Company Strategy

More than any other industry, the photographic market today is subject to constant change. The extraordinarily rapid growth of digital photography during the past few years has opened up a wealth of new possibilities - not only with respect to high pixel counts and seemingly boundless features in digital cameras, but also with regard to an ever closer bond between IT and photography. Thus, devices and accessories for using and processing digital images and data have gained considerable importance in addition to the traditional analog or digital cameras for the professional or consumer market.

These far-reaching changes in the photographic industry have been duly noted also at the world-famous Rollei company. New product lines address entirely new, young target groups. However, the traditional strength of the Rollei brand remains clearly in the foreground. Classical business fields are cultivated unchanged, and existing markets are serviced and extended like in the past. Thus, Rollei will keep offering and upgrading their well-known middle-format cameras and photographic systems for professional users, relying more than ever on their highly reputed quality standards.

In addition, however, the company will exploit new market segments with a wide assortment of digital cameras and multimedia accessories, such as USB memory sticks and MP3 players, presenting itself as a trend-oriented supplier.

With its extensive customer service, a consistent cooperation with specialized photo dealers and a well-targeted brand communication on all levels, Rollei is a modern, future-oriented and highly competitive enterprise.

The History

The company's founders Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke wanted to build cameras which were perfect and easy to handle. They wanted to make photography not only accessible to the professional photographer but to the wide range of amateurs. In 1929, the result was the legendary "twin-lens" which became the standard tool of professional photographers and the dream of every amateur enthusiast.

The "twin-lens" formed the beginning of a long line of product developments. Others followed and among them the launch of the Rollei 35 in 1966, the Rollei SL 66 with built-in bellow, the first electronically controlled medium format camera Rolleiflex SLX, the 35 mm SLR camera SL 2000F with interchangeable magazines or the dissolve projectors which still are unique.

The philosophy behind these successful products has remained the driving force through which Rollei has repeatedly succeeded in achieving solutions which are geared to the wishes of the users and frequently set an example for entire camera generations.

After a long and changing history, Rollei presents itself today as the specialist for high quality and demanding photographic tasks, in particular for the recording and projection of pictures for the professional photographer and the upper end of the amateur sector.

Always on the assumption that products bearing the name Rollei represent something special, they must be of high optical and mechanical precision, be easy to handle and to operate, and be durable and of lasting value.

In this context, new products for digital imaging and close-range photogrammetry open up new fields of applications.