2026-04-11 Rollei E15B Electronic Flash

This Rollei E15B electronic flash was made from 1971 to 1978 as the most basic of the many flash Rollei made for their Rollei 35 line of compact cameras. Camera and flash were distinctive together as the camera’s accessory shoe was on the bottom of the camera so the flash projected from the bottom. To avoid shadows being cast above the subjects you would have had to hold the rig upside down.

   When you see the camera has its accessory shoe at the far left end of body, you can see the method to this design. The flash ends up above the lens!
   The E15B and some of its larger, more automatic and powerful flash shared this wide shape—following the thickness of the camera body— at a time when almost all flash were built perpendicular to the camera body.
   The original Rollei 35 camera made its debut in 1966 and was still being made in 1998 (although that last model—and that model only—had the accessory shoe on the top!). The production number for the E15B (Electronic—15—Battery) flash is 659,000.
   The flash covered the angle of view of a 35 mm lens. All the Rollei 35 camera models had 40 mm lenses. The flash has a guide number of 19 in meters, 60 in feet for ASA 100 film. It uses two AA batteries and recycles in 8.5 seconds. Its Rollei product number is #440010.

The battery door is pretty unique as it “catches” at both ends and is held in place by the batteries holding it tight. Without batteries, the door can fall off and get lost.
The PC cable for this flash—supplied as an accessory in your choice of three camera fittings—locks into the flash with a release that doubles as the open flash switch.

Rollei35S image from McKeown’s Price Guide to Antique & Classic Cameras—2001-2002

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