RFX6000 Battery Type: Compatible Cameras

RFX6000 is the shorthand name for the proprietary battery pack used in the Rolleiflex 6000 series of medium format cameras. The original is a NiCd pack with a nominal voltage of 9.6 V in a distinctive six-pin cage, although only three of the pins are actually soldered inside (positive, negative and a thermistor that monitors charging). Today, virtually all of the original NiCd cells are unusable due to age, and no commercial manufacturer makes a like-for-like replacement any more.

The original RFX6000 cage is mechanically and electrically compatible with every camera in the Rolleiflex 6000 system family: Rolleiflex SLX (the original model, from 1976), Rolleiflex 6002, Rolleiflex 6006 (including the model 2), Rolleiflex 6003 (SRC 1000 and Professional), Rolleiflex 6001 and the 6008 series (6008 Professional, 6008i, 6008 E). Our battery adapter is designed for the SLX, 6001, 6002, 6003 and 6006, not for the 6008 series; a new version that should also work on the 6008 is in the works. If you’d like to hear as soon as it’s ready, sign up for the waiting list. We haven’t tested the 6001 RCC ourselves; you’ll find details and our accommodating returns policy in the listing. Which fuse rating (0.8 A, 1.0 A or 1.25 A) needs to go in the cage depends on the exact model. According to rolleigraphy.eu: 0.8 A for the SLX, 6002 and 6006 (original versions); 1.0 A for the 6006 model 2 and 6003 SRC 1000; 1.25 A for the 6001 Professional and 6003 Professional. You’ll find the complete compatibility list, with a search function, at the top of this page.

After 30 to 40 years of service, the original NiCd packs are dead almost without exception. NiCd cells suffer from memory effect, self-discharge and chemical ageing of the electrodes, so trying to revive them is rarely worthwhile. Original NiCd packs are no longer made, and the EU Battery Directive 2006/66/EC has also severely restricted portable NiCd batteries for the consumer market. If you use a Rolleiflex 6000 today, you essentially have three options: have an old cage rebuilt with NiMH cells (for example by a specialist Rollei repair shop such as Paepke Fototechnik; you must have the old cage for this, so it's not an option for cameras bought without a battery), have a professional Li-ion conversion done by a specialist service such as Wiese Fototechnik (this also requires the cage) or, for the SLX, 6001, 6002, 6003 and 6006, use a modern complete adapter such as our RFX6000 replacement battery based on 14500 Li-ion cells.

We've developed a complete battery adapter v2 for the Rolleiflex 6000 series that combines the advantages of modern Li-ion technology with the safety of a professional conversion, at the price of a hobbyist solution. It's designed for the SLX, 6001, 6002, 6003 and 6006, not for the 6008 series; a version for the 6008 is in the works. Three key features set it apart from the notorious DIY adapters known in the community for destroying main boards:

• Three Nitecore NL1411R 14500 cells, each charged individually via USB-C (1100 mAh, 3 A continuous discharge according to the datasheet), each with its own protection circuit: no risky series charging, no balancing needed, and every cell monitors its own temperature and voltage. The peak voltage of 12.6 V is within the tolerance specified by Rollei itself (the official Rollei Power Interface 30 017 accepts 12–18 V DC).
• Model-specific fuse: all three correct fuses (0.8 A / 1.0 A / 1.25 A) come as standard in a storage box, and you fit the one that matches your model yourself. This rules out the most common way the eBay adapters cause damage, as they simply fitted every model with the same 1.25 A fuse, which reacts too slowly.
• Complete set and cage-only version: within Germany we ship the complete set including batteries and Y charging cable; internationally (USA, EU, worldwide) there's a cage-only version without lithium, for which you source the Nitecore cells locally. Splitting it this way avoids the high UN3481 lithium shipping surcharges.

Important: the most common cause of failure in the 6000 series isn't the battery but a combination of ageing capacitors on the camera's circuit board and gummed-up grease in the motors and shutter. If the fuse keeps blowing, it's time for a professional service (CLA). You'll find details and repair shop recommendations in our background article on the Rolleiflex 6000 battery problem.