Rollei Prego 90 Point and Shoot

Rollei Prego 90 Point and Shoot 

DESCRIPTION

The Rollei Prego 90 gives you the best of both world's, optically speaking. Its Varioapogon 28-90mm lens zooms long enough for distortion-free head-and-shoulders portraits, yet is wide enough on the short end for tight interiors, big views and architectural subjects. What's more, its wide-angle capability means you can move in close to a subject and still show an interesting background.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 38  
[Aug 07, 2020]
johnny


Strength:

Multi exposure, exposure compensation, 28mm, Schneider Kreuznach lens, easy to use, good exposure in low light. price is good. 30,- € in good condition.

Weakness:

Big it is.

Purchased:
Used  
OVERALL
RATING
4
[Mar 13, 2013]
Christos Theofilogiannakos
Intermediate

Strength:

Very good lens (although prone to flare)
Looks

Weakness:

Too big for any pocket.
Needs two expensive lithium batteries.
The viewfinder is plain laughable.
Feels cheap.

A classic P&S camera from the 90's, now a toy for us remaining film lovers. The Schneider-Kreuznach lens is very sharp with minimal distortion but it is flare-prone, AF is very fast and accurate. Multiple exposure and panorama mode available, but the good stuff ends here. Samsung has given it a really cheap feel, it is too bulky for all but the largest coat pockets, it takes two expensive C123 lithium batteries and the viewfinder is ridiculous. The Pentax Espio 928 is a much better and more widely available camera.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax Espio 928, Minolta Riva 70W. Both better cameras.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jul 29, 2002]
Kenneth Nyberg
Intermediate

Strength:

Fast, sharp & contrasty lens with good colour saturation, lots of features including exp. comp. (+/-3EV) & snap mode (fixed focus 1.1-13m at 28mm)

Weakness:

Vignetting at wide end, focus & exposure accuracy not always so good, less than crystal-clear user interface

The Rollei Prego 90 is not quite like any other compact camera: a sharp, fast 28-90 lens in a somewhat oversized and heavy body loaded with lots of unusual features (for a P&S). I agree with earlier reviewers that some of these functions have doubtful value and will tend to confuse casual snapshooters, but for more experienced photographers some of them can be useful. In my experience the lens is quite sharp throughout most of the zoom range, the exception being the extreme ends. At the tele end, the lack of sharpness could be due to camera shake, though, since I haven’t really tested it under controlled conditions on a tripod. What sets the lens apart, however, is the fact that images from it are invariably contrasty and rendered with deep, rich colours and a quite unique look which is hard to describe but very appealing. At its best, then, the camera gives results comparable to a basic SLR outfit in overall quality. But there are also weaknesses, as noted by many reviewers here. The major drawback in my view is vignetting, which can be quite severe at the wide end (28mm, sometimes also at 35) unless shooting in mid-day bright sun, when dark corners will still be noticeable but not significant. Also, it seems to me that the Prego is more susceptible to focus & exposure errors than other point & shoots I have owned (see below), and more pictures are blurry due to camera shake than I’m used to. But as always, when you’ve used the camera for a while you get to learn the weak spots and can compensate, at least to some degree. In all, I would say that the Rollei Prego 90 is capable of very high quality images in the hands of a photographer who knows what s/he’s doing and who isn’t daunted by its somewhat complex user interface. In that sense, it’s not really literally a “point and shoot” camera. I would like to give the Prego a five star rating, but since I think top marks should be reserved for truly superior products that are flawless or at least very close to perfect, I’m giving it four stars. Five stars for value, though, since you’re getting quite some bang for the buck if you pay what I paid for it.

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

Konica Z-up 70 Super, Konica Lexio 70, Yashica T4 Super (T5), Kodak Instamatic for 110 film (long time ago...)

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 13, 2002]
Well Hui
Intermediate

Strength:

Very sharp and good contrast pictures even better than my Canon EOS Elan II-E with 28-105 lens. Good flash pictures. Good zoom range, low distortion. Picture quality similar to Yashica T4-Super but with zoom. Good large aperature. Good exposure control.

Weakness:

None for me except it is too big in today''s standard. However, no small camera has F3.6 maximum aperature.

This is one of the best Point and Shoot at any price range. You can get a Contax TVS-III but it has only 28-56mm. Its lens is SLR quality (according to the 1996 review from Popular Photography). It took better pictures than my Canon EOS II-E. I am now carrying the Rollei for all snapshots and leave the EOS at home. Too bad Rollei had go to a cheaper and smaller aperature lens on all new model like the Rollei Prego 100.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Z135, Olympus Styles Epic, Olympus Styles, Fuji DL Super Mini, Canon EOS Elan II-E

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 28, 2001]
whrtam88
Intermediate

Strength:

1) The lens!! 2) Inexpensive 3) Durable - I dropped it onto solid ground from a height of 3 feet and it survives. 4) exposure compensation control

I tend to use this small baby for light travelling much more than my Nikon FM. The Lens is terrific! Pictures produced have been extremely sharp and colourful. Picture quality is at par or oven better than my AF 50MM F1.8 prime. But the Rollei is lighter and easier to handle. 90MM provides more versatility, but the image is softer than that in shorter focal length. I found 35mm to 50mm to be my most frequently used focal lengths and they deliver the best picture quality. Its excellent picture quality tells why Rollei can survive for such a long time in the photographic world. I intended to acquire the new AFM35, because of its lens and the 38mm fixed focal length. However, I have declined to do so as exposure compensation can only do done by a single choice of +2EV for backlight compensation. The AEB is incomparable to the normal compensation. I don''t want to shoot 3 flames of the same scene with AEB. I would have bought the AFM35 straight, if it had a dedicated dial for exposure compensation (like the Contax T2) and an exposure lock. Why all the deluxe compacts do not offer these features, except the T2 but it is slow in focus/shooting! Then I won''t need a SLR anymore except for tele and macro, for which I seldom do. Why Rollei doesn''t make it after seeing the T2, T3 and Minilux. Very disappointing! It is also a shame that the T3 does not have a dial for exposure compensation like the T2 does.

