Agfa Record
The Agfa Record is the name received by a series of folding medium format cameras for 6x9 cm pictures on 120 film, made by the Agfa camera works in Münich (Germany).
Contents
Description
The Agfa Record is a vertical, self-erecting 6x9 medium format folder. Its dimensions are 162 mm x 98 mm x 43 mm (closed), 162 mm x 98 mm x 125 mm (open, W x H x D).
The Agfa Record had a chromed top housing and, on top of it, centered, there is an accessory flash shoe attached with one single screw. The wheel advance is always located at photographer's left hand, and there is one button next to it for opening the front door. The shutter release button is located at the right side of the cover, and the button can accomodate a remote cable.
Lens is always a multicoated, front-element focusing 105mm lens, with minimum focusing distance of about 1m/3ft. It can be one of Agfa's triplets (Agnar, Apotar) or Tessar-like formulation (Solinar), in all cases with maximum aperture of f/4.5 adjustable up to f/32. It has double exposure prevention mechanism. The external leatherette has Agfa's logo embossed on the front, and the model name is both embossed on the leatherette and engraved in a plate fitted to the lens bed.
Models
The Record series followed a naming convention similar to that used for the Agfa Isolette series.
Agfa Record I
Agfa Record 1 image by Raúl Sá Dantas (Image rights) |
The Agfa Record I is a direct viewfinder 6x9 folding camera.
It has the film advance wheel at the left side of the top cover, opposite to a sliding depth-of-field calculator. Typically, it has a 4-speed Pronto shutter with 25-200 speeds, but it was available as an option with Prontor, Prontor-S or Prontor-SV.
Agfa Record II
image by Paul Clayton (Image rights) |
The Agfa Record II is a direct viewfinder 6x9 folding camera.
Instead of the DOF calculator available on the previous model, some Record II units (like the pictured at the right here) have a sliding button to lock the shutter release button (acting as kind of "T" mode).
Typically, it has a 8-speed Prontor, Prontor-S or Prontor-SV shutter with 1-250 speeds plus B mode.
Agfa Record III
Agfa Record III image by Alfredo Cofré (Image rights) |
The main difference of the Agfa Record III model is the inclusion of an uncoupled[1] rangefinder, quite similar to that used on the Agfa Isolette. The rangefinder is operated with a small knurled thumb-wheel on the right hand of the raised part of the top housing, and the distance is read off and transferred to the lens, which has front-element focusing like all the Record.
Typically, it has a 8-speed Prontor, Prontor-S or Prontor-SV shutter with 1-250 speeds plus B mode.
Notes
- ↑ Uncoupled means that the distance is measured with the coincident rangefinder, then take the distance read and transfer it to the lens by rotating the front element.
Links
In English:
In French:
- Agfa Record II, Agfa Record III on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand
In Spanish:
- Agfa Record Series at Historia de Bolsillo by J. Noir