Agfa Isolette V: A Great 6x6 Gun!

If Lubitel looks a bit complicated, well then Agfa Isolette V is a right thing for you! Easy, user-friendly and compact + amazing, vintage, folding camera design. What could be better then this? A camera that gives you creative freedom and fits in your travel bag!

I really love my Lubitels, but in some situations it has some weakness: first, when I need to take a fast shot, it takes time to focus and the second. I really love it‘s shape, but it takes too much space in a travel bag. So for those reasons I decided to go hunt for something faster, easier, maybe folding, but for sure 6×6. And lucky me! on some local INTERNET web page I found a dude selling one on a perfect condition, 1950 years born, folding camera – Agfa Isolette V. Why V? Because it has a “Vario” shutter, which is still in great condition, even after 60 years.

Well, what can I say, I fell in love with this camera. It’s easy and user friendly as Smena 8m, and closed it’s all most same size and thin as Smena symbol without lens. Maybe that’s why I used to call it sister of Smena :). So, this sister has all most the same technical details as Smena 8m: a viewfinder (not a range finder), uncoupled shutter (double exposures), aperture from F4,5 to F32 (a bit wider range), shutter B/25/75/200 and one more thing that makes this camera a bit different from Smena is T knob. T knob is like a Shutter locker. It’s a great thing, when you don’t have a cable release, but still want to make a still long exposure picture. Once the T knob is pushed, set the shutter on B, load the shutter and simply push the shutter release button. The shutter is open and T knob is holding it for you, run and make some multi-flashy self portraits.

Let’s have a look at some gallery:

I think, I found what I was looking for :)

written by dogma on 2010-07-13 #gear #120 #agfa #review #vintage #made-in-germany #6x6 #folding-camera #metal-body #isolette-v