Resurrecting a Classic 1950s Folder

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Resurrecting a Classic 1950s Folder | AGFA Isolette III

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Expired Bren

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 33

@linusfotograf 2 ай бұрын

Sharp goodness

@RumoHasIt 3 күн бұрын

Ive had one of these for years! Just figuring out how to use it 😅

@robertwaffel8248 2 ай бұрын

I am carrying a Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 523/16 - I bought it for 30 euros and it was mint! Got myself a rangefinder for the cold shoe and BAM! perfect pocketable 6x6 with great image quality. Use it every week

@ExpiredBren Ай бұрын

That would be a pretty compact combination!

@chriscard6544 2 ай бұрын

Isolette III is my favourite 6x6 camera. If you look at the aperture ring, you will see a red dot, it means it is the sharpest aperture

@ExpiredBren Ай бұрын

That'll be good to remember next time that I use the camera!

@randallstewart1224 Ай бұрын

I think you will find that the dot marker in the focus scale ties in with an aperture scale marker. Together, they set the camera at a hyperfocal distance to create a depth of field covering most focus points without having to manually reset focus for each shot.

@chriscard6544 Ай бұрын

@@randallstewart1224 thanks

@mikemcnelly2780 2 ай бұрын

Awesome vid as always, IQ is so impressive and looks like you did an amazing job restoring life to great piece of gear. Well done!

@ExpiredBren Ай бұрын

Thanks Mike!

@tgchism Ай бұрын

Nice video of your trip to the park! That lens is very nice for sure! My Ansco Speedex Special R is identical to yours but with the Apotar 85 f4.5. Not as nice as the Solinar but still a lot of fun to use. Yes, the green grease from hell was a lot of fun to break loose. Not as bad as the lens on my Ansco Viking 4.5. I just about gave up on that one. I too went with a CLA and new bellows to give these great camera a new lease on life.

@ExpiredBren Ай бұрын

It’s a shame that nearly all of these Agfa Isolette/Ansco Speedex cameras have the identical issues, but the end result speaks for itself once it’s fixed.

@adriancristea5923 2 ай бұрын

Excellent video. Would be curious how it would perform in an urban environment, with some architctural and some street photography.

@ExpiredBren Ай бұрын

I would like to try it in such an environment. Admittedly it can be slow going to focus and setup a composition with the Isolette, but zone focusing would solve some of that.

@randallstewart1224 Ай бұрын

Note that the version of the Isolette III he has in the video is fairly rare, being the best and most expensive lens/shutter option. The Color-Solinar is a Tessar copy design, but is as good or better. Future comparison: The Isolette versus and Konica Pearl III or IV (same lens).

@ExpiredBren Ай бұрын

That would make for a great comparison. Also would serve as a great way to compare front cell focusing on the Isolette versus whole unit focusing on the Pearl

@robertramsay2408 11 күн бұрын

Great overview and exceptional photos! I have the exact same model with the Solinar 75mm and the top speed of 1/500. I found it at a thrift store and got it for about $45 Canadian. The range finder and focus ring both had the ceased grease problem. I was going to tackle the issue myself but after a year of not finding the time (and worrying that I would mess it up from trying), I sent it to Jürgen Kreckel (Certo06). I just got it back this week and am about to load it and test it out. Jürgen did a complete overhaul and installed new bellows (real leather ones). His price was very reasonable but it added up with the poor PayPal exchange rate on the Canadian dollar and the return got nailed with duties on his work (or maybe the insurance amount). Too bad he hadn't noted something like "Returning borrowed camera" or some such thing on the parcel. I've two questions for you if you don't mind. What are you using for a lens hood to avoid flare? I like getting low-depth-of-field shots but even with the pretty fast 1/500, I will often need an ND filter on sunny days. Do you know if ones exist that would fit this lens? Thanks and keep posting these great videos!

@ExpiredBren 11 күн бұрын

@@robertramsay2408 that’s a bummer to hear that customs did you dirty for a camera that was essentially being returned! One thing about these cameras is that they springs super vigorously and create a suction effect on the loaded film. This in return means the film isn’t flat on the film plain. I’ve found that the best way to mitigate this is to open the camera slowly and cautiously. That and to only wind the film right before taking the actual photo. As for the lens hood, mine is a push on hood. The same can be said for the filters. It might be best to try and measure the diameter of your lens and working from there

@robertramsay2408 11 күн бұрын

@@ExpiredBren thanks for the faster than 1/500s reply! Yes, I've read not to let the lens assembly fly open but it's good to be reminded of that before I head out with it today. My lens is probably the same outer diameter as yours. It's about 30mm across. Where did you find your push-on hood? Mine came with two filters that have two short pieces of thin metal on the inside of the metal ring that act as springs to hold them on the lens. I guess they could be referred to as push-on ones that are held in place by these metal springs. One filter is a light blue colour and the other is likely an ND filter as it is grey but there are no markings on it to know how many stops it is. I've searched for more filters of this type/size but have had no luck. Any help in this area would be appreciated. Thanks again! Robert

@ExpiredBren 11 күн бұрын

@@robertramsay2408 Mine is indeed 30mm across. I was lucky in that my camera included the B+W hood and a yellow filter. Doing a quick eBay search I did find a couple 30mm push-on lens hoods. For filters it could be smart to find a 30mm push-on to Series IV, V, or VI filter adapter. From there you could either use Series IV, V, VI filters or use the threads on the adapter to screw on a threaded filter.

@robertramsay2408 10 күн бұрын

@@ExpiredBren , thanks for this very useful information. That will certainly help my search for ND filters. I took half a roll of pictures this afternoon and am excited to see the results.

@robertramsay2408 10 күн бұрын

@@ExpiredBren , one more question if you don't mind... With the aperture slider on the barrel of the lens, what part of that metal tab are you to line up with the f-stop number? The tab is rather wide and then it slopes away on an angle. It is not obvious to me how to be precise when selecting an f-stop value. It does not show this detail in any of the manuals that I have found.

@tim31415 Ай бұрын

All folders should be opened slowly! Hold the folding bed while pressing the release.

@ExpiredBren Ай бұрын

It's definitely crucial do that for all folders. Compared to all of the folding bed cameras that I have, this Isolette springs open way more vigorously

@tastycarburant Ай бұрын

Similarly I found myself wanting a Konica Pearl IV - then I looked at prices and went for the III.

@randallstewart1224 Ай бұрын

I hear you. Years ago, I looked long for a nice Pearl III, without success. Then, a mint Pearl IV appeared at a nosebleed price, along with an excellent month on my income blotter, and I bought the IV. The lens/shutter on the III is the same, but the IV is "really nice".

@ExpiredBren Ай бұрын

I didn't realize that the Pearl IV was such a feature-rich folder. Looks like it would be on par with a Certo Six or Super Baldax, albeit in 6x4.5 format.

@YeahItsThatBad Ай бұрын

I also have this camera but with the weaker lens. Could you tell me about the lens hood you are using here? I always wondered what kind of filters could fit on the lens of this camera.

@ExpiredBren 19 күн бұрын

Sorry for the late response! I use an old push on filter that came with the camera. It isn't AGFA branded, so it may be hard to find. The filters that I use for this are push-on as well.