Iloca Electric

A step too far?

http://www.ukcamera.com/images/frontiloca.jpg

Introduced in 1959 at a price a shade under the Leica M2 and with no name "cachet" Iloca had entered a market far above the one they had been familiar with. The camera was a direct challenge to Robot-Foto's pre-eminence in the motor driven market place with its Robot Royal and Star 2 cameras. In terms of technology, electric drive (the motor was powered by four AA cells and was housed in the take up spool) was far superior to the clockwork drive of the Robots. However the Robot range had a more extensive lens range (8) as opposed to four and a good reliability record and most importantly of all, dominated the industrial and scientific market for this type of camera. The emergence of the Japanese SLR at a similar price could not have helped either.

Pricing and probably size (it was rather on the large side!) killed it stone dead in the European market. In the USA, marketed by Graflex, the price was not so much of an obstacle and it sold better.

http://www.ukcamera.com/images/ilocatop.jpg

In terms of handling, two frames were visible in the viewfinder (135mm & 50mm) with the whole viewfinder the boundary for the 35mm. The rangefinder circular spot is none too clear these days and one wonders if this was an original design fault.

The depth of field on the lens was outlined by two movable red arrows identical to the lenses of the contemporary Retina IIIS & Retina Reflex S. This is not too surprising, as it was part of the Deckel family of interchangeable lenses. With a small adaptation Retina & Voigtländer lenses (Not to mention Baldamatic III & the ill fated Edixa Electronic) can be made to fit. This probably was not obvious in the 1950s because each lens carried its own distinctive branding and the mount would not fit another make.

The shutter was a ten speed (1/500 - 1 sec) LV Synchro Compur and has an easier and more definite system of selection than the contemporary Retina "wheel". A bayonet lens mount meant the aperture blades were behind the lens.

http://www.ukcamera.com/images/2ilocas.jpg

Contemporary Iloca's had the most complicated back release method of any camera. The Automatic was probably the most difficult to get into, but the Electric is the most difficult to re-assemble! The back comes off in one piece, but woe betide you if you refit it backwards! (easy to do, for the red marker dot is not exactly conspicuous) Look forward to hours of fun while you partially dismantle the camera!

Handling is dominated by size. Think, the Nikon F of rangefinder cameras! Taller than most reflexes of the period and nearly as wide. Solid is the word I would use. The automatic wind on is reasonably quiet and efficient. No fast motor drive this, but on a par with most 1990s film compacts.

In terms of pricing, the Iloca version is now worth double that of the Graflex, but other than the inscription on the top and a little Graflex badge, there are no other differences. Agfa modified the design in regard to the lens with a fixed f2.8 Solinar substituted for the interchangeable mount, but the main structure of the camera lived on into the sixties as the Agfa Selecta m.

As AA cells are commonly available, this is still a workable rangefinder for you to try - though with a limited choice of lenses - unless you are handy with a file! In which case, all the various Retina & Voigtländer lenses are available to you.

Links

• Iloca Electric at ukcamera.com