Rollei's Rolleicord III TLR — 6x6 on 120, waist-level finder, leaf shutter, 1950.
The Rolleicord III was a post-war continuation of the Rolleicord line from Franke & Heidecke, the more affordable branch of the Rollei TLR range. Introduced in 1950, it followed the pre-war Rolleicord models and brought the series into the 1950s. It sits among the earlier post-war Rolleicord bodies.
This is a twin-lens reflex (TLR) exposing 6x6 frames on 120 roll film, with separate viewing and taking lenses on one front standard and a waist-level finder over ground glass. A leaf shutter sits in the front standard behind the taking lens. As a Rolleicord it used simpler controls than the Rolleiflex. Confirm the taking-lens make and shutter markings on the individual camera.
The Rolleicord III suits portrait, documentary and general square-format work, and its lower-cost position made it an accessible route into the Rollei TLR system for students and those new to medium format. The waist-level finder encourages composed framing with mechanical, battery-free operation.
For a used example, examine taking and viewing lenses for haze, fungus and separation, noting only the taking lens affects images. Check focus smoothness, confirm the leaf shutter and aperture operate across speeds on the front standard, test the film-wind and counter, and assess ground-glass brightness for accurate composition.