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Value of this Agfa Isolette III with Solinar?
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:15 pm    Post subject: Value of this Agfa Isolette III with Solinar? Reply with quote
Guys,

With all those nice film shots I keep seeing on this forum I would like to have a try too. I have had many film cameras in the past including a Pentacon Six, a Rolleicord, an Agfa Record III (also with Solinar lens) and several others. But I sold everything off when I went digital Rolling Eyes

Now I have been offered this camera. It seems to work well, but I see a few spots on/in the lens which hopefully is just dirt and nothing else. According to the seller, 1s on the shutter is 1s.

Now, what would this camera be worth? It's certainly not a collector camera because it would need a complete overhaul. But maybe it's a great user? What do you guys think?







PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Can't say much about value, as I don't follow the Agfas.

The things to look out for: the widely reported issues with bellows leaks and hardened grease making focusing impossible. Apparently both these problems are more common than not.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Nesster. I'm aware of the common problems, but for someone not experienced (the seller) it's of course hard to tell of the bellows is light-tight. I have learned not to rely on their information Smile

Having said that: most folders seem to be easily serviceable. I'm sure that this folder is not any different.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This Isolette III has the 75/4.5 Solinar in a non-EV Synchro-Compur, mine has the 75/3.5 Solinar in a EV Synchro-Compur; I bought mine last year, with both rangefinder and focussing thread stuck, but have since fixed them and it is working well. From the photograph the bellows seem to be in good condition so one fewer thing to worry about, as the shutter needs no work. Shooting from the hip, this example should be worth about US$40-50.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Bessa RF , Bessa I , produce superb result , Skopar, Heliar, color-skopar, Vaskar lenses. I know nothing about AGFA how good or bad.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Bessa RF , Bessa I , produce superb result , Skopar, Heliar, color-skopar, Vaskar lenses. I know nothing about AGFA how good or bad.


The Bessa's are a sound buy, indeed, but this Agfa with Color-Solinar (the best of the bunch) should not be bad either!

@Seele: thanks for your comments! I will try to keep the purchase price as low as possible.

(It's 85mm and not 75mm though Wink)


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think you'll be pleased with it once you've given it an overhaul and new bellows. £20 tops I'd say given the state, although the Solinar might push it a bit higher on ebay.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It is a good user when the bellows is tight (most times the Agfa's are not without overhaul). Very nice lens, complete Compur shutter and rangefinder. In good condition no cheapy at all. Look at http://www.certo6.com/buy.html


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Seele wrote:
This Isolette III has the 75/4.5 Solinar in a non-EV Synchro-Compur... From the photograph the bellows seem to be in good condition so one fewer thing to worry about


Going by the lens (a 85mm if we can trust the inscription), shutter and DOF calculator, it is the earlier version. Which has a bellows problem that does not immediately manifest itself in visible condition - the softener on the outer coating evaporates, turning the coating brittle and tight. It tears at the edges once the bellows see any use - even a perfectly mint Isolette of that vintage would only stay a good user for some days before leaking.

Often these bellows already bit the dust in the fifties/sixties, when the camera was still in original use, and were replaced with 2nd generation bellows by Agfa Service, so first generation is no safe indicator of bad bellows syndrome - but it will only occur in that generation. At least unless some third party repairman replaced a later Isolette bellows with inferior bellows from an old Isolette or other camera with bad bellows.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Agfa used the most dreadful soap-based grease back then, and after the intervening years the grease becomes very sticky and lock up the parts it is meant to lubricate. I heard Solinars tend to have the problem with stuck focussing thread more than Apotars and Agnars, so you have to take that into account. Xylene, I understand, will soften the dried grease allowing the front cell to be taken off, you need to scrape off all the old grease, clean the thread, and then apply better grease which will be the end of your problems. The uncoupled rangefinder can also be afflicted the same way and it would not be rocket science to take it apart and get it fixed properly. That would of course be a point to knock the price down.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here's an interesting set of photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/collections/72157613557854284/


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've seen the Solinar lens go for more than $100 on ebay, all by itself.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Katastrofo wrote:
I've seen the Solinar lens go for more than $100 on ebay, all by itself.


