Agfa carats
With the Karat Agfa presented its first 35mm camera in 1937, it was a viewfinder camera that initially used special film cartridges, the Karat film cartridge . Later models used the common 135 type film.
Karat film cartridge
prehistory
Photography with 35 mm film began in 1925 with the Leica . For this purpose, the photographer bought the film by the meter and filled special cassettes with it. There was also no uniform standard for the following models from other manufacturers. Kodak did not create this until 1934 with the film type 135, which only became popular in Germany after 1945. So it didn't seem unusual for Agfa's first 35mm camera to use its own cartridge. It was based on the Ansco Memo System .
The bullet
As a film manufacturer, Agfa delivered its Karat film ready-made, it was made of tin cartridges without a core, from which the film peeped out loosely. It only needed to be inserted into the camera and transported. Then it automatically pushed itself into the take-up cartridge, which was finally removed from the camera. The previous supply was then used as a take-up cartridge - just as it was done with the spools for roll film. The cartridges contained film for 12 exposures in the usual 24 mm × 36 mm format.
successor
With the discontinuation of the Karat 12 , the Karat cartridge gradually fell into oblivion, but Agfa revived it as a rival product to the Kodak Instamatic system as the Agfa Rapid, slightly modified.
Karat cameras
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Basic construction
All Karat cameras were equipped with a bellows. The lens plate did not fold out, however, but jumped straight ahead out of the housing, guided by a scissor mechanism. Its advanced feature was a double exposure lock.
Carats 6.3 and 4.5
Agfa presented the Karat 6.3 as the first model , it cost 35 RM and had an Igestar f / 6.3 lens with the 50 mm focal length familiar from the Leica. Its shutter (Agfa automat) offered the settings 1 ⁄ 25 s, 1 ⁄ 50 s and 1 ⁄ 100 s as well as B. The front panel was originally in the Art Deco style, replaced in 1938 by an undecorated surface.
The Karat 4.5 differed in its Oppar f / 4.5 55 mm lens and cost 49 RM. Otherwise it was identical to the original model.
Carat 3.5
The carat 3.5 cost RM 75, but offered not only a more powerful lens, but also faster shutter speeds. Her Solinar f / 3.5 50 mm lens was already a four-lens lens, and exposure times of 1 s to 1 ⁄ 300 s could be set on its Compur shutter . The Compur Rapid even lasted up to 1 ⁄ 500 s, then the camera cost 85 RM.
Carat 12
To distinguish it from the carat for the film type 135, the variant for the carat cartridges was named carat 12 according to the number of frames
With the Karat 12 (2.8) Agfa changed the round, fish-like shape of the case. In addition to the octagonal housing, the Karat 12 now had a cross-sectional image indicator with a large view, a combination of viewfinder and range finder. This marker made the previous estimation of the distance superfluous.
The Xenar f / 2.8 50 mm lens was used; it could be stopped down to f / 16. The Compur offered exposure times from 1 s to 1 ⁄ 300 s and B, the Compur Rapid from 1 s to 1 ⁄ 500 s and B. From around 1948 these shutters were synchronized. Around this time, the coated optics and the round instead of the previously teardrop-shaped quick-action lever were introduced. The housing cap was available in different versions:
- without embossing
- with embossed "Agfa diamond"
- with embossing "Agfa diamond and Made in Germany"
- with embossing "Agfa diamond and Made in Germany and carat 12"
The camera was also available both with and without an accessory shoe and with and without a screwed-on aperture calculator.
Carat 36
The Karat 36 was produced in several versions between 1948 and 1954. Instead of the special carat cartridge, the standardized film type 135 was used , which soon became established. It was available with the following lenses:
- Heligon f / 2.0 50 mm from Rodenstock
- Xenon f / 2.0 50 mm from Schneider Kreuznach
- Xenar f / 2.8 50 mm from Schneider Kreuznach, it was a Tessar type
- Solagon f / 2.0 50 mm from Agfa
For focusing, not only the front lens element, as is often the case, but the entire lens system was adjusted. A rangefinder connected to it served as a focusing aid.
The high-quality Compur lock ( Compur Rapid or Synchro Compur ) was used as the shutter with 1 ⁄ 500 s as the shortest time. This was tensioned at the same time as the film transport lever. The fast focusing, film transport and simultaneous tensioning of the shutter enabled very fast image sequences, which made the camera very popular, especially with reporters. It was considered a precise and reliable work tool. However, this had its price at 398 DM .
Instructions for use of the Karat 36
Under the following conditions, the shutter release button and the quick release lever on the upper part of the camera are blocked at the same time: The quick release lever was used to transport the new image while the shutter was cocked, and then the shutter was released using the shutter lever on the front left of the lens.
Because the shutter lever on the lens is locked after the shutter release, the shutter release button on top of the camera can no longer be pressed. The double exposure lock in the upper part of the camera remains in function, which is why the quick release lever can no longer be operated.
The following description of the remedy does not require any extraordinary fine motor skills, but it must be made clear at this point that the execution of the following instructions is always at your own risk.
If the distance scale on the lens is set to 1 meter, the winding lever for the shutter is visible on top of the lens (to the right of the flash unit connection). This lever is carefully pushed clockwise to the right with a match, toothpick or similar until it clicks into place. Now the shutter is cocked again. Then the release button on the top of the camera can be pressed. This unlocks the quick release lever and the camera can continue to be used. If the lens cap was placed on the lens before the shutter release, there is no double exposure on this part of the film.
literature
- Günther Kadlubek, Rudolf Hillebrand: AGFA - history of a German global company from 1867 to 1997. 2nd edition, Verlag Rudolf Hillebrand, Neuss 1998, ISBN 3-89506-169-7 .