SLX, the 35 mm SLR camera SL 2000F with interchangeable magazines or the dissolve projectors which still are unique.

The philosophy behind these successful products has remained the driving force through which Rollei has repeatedly succeeded in achieving solutions which are geared to the wishes of the users and frequently set an example for entire camera generations.

After a long and changing history, Rollei presents itself today as the specialist for high quality and demanding photographic tasks, in particular for the recording and projection of pictures for the professional photographer and the upper end of the amateur sector.

Always on the assumption that products bearing the name Rollei represent something special, they must be of high optical and mechanical precision, be easy to handle and to operate, and be durable and of lasting value.

In this context, new products for digital imaging and close-range photogrammetry open up new fields of applications.

1920 bis 2002 - the Rollei milestones
1920 The precision engineering and optical workshop - Franke und Heidecke is founded in Brunswick by Paul and Reinhold Heidecke.
1928 The Rolleiflex, the first twin-lens reflex camera for rollfilm is launched.
1930 Opening of the new factory in Brunswick.
1933 Introduction of the Rolleicord, an inexpensive version of the Rolleiflex.
1963 Launch of the Rollei 16, the first Rollei camera not to be designed for rollfilm.
1966 Rolleiflex SL 66 (Rollei's first single - lens rollfilm reflex camera). The Rollei 35 is presented at photokina. Over the next three decades, around 3 million of these cameras are sold.
1967 Production of computer flash units begins.
1968 Rollei enters the slide projector market with its P 35.
1970 Premiere of the first 35 mm single-lens reflex camera from Rollei - the Rolleiflex SL 35.
1973 The Rollei P 66A, the first automatic 6x6 slide projector, comes onto the market.
1974 World premiere of the Rolleiflex SLX, the first electronic camera system for the medium-format and the predecessor to the present Rolleiflex 6000 system.
1976 The dissolve projector P 3800 is launched, the original version of the Rolleivision twin MSC 300 projectors.
1980 With its SL 2000F, Rollei launches the first 35mm single - lens reflex camera with interchangeable magazine, double viewfinder system and integrated motor drive.
1986 Introduction of the Rolleivision 66 AV, a dissolve projector for the 6 x 6 format. In the same year, RolleiMetric is launched, a digital 3D industrial measuring system, which is now market leader.
1987 The twin-lens system celebrates its come back with the Rolleiflex 2.8 GX with TTL exposure and flash metering.
1988 Introduction of the Rolleiflex 6008 the top medium-format camera on the market.
1991 The entry into digital photography comes with the Rollei Digital Scan Pack. In the same year, Rollei brings out the Prego AF, the first modern Rollei compact.
1993 The new generation of dissolve projectors, Rolleivision twin MSC 300, is introduced.
1994 The digital imaging system is extended with the high-speed Digital ChipPack back.
1995 Launch of the Rolleiflex 6008 integral, the very latest professional camera for medium format.
1996 Further extension of the digital segment with the DSP-104 digital back.
1998 Rollei presents the bellows camera system X-Act at photokina. With the Nano-compact cameras, Rollei introduces APS (Advanced Photo System) cameras into its product range.
2000 Rollei celebrates its 80th anniversary.
2001 Spring sees Rollei launch of five new compact cameras, autumn of AFM 35, a new series of dissolve projectors and two new digital cameras.
2002 The year of the launches! Rollei launches 6 new Compact cameras, the Rollei d530 flex digital slr-camera, the Rolleiflex 6008 AF (first medium format camera in 6 x 6 format with auto focus) and a new digital 35mm camera (Rollei d330 motion). Furthermore, Rollei presents at photokina the Rollei 35 RF (range finder-camera) and theRolleiflex 4.0 FW (new wide-angle Camera).
2003 Rollei is extending the digital consumer business.

 
大中華區總代理：捷成國際洋行