Agfa Box-Spezial

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The Box-Spezial (or perhaps Box-Special [1]) is a metal-bodied box camera for 6x9 cm exposures on 120 film (Agfa's B2 film size), made by Agfa in about 1931.[2] It is Agfa's model 64, and the better of two box cameras offered in an early-1930s Agfa brochure; the other is the Box I.[3] The Box-Spezial has brilliant finders (rather than the Box I's Watson-type finders) for horizontal and vertical use. It has an 'I'-and-'B' shutter, but with a cable-release socket. Further, the brochure states that, by setting the shutter-release lock after opening the shutter on 'B', 'T'-shutter is possible, which might allow the use of flash with the (unsynchronised) camera.[3] There is a sliding tab control above the lens to select one of three fixed apertures (f/11 - f/22), as illustrated here. The brochure states that the lens has wider aperture than that of the Box I.[3] Most impressively, it has three-zone focusing. Despite its distinctly superior specification, the Box-Spezial cost 16.50 Marks in the brochure cited, compared to 14.50 Marks for the Box I.[3]


Notes

  1. The name is engraved on the lens bezel with a 'z', but is spelt with a 'c' everywhere in the text of the brochure cited below.
  2. McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). p21.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Die Agfa Photographie; brochure of the early 1930s (no earlier than 1931, since the Agfa Billy Jgetar 8.8 has been redesignated as the Billy I, but still listing all but the largest of the Standard cameras, discontinued in 1933 according to McKeown).