Photograph of Ferdi's Rolleiflex 4x4, a.k.a. the ‘Black Baby’, with dedicated Bay I hood. The lenses are too close together for the standard Bay I hood. This one has a cut-out. Photo © 2019 F.W. Stutterheim.

Introduction

Rolleinars

Rolleinars are close-up lenses to be mounted in front of both TLR lenses for close focusing. Production of the sets started between 1953 and 1957. In Europe Rolleinars are easily found at camera fairs. They were made in three different strengths and the most common sets come in pairs as Rolleinar 1, Rolleinar 2 and Rolleinar 3; each pair in Rollei bayonet sizes I, II, and III. You will find them in neat leather pouches. Arab numbers refer to the strength of the close-up lens and Roman numbers refer to the bayonet size. The larger Rolleinar for the viewing lens includes a prism to correct for parallax error and shows a red dot for mounting. When correctly mounted the red dot points up.

Earlier Proxars

From 1935 up to 1955 close-up sets were made as three piece sets. The two identical close-up lenses were named Proxar. The prism was a separate part named Rolleipar für Proxar later Rolleiparkeil (Rollei Wedge). When buying, carefully watch what is on offer. Later bayonet type Proxars look like Rolleinars, earlier push-on Proxars look quite different. Anyway both versions are clearly labeled but an image may not show the full name. So a complete Rolleinar set consists of two pieces: a thick one and a thin one, both in the same bayonet size. A complete Proxar set has two identical Proxars and either a Rolleipar or a Rolleiparkeil. The images on this site show only the Rolleinars.

Rolleinar manuals

It is not uncommon for the data sheets of the Rolleinars to be lost. Please find the information below and on the following pages.

Object distances and DOF with Rolleinar close-up lenses

The next tables give the object distances when a Rolleinar close-up lens is mounted. The Depth Of Field will be different too.