One of the joys of shooting vintage cameras is discovering combinations that were never intended by their original designers. Photographer Gregory Taylor ( k6gst on Instagram and Flickr) recently spent time pairing the Rollei A26 with the FPP Fakmatic Pro 126 Adapter, and the results were surprisingly impressive.
At first glance, the Rollei A26 is a wonderfully compact camera – about the size of a deck of cards. Opening the front cover extends the lens and reveals the shutter button, while closing it advances the film and protects the lens. Like other ratchet-advance cameras, it’s fast, fun, and satisfying to shoot.
Unlike many inexpensive 126 cameras, the A26 is a fairly sophisticated model. It features fully automatic exposure and zone focusing with both pictograms and distance markings. While it originally required a 1.3v mercury battery, a modern 1.5v or Wein zinc-air replacement works well.
Shooting FPP 126 Single-Perforation Film
The good news is that the Rollei A26 works exceptionally well with the FPP Fakmatic or Fakmatic Pro and FPP’s single-perforation 126 film. Gregory found that frame spacing was nearly perfect, with only a slight amount of overlap between frames if any at all.
Like many DIY film projects, occasional imperfections can happen. Gregory noticed a few scratches near the bottom of some frames, though it’s difficult to determine whether they came from the cartridge, the camera, or loading the film. Fortunately, they were minor and didn’t detract from the overall results.
What About Regular 35mm Film?
The Fakmatic Pro also allows you to load standard 35mm film into the camera, but there’s one important trick.
Because the Rollei A26 wasn’t designed to count standard 35mm perforations, consecutive frames will overlap if you simply shoot normally.
Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround:
- Take your photograph.
- Advance the film.
- Fire one blank exposure with the lens covered (Gregory simply presses the camera against his leg).
- Advance again, and you’re ready for the next photograph.
This produces clean frame spacing while wasting very little film.
Of course, if you’re feeling creative, you can also embrace the overlapping frames and use them as an artistic collage effect.
Film Choice Matters
Gregory found that Kodak Gold 200 produced the best overall exposures with the camera’s automatic meter.
ISO 400 films tended to overexpose slightly, likely because the Fakmatic adapter doesn’t provide the original ISO notch information that commercial 126 cartridges once used. The camera appears to default to a lower film speed, making 200 ISO a particularly good match.
A Few Tips
Before heading out, remember these simple points:
- Cover the red frame counter window with black tape since modern film lacks the paper backing of original 126 cartridges.
- Without a frame counter, keep track of your exposures manually.
- The Fakmatic Pro includes a small end-of-roll stopper that lets you know when you’ve reached the end of the film.
- And don’t forget—126 is a square format, so rotating the camera for vertical shots doesn’t change the composition!
Final Thoughts
The Rollei A26 proves to be one of the more enjoyable cameras we’ve tested with the FPP Fakmatic Pro. It’s compact, beautifully built, easy to carry, and delivers excellent results with FPP single-perforation 126 film. Even standard 35mm film becomes a practical option once you learn the simple blank-frame technique.
If you’ve been looking for an inexpensive vintage 126 camera that offers a little more refinement than the average Instamatic, the Rollei A26 is well worth adding to your collection. Combined with the Fakmatic Pro, it gives this classic camera a whole new lease on life.