Film for Agfa Karat?

[dean_matsueda]

<p>

Searched PN and Google but couldn't find an answer. My dad gave me two of his old

cameras and I'm hoping I can still use 'em. One is an Agfa Karat but it is definitely not a

35mm version, although it does look exactly like this one, same lens and shutter:</p>

<p>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?

ViewItem&category=30099&item=7519418218&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW">Agfa Karat

on That Auction Site</a></p>

<p>

Inside is an empty film canister that looks like a short, fat whistle, if that's any help.</p>

<p>

(The other camera is a Kodak Duraflex II, by the way.)</p>

[dean_williams]

Dean, I may be a bit off here, but I think the non "36" Karats used a kind of "reel to reel" cassette setup. I believe they take 35mm film, but must be loaded into the special cassettes. Try a search on ebay for "Karat cassette" and see if anything comes up.

 

The regular version was called the Karat 36, the American moniker was Karomat.

[mike_elek]

You probably can rig something. You really need two of the Agfa Karat cassettes. You would hand load one cassette with your film of choise. The other cassette is used for takeup. The camera works in such a way that it completely pulls the film from the feed cassette but leaves a small leader hanging out of the takeup cassette. You don't want the film to complete enter either cassette.<div></div>

[dean_matsueda]

Thanks, guys, for your responses. Looks rather challenging to both find another canister (I'll

keep checking e*ay) and to load the film. But, hey, that's why these cameras are so much fun!

 

So, Mike, it looks like I need to take the 35mm film out of it's container and stick into the

canister? And I thought loading sheet film was difficult...

[mike_elek]

Dean, the Agfa canister is closed on both ends, and it's shorter than the Kodak canister. There is no spool in either canister.

 

The two sprocket wheels inside the film chamber advance the film -- pulling it out of the feed canister and pushing it into the takeup canister.

 

Ingenious little system that no one uses anymore. You're right -- the search is half of the fun at times.

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

I think the Karat cartridges are similar, if not almost identical, to the later Agfa Rapid cartridges.

 

Very similar cartridges were used in many eastern block cameras, such as the russian Smena SL. But I have never seen one with an empty cartridge in it.

[dean_matsueda]

Hey, Mike, is this your web site?</p>

<p>

<a href="http://host.fptoday.com/melek/pages/cameras/

karat12.htm">host.fptodady.com/melek/pages</a></p>

<p>

Not sure how many M.Elek's there are in the world... :-)</p>

<p>

Great info on this page in any case... think I'll try the remove-the-spool-and-caps method

and see how that works.</p>

<p>

One thing I noticed is that the lens is in bad shape. Do you CLA them, too?</p>

[silent1]

Winfried, I think you're right. Not only that, but the Russian SL cassettes are also interchangeable, and cupog has a pair of them on auction right now (less than four days to run). They most likely came with a little half frame camera he's also got up.

 

BTW, Dean? It's worth respooling or trimming some 120 film and trying out that Duaflex II -- they're pretty decent cameras, despite being plastic and marketed to the "birthday and Christmas" photography set...

[dean_matsueda]

Thanks, Donald, I sure will use that Kodak (gotta make use of at least *one* of these two

cameras)!

[michael schub]

There appears to be at least two different size Agfa cartridges: I have small ones that work in the Karat 6.3 deco and a larger one for some (unknown to me) later model. Karats are so undervalued I decided not to bother and stick with the late models that use standard cassettes. I picked up a Karat 36 with an f/2 Solagon for $5 at a flea market and one with a f/2.8 Xenar for about $25 on EBay. The Solagon in particular knocks the socks off the over-hyped and over-priced Retina and is probably more reliable.