Rollei is Back with the Rolleiflex 6008 AF : First Single Lens Reflex Auto Focus Camera in 6x6 Medium Format to be Unveiled by Rollei at PMA. Rollei, manufacturer of the classic twin-lens 6x6 Rolleiflex that has been a workhorse and a work of art for 85 years to professionals and enthusiasts, is back in the U.S.! And in a big way. Rollei will introduce five new cameras for professional photographers and digital camera enthusiasts, at the PMA 2005 Show.

Of particular interest to professional photographers will be the new Rolleiflex 6008 AF with a db20p PhaseOne digital back and 16 megapixels. It is the world's first single lens reflex camera in a 6 x 6 medium format to offer rapid and precise auto-focusing with its dedicated AF lenses. In addition to unveiling its new cameras, Rollei will announce a restructuring of its US subsidiary, Rollei USA LLC. It will be headed by Bernd Franke.

The 6008 AF is targeted to studio and on-location professionals – from portrait, fashion and landscape photographers, to photojournalists and corporate/government photographers involved in "workflow" photography. It is compatible with the extensive line of Rollei-6000 lenses

In addition to metered manual, the Rolleiflex 6008 AF offers three precise metering methods (center-weighted average, evaluative and spot), and comfortable exposure control with aperture-priority, shutter-priority and programmed AE.  It also has comfortable flash photography with pre-flash metering, plus the option of selective exposure compensation to cope with difficult situations.

The new camera becomes Rollei's top-of-the-line model, but retains full compatibility with Rollei's 6000 system, which means it's compatible with the more than 20 current 6000 system lenses. The Rolleiflex 6008 AF weighs 1500 grams and is 143 x 139 x 124 mm without lens. It will begin shipping later this month and be available through specialty retailers. A unique Direct Source Marketing program which, essentially cuts out the middle person in distribution, will help keep the cost down. While pricing hasn't been finalized, it is expected to be in the
$16,000 (US) range.

In addition to the 6008 AF, the company will unveil the Rollei dr5, an ultra-flat, "go anywhere" digital camera with 5 megapixels. In addition to fitting in a shirt pocket without a bulge, the camera features instant readiness and minimal shutter lag, which makes it an ideal candid camera.