Spring with an Agfa Ambi Silette

Although today was beautiful, and Spring is usually the best season

here in Northern Virginia, Spring was a reluctant visitor this year.

It was 37F one morning just a few days ago, and we've had fog and

rain. The good news is that, due to the cold, we've had blossoms to

photograph for a whole month now. These pictures were taken with the

Agfa Ambi Silette and 50 mm/2.8 Color Solinar lens. This camera is

addictive; wish I had the 35mm lens.

 

How was Spring in your area?<div></div>

Usually it was rather gray.<div></div>

Sometimes even grayer.<div></div>

It was still better to be in the house.<div></div>

The Agfa. Remember those nice, perfectly cylindrical aluminum cans?<div></div>

Very very nice. I must give mine a turn in the front row. What film were you using?

Good Morning, Daniel,

 

I was using Fuji 100 ASA print film, processed and digitized at Magna Photo, a local chain.

Nice work, and nice results from that camera. It always gets good reviews, but I think yours might be the first to show some pictures here. Looks like it doesn't have strap lugs. Any other negatives?

I don't know for certain what kind of tree this is, but I shot it with my Moskva-5 on Portra 400 NC...<div></div>

Spring was nice in my street. Lotsa magnolia, chesnut, and some more of which I don't know the english name. Some of these with four wheels.<p><center>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/3317064-md.jpg">

</center>

Mike,

 

The camera is pretty user-friendly. I keep it in the bottom half of its case to make up for the lack of strap lugs. The flip-up viewfinder cover is either closed at the wrong time or open and slightly in the way, but the big, clear viewfinder with 3-position switchable frame lines is more than compensation for this.

 

I bought mine used for $30 about 30 years ago and it has never been serviced. My shutter speed tester says that all the speeds are uniformly 1/3 stop slow (except for 1/500, which is an honest 1/250). Agfa built them very well.

 

The Tessar-formula lens is adequately sharp. I wouldn't say it crackled, but certainly is adequate for casual use, better than the reduced-resolution pics I've shown above would show. Thanks for the comments.

Mike,

 

The camera is pretty user-friendly. I keep it in the bottom half of its case to make up for the lack of strap lugs. The flip-up viewfinder cover is either closed at the wrong time or open and slightly in the way, but the big, clear viewfinder with 3-position switchable frame lines is more than compensation for this.

 

I bought mine used for $30 about 30 years ago and it has never been serviced. My shutter speed tester says that all the speeds are uniformly 1/3 stop slow (except for 1/500, which is an honest 1/250). Agfa built them very well.

 

The Tessar-formula lens is adequately sharp. I wouldn't say it crackled, but certainly is adequate for casual use, better than the reduced-resolution pics I've shown above would show. Thanks for the comments.

Spring? Ha! We had 3 inches of snow saturday. I want some flowers!

I got an Ambi Silette last year for ?30 in a London market. It is fitted with the 35mm lens, which I'd say is terrifically sharp. It is easy to use and a really friendly camera, except when rewinding! I liked it enough to buy the 90mm lens the other week.

The only thing I don't like about it is the cheap metal they use for the front plate. Everything else is well made and nicely engineered. Not a Leica, but even in a shop it wouldn't cost much in excess of ?100 and I'd say it maybe one of the best ?30 I ever spent.