Agfa Billy

[janice_mackay]

Hi all,

 

As mentioned in a couple of other threads, I now have the Agfa

Billy. It is in really good condition, better than I expected. The

bellows look new!

 

I haven't worked out exactly which model it is yet - of the ones

I've seen on the net it comes closest to the 'Billy 1 postwar 1950'

model on this page:

<http://home.hetnet.nl/~agfa/billy.html>

but it has a two-piece fold-out viewfinder (?) like many of the

others pictured there.

The previous owner told me it was from 1956 and he'd had it for

20yrs, from what he said he may have put one film through it during

that time.

The lens has 'Agfa Jsomar' (Isomar?) written on it but no mm

measurement. It has apertures of f11 and 16, two distance settings -

5-20 ft and 20ft-infinity - and two settings at the top of the lens

that I think are shutter speeds - M and B. Can anyone explain these?

I think I read it somewhere recently, but can't find the info at the

moment.

 

Everything seems to work properly except the shutter, which isn't

closing at all. I don't *think* I'm missing anything obvious, eg. a

shutter-cocking lever?

Again it's a pretty basic model - an entry-level folder I guess,

well suited to my level of knowledge. :-)

Maybe someone here can shed some light on the shutter problem and

speeds?

 

Thanks again,

Janice M. (NZ)

[jorn ake]

I guess the long and short of it is that there is a lot of variation among Billy cameras. Some of the Billy shutter releases do not require cocking at the lens, the shutter release button being on the body of the camera. I have seen plenty extremely basic Billys though and a few with the Jsomar designation on the lens, which makes me wonder whether cameras produced in East Germany were different. Agfa was in East Germany until 1961 I think.

 

The B and M settings respectively are the open setting (B - shutter stays open as long as you hold the button down) and the flash bulb setting (M - delays the shutter to catch the flash bulb at its maximum burn.)

 

Post a picture of the camera if you can.

[peter_4711]

Hello Janice,

 

I think you have a 1936 AGFA Billy. This camera come with Igestar or Igomar too.Included two viewers, distance setting and apertures

are ok.

The shutter have M an B only but is ok. The letter M is for moment one time=

1/25 Sek. only, and the B like ball, the shutter will open so long press shutter lever.

The shutter lever will collapsible closed the camera.

In ready positon opening camera the shutter lever press down and is ready for next picture. Is an mechanical automatic shutter, but is not very easy to work. Best operation with a cable relase, and is very importend with the 1/25 Sek. (in positon M like moment) time only.

So make my AGFA Billy very sharp pictures. I'm astonished from excellent results.

You can perfect the results with an sensitive rollfilm 400 ASA/ISO.

 

Good luck

 

peter

[charles_stobbs3]

I have some older cameras and the last film I would (can possibly) use would be ISO 400. Applying the sunny 16 rule I think you would need an f stop of f64 at 1/25 second for ISO 400. In your case you need a film with ISO speed 25 or 10 for 1/25 at f 16 or 1/25 at f11 in the case of the 10 speed. I am not sure any is available in your film size.

[janice_mackay]

I've taken some pics of the camera and will post them in a few days, as soon as I can get the film processed and scanned (I don't own a digital camera). I don't think this Billy is as old as 1936 but am happy to be proved wrong!

 

I was interested to read the 'M' setting is only 1/25 sec. I didn't think Peter's recommendation for 400ISO film sounded right but hadn't taken the time to check it out. On looking at a couple of my old light meters in today's late afternoon sunshine (5.30pm), they were giving a light value of 13-14, with 100ISO film that would be f16-22 at 1/30 sec. It's nearly summer here, so assuming I can get the shutter fixed, looks as though I won't be taking the camera out too much on bright days!

 

Janice M. (NZ)

[janice_mackay]

I've posted some pics of the camera here:

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder.tcl?folder_id=451662