Rolleiflex 4x4 Manual 1950s 60mm Lens Depth-of-Field Charts Rolleinar Germany For Sale

This is the original instruction manual for the Rolleiflex 4x4 camera, also known as the “Baby Rolleiflex,” a twin-lens reflex camera manufactured by Franke & Heidecke in Braunschweig, Germany. The front cover displays the bold, outlined sans-serif “Rolleiflex” logotype across a banner, with the “4x4” designation enclosed within an oval, indicating the 127 film format that produced 4x4 centimeter negatives. Below the camera illustration, the subtitle “IN PRACTICAL USE” appears in a serif typeface, signaling that the manual contains operational guidance rather than purely technical specifications. The cover illustration depicts the camera’s distinctive twin-lens configuration and waist-level finder, which bears the classic Rollei logo of a stylized “R” within a shield.The interior pages provide exhaustive technical data for close-up photography using the Rolleinar 1 and Rolleinar 2 supplementary lenses. Page 24 and 25 present tabulated depth-of-field calculations with diaphragm values ranging from f/5.6 to f/22, focus scales from infinity down to 3.5 feet, and corresponding reproduction sizes and field coverage expressed in square inches. An explanatory passage on page 25 offers a worked example based on a circle of confusion set at 1/1000 of the focal length, calculating that with a Rolleinar 2 at a focus mark of 10 feet and diaphragm 11, the depth of field extends 1 and 15/32 inches behind and 1 and 7/32 inches in front of the object, yielding a total zone of sharpness of 2 and 11/16 inches with a field coverage of 11 by 11 inches. The mention of a 60 millimeter focal length confirms this manual corresponds to the 4x4 model, which used a 60 millimeter taking lens. The paper stock remains clean and supple, with no foxing, tears, or significant creasing, and the text is fully legible throughout. This manual documents the precision engineering and methodical approach to photographic instruction that characterized mid-century German optical manufacturing, serving as both a practical reference for users of vintage Rolleiflex equipment and a collectible artifact of postwar camera culture.