Rollei's miniature compact — the Rollei 35, Tessar 40mm f/3.5, scale focus, manual, 1966.
The Rollei 35 is a fixed-lens 35mm compact introduced in 1966, one of the smallest full-frame 35mm cameras ever made when it launched. It was designed by Heinz Waaske and became the basis of a long-running family of miniature compacts. It was aimed at photographers who wanted a genuinely pocketable camera with a quality lens and full manual control.
Built for 35mm film, the Rollei 35 has a collapsible Zeiss Tessar 40mm f/3.5 lens that retracts into the body for carrying. Focusing is by scale, with distances estimated and set on the lens rather than by rangefinder. It has a leaf shutter, a CdS match-needle meter read on the top plate, and manual exposure only. There is no built-in flash; the accessory shoe is on the base of the camera. It was designed for a 1.35V PX625 mercury cell.
The tiny body, quality Tessar lens and full manual control make the Rollei 35 suited to street, travel and everyday carry for photographers comfortable with scale focusing and manual exposure. Its size lets it go where a larger camera cannot, and the metered manual control rewards deliberate shooting. It is a considered camera rather than a point-and-shoot.
On the used market, check that the lens collapses and locks correctly and is clear of haze, fungus and separation, and confirm the scale-focus and aperture rings move smoothly. Test the leaf shutter across its speeds for accuracy and capping, and check the CdS meter; note it was designed for a 1.35V mercury cell, so a modern 1.5V replacement or a voltage adapter may shift readings. Verify smooth film advance and rewind and check the film-door light seals.