I bought a Rollei 35 TE recently that had a couple of issues, and it was driving me bonkers that I could find very little information online about this great camera. Everything I could find, including the service manual, was for the previous generation 35, S and T series cameras.
The issues with my TE were in the meter and lens barrel. The lens barrel was loose and when retracted the lens kept flopping out. (This is a common ailment with all Rollei 35 cameras.) The other problem was that the meter would not auto-off after 10 seconds as stated in the manual. It was always on as long as there was a battery in the chamber.
Metering was spot on and agreed perfectly with my Gossen Lunasix3 and the camera still took a great picture despite these issues, but they were quickly becoming a major annoyance. Since all the repair estimates I got were for much more than what the camera cost me (and often more than what I could realistically sell it on eBay for) and did not guarantee the meter could be repaired or replaced (in fact most were convinced it could not). I decided to try to fix it myself and document the process for others that might be facing the same issues.
Disassembly / Reassembly
I started with the film advance crank removal as this is typically where I have the most difficulty. In this case the crank cover screw came off without too much force. Underneath it is a small copper washer and the crank itself held in place by three screws as seen in the photo here.
Next there are 2 Philips-head screws on either side of the camera and the rest is on the back: the battery lever cap, another flat-topped screw in the middle of the camera and the rewind lever. The rewind lever has a collar underneath the tab as seen in the 2nd photo.
At this point the top cover is not yet ready to be removed as it will not come off without first removing the rewind pin which is held in place by a spring. If you look closely at the rewind pin, you will notice that it has a flat side at half-way between the up and down positions. The pin needs to be turned half-way, so the flat side is against the spring so it can be pulled straight out. Use some small pliers, and you may need to use the tip of an exacto blade to push the spring out of the way. Only once the pin is removed can the top cover can be pulled off without damage.
In the 3rd photo the top cover has been removed, and you can see the rewind pin, the retaining spring and the position the pin needs to be in for removal.
When reassembling the camera, there is a trick to getting the pin back in place properly. The rewind pin pushes up a metal rod inside the camera (seen in the final photo) that unlocks the film sprocket (the toothed wheel that the 35mm holes fit in to directly below it) allowing the film to be rewound.
Use a small screwdriver to push the inner rod up and it will lock in place. This is the only way the rewind pin will fit in back in. The rod will pop back down when you rotate the film sprocket by hand. Try this a couple of times before attempting to put the top cover on. Again, you may need to use the tip of an exacto bade to push the spring out of the way when reassembling.
Once completed, replace the rewind collar and lever, screw it in place and test it out before finishing reassembly.
Detail Photos with Cover Removed
Repairs – Meter Does Not Turn Off
This was what led me to do this surgery on the camera in the first place as I found it a real pain having to pop-in, pop-out the battery all the time. A quick test roll showed that the metering was great (I had already checked it against my Gossen Lunasix3) and it could take a great pic, but the auto-off issue was keeping from using the camera effectively.
As soon as I pulled the top cover off I noticed some dry, white powdery gunk under the white wire on the circuit board as seen in the photo here. I scraped it off the circuit board between solder joints with the tip of a small flat-head screwdriver and happily (amazingly!) the meter immediately started functioning as it should with auto-off after 10 seconds. I figure this was corrosion of some sort that was causing a short and preventing the meter from turning off.
2026-01: A very helpful commenter named kuang left a message with additional info on repairing the meter on these cameras. There is a metal switch underneath the circuit board that connects when the shutter is half pressed and activates the meter. Apparently, in certain cameras, the switch gets stuck, and the meter will never turn off. To fix it the circuit board needs to be pulled off, and the switch adjusted. However, be aware that getting the circuit board back in place is a huge hassle. There’s more info and an image of the meter switch on the following Reddit post: Rollei 35TE metering LEDs won’t turn off – Repair Tips
Repairs – Loose Lens Barrel
This was the only issue that I could find any information about online as apparently affects a lot of Rollei 35’s. Unfortunately, the fix requires breaking down the camera even further to replace a friction collar inside the camera body. I really didn’t want to go to those lengths as all those mechanical bits looked like a little more than I knew how to deal with.
Instead, I had the idea of going in through the front of the camera between the lens barrel and the collar that holds it in place. Whatever I used needed to be adhesive on one side so it could stick to the inside of the lens collar and stay in place. I tried some flocking paper left over from another project, but it was way too thick. After a little experimenting discovered that a simple yellow Post-It was the perfect solution — it was just the right thickness and the adhesive was not too so strong as to make it difficult to work with.
I cut off the adhesive strip from a fresh Post-It and trimmed it so it was about 1.5cm wide. With the camera fully assembled, and the lens locked in place, I slid the Post-It between the lens barrel and collar with adhesive side outward against the lens collar. I worked it into the camera as far as it would go. This should only be about 2-4mm. I found the best place on my Rollei was at about the 2 o’clock position of the lens barrel. Once the Post-It was in position, I folded it down against the body of the camera. Then I unlocked the lens and slid it in and out to test if the friction was enough to hold the lens and if the paper would stay in place. Once I was satisfied with the positioning, I used an exacto knife to trim off the excess paper and then a black Sharpe to paint over the yellow Post-It color.
