Rollei 35 SE Review - Germany Goes Bonkers(in a good way)

A Brief Bit of History — Germany Goes Bonkers (in a Good Way)

The Rollei 35 was first introduced in 1966, but the 35 SE, its most advanced version, rolled onto the scene in 1979. It was the final boss of the Rollei 35 line, boasting more electronics, better metering, and a cleaner design, yet still stuffed into the same preposterously compact chassis.

How compact, you ask? Try the smallest full-frame 35mm camera ever made at the time. That’s right. You could fit it in your jeans pocket — assuming you weren’t wearing those skinny ones that cut off blood circulation to your legs.

Engineered in Germany but eventually built in Singapore, the Rollei 35 SE was what you’d get if a Leica and a Swiss army knife had a passionate one-night stand.

🔍 Design & Controls – The Anti-Logic Beauty

Let’s get something out of the way: the controls on this thing are bonkers. The film advance lever is on the bottom. The shutter speed and aperture dials? Also on the front bottom corners. And the hot shoe? On the bottom, again.

Whoever designed this didn’t care about convention — they cared about cramming every essential bit into a tiny box of pure precision. And somehow, it works. Once you’ve shot a roll or two, it all feels oddly intuitive. Or maybe that’s Stockholm Syndrome. Either way, it’s bloody addictive.

🧠 Exposure & Metering – Silicon Brain, Human Soul

The ‘SE’ in the Rollei 35 SE stands for “Silicon-Electronic,” which sounds like something out of a 1980s sci-fi movie, but in reality, it means the camera came with a brilliant Silicon Photo Diode meter — a faster, more accurate upgrade over the previous CdS metering.

The meter’s readout is nestled inside the viewfinder, which — thank the film gods — is bright and clear with little LED dots indicating exposure. Unlike its earlier siblings, the SE lets you meter without looking away, which, if you’re chasing light during golden hour, is as handy as cold beer at a barbie.

However — and this is a big however — it’s not automatic. You still have to manually set aperture and shutter speed. But that’s the point, innit? The Rollei 35 SE doesn’t do the work for you. It just gives you the tools. You provide the brain.

🔥 Lens – The Sonnar That Bites

Slapped on the front is a 40mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Sonnar, and it is magic. Razor sharp. Gorgeously contrasty. Bokeh so creamy it could sponsor a dairy co-op.

This lens is reason enough to own the SE. It renders colours beautifully, holds its own against any modern glass, and is superb for street photography. The focal length is just perfect — wide enough for context, tight enough for subject isolation. And at f/2.8, it gives you enough speed to shoot handheld in most conditions.

Yes, it’s a collapsible lens, and yes, that makes some people nervous. But once it’s locked out, it’s solid as a roo on Red Bull.

📸 Shooting Experience – Like Driving a Classic Mini Cooper

Look — this isn’t your lazy Sunday point-and-shoot. It demands your attention. It asks questions like “Have you remembered to focus? Properly metered? Wound the film?” And if you don’t respect it, it’ll burn your negatives like a heatwave on Velvia.

But when you get it right… oh boy. The Rollei 35 SE rewards you with images that pop, zing, and dazzle — the kind that make you feel like a bloody artist, not just someone who clicked a button.

Zone focusing takes a bit of practice, but it gets under your skin, and before long you’ll be pre-focusing like Cartier-Bresson on a deadline.

🧰 Ideal For:

• Street photographers with a taste for danger

• Travellers who hate bulk

• Minimalists who want maximum image quality

• Anyone who loves cameras with a stubborn streak

🤕 Not For:

• People who like auto-anything

• Beginners looking for training wheels

• Anyone with sausage fingers (it’s a fiddly little bugger)

📦 Final Thoughts – Should You Get One?

In the immortal words of every Aussie ever: too right you should.

The Rollei 35 SE is a marvel of engineering, a visual delight, and one of the most unique 35mm cameras ever built. It’s challenging, yes, but also wildly rewarding. It turns heads. It starts conversations. And most importantly — it takes damn good photos.

At Australian Analog, we reckon the Rollei 35 SE deserves a spot in any serious shooter’s collection. Whether you’re snapping laneways in Melbourne, cliffs in the Blue Mountains, or just candid portraits of your dog, this little bloke will deliver the goods — and then some.

🎞️ Want to get your hands on one?

Check out our listings at AustralianAnalog.com.au or shoot us a message — we might just have one waiting for its next adventure.

Rollei 35 SE: The best camera you’ll ever cuss at, love forever, and never leave behind.