Agfa Ambi Silette is a interchangeable lenses 35mm film rangefinder camera manufactured by Agfa Kamerawerk AG, in Munich, West Germany, and produced between 1957-1961. The Ambi Silette was the interchangeable lens member of the Silette range of Agfa cameras which included viewfinders called Silette and fixed lens rangefinders called Silette Super (Sold in the USA as ANSCO Memar and Super Memar). The Ambi Silette was not rebranded by ANSCO.
The Ambi-Silette had variable brightline framelines and parallax correction, which are selected manually for the 50, 35 and 90mm lenses to match the lenses available.
There were two types of Ambi Silette produced, with the second type appearing in 1959. The most significant change to the camera was a revised rangefinder with a 5mm wider base, probably to match the 130mm lens that was launched at the time other changes included: [1][2]
- Addition of strap lugs
- 35mm Frame Lines disappear when 90mm Frame Lines are selected
- Change in order of Frame Lines from 35-50-90 to 50-35-90
- Exposure counter changed from additive to subtractive order
- Cosmetic changes to the film advance lever and film reminder dial
Specifications
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Ambi Silette Type II (1959)
with interchangeable lenses and 130mm viewfinder
image by eBayer ellawr-50 (Image rights)
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- Lenses: Standard, Agfa Color-Solinar 50mm f/2.8, four elements in 3 groups, There are three other Agfa lenses which are compatible with the camera: [3] [4][5]
- 35mm f/4 Color-Ambion (4 elements in 3 groups)
- 90mm f/4 Color-Telinear (5 elements in 4 groups)
- 130mm f/4 Color-Telinear (6 elements - requires extra viewfinder)
- Recently a 35mm f/2.8 Schneider Curtagon (Agfa Typ 4401-100) was reported by Wes Loder[6] and seems to be a prototype.
- Mount: bayonet, very easy mounting, filter size 37mm slip-on or 35.5mm screw-on
- Lens release: press the catch on the lower front of the lens mount and simultaneously turn the lens counter clock-wise gripping the fixed milled ring on the lens; Aperture: f/2.8-f/22
- Focusing: matching yellow rangefinder images in the finder, via turning the ring on the lens, w/DOF scale; Focus range: 1-10m +inf
- Shutter: Synchro-Compur leaf shutter speeds: 1-1/500 +B; Setting : ring and scale on the shutter, behind the lens, w/ two little handles
- Shutter release: on the right of the top plate, w/ cable release socket
- View finder: coupled view/rangefinder, matching yellow images, w/ bright-line frames, parallax correction by a switch on the top plate adjusts to the 35-50-90mm lenses, the 130mm lens required a separate viewfinder
- Flip-up protecting cover on the view- and rangefinder windows on front of the camera
- Cocking lever: also winds the film, short stroke, on the right of the top plate
- Frame counter: coupled with winding lever, advance type, manual setting
- Self-timer: the small green lever must point to V of the dial on the top of the shutter, after exposure and winding it turns to X
- Flash PC socket: on the right of the shutter, M 1/60-1/500, X 1/30 flash-synch, adjustment via the small green lever on the top of the shutter
- Others: Cold-shoe; Memory dial; Tripod socket 1/4 inch; Supporting slide on the front of the bottom plate
- Back cover: Hinged, opens by the latch on the left side of the camera
- Body: metal; Weight
Notes
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