The Agat 18K vs the Kodak Ektar H35

[Huss]

Agat 18K, c200

 

[Huss]

Kodak Ektar H35, C200

 

[Huss]

Agat




Kodak

 

[Huss]

And here is a pic from the Agat that the Kodak could never do:





The Kodak has one fixed exposure setting. It's a daylight only camera. The Agat has more flexibility. But which do I prefer? Well if you only had one camera, literally only one camera then the Agat is far more flexible. But most of us have more than one camera, and that is why I prefer the Kodak. It's a daylight use camera, and in that realm it can take surprisingly decent pics. The clincher is it is just more fun to use.
The Kodak is also much easier to make diptychs with as it's natural composition is portrait and the VF is clearer. The Agat really is not so much about making diptychs, but about getting 72 shots per roll!

If you wanted to use a superb half frame camera, then I highly recommend the Olympus Pen F series. Amazing lenses, great accurate SLR VF (much much better to make dip or triptychs with than any VF camera), just a really high quality piece. So ideally a Pen F for 'serious' pics, and the Kodak for fun.

 

[Huss]

p.s. you can also see in some of my Agat shots there is a vertical shadow in the frame. That's because for some unknown reason my Agat has a baffle in lens box.

The baffling case of the Agat baffle

Yesterday I used arguably the greatest 35mm camera ever made - the Agat 18K Half Frame. A mechanical and aesthetic triumph.... So here's da deal, I noticed that the pics have a slightly darker vertical stripe on the left side of the image (which would be the right side in the camera). The...

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[Huss]

Kodak h35

 

[alter ego 6x9]

I used a couple of Agats. I have sold one and the other is broke now. The lens is nice, also the size of the camera and manual settings. But ergonomics just suck. Very fragile to the point I was always afraid it would break while rewinding the film or changing some settings. Now I use Konica Autoreflex (half/full model) as a half frame camera. Very heavy and quite big, but unbreakable. But Agats in Lithuania (as in all FSU countries) are still pretty cheap. I paid 10€ for the last one on the flea market. Maybe I need to buy one again? This photo is from very very old (expired Agfa Vista 200), Agat 18k

 

[henryvk]

Kodak Ektar H35, Fuji C200

Digging the geometry of that right hand one. I've shot Fuji C200 on my FED 5 with an Industar 61 lens (in Colorado as well as Germany, so it's not just available light) and it always came out a little... drab? Here it really pops. I should shoot some with a "worse" lens.

 

[xkaes]

Those beach shots show the baffling baffle problem -- which my Agat 18 and 18K do not have.

 

[Huss]

Those beach shots show the baffling baffle problem -- which my Agat 18 and 18K do not have.

Yeah, Alter's and my Agat have the baffling baffle. No idea why it's there, it only creates issues.

 

[Huss]

Digging the geometry of that right hand one. I've shot Fuji C200 on my FED 5 with an Industar 61 lens (in Colorado as well as Germany, so it's not just available light) and it always came out a little... drab? Here it really pops. I should shoot some with a "worse" lens.

I think one reason why it pops is the film, in these light conditions, is most probably being overexposed by 2 stops given iso 200, 1/125 and f10. But c41 film is so flexible that it doesn't matter too much.
So perhaps give your shots more exposure? Also - how are you getting your images back? I scan my own so control that side of the process.

 

[Huss]

I used a couple of Agats. I have sold one and the other is broke now. The lens is nice, also the size of the camera and manual settings. But ergonomics just suck. Very fragile to the point I was always afraid it would break while rewinding the film or changing some settings. Now I use Konica Autoreflex (half/full model) as a half frame camera. Very heavy and quite big, but unbreakable. But Agats in Lithuania (as in all FSU countries) are still pretty cheap. I paid 10€ for the last one on the flea market. Maybe I need to buy one again? This photo is from very very old (expired Agfa Vista 200), Agat 18k View attachment 316148

The ergos really are miserable on the Agat. 10 euros for one is really cheap but camera price is only one part of the cost equation. The film itself may cost more than the camera! Then you have dev costs etc. So in my opinion it's much better to buy a camera you actually like and want to use, than look for the cheapest option.

I noticed the light leak in your pic - mine has started to do that on a few shots while my Kodak has remained light tight. I bought my Agat new, and already have shot more film through the Kodak so it is not as if my Agat has been used more.

I am curious as to the exposure settings on my Agat, because it doesn't seem that what I get on film matches the apparent settings on the camera. I tried to deliberately overexpose some shots, but the end results did not show that. Which leads me to wonder how accurate the ISO setting is, as well as the exposure/pictogram settings.

