1937 Agfa Isolette

[Tony Rowlett]

Here is one from a 1937 Agfa Isolette, 6x6 format. The effect here I think is due to the lens not being in perfect alignment with the film plane. But it is sort of quirky gold, eh? Photographed just off of our deck.

[kmac]

Hold a straightedge across the front of the lens and sight by eye if it's out of alignment. You might have a shutter problem also, judging by the inconsistent exposure top and bottom, and in the middle.

3 hours ago, Tony Rowlett said:

But it is sort of quirky gold, eh?

Well, not really.

[Rick_van_Nooij]

Did you shoot with a wide aperture? Cheaper lenses with low correction tend to create this tunnel effect too.
And  sometimes with folders you get a vacuum effect when you open them, and it pulls the film away from the film plane.

 

[Julio Fernandez]

All frames were like this one?

Assuming you focused for the branch in the center. The center has good definition, but all edges are way out of focus. Looks too gross for a film plane alignment problem unless there is something brutally wrong, as for instance the pressure plat is missing.

Could be a “vacuum suck” as described by Rick. But in those film plane alignment problems that I have seen, the pattern is not center vs. edges but rather left vs. right or top vs. bottom.

Maybe an element inverted in the lens could give this effect?

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by Julio Fernandez

[Dustin McAmera]

If this were mine, I think I'd look for dirty/hazy elements first: just open the shutter on B/T and look through it.

[Dustin McAmera]

I searched in the flickr group 'Agfa Isolettes' for the Igestar (as Jgestar):

https://www.flickr.com/search/?group_id=958618%40N25&view_all=1&text=Jgestar

There were just three photographs. One shows significant flare from the sky - probably needs cleaning. But you can see even the cheapest lens is capable of good pictures. All these are taen in good light; but then the Igestar only opens up to f/6.3.

 

[Dustin McAmera]

I found this also. Hans Kerensky is a contact at Camera-wiki and at Flickr. He has this album at Flickr showing some jobs he had to do on an Isolette.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/albums/72157625591888450

One of those jobs was removing and replacing old grease that had stuck the front two lens elements together (so the camera wouldn't focus). I wonder if due to this, or maybe due to someone trying to fix it, the middle element has been unscrewed a short way?

[Tony Rowlett]

Many thanks for your responses and links. I will some day see about digging into it as suggested. 

[Rick_van_Nooij]

On 12/3/2022 at 11:40 PM, Dustin McAmera said:

I found this also. Hans Kerensky is a contact at Camera-wiki and at Flickr. He has this album at Flickr showing some jobs he had to do on an Isolette.

 

I've met Hans a few times and he used to hang out at the Dutch Analog Photoraphy Forum.
He's a good source of knowledge on camera repair and has an interesting cache of spare parts.
He's supplied me with some odd bits now and then.