09/28/2026
New (old) gear alert! 🚨 My uncle recently gifted me my grandfather’s old Rollei 35mm compact film camera. Swipe for some photos and a story!
It’s an interesting piece of kit. You can’t see focus or aperture adjustments in real time. Which means I had to guess on my focal distance and exposure and pray that I got it right! 😅
I was also experimenting with Sunny 16 with this roll of film (Fuji 400). Basically set it and forget it camera settings depending on the type of weather/lighting. Overall, I’m pleased with how well I was able to get everything to look!
The other thing is that it’s a fixed focal length lens. One 40mm piece of glass. Which means walking around to find the perfect composition. Which I don’t always do 😅 but it was fun to try!
Now of course, because this camera has been sitting for years, it definitely needs to be serviced. So I’m hoping to find a reputable place to take both this and my mom’s camera so I can start using them more frequently.
Until then, I’m going to try to practice what film has taught me on the digital side of things. I’ve got three more rolls of film sitting at home that I’d love to experiment with. But I want to ensure these cameras are functioning properly, since they’re part of my family’s legacy.
Saving these fun shots of 1FW at Akins Ford Arena for the end! I had no idea how these would turn out, since the light meter wasn’t working and I had no weather to reference indoors.
Still pretty proud of how close I was able to get with proper exposure! 1FW Tyler Shoop Akins Ford Arena
This wound up being the last exposure on the roll, and probably one of my favorites! All of these were directly out of camera - no editing done on my end. Thanks to Bellows Film Lab for getting these turned around so quickly! And thank y’all for reading, if you made it this far! Can’t wait to show you the next set, whenever that may be. 1FW Tyler Shoop Akins Ford Arena