Agfa Isolette III Is it a Pocket Hasselblad?
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2022
- Tustin CZcams
In preparation for an upcoming trip, I’m looking to bring a medium format camera with me. However, because of weight concerns, I’m looking at options. I came across an Agfa Isolette III folding camera. It takes up much less space in my bag and supposedly is comparable in quality to a Hasselblad. I load it with a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 and take the camera for a spin.
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Agfa Isollete III
Kodak Ektar 100
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A lightly built, simple 120 roll film camera . The lens is an Apotar, a 3-element lens which is fairly decent at smaller apertures, but no relation to a Hasselblad. Better than the cheaper Agnar (also 3-element), but far short of the performance of the Solinar, an excellent 4-element Tessar copy. Used with care, these cameras can be very effective. A bought the same camera as an Ansco rebranded item for $15 - it was in terrible shape but sound. The Ansco plastic bellows was full of holes, but I found a busted Isolette in a junk bin for $5 I swapped the bellows (the Isolette used good leather bellows instead of cheap plastic), cleaned the beach sand out of the rangefinder, lubed a few points, and ended up with a fully working camera.
Oh, man. You walked past the Morning Lavender van! That was such a nice pastel pink which would have been so nice. Oh, well.
Yeah. It was tough only having one shot left. I don’t know if I made the right choice! Haha
Ooh thanks youtube for recommending me your video, I have an Isolette II, but have been quite hesitant to try it because it will be my first time shooting on medium format, but your video made me really excited!
An old film teacher of mine said, “film is cheap, shoot away.” It’s not so cheap anymore, but the concept is still true to me. Go for it!
I wish I lived in the fifties, owned a camera company, and could have designed a camera. It would be a folder, between 6x7 and 6x9. I'm not certain on the negative size. Maybe 6x7.5 as that would print to 8x10 without cropping. It would open barn door style, like the Ingo or Vitessa, in a manner that the lens could be held very stable from both sides. It would focus from the film plane, like the Mamiya 6, with a good viewfinder/ rangefinder. It would have a Planar lens. I would want a wide-angle version, but I expect a faster standard angle would be more popular. With all of that done, I would want it to be reasonably compact, and made where it would not be too fragile, in a manner where the lens and other parts would be protected when the doors were closed.
I just saw a 6x9 version of this camera, at a shop near me. It’s definitely tempting to get.
I own this model with ,3.5 solinar lens 1/500 shutter speed, really the camera results are wonderful,immaculate in sharpness, and one must own it if avilable new or ingood condition, A Marvel of Agfa, leverkushen germany, SKPareek, Bhawanimandi, Raj, India
I've got the rare solinar 75mm f3.5 version. Just super sharp
Cool! It’s pretty amazing how good these are, despite their age.
Awesome camera!
I have one of these as well! The camera is simple to use and I always get asked if this is a real camera. It’s a beautiful camera for sure.
I would like to use it more. It’s pretty impressive in the simplicity and quality.
heck ! I just subscribed for your musical taste ... the guitar!!
Haha! Thank you! I’d rather use music from bands I like, but there’s copyright flags.
Not sure about it being A pocket Hasselblad ,but in terms of value/quality results /portability really superior !
Nice pics.
I have the Ansco version of that camera and slide it into my back pocket when climbing to get a photo. Compared to 35mm, any decent medium format shot looks like it was taken with a 'Blad.
I just picked up the Ansco version of this camera. I'd on it's way back to me from having the bellows replaced and the shutter and rangefinder getting a CLA. Can't wait to give it a try. I also have the Ansco Viking which is a 6x9 with the Agnar 4.5 It takes great shots so I'm looking forward to trying the Apotar. The viking is also coming back with a new bellows and CLA shutter!
Cool! Where are you having it CLA’d?
@@JohnDoukasPhotography I had them serviced together by Certo6. New bellows and CLA both very reasonably.