This method worked perfectly for me producing exactly the right friction to hold the lens and is still in place showing no signs of causing any other issues. Also, once touched up with a black Sharpe, you can’t see it unless you really look…
Easy Battery Solution
The best, cheapest battery tip I have found for the Rollei 35 TE and SE cameras came from this flickr discussion [Thank you nadameansnothing!]:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/rollei35/discuss/72157622459831809/
Basically, the idea is to use three LR44 batteries and one LR43 battery wrapped in electrical tape to hold them together. With the thinner LR43 in the set the length is perfect, and you can wrap enough tape around them to increase the diameter until you get a snug fit in the holder. (I didn’t bother, and it works fine.) Best of all, these batteries are easy to find, comparatively cheap, and they last forever.
All together they produce 6V but the TE / SE meters don’t seem to mind the slight over-voltage as much as the previous generation meters did. So it’s not strictly necessary, but you can use a single depleted cell in the set to get closer to the camera’s native 5.6V. I haven’t really noticed a difference either way.
Hi, thank you so much for posting this! I first came across it last year when I found my grandfather’s old rollei 35 SE and it was very helpful in getting it up and running. It’s been working perfectly until recently and I’m hoping you may have some advice. It seems that the copper edged plate that allows the battery to power the shutter is loose. I’m trying to remove the top cover to further investigate but I cannot seem to get the rewind lever off. The flat screw with two notches on it won’t budge (you’re second photo in disassembling). I’m wondering if it’s just stuck in place, or if it is meant to remain in place and the entire lever comes off together…. Any advice? Thanks!!
Hi there,
I recently bought a 35 SE and it seems that I can’t click the lens in place. Something is preventing it to turn further. I checked the front and the button (to press downwards) seems to be loose. Before I’m going to unscrew the camera to the bone, do you maybe see a quick solution?
Thanks,
Vince
Dear,
Thank you so much to show your repair Rollei 35 project.
I’m a Rollei lover for both Rolleiflex TLR and Rollei 35/35s.
i had one Rollei 35 Germany ver. working well and two 35s model, but both 35s have dead meter . i bring them all to local service. they all said to be dead meter photo-resister and they don’t have part to replace.
Could you help me to replace it, or supply to me the photo-resister for me to replace myself?
Again, thank you for your information .
Have a nice day.
Bye
Long ago but still valid: Thank you. I tried your trick with the lens already years ago, when I got my Rollei 35 TE, now since last year I had the same trouble with the light meter. My first attempt to follow your way didn’t work. I didn’t get the rewind pin out. I gave up. Today now I tried again, with more patience – and it worked. I didn’t have the white stuff, but I cleaned it anyways and voila: Light meter working again. I just love these little cameras, of which I own a TE and a SE. They are the first choice, when I go on bike tours.
Hi Juna! That is so good to hear! My TE has not had a single issue since I wrote that post. These things were really built to last! lol! I usually shoot black and white with mine, but I just put in a roll of color film, and I’m eager to see what comes out.
It’s really a delightful camera:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/astroturtle/6688203711/in/album-72157626452520123/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/astroturtle/6688203553/in/album-72157626452520123/
Great write-up! I tried the post-it fix on my Rollei 35 TE and it works flawlessly!
Thank you! It’s so good to have confirmation that this is working for others as well!
Interesting battery solution for Se and Te models. I chose however, for my Te model, the following solution: 3pcs SR44 + 1pc Varta 386, plus an adapter from Ausgeknipst, for the so many advantages of SR compared to LR (longer life, constant discharge, etc, etc.) plus no need to a foil.
Interesting battery solution for SE and TE models. I chose to use however, for my Rollei 35 TE, the following solution: 3SR44 + 1V386 (Varta) plus an Augeknipst battery adapter, which has many advantages over the above solutions (silver oxide batteries have longer life than alkaline batteries, importantly continuous discharge, no need to use electrical tape and one depleted battery, the batteries have identical height and diameter and fit snugly in the adapter, etc. etc.
Here is the translation based on your original text, keeping the tone natural and accurate to the repair process:
“There is actually another mechanism for the power connection. Underneath the circuit board, there are two metal leaves with a tiny gap between them. When you half-press the shutter, these leaves touch to complete the circuit and light up the LEDs.
I started by cleaning the circuit board like you suggested, but it didn’t help. I decided to remove the board entirely, and that’s when I found those two metal leaves were permanently touching, which caused the LEDs to stay on. The process of putting it back together was absolute torture. You have to place the bottom metal leaves under the shutter button, but at the same time, ensure the metering gears don’t get misaligned. After spending an hour on this, I finally managed to restore the half-press metering function.”
https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogRepair/comments/1qcskrs/rollei_35te_metering_leds_wont_turn_off_repair/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Thanks for sharing! This is super helpful info. I had no idea that mechanism existed on the underside of the board. I will add your link to the article for visibility.