 

[xkaes]

Yeah, Alter's and my Agat have the baffling baffle. No idea why it's there, it only creates issues.

What's baffling is that they would put something into the camera that causes a problem. Normally, you only add something to a camera to solve a problem -- and there are plenty of examples of that. Maybe they added it to solve a problem -- and created a different one.

Mind boggling.

 

[xkaes]

Yeah, Alter's and my Agat have the baffling baffle. No idea why it's there, it only creates issues.

Are these two (?) cameras both 18K models?

 

[xkaes]

I am curious as to the exposure settings on my Agat, because it doesn't seem that what I get on film matches the apparent settings on the camera. I tried to deliberately overexpose some shots, but the end results did not show that. Which leads me to wonder how accurate the ISO setting is, as well as the exposure/pictogram settings.

There are limits on the shutter speed -- which is set by the ISO -- so maybe you are hitting an exposure "wall" with certain exposures due to ISO/shutter speed limits.

 

[Huss]

In defense of the Agat, the lens really is great. And as for fragility? It feels more solid than any of the reloadable plastic cameras (like my Kodak and those other ones from Ilford etc). You have to remember its price point!
I'm almost tempted to put another roll of film through it and set the ISO level to 1 stop over exposure and see what happens. But my Pen FT and Kodak are just so much nicer to use.

p.s. the one excellent ergo call is the lens cap that also covers the shutter button.

 

[Huss]

There are limits on the shutter speed -- which is set by the ISO -- so maybe you are hitting and exposure "wall" with certain exposures due to ISO/shutter speed limits.

These are those bright beach shots. As the exposure is set manually it should be able to 'overexpose' at will. While one is able to set exposure - a good thing - one does not actually know what exposure really is being set! Undoubtedly this camera is way more flexible than the Kodak - see the sunset shot. On the Kodak that would be black nothingness.

 

[Huss]

Are these two (?) cameras both 18K models?

Dunno - Alter should be able to answer. Also, that doesn't mean that all 18Ks have the baffle. It really is a shame because it can ruin shots.

 

[alter ego 6x9]

Dunno - Alter should be able to answer. Also, that doesn't mean that all 18Ks have the baffle. It really is a shame because it can ruin shots.

18k, pictured below. I really did not care much about those issues (including light leaks) as my expectations were low for this camera to begin with. I used it to get “lomo“ style pictures, low-fi, so to say…

 

[alter ego 6x9]

The ergos really are miserable on the Agat. 10 euros for one is really cheap but camera price is only one part of the cost equation. The film itself may cost more than the camera! Then you have dev costs etc. So in my opinion it's much better to buy a camera you actually like and want to use, than look for the cheapest option.

I noticed the light leak in your pic - mine has started to do that on a few shots while my Kodak has remained light tight. I bought my Agat new, and already have shot more film through the Kodak so it is not as if my Agat has been used more.

I am curious as to the exposure settings on my Agat, because it doesn't seem that what I get on film matches the apparent settings on the camera. I tried to deliberately overexpose some shots, but the end results did not show that. Which leads me to wonder how accurate the ISO setting is, as well as the exposure/pictogram settings.

I do not worry about film/development cost so much. I have a few hundreds of rolls frozen which I bought cheap long time ago and I develop myself. Still, I agree that it is better to use the camera I really enjoy, which Agat is not. But I like little experiments from time to time.

 

[Huss]

I do not worry about film/development cost so much. I have a few hundreds of rolls frozen which I bought cheap long time ago and I develop myself. Still, I agree that it is better to use the camera I really enjoy, which Agat is not. But I like little experiments from time to time.

Yeah, that's how I feel about it too. Sometimes I just use a camera because I feel guilty its been sitting there so long neglected! Which is also why I should sell those cameras - something I have been doing.

 

[Huss]

Kodak H35

 

[xkaes]

p.s. the one excellent ergo call is the lens cap that also covers the shutter button.

This may or may not be true for every Agat, but the AGAT 18 cameras that I have seen have a clear cap that only covers the lens. The Agat 18K has a black cap that covers the lens and the shutter release AND is attached to the camera body with a cord so it can't get lost (see above).

 

[xkaes]

Dunno - Alter should be able to answer. Also, that doesn't mean that all 18Ks have the baffle. It really is a shame because it can ruin shots.

I have an Agat 18 and an Agat 18K and neither of them have that baffle.

 

[Huss]

The Agat is much better used in its intended orientation. Just because of the ergos.
Notice the light leak in the first pic.