If anyone wants one for a hundred dollars... let me know.. Very Happy


PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have a couple of Isolette I folders with the Solinar lens. Stonking good lens, and I get corking images from it (technically, if not aesthetically). I don't have any of the rangefinder Isolettes, so can't comment on them, other than to say that I figured I'd rather get a non-rangefinder model and get an accessory rangefinder instead, and that's what I did. That's because I reckoned that I could clean up and calibrate a separate rangefinder, even with my limited practical skills, and if I made a mess of it, I'd just find another, but the camera wouldn't be messed in the process. I have a Voigtlander rangefinder calibrated in metres, and a Photopia one calibrated in feet, so I can match them to whatever the scale is I have on the folder in my hand.

One of the Isolettes is a Jurgen Kreckel refurbished model, and it's perfect. The other isn't, but it's perfectly light tight, and though it had the solidified grease problem, I managed to clean it all out and regrease it with silicone grease, and it too is perfect, or at least perfectly serviceable.

They are enormous fun to use. I love them.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I agree with the fact that they are a magnificent camera and very fun to use. Also, it is a great hiking camera because the weight ratio to the size of the transparencies is really a "bargain" in itself. I gave mine away a few years ago to a needy young photographer, but I now wish I still had it.

Go for it!


PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Spotmatic, I would get this one fixed up, well worth it with the Solinar lens.
I have a similar Compur shutter in mine with the Apotar lens:



The accessory rangefinder is the Watameter II in feet.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
You can do it!

My restored Isolette III...

http://forum.mflenses.com/agfa-kl-flash-which-battery-t12673,highlight,isolette.html


PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Xpres,

Your Isolette III looks good; I trust the Prontor is no less worthy than the Compur; after all Hasselblad switched from Compur to Prontor for its Zeiss lenses Very Happy

I often wonder about how it would be to transplant the guts of a flash-equipped "single use" camera into a bulb flash unit, keeping the fan reflector but having the little flash tube in a bulb enclosure. Admittedly the output would be much less than a real expendable bulb. A project for you perhaps?


PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yesterday I exchanged my Adox Golf 63 camera (with Adoxar 1:6,3/75mm) to Agfa Isolette II (with Solinar 1:4.5/85mm ). My Adox had the problems with bellows (light leek at the corners), and I felt too lazy to glue it myself. So, I decided simply to exchange it to Agfa (which had the bellows corners already glued, however it needs some cleaning), that was used like the display at the local camera repairing shop.
When I started to explore the camera I discovered the strange lever near the ocular of viewfinder. It has the letter “T”, and the arrow nearby. I had not been able to find any effect out of its use, however. And in the camera manual, which I took from the Internet, the lever is absent completely.
Maybe anybody has some idea what it might be?

There is the photo of that lever.
http://www.penta-club.ru/forum/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=75183


PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Per Matt Denton, that's a switch to get T-ime exposure from the top mounted shutter release. I.e. I think the effect is to lock the shutter button in the down position.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nesster wrote:
Per Matt Denton, that's a switch to get T-ime exposure from the top mounted shutter release. I.e. I think the effect is to lock the shutter button in the down position.


Thanks! It doesn’t work very well, however. Needs cleaning I have no doubt.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LittleAlex wrote:
Nesster wrote:
Per Matt Denton, that's a switch to get T-ime exposure from the top mounted shutter release. I.e. I think the effect is to lock the shutter button in the down position.


Thanks! It doesn’t work very well, however. Needs cleaning I have no doubt.


It's necessary at the time when cable releases were rarely equipped with locks to hold the plunger down.


PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Katastrofo wrote:
The Solinar was the top-o'-the-line lens for the Isolettes, congrats!


Thanks for good words!

Yes, I believe it wasn't too bad bargaine. Smile


PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 5:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alex, even with the midrange Apotar lens the results aren't half bad:


Portra 160VC film, 1200dpi Epson 4490


PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'd like to kick this topic. Unfortunately it did not quite work out with the seller of the Isolette III, but today I got another Agfa with the Solinar lens. It was a bit of a gamble because the photo of the camera was unsharp, but imagine my disbelief when I found a minty Agfa Record III with 1:4.5 105mm Agfa Solinar in Synchro-Compur shutter in the post. The rangefinder is spot-on and so is the shutter, even at 1 second. The viewfinder is clean and so is the lens. Even the dreaded Agfa grease does seem to be less sticky than I anticipated.

So to say that I'm happy is an understatement!

Photos of the camera will follow...
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