Best of luck!

@@TOSI21 thanks for watching!

@@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

@@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

@@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.

@@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.

@@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.

In this case I didn't carry it all the way to the top, but yeah its a backbreaking affair no matter what!

That's great that it still works! From what I've seen most tend to have a sticky shutter at the least.

@@ExpiredBren it was obviously cared for. The leather case it came in has come apart at all seams, but he camera it's self, not a scratch or ding. Only the film will be able to tell how bad the insides are. The shutter and mirror work perfectly, from my inexperienced hands.

@@imxg thanks! I do sell prints in limited runs👍

@@NateG459 thanks Nate! Receiving all of this film has given me the motivation to shoot more 35mm! The Provia 400F all expired in 2003

@@shotbydp thanks man!!

@@CRS204 good eye! That would be so awesome to shoot Instax with the Bronica. I’m going to start looking into that

@@flicksbymarlon thanks Marlon! With any luck maybe you’ll come across some 120 format Reala

@@podhoncisty thanks!

@@JadenWhite thanks man!!

I could only imagine how amazing Reala would look with Hawaiian landscapes!

@@patrickrostker6693 thanks Patrick! It’s a real shame that Fuji’s selection has become an ever-shrinking shadow of its former self.

@@wmwanderer thank you! It was a tricky composition for me to figure out, so I’m glad that it’s grown on you

@@vladyurkov looking at your work on Vancouver Island I’d definitely say that John Sexton is right up your alley!

@@randallstewart1224 thank you for the insight about the Super Baldax Randall! Up next I will be testing out a freshly CLA’d Certo Six. I’ve found some good deals on German folders lately and the Certo is no exception. I’ll be curious to see how the Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar will perform. I’ve been a huge fan of the West German Tessars on folders

@@ExpiredBren The Certo Six is a very cool item. The few that have them seem to treasure them. The Tessar will satisfy. A Planar on a Rolleiflex or Hasselblad, or the Fujinon on my GS645 for that matter, will chew it up on lab lens resolution tests. But when you use them on medium format film, no one is going to appreciate the difference. Just try to avoid using a Tessar wide open to one stop down - quite soft. The Tessar is said to impose a sense of dimension to its images. I'm not sure what that means, sort of like "bokah", which is commonly misused for depth of field. I used to (40 years ago) be deeply taken with German folders. Spent way too much time hunting what became the illusive Zeiss Super Ikonta B. (Many found; few working right.) Bessa II? Check! I went all in for Kodak Retina, all of 'em. That finally burned out, but before I sobered up, I shifted focus to Japanese folders, ending up with two Fuji GS645 (one stolen) and a Konica Pearl IV, which in a crazed moment, I paid more for than any other camera I ever bought. It really is a work of engineering art, as well as a great, functioning camera. And so it goes.... I'll be watching for that Certo evaluation. If you remain involved with older folders, you'll need a personal relationship with a repairman who goes by "certo6". He seems to the "go to guy" for German folders of the 1950s, particularly the high end models.

@@randallstewart1224 that’s interesting to hear that you have experience with the Kodak Retinas. I have a Retina II with a 47mm f/2 Ektar, which if I am not mistaken is a very desirable combination. I’d like to review that setup someday as well. I actually took my Certo Six to Jürgen at Certosix.com for a CLA. At this point I have serviced quite a few folders myself, but for a camera as rare, complex, and expensive as the Certo it’s definitely best to have an expert to it.

@@gabgallant haha that’s totally been how I am with my hoard of old film!

@@FOTOMOTOTURISMO thanks! Fortunately I feel very confident in my P67’s light meter at this point. For the tricky lighting I will otherwise defer to my digital spotmeter

@@chriscard6544 that depends, can I trade my now ruined back for your fresh one?

@@ExpiredBren ahaha no

@@mynewcolour thanks! It’s a fun niche to be in👍

For the most part anything at 1/125 or faster should be fine hand held. On occasion I can get by with 1/60 while using the 75mm. Too bad its a slow lens!

Thank you!

I have been to Canyonlands, but I would love to go back soon! For my Hassy I use a OP/Tech trap and it is amazing.

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.

This was shot at box speed, but I didn't know the storage history so it definitely was a shot in the dark to shoot it at 160 ISO

Looking back I wish that I had brough back a similar set of wides!

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.

Now that’s a great piece of trivia. Thanks for sharing!

B&W film can be crazy that way! In my video ‘How Collecting Found Film Improved My Photography’ I get some even crazier results with a roll of film exposed in the 70s.

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

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

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".

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.

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.

Thanks Mike!

That would be a pretty compact combination!

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

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.

@@randallstewart1224 thanks

Have you had the chance to try ADOX CHS II? They just brought it back in 120 and it vaguely reminds me of Plus X. I like it quite a bit!

I have been having the same issue with a large scratch down the middle of my negatives. I have tried my best but have had no luck finding the source. I also get frequent light leaks through the light trap. I actually disassembled the light trap and inspected the material used to prevent leak. The material was in great shape still, so it's been a challenge solving that issue. I've also tried leaving the dark slide partially inserted into the light trap but that doesn't seem to help.

@@ExpiredBren I have scratch marks down the middle of the dark slide so I assume there is a burr on the channel that the darkslide goes through. But the film doesn't contact there so I have no idea. I am taking it into have the cam mechanics take it apart and see what's up. I find it more than interesting that you have the same problem.

I have a Super Ikonta A from about the same year as well! Such an insanely compact camera. Do you have a Tessar or Xenar with yours?