Isolette
The Agfa Jsolette/Isolette [1] is a horizontal-folding medium format camera made by Agfa Kamerawerk AG, Munich, Germany. This folder first came on the market as the Jsorette/Isorette but had a name changed to Jsolette/Isolette quite soon. Then, from late 1937 the writing form of I (like J) in the camera name changed again as Isolette. There are two distinct models of the first Jsorette/Jsolette/Isolette series: the early one (before and during WW2) and the later (post WW2) one. Operation of the Jsolette is completely manual. All Jsorette/Jsolette/Isolette series produced between 1936/37-1950.
Contents
Isolette camera models
The Agfa Isolette models include:
- Agfa Isorette (the name writing as Jsorette) 1936 (Some sources say 1937)
- Agfa Isolette (the name writing as Jsolette) 1937
- Agfa Isolette (Early model, lens f/6.3) 1937-42
- Agfa Isolette (Late model of Isolette f/6.3, lens f/4.5) 1946-50
- Agfa Isolette I 1952-60
- Agfa Isolette II 1950-60
- Agfa Isolette III 1952-58
- Agfa Isolette V 1950-52
- Agfa Isolette L 1957-60
Jsolette/Isolette early model
This folder first came on the market as the Isorette (the name writing as Jsorette) but the name changed to Isolette (the name writing as Jsolette) quite soon. From late 1937 the name's writing changed again to Isolette. This means that very early 1936/37 models have a Jsolette writing (=Isolette) on the front plate leatherette of the camera. Isolette production lasted till 1942.
This model was called in Germany during the WWII times the "Soldatenkamera" (soldiers camera) also.
One of the very distinctive features is the topcover which is made of a plastic called "Trolitan".
There were different lens/shutter combinations possible.
It was a dual format camera. By using 2 internal mask halves it could be changed from the 6x6cm format to the 4.5x6 format.
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| Early model Agfa Jsolette/Isolette by RaúlM (Image rights) |
- Year of release: 1936/37
- Film Format: 12 exp. 6x6 or 16 exp. 4.5x6 on 120 type rollfilm.
- Shutter: Vario, Pronto, Prontor II, Compur or Compur-Rapid.
- Lens: Jgestar (later Igestar) 6.3/8.5cm, Apotar 4.5/8.5cm or Solinar 4.5/8.5cm.
- Viewfinder: optical direct vision viewfinder
The Vario shutter is on very early models which name's writings as Jsorette and Jsolette, but there is no shutter name on the lens-shutter barrel.
On the early Jsolettes/Isolettes the front focusing element were frozen in time which is apparently typical.
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| Agfa Jsolette/Isolette, 1936/37, from the first production year of the Isolette series
Images by Süleyman Demir (Image rights) | ||||||||
Jsolette/Isolette late model
The late model was made from 1945 till 1950 with the name Jsolette/Isolette. Again an unusual topcover material, this time cast-Hydronalium alloy (Nüral). There were different lens/shutter combinations possible. Other changes from the early model are to one film format only (6x6) and the addition of an accessory shoe (above the viewfinder).
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| Late model Agfa Jsolette/Isolette by Hans Kerensky (Image rights) |
- Year of release: 1945
- Film Format: 12 exp. 6x6 on 120 type rollfilm.
- Shutter: Prontor, Prontor-S or Compur-Rapid.
- Lens: Apotar 4.5/8.5cm or Solinar 4.5/8.5cm.
- Double exposure prevention.
- Viewfinder: optical direct vision viewfinder
Notes and References
- ↑ The writing of Isolette looks like Jsolette because it is written with an old German capital letter "I" which resembles a "J", pronounced Isolette, and later changed with the new form of the "I" , in 1937. info from: Old German Letters
Bibliography
Original documents
- McKeown's, Price Guide to Antique & Classic Cameras, 12th Edition 2005.