Customer Service

Never

Similar Products Used:

Pentax zoom105 Fuji zoom date 70 (a very bad product)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 14, 2000]
Alison Yu
Beginner

Strength:

Strong flash, sharp len, many control over flash, strong body, excellent warranty

Weakness:

Too bulky, portrait mode is A LOT more than "head and shoulder"

I shot 6 rolls with this camera. The picture quality ranges from good to excellent. It seems to work best with Kodak film as pictures turn out crispy clear. I enlarged some pictures taken with Fuji film and they looked very clear with details.

The body is bulky; no question. But it is also durable. I can "feel" that this one won't break as easy as some other P&S. This is important to me as I mean to use the camera for a long long time (15+ years); a main reason why I bypass Samsung which produce effectively the same camera with a better len and lower price. I am always a little concern with the durability of Samsung products.

Flash is strong, and the camera allows you complete control of flash. You may want to lower flash strength for close up picture. Backlight compensation, by means of slower shutter, works great. I don't notice red eyes in pictures even when red eye reduction feature is not invoked.

Focus is sharp and narrow. I wish there is a feature that allow me to expand the focus narrowness a bit. I sometimes need it. Maybe I have not discovered the button for it yet. But for a single point focus, the focus narrowness is the best I have seen.

I used both ASA 200 and 400 films on it. The pictures taken with ASA 400 turns out quite "uncrisp". I sometimes wonder if the Schneider len will be better.

Warranty is excellent with 3 years. It beats the industry average head and shoulder. You don't need extended warranty with a manufacturer warranty like this.

Customer Service

None needed

Similar Products Used:

Ricoh

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[May 25, 2000]
D. Errol Neweton
Professional
Model Reviewed: Prego 90

Strength:

28-90 lens is fantastic. Schneider optics make for a very sharp image. Many flash functions allow for subjective control of lighting. Legendary Rollei precision. Durable. Trustworthy.

Weakness:

Bulky. Easy to confuse buttons on top and change settings. Rewind button hole is extremely tiny. Styling is a little lame. Takes awhile to cycle through settings when you first turn it on, while your subject(s) wait with faces frozen in rictus.

As a former AP photojournalist, I appreciate good equipment. If it doesn't work, it won't weigh me down - it's 86'd immediately. Also, I love wide angle, and I specifically chose this camera because: A. It had a 28-90 range. B. It had Schneider optics. I have searched for years for the perfect small camera that will shoot sharp chromes, with fast enough lenses and sharp resolution. I tried Contax TVS - it was okay but... I eventually went to Contax G2 with lenses. It's fabulous but not that small. ( However, try lugging Nikon F100 with 3-4 lenses and flash and accessories in Bangkok during Songkran Festival - end of HOT season, and you understand my obsession for small sharp cameras). Pentax makes a 928 that is a little smaller and has the same range as the Prego 90. I chose the Rollei primarily for the optics. It is sharp, and it is intuitive. It is a big ass point and shoot, and not easy to slip into the Speedos, but, I'd carry it as a primary camera if given an assignment in Kathmandu or somewhere, I trust the results that much. It's an excellent camera with a few very minor issues.

Customer Service

None needed

Similar Products Used:

Contax TVS, (28-56); Yashica T4 (Mercedes lens in VW body)

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 15, 2000]
L.Shepard
Intermediate
Model Reviewed: Prego 90

Strength:

Great lens-better than
my interchangeable slr.

Weakness:

Confusing overrides, bad instruction manual.

I am a fine arts appraiser who shoots 2 rolls per week for recording pruposes.I also use this as my travel camera. The results are always sharp, with great color fidelity. I swapped my OM 1/2 outfits for this in 1997 and have not regretted it. When I bought it it was $ 380 and worth every penny. AT $200 it is a steal. Only my 1940s Kodak Medalist II with an Ektar has as good a lens although my 1954 Retina (also Schneider) comes close.

Customer Service

Slow but ok. My first camera had a film transport proble, The replacement has been great.

Similar Products Used:

Olynpus P& S, Fuji P & S

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[May 10, 2000]
James Tehubijuluw
Expert
Model Reviewed: Prego 90

Strength:

Excellent lens and deliver sharp result. One of the wider P&S - 28mm.

Weakness:

Camera seems little bit bulky, manual need to be redone!!!

This is my first P&S. I was looking for zoom with 28mm. Minolta and Rollei has it. I choose Rollei because of the lens quality. For the price $169 this is a very good P&S if you do not mind the size of the camera. Results are superb.

Customer Service

None needed so far

Similar Products Used:

Olympus & Minolta P&S

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 08, 2000]
Desiree Villanueva
Casual
Model Reviewed: Prego 90

Strength:

Sharp optics; wide-angle to telephoto (28-90mm) lens; minimal distortion

Weakness:

A little bulky.

I have the Schneider lens. Pictures taken with this camera looks great; sharp, color is superb, and almost distortion-free. It works great with ISO 800 film. It's durable; I dropped it on the ground accidentally twice while I was on vacation, and it keeps on taking great pictures. I've had this camera for over a year now. It's the best point & shoot I've ever owned, I love it.

Customer Service

Have not used yet.

Similar Products Used:

Yashica T4 Super; Olympuc Stylus Epic

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 38  

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