The Rolleiflex Digital TLR That Was Too Good To Be True

A few weeks ago, an intriguing “Coming Soon” tweet popped up in my Twitter feed, teasing the announcement of a new Rolleiflex digital TLR. I gave the tweet a like and followed the account since the idea of a twin lens digital camera sounded interesting, although strange, and thought little of it until the account issued another tweet titled “My Apology.”

By the time college student Josh Knox issued his apology for what turned out to be a “study on the world of product pirating and the spread of misinformation on the internet,” the news had already spread rapidly and been picked up by a number of sites. Photographers were understandably excited about the prospect of such a unique camera, and many people fell for the rouse promising a digital Rolleiflex in April 2023. The “Coming Soon” tweet was viewed over 120,000 times, and retweeted hundreds of times. 

The replies to this tweet ranged from the old standard, “Shut up and take my money now,” to heartfelt pleas not to play with photographers’ emotions. Some people realized it was a hoax and tried to bring reason to the discussion, but the news spread rapidly despite reservations. Ultimately, hearts were broken, dreams were crushed, and one BFA student was forced to apologize for what he considered a harmless school project.

“I never expected the project to grow into what it did.”

Josh didn’t realize that Rollei was, in fact, still in business, when he decided to use their name for his fake digital TLR account. Rollei still produces a variety of photographic equipment, although they stopped making cameras in 2014. Once the cat was out of the bag, the account name was changed from “Official Rolleiflex,” to “Fans of Rollei,” and the apology was issued detailing what had happened.

Luckily for Josh, there has been little blowback to his prank other than some sites needing to print corrections or retractions, as well as a bunch of disappointed photographers on Twitter. Regarding his project, I for one thinks this kid deserves an A in his pirating course.