Rolleiflex and Zeiss Ikon Twin Lens Reflex Camera Film Feelers. How these German TLRs Count Film

The Rolleiflex is often credited with pioneering the automatic film advance system in twin lens reflex cameras. But how does its film rod compare to the one in the Zeiss Ikon IKOFLEX ii? ✨ Browse my zines here → https://buymeacoffee.com/natalierosel... In this video, I’ll show you side-by-side how these two 1937 cameras use their film rods differently to sense and count film. The Rolleiflex film rod acts as a true sensor, detecting film thickness and automatically starting the frame counter. The Zeiss Ikon IKOFLEX film rod looks similar, but works more like a roller system, still requiring the red window for the first frame. 📸 Whether you’re a vintage camera collector, TLR photography enthusiast, or just curious about the evolution of film transport systems, this video breaks it down simply. ⸻ 🎨 Prints: https://buymeacoffee.com/natalierosel... 🎵 Music Licensed at: https://audiio.com/natalie 🌐 Website & portfolio: https://rosellaprojects.com/ 📚 My Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/natalie... ⸻ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:12 Zeiss Ikon IKOFLEX ii Film Rod Roller 08:15 Rolleiflex Film Feeler 11:58 Conclusion ⸻ FAQs: Q: What does the film rod in a Rolleiflex do? A: The film rod in a Rolleiflex detects the thickness of the backing paper and film, which triggers the automatic frame counter to start at the correct point. Q: How is the Zeiss Ikon IKOFLEX film rod different? A: The IKOFLEX film rod acts more like a roller that measures rotations, meaning you still need the red window to align the first frame before it starts counting. Q: When was the film rod system introduced in the Rolleiflex? A: The automatic film rod system appeared in the Rolleiflex Automat in 1937. Q: Did other cameras use a film rod before Rolleiflex? A: No, the Rolleiflex Automat is generally credited as the first camera to use this kind of automatic film sensing system. Q: Why do collectors care about the film rod? A: It marked a major innovation in film transport, making medium format cameras faster and easier to load compared to older red-window-only systems. ⸻ #Rolleiflex #ZeissIkon #IKOFLEX #FilmRod #TLR #MediumFormat #VintageCameras #AnalogPhotography #ClassicCameras #camerahistory — Natalie Rosella Boonzaier is a photographer specialising in timeless black & white and vibrant colour portraiture. I travel with: Cheaper Background lights: https://viltroxstore.com/collections/... Cheaper Small Background lights: https://viltroxstore.com/collections/... Camera: https://amzn.to/46RtUMI Lens: https://amzn.to/44KQeHV *Affiliate links can earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for stopping by! xx