Agfa Parat
With Europe called Agfa a series of half-format -Kleinbildkameras. It consisted of three models that were built between 1963 and 1968 and had no successors due to low sales.
Emergence
prehistory
In the 1960s, the idea was popular with camera manufacturers that the increased resolution of film materials would lead to smaller recording formats in compact cameras. This resulted in some cameras that worked with 16 mm film width, such as the Rollei 16 , for which films were not available everywhere, however. Another way was to use the well-known 35mm film of the 135 type and to expose it in the format 18 mm × 24 mm. This half-format naturally led to double the number of frames, i.e. it ranged from 24 frames to a film with 12 frames in the conventional format up to 72 frames instead of the usual 36 frames. The best-known representative was the Olympus Pen in its various designs. The Agfa Camerawerk Munich also followed this path with the Parat presented at Photokina 1963 .
Basic construction
The Parat uses the plastic housing of the Optima 500 SN , you can distinguish the two cameras mainly on the lens and on the viewfinder: Since the film was transported from left to right as usual, the normal camera position resulted in the portrait format and a corresponding viewfinder. As a result, you had to hold the camera upright to take landscape photos. The small image format also meant that the transport path was shorter, so that you only had to turn the quick-release lever half as far and the camera was ready to take pictures again faster.
For the lens, Agfa used a focal length of 30 mm, which corresponds to 43 mm for the full format. Such a lens naturally protruded far less from the housing, which is why the operating elements for the shutter could not be designed as rotating rings and were sliders with plastic handles. The removal was done as usual by turning the front lens mount - albeit not very handy. As usual with the Optima , the three symbols portrait, group and landscape were available as well as a distance scale on the underside. Since lenses for smaller formats are easier to manufacture, all Parat cameras have a very high aperture of f / 2.8.
The film counter was on the bottom of the camera and lasted up to 72 shots. It counted backwards, for which purpose it had to be adjusted according to the film length after loading the film.
Paratic closure
Agfa used a shutter made in-house for the Parat cameras and named it Paratic, derived from the camera name . This name was also used in other cameras, and the electronic shutter introduced in 1970 was even called Paratronic .
Slide films
Agfa also offered slide mounts for the 18 mm × 24 mm format, so that slides created with a Parat could be shown in an ordinary projector. However, due to the smaller format, either a lens with a shorter focal length had to be inserted into the projector or the distance between the projector and the screen had to be increased.
distribution
The Parat cameras, regardless of their advantages, found only a few buyers, which was due to the unfamiliar camera position on the one hand and their size on the other. After all, Agfa did not design a fundamentally new camera, but used an existing housing that was actually too large for the half-format. However, this caused hardly any tool costs, so that the series could not cause any financial loss.
The cameras remained in the range until 1968, when all cameras with the housing, in addition to the Optima Ia , various Silette models were replaced by a new generation.
Models
Parat I.
As an entry-level model, the Parat I dispensed with exposure measurement. The exposure time could be set with the adjuster on the right (in the direction of photography) on the lens and the aperture with the one on the left, the values then appeared in a small window on the front edge of the lens. The aperture values ranged from 2.8 to 22, as times 1/30 s, 1/60 s and 1/125 s as well as B were available for long-term recordings. A cable release connector was located below the release button.
The Parat I had a three-lens Apotar lens and always a black lens frame.
Paramat
The Paramat offered a limited exposure control, in automatic mode the shutter always worked with 1/125 s and the control, which works with a selenium cell , selected the appropriate aperture. This happened by pressing the shutter release on the first level, then a red or green signal appeared above (with the camera held upright) or on the left in the viewfinder for underexposure or enough light available.
The automatic could be switched on with the adjuster on the right (in the direction of photography) on the lens, which had the positions automatic, flash mode and long-term exposure. The corresponding letters appeared in the window that showed the exposure time for the Parat I. The film speed could be set on top of the camera with a coin in the range of ISO 10/11 ° and ISO 250/25 °. In flash mode, the shutter worked with 1/30 s and the aperture could then be selected with the second adjuster according to Parat I , as was the case with long-term exposure.
The Paramat there were both white as well as black lens surround, they had the same lens as the Council of Europe I .
Optima Parat
The Optima Parat could be recognized by the metal sheets attached to its housing, which is why it was also called the “silver fish”. In addition, the entire housing is made of metal. Similar to the full-format Optima series , it also worked with an automatic program. The control not only changed the exposure time from 1/30 s to 1/500 s, it could also stop down to f / 22. This camera also differed from the Paramat through its four-lens Solinar lens.
equipment
For close-ups, Agfa offered the Natarix 18 set , consisting of a close-up lens for a range of 40 cm to 70 cm and a plexiglass wedge, which was clamped in front of the viewfinder to correct the angle of view.
The very rare Telepar attachment increased the focal length to 55 mm, roughly a factor of 1.8.
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 .
Web links
- Half Format Cameras (English)