@@tgchism good to know. I’ve been eyeballing Zeiss Super Ikonta cameras. The 6x9’s also look like fun, but the shutter speed limit seems like a tough part.
@@JohnDoukasPhotography Yes, the Viking is limited on shutter speed but I find it a challenge. Also, since I like to shoot scenic shots mostly I tend to shoot more in golden hour and or shaded areas. You can adapt some with faster or slower films as well. the 6x9 negs produce a great amount of details when scanned!
@@tgchism I guess it’s not too difficult with a maximum of 200 shutter speed. ISO 400 film, at f/16 or f/11 for a majority of daylight shots.
Thank you for a very inspiring video. Granpa´s old fold out camera. Not an action-camera. It´s a relax-and-take- your-time-kamera
Definitely. I sadly ended up selling it. It was feeling redundant next to my actual Hasselblad, given the 6x6 format. Now I’ve been looking for a 6x7 or 6x9 folder.
Sorry, I was an idiot. You and Steward have allready answered my question 2 week´s ago!
On my next photo-tour, I will slip my Isolette into my camera-bag along with my digital gear, and photograph all the subjects that do not change so quickly. I still think, that a projection of a sharp 6x6 color-slide looks better than a projected digital file.
How did it go for you?
I also have an Isolette lll, but mine goes from a whole second to 1/500 sec., and the lens in not an Apotar or an Agnar 75mm, but a Solinar 85mm f. 4,5. The shutter is a syncro-compur.
I can´t find an Isolette lll with the same specifications anywhere on the Internet. Is it a rare model i own?
The Solinar is the top tier lens in the Isolette lineup. I have no information about the shutter or the combination of both, so I can't comment on rarity, but you have a very decent copy quality-wise.
@@lindemann316 Thank you very much for your answer!
I have the chance to get an Agfa Isolette with a Solinar 85 4.5 for about 40 Dollars, it’s working and no problems with the leather. Is it a good choice? Or better go for something more expensive?
I'd say if it's working and has no problems, you found a great deal at $40. I paid $150 for mine. It's a good but awkward camera to use. If you don't mind taking your time to focus and adjust all of the settings, it's a great camera to have fun with.
The Solinar is the best quality lens Agfa put on the Isolette III, along with a better shutter. He's got his here with the Apotar, which was the better of two three element lenses also offered. The Apotar will do a decent job if used between f 8.0 - 16. The big weakness of the Isolette III is the rangefinder. It is a very simple device and relatively easy to knock out of alignment. On the other hand, it is equally easy to pull off the camera top plate to clean and re-adjust the rangefinder. When I got mine, the rangefinder was barely moving. After removing a load of beach sand and old, dead grease, it works fine. Your model is worth about $125 - 175 in today's market.
what app you use to exposure ?
The one I use is called Lumu Light Meter, on iPhone. It’s got a spot meter that I use primarily and it’s been pretty accurate.
These folding cameras are brilliant and fun to shoot.. Due to the size of the negative, they can produce some very decent photographs if the photographer is up to it. I have eight of them from Zeiss to Ensign from 4.5X6 to 6X9. Sadly, they are no Hasselblad, nor a Pentax or Bronica, not remotley. These cameras were mainly manufactured as a ' point and shoot ' affordable camera of their day. They can not withstand a single day of professional use. It has become fashionable to liken a camera to something iconic to promote it, or for other reasons, and this is wrong. No Fuji is anywhere near a Leica, and no folding camera is either a Hasselblad, Bronica or Pentax 67. It is good of you to bring these to teh attention of the new generation of photographers of the digital age, though.
I agree with most of what you say. On the other hand, most people accept that a Rollei with Tessar is a fine camera. It therefore would seem that a Super Ikonta, or similar with 6x9 negative, with a modern Tessar lens, could produce a negative capable of great enlargement. At the same time, they are far more mobile than a Hasselblad or Pentax 67.