Just got my Agfa Reflexes back from service

sruddy · Feb 23, 2020

My two Reflexes. Both back from service. I was asking for one good camera but got back both as repaired. He even did a cosmetic treatment on one. However that one has a badly fogged front element on the taking lens. I wish he would have switched the lenses on that camera. This is a fun camera to use, but hard to look down into viewer in sunny conditions. I end up using the focus loop, and can still see the frame. The ergonomics aren’t the best, but I love the leaf shutter. At first I thought they looked ugly but I’m really starting to like their look. I don’t have any production numbers but they were only made for a year.

BobD · Feb 23, 2020

CMoore · Feb 23, 2020

Leaf Shutter.?
Oh, OK...... the NAME of the camera is Reflex.?

Those are very cool looking.
Who did the work.?

AgX · Feb 23, 2020

CMoore said:
the NAME of the camera is Reflex.?

Out of their various reflex cameras, Agfa had 2 models that just were designated "Reflex". The model above and the "Optima Reflex", with "Optima" being their longtime family-name for all their programm-mode models.

AgX · Feb 23, 2020

CMoore said:
Leaf Shutter.?

Making SLR's with leaf shutters was not uncommon. One reason was that one could use off the shelf shutters from the several shutter manufacturers.
And doing so made sense if the lens was fixed, or if the leaf shutter was behind the lens, or if the leaf shutter was part of the static barrel with the rear lens assembly and taking exchangable front assemblies.

The latter was a appoach that was popular at west-german manufacturers. Canon made such too. But the Germans likely adhered to it too long.

The Agfa Reflexes though were a kind of their own...

By the way, the original designations were different:
The OP's model was designated "Flexilette".

CMoore · Feb 23, 2020

AgX said:
Making SLR's with leaf shutters was not uncommon. One reason was that one could use off the shelf shutters from the several shutter manufacturers.
And doing so made sense if the lens was fixed, or if the leaf shutter was behind the lens, or if the leaf shutter was part of the static barrel with the rear lens assembly and taking exchangable front assemblies.

The latter was a appoach that was popular at west-german manufacturers. Canon made such too. But the Germans likely adhered to it too long.

The Agfa Reflexes though were a kind of their own...

Right you are.
i saw the style of camera and simply thought it was some kind of SLR with a standard focal plane.....
My Mistake

JPD · Feb 24, 2020

I usually don't like the style of 1960's cameras, but these are different. Agfa's try to compete with the SLR's that were becoming more popular, but using the TLR concept to simplify things and make the cameras affordable.

AgX · Feb 24, 2020

JPD said:
Agfa's ... using the TLR concept to simplify things and make the cameras affordable.

You might be stretching the term affordable quite far. Maybe they were affordable for a US clientele.

However the OP's model cost in West-Germany back then 1/2 average month-salary (and this with typically only one salary per family).

The programm-mode version even cost one salary.

DavidSamuels · May 9, 2022

Excuse me for butting in on an old post. Hope someone can help. I'm a long time Agfa fan, have had one of my Agfaflex SLRs since I was a kid. I'm looking for a good service person for both Agfaflex and Ambi Silette. In CA would be nice, but not a must. Who is everyone using in the states? Thanks very much.

gone · May 10, 2022

I had one of those eons ago. It was quite a conversation starter, but like you, I didn't find using a waist level finder w/ a 35mm camera to be a good thing. Years later I had another odd Agfa camera w/ replaceable lenses (I think), an Agfaflex. It also had a focus screen on the top. That thing took really strange photos, the bokeh was wild. There were lots of things in the background of the pics that were not visible when I took the photo.

AgX · May 10, 2022

Interesting. More so as the respective standard lenses were of common types, Tessar and Biogon types. Likely you used the latter.

DavidSamuels · May 10, 2022

All of the lenses I have for my Agfas, both SLR and rangefinder, are Agfa. I wasn't aware there were other types available! I have prisms for the Agfaflex-s, as well as waist level, and I see the OP's cameras are waist level. I'm hoping sruddy chimes in with his service source, as I cannot message him.

AgX · May 11, 2022

DavidSamuels said:
All of the lenses I have for my Agfas, both SLR and rangefinder, are Agfa.

Agfa had own lens manufacturing and to my understanding no Agfa camera takes lenses from another manufacturer.

(Aside of their "modern" SLR's which are cosmetically modified Chinon models, with PK mount and japanese lenses.)

Sunslip · Aug 19, 2023

sruddy said:
My two Reflexes. Both back from service. I was asking for one good camera but got back both as repaired. He even did a cosmetic treatment on one. However that one has a badly fogged front element on the taking lens. I wish he would have switched the lenses on that camera. This is a fun camera to use, but hard to look down into viewer in sunny conditions. I end up using the focus loop, and can still see the frame. The ergonomics aren’t the best, but I love the leaf shutter. At first I thought they looked ugly but I’m really starting to like their look. I don’t have any production numbers but they were only made for a year.

View attachment 240679

Who did the work for you? I have an Optima Reflex in excellent cosmetic and optical condition I would like serviced.

Just got my Agfa Reflexes back from service

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