Help ID Old Camera

<p>Any guesses? This is my friends father's camera, c 1955. Thanks in advance for any help.</p><div></div>

<p>Looks like an Agfa Karat 35.</p>

<p>http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Agfa_Karat<br>

Scroll down till you get to the Karat 12 and 36 models.</p>

<p>If it's 1955 and in the US, the camera could also be an Ansco Karamat. </p>

<p>An Ansco Karamat is essentially an AGFA Karat 36 - for the US market.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cjs-classic-cameras.co.uk/karat/36.html">http://www.cjs-classic-cameras.co.uk/karat/36.html</a></p>

<p>Going by the staggered RF windows it is surely a Karat/Ansco 35.</p>

<p>This is indeed an Agfa Karat 36 / Ansco Karomat. Just about visible on the front is the T button, so this was the early version of this particular model, introduced in 1949 or perhaps even 1948. Later versions lacked the T button. The Karat 36 was the first Karat model that would take regular 35mm film cartridges instead of Karat / Rapid cassettes, the number 36 referring to the number of exposures one could take. The earlier models with Karat cassettes would only take 12.<br>

The rangefinder on this model was not the more common coincidence type but a split mirror rangefinder, hence the staggered windows. Another particular feature was the wind lever, which you needed to pull towards you. These cameras were most commonly found with Schneider Xenon or Rodenstock Heligon f/2 lenses, both excellent.<br>

There was a nice write-up about this model recently, with some photo examples, by Tony Lockerbie: <a href="/classic-cameras-forum/00d4PI">http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00d4PI</a></p>

 

<p>Much thanks for all the help!</p>

<p>Does anyone on this board have occasion to shot with a Agfa Karat 36 / Ansco Karomat still?</p>