Agfa Silette

[PaulRicciardi]

Anyone else out there have or use any of the Agfa Silette cameras?

Personally I love them. I have a Silette Vario that I got for free...it has a dent on it, the film advance can be a little bit noisy and the scale focus scared me at first as it was my first non SLR camera but I slowly grew to love its simplicity, compact size and most of all the quiet vibrationless shutter. A lot of times I'll shoot a shot with it and not even notice I tripped the shutter.

So, anyone else out there using one?

[bcostin]

I have a Silette and and also a Solina, which is pretty much identical except for an f3.5 lens instead of f2.8. The pair were a bargain at $10. They're nice little cameras; I should use them more often, especially now that I've gotten more comfortable with scale focusing. Here's a shot from the Silette:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/266646517_6176659198.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcostin/266646517/)

(Hmm. That negative was probably scanned using my old flatbed scanner. I should rescan that set someday.)

[Muggins]

Blimey, I thought I was the only person in years who'd used a Silette!

I was given one a couple of summers ago - exact model uncertain, but with the bog-standard Agnar lens. I found it nice and usable, and most of the photos were crisp enough (unless you are a razor-sharp six-element pedant), though it did get a bit hazy when used in shade on a bright day.

It actualy won me a third prize in a photography class at the village flower show - "A Sporting Event" - a row of people sat in a cricket pavilion watching intently some point out of the frame. Actually it's not a great photo, but the judge liked it's "documentary look".

Actually, thinking about it, there must be a demand for them somewhere - our local Oxfam does a quarterly camera sale and there are nearly always two or three Silettes, and they always sell - unless it's the same three cameras going round in circles...

Adrian

[julio1fer]

Anyone else out there have or use any of the Agfa Silette cameras?

Yes!! Look here (http://nelsonfoto.com/v/showthread.php?t=12504).

[FallisPhoto]

Anyone else out there have or use any of the Agfa Silette cameras?

Personally I love them. I have a Silette Vario that I got for free...it has a dent on it, the film advance can be a little bit noisy and the scale focus scared me at first as it was my first non SLR camera but I slowly grew to love its simplicity, compact size and most of all the quiet vibrationless shutter. A lot of times I'll shoot a shot with it and not even notice I tripped the shutter.

So, anyone else out there using one?


I have a Super Memar (the Ansco version of the Super Silette). Does that count?
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/data/500/medium/Ansco_Super_Memar.JPG (javascript:;)

[Scarpia]

I have a Silette I (see Stockholm 1964 in my gallery) bought new in Germany around 1963. It still works and the f2.8 45 mm Agnar is sharp from f5.6 up. At f4 quality deteriorates and I have never used it wide open probably because of scale focusing needing some leeway.
I also have a Super Solina with a 45mm F2.8 apotar which has some spots but takes excellent photos. My prize silette is a Super Silettte with a 50mm F2.8 Solinar but I have never used it. Too many cameras.
Kurt M.

[Windscale]

For 6 months or so I have looked for various lighter cameras. As one gets older one wants to carry less heavy gear. Only two months ago I found a Silette with Apotar with Pronto SV. It was in reasonable condition and I gave it a CLA. Then we went for a shoot-out. The cameras involved were Rollei 35 Tessar, Rollei 35 Sonnar, Minolta 7SII, Olympur 35RD, Olympus 35SP. The results were shocking. The Silette outdone all the others when stopped down to f5.6 and did respectably wide opened. All of us were quite surprised that it beat the two Rolleis so easily. The Japanese cameras gave sharp results but the pictures looked flatter and lacking in shadow details. I ended up selling my Rollei 35 Tessar two days after the shoot out. No regrets at all. I would have loved to have a rangefinder as well. I then used it with a little rangefinder fitted to the shoe. Then a month ago I saw 3 Silettes on sale and all were working examples and going quite cheap. So I bought all of them and am now waiting for their deliveries. One with Solinar with rangefinder. One with Apotar with rangefinder. And one is the same as the one I bought earlier. I will give them the usual CLAs. I guess this will probably be me buying 35mm for a long long time.

Sometimes good things do come cheap.

[bmattock]

I like Silettes. Here's a cool webpage:

http://www.chromeagecamera.com/Silette.htm

[Muggins]

Here's a couple from my Silette and its Agnar lens. Not a particularly inspired roll, and I can't find my favourite. Furthermore, my scanner has done alarming things to the nice late-evening glow of the upper pic, which looks buckets better in the flesh. Believe it or not, the bottom one is the prizewinner - despite my lightmeter reading obviously being all to cock. By the way, that's me 4th from left. So you can stalk me now...

Adrian

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t141/gray1720/Silette.jpg

[153380]

I own both aSilette and a Super Silette which I purchased on Ebay several years ago
.Shot them just as I bought them,no CLA.
Results ....exellent ,bearing in mind I almost always shoot @ f5.6 or smaller.
Also have a Solinette and a Super Solinette, which is the foldiong version of the Silette
Much prefer the latter because of its pocketability.
Both the Super versions have the Solinar len which in my experience matches the quality of the Zeiss Tessar.

[ZeissFan]

I have been going through an Agfa phase, which includes the half-frames, various Karats, Silettes, Optimas and others. Agfa always seemed to have some kind of camera for the amateur and advanced amateur market.

The Silette and Solinette are nice little cameras with the Solinette having the advantage of being folding cameras. The Super Solinette is a sweet little camera with a coupled rangefinder.

In 35mm, the Apotar is a very good lens for a triplet, while the Solinar is a Tessar type (four elements in three groups).

I've gotten some very nice photos with the Apotar.

And of course, the downside with the Agfas are the frozen focusing helicals.

Once that's been sorted out, you have a mighty fine camera.

[sfb_dot_com]

I just recently sold on Ebay an Ambi Silette which I bought from a charity shop. It had slightly dodgy wind on lever, but was otherwise in great shape. It had loads of neat fetures including switchable framelines, and interchangeable lenses. I already have the III so didn't use it and decided to move it on. It went for a reasonable price too.

[PaulRicciardi]

Nice to see some other silette users out there, makes me wanna go shoot with mine more!

Here's a few from mine:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2002/2127032045_8a10581d6e.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/2127030683_60264f079d.jpg

[everythingy]

Fantastic shots, Paul!

[Windscale]

As long as the Apotar lens is clean and properly calibrated you really can't go wrong. Enjoy your camera. It is now my most used 135 camera.

[charjohncarter]

OT: If you get hooked on Agfa, the next step up is the OptimaIIs. It has a coupled rangefinder, and full auto exposure. I especially like it with color:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2582383574_f7739b3988.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2172/1536205769_4266fcb9e0.jpg?v=0

[agfanut]

I have around 13 silette's, all different all great. the super silette f2 solagon is sweeeeet. there are a multitude of accessories for them, I love the original agfa 30mm push on filters. a great camera to just have and play with that will turn out ok photos. just sitting and going through the speeds gives me a buzz, i dont care if thats geeky i love it.

[ludoo]

Just got back today from a CLA the Super Silette with the Solinar 3.5 I bought at a flea market last Sunday for 10 euros. I find it a lovely camera, with a very easy to use rangefinder, and a nice design.

[hanskerensky]

I have a Super Silette with the Solagon lens.
Tested now