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Unknown tiny Beauty

AgX

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I do not remember this camera being discussed here: Welta Penti II

In bulk height and length about the same as the Olympus XA, but 7mm more in thickness.

Full manual control, coupled selenium meter, match-needle display in bright-line finder.
18x24 upright, taking SL cassettes. (Karat and Rapid should fit too.)
plain triplet lens, barrel focusing
only three speeds plus B

Stylish design, cold shoe is unique

https://www.photo-foto.eu/s/cc_images/cache_2448355705.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5224/5686399035_5cd7a86a8f.jpg


Likely designed as ladies-camera to fit into her handbag.
But there also was a silver/black, silver/blue, silver/cream and gold/green version at least.

So, no reason not to sport it...
 
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Wow! Never heard of this camera, but it is quite stylish and sleek!

I assume the plunger/lever is for advancing the film like on a Vitessa?

There appears to be a few on Ebay now; some at reasonable prices...
 
East-german style from 1958/60.

Yes, basically the plunger works the same: pressing-in cocks shutter and advances film. After releasing and letting the release button free, the plunger jumps out again.
Made by Welta, but seemingly designed at KW.

Making it full-frame would have added 18mm in width and a much more protruding lens. And making focusing more critical. Also the number of frames would have gone down to 12.
Minox and Olympus used a retractable lens rsp. optically a tele design.
 
  • AgX
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The interwebs say it uses a "cassette to cassette" film. Does this mean you need to score two of the cassettes in order to use the camera?
 
Yes, that was the idea behind the Karat, Rapid and SL cassettes. But practically all these cameras come with at least one cassette. Thus with two cameras you are in the game...
If you are willing to unload the camera in the dark you even can omit the cassette for take up.

With the Rapid cassette you may even need a rightly film-speed coded cassette for feeding, though the respective film-speed reading camera models are few and scarce.


When loading a cassette be aware of not to give way film (most cameras do not transport more than 12 full frames), and to cut the feed end correctly.
 
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The idea behind these cassettes are easy loading, and un-loading, great flatness of film, less mechanics and less bulk. The Penti employs an even further reduced transport mechanism.

However for the uninitiated the loading/un-loading of the camera is way beyond the type 126 cassette concerning fool-proofness.
 
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It truly is a stylish, sleek, beautiful, and tiny camera. Inspiring...

---
Hold it closer tiny camera
Count the frames off on the film
Lay down sheets of photos
You had a busy day today
--
 
k.hendrik said:
how to open/load/reload these cassettes
Click to expand...

If I understand correctly - you don't open them - you have one full and one empty...it goes from full unexposed to empty exposed. Then you take full exposed cassette - the end part of the film is still out, and pull the film out (in the dark), and develop it.

If both cassettes are empty - you need to load one with the film (in the dark). There is no take up spool in the cassette.
 
Completely right.

Only issues are to cut the leader end smoothly to make it feed itself into the opposing cassette-
And to mark the leader, to be sure not to mix it up with the tail of an exposed film.
 
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ok thanks! Both cassettes are empty; so how to fill one & how much 35film goes in & how to 'lead' the film into the take up spool? i'm a novice in this 'rapid region'; 2001 my Dad died, I put these spools into my bureaux & never looked at them again. "RAPID" wake me up
Very nice looking camera btw !!
 
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darkosaric said:
EDIT: I would say 1 meter (cca 24 exp 24x36). You cut in the dark from a roll, and slowly push film inside until only cca 10 cm is left.
Click to expand...

.
The Rapid etc. systems (cassettes and cameras) are made for 12 exp. at 24x36 (resp. 24 at 18x24). Thus using a longer film strip means wasting film. As the cameras typically block releasing after the last frame plus a stroke to get that into the cassette, to avoid exposing with film having ran through.
However some models (as the Penti) lack this blocking. Here one could try to squeeze more film into the cassette at loading.
 
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My Dad had a pre-war Agfa Ansco Memo 35mm. Made in USA. It took the original larger Memo cassettes that would accommodate 24 exposures 1 7/16 × 15/16 inch pictures. I might have a cassette left, I have the tiny yellow K2 sky filter for it.
I'm not sure what black and white film he used, it was Ansco. I tried to straighten that stuff out. Even re-wetting it. Even with weighted clips it would curl up like spiral pasta. In 1949 he got an Argus C3. Took beautiful Kodachrome slides.
 
Penti addict here; I have two. First version. Full control of all three variables: distance, shutter, diaphragm; what else could one ask for? And the Trioplan is nice: in a comparative test against an Agfa Optima-Parat with a Solinar (4-element), I could not see a difference.
Information: Before I had a second Rapid cassette, I just (in the dark) put a roll of film in the supply chamber, engaged into my (then) only cassette on the take-up side, and all went well.
Question: Can someone please confirm that the filter diameter for Penti I is 18mm.
 
About the cassettes:

-) Karat = from sheet metal
-) SL = basically like Karat, but from injection moulded plastic(from GDR/USSR)
-) Rapid = Karat, but with recess taking stud for film-speed indication
 
k.hendrik said:
maybe a bit out of TS but I have these two:
View attachment 225528
found it in my Dad's camera but how to open/load/reload these cassettes?!
Click to expand...

The film itself is classic 35mm, but the shaftless cassette is different.

Cut off the beginning of the roll of 35mm film such that the end is full width, and cut the end to be slightly rounded, and make sure neither if the perforations are open (that is, the perforation is surrounded by acetate)

In a dark room, push a short run of film into the cassette until you have about 6cm left hanging outside the cassette (that 6cm becomes the film leader).

It's best to divide a 135x35 roll into three rolls, since a longer roll will make it difficult to advance near the last exposure.
Twenty years ago, I shot two rolls of Velvia in my Isomat-Rapid. It was fun to use and the slides came out well.
 
This was the first camera I used at the age of 14. It was gold-green.
 
Britain, Land of Pentacon.
 
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