I see the new headline article is on the Rolleiflex.
A TLR is a world away from the electronic gizmos we buy these days. The first place I worked, everything was shot on a Rolleiflex, the work we did was commercial, PR, Industrial and offshore marine, weekends was weddings and portraits. All done on Rolleiflex TLR (there was also an SL66, but it was more trouble than it was worth).
It's difficult for a digital 35mm user to understand how you could cover everything with a 12 shot manual camera, how you compose a ship at sea from a fast RIB with a reversed image to look at. How a fixed lens did it all, ok not the first choice for wildlife or sport, but day to day it did everything, day in day out.
I own a couple of Rolle's now a 3.5F and an Art Deco. It still has never been beaten for ease of use or pleasure of use for me. If I want to relax and take pictures for myself, I reach for the 'flex.
I have even taken it up in the air on paid jobs for fun and it performed perfectly well with a 1/500th top speed wide open with 160iso colour neg.
I've said it many times before, if taking pictures was just a hobby for me, old film cameras is all I would bother with, in fact I keep buying them, the latest being a Linhof Technika 5x7. Not only have these cameras worked beautifully for 30+ years, they show no sign of not working for another 30+ years, add in the fact they hold their value very well (even increase if you are clever).
It's good to see another generation getting it with these machines.
A 2.8 is expensive for a Rolleiflex, the 3.5F is often thought to have the better lens by many and some early tests show this to be true. It's only 1/2 a stop slower after all. Rolleicords are not to be dismissed either, not quite the Rolls Royce feel but good for the money.
I also have a Minolta Autocord, I much prefer the TLR's like Rolleiflex to the more cumberson Mamiya offerings, all that extra weight for removable lens took away the charm for me, better off with the Hasselblad.
I would recommend everyone having some weeks with a TLR just to see if it fits you.
Kevin.