Agfa Isolette (1937-1942)

Agfa Isolette (1937-1942)

#402

This photo is from the copy I own

History and technical features 

The Isolette is a compact horizontal-folding camera for twelve 6×6 cm (2¼-inch square) pictures (or sixteen 4.5×6 cm (2¼×1⅝ inch) pictures, with the first model of the camera) on 120 film. It was made by Agfa Kamerawerk AG, Munich, Germany, from 1937, and the series of cameras continued until about 1960.

Some of the series were sold (and some made) in North America by Ansco as Speedex models.

The cameras are as follows:
The original Isolette (1937-42)
Isolette 4.5 (1945-50)
Isolette V (1950-52)
Isolette I (1951-58)
Isolette II (1950-60)
Isolette III (1952-58)
Isolette L (1957-60)
   
There was also the Super Isolette (1954-60), a coupled-rangefinder camera.

Source: camera-wiki.org


Specifications

This first model (1937-42) is a dual format camera. It has hinged masks in the film chamber (they pivot around the spindle of the film rollers on each side of the film gate), to change it from the 6×6 cm format to 4.5×6 cm. There is also a mask for the viewfinder, put in place with a selector lever by the eyepiece.

It first came on the market as the Isorette (embossed in the leatherette of the front door/lens bed as JSORETTE), but the name was changed to Isolette (again, marked on the camera as JSOLETTE) within a year, with no significant change to the camera itself.

One of the distinctive features of the camera is the top housing, made of a plastic called 'Trolitan'; the post-War camera has a cast aluminium top housing. This camera also has loops to attach a strap, the only version of the Isolette to have these.

Different lens and shutter combinations were available, allowing a wide range of levels of specification. All have front-element focusing. The shutter release is on the body. Film advance is by a wide, flat knob, using a red window; there are two red windows in the back, one for each film format, and a swivelling cover for the upper (4.5×6 cm) one. There is a swing-out spool holder on the supply side of the film chamber. This model was called the "Soldatenkamera" (soldier's camera) in Germany during the War.

Year of release: 1937
Film Format: 12 exp. 6x6 or 16 exp. 4.5x6 on 120 type rollfilm.
Shutter: Vario, Pronto, Prontor II, Compur or Compur-Rapid.
Lens: 8.5 cm f/6.3 Igestar, f/4.5 Agnar, f/4.5 Apotar or f/4.5 Solinar.
Viewfinder: reverse-Galilean viewfinder
The earliest cameras have Vario shutters which are not labelled as such.

Source: camera-wiki.org


Model

First model (1937-42), dual format camera


Reference sites

camera-wiki.org

ken.lyndrup.dk


Manual

English Manual


Film


Pictures taken with this machine


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