AGI Agifold cameras -anyone know anything about them?

[steven_e007]

Hi,

I've just added another folding rollfilm camera tomy expanding collection of folders. (I've added two,actually... but the WW2 vintage Isollette belongs to another thread ;-)

It is an agifold. That now bring the number I have up to three - all different models.

Some sources say there were four models, some five (some say three, which I now know must be wrong, as I have seen a picture of a lever wind version,which I don't have, but I have three others).

Information on these cameras is quite sparse, but whilst googling around I found several comments on various forums that someone was researching the company Agilux / AGI for a book and also mention of a forthcoming website. Some of these comments were from a few years ago, but alas I can't find any such website or any mention of any publication.

Anyone know anything about them?

Thanks

 

[AgX]

I know Agiflite (handheld aerial) cameras, no longer produced, but I guess this is company you are looking for:

http://web.archive.org/web/20071102201047/http://www.agiltd.co.uk/aboutagi.htm

 

[Ian Grant]

I had one, it was a reasonably good performer, it had an extinction meter that surprisingly worked quite well. Unfortunately I made a mistake of storing my old cameras in a cellar, I lost the Agilux, an Exacta and a Rolleicord during the Summer not realising how damp the cellar became.

AGI are still in business but as AgX says seem to have stopped making aerial cameras, I think quite recently - in the last 4 or 5 years. They still make a camera

Ian

 

[Grytpype]

Based on eBay listings there seem to be 3 basic types, with some variations within each type.

Type 1 had an all-black viewfinder housing without rangefinder, and I don't think it had an extinction meter, as the later models did. There was a 4-speed version (1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/125, B, T) and an 8-speed (1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/150, B).

Type 2 has uncoupled rangefinder and extinction meter and the viewfinder housing is chrome with a leatherette top. There are least 3 shutter variants: (1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/125, B, T) and (1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/150, B) and (1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/300, B)

Both the Type 1 and 2 had "Agifold" in a 'double-hexagon' logo on the viewfinder housing and the front was opened by moving the housing sideways. They had a 90mm f4.5 Agilux Anastigmat lens.

Type 3 has a fixed all-chrome viewfinder housing with uncoupled RF and extinction meter. "Agifold" is written in plain text. It has a 75mm f4.5 lens. There seem to be 2 versions, one with knob rewind and shutter speeds 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/200, 1/300, B, and one with lever rewind and shutter speeds 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/350, B.

Very likely there may be other variants I've never spotted!

I don't yet own an Agifold, but I'm currently reassembling a couple of Agimatics, which are a neat little 35mm uncoupled rangefinder camera. You can see that the designer must have sat down with a blank sheet of paper when starting on these. They owe very little to any other camera I have met, and seem to be well thought out and decently made. When these cameras were made, the company was based at Purley Way, Croydon. Pleased to see they are still in business!

 

[Steve Roberts]

I have a "Type 2" as per Grytpype's description. Only had it a short time, so no chance to play with it yet, but it initially took me ages to work out how to open the thing, as the word "open" on the sliding VF/RF was worn to the point of near invisibility! I look forward to running a film through it, as it looks to have the potential be both useful and quirky!
Best wishes,
Steve

 

[P C Headland]

I've got the late type 3, with 1/350s top speed.

The RF patch on mine was weak when I got it (this was one of my first folder purchases), but otherwise the camera was in fine condition. I replaced the RF mirror with a beam splitter mirror I got from the Surplus Shed.

The camera is fairly simple, but well put together. It's fine to use, with the only real negative point being the location of the cocking lever. The lens seems respectable enough, stopped down it performs well.. Wide open, further open than the f4.5 marked on the barrel, and it exhibits nice swirliness!

Wide open Agifold:

 

[steven_e007]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies. Grytpypes classification seems to make a lot of sense - there are three basic types with two or three variations of each type.

I have one of each type

I took the latest version, a type 3 but with knob wind, on holiday last week. I have just serviced it myself, replacing the beam splitter in the rangefinder and setting it all up. Alongside the Ikonta, Nettar and Isollette I also took it seemed HUGE and very heavy - but actually a delight to use. Whilst the shutter cocking lever seems bizarrely positioned (underneath the front lens) after a while I got used to it. The camera sits very well in your right hand and you can then twiddle everything with your left. I found myself tipping the camera up so the lens looked up my nostrils - which is what you want to do to adjust the focus anyway - and then the lens cocking lever seems to be in quite a good place. It did seem to make some sense when I got used to it.

Good points include the easy of loading (the films holders swing out and hinge back - way over engineered but very user friendly!) and it is the easiest of cameras to wind on with a huge wind on knob and minimal friction. I was worried that this was a problem and the film springs were too loose, but the film was rollled up really nice and tight. The red widow is very translucent, too - much easier to read the film numbers than with the Zeiss Ikon cameras.

The only thing I didn't like was the combined rangefinder / viewfinder window is very small and hence the images are a bit difficult to compose.

No idea what the results will be like - I'm just off to develop the film now. I hope the images will be as good as PCH's. That pic of the car is a great shot

 

[steven_e007]

Alas... out of all the cameras I took on hols with me last week, only the Agifold showed a problem

Unfortunately - a big problem. The thing clearly has a massive light leak. Every frame was badly fogged. The fogging extended right from edge to edge, so is unlikely to be coming through the shutter or bellows. Strangely, it isn't constant - it appears as vertical strips which obscure most, but not all, of the image. There are strips about 1/2" wide where bits of image are visible and other strips that are more heavily fogged, then other strips that are completely black.

Very strange - I am at a loss at the moment as to the cause. The camera doesn't have light seals as such, the back fits into a channel in the body forming a light trap - and everything looks mechanically very sound and lightproof. The leak must be in the film chamber either side of the pressure plate to reach the edges... but I just can't see how. I think I need to arrange a mini light bulb and battery arrangement and place it inside the camera and take it in the dark room...
A real shame, I enjoyed using it.

The four German folders I took all performed faultlessly. The results so far:
Germany 4 Britain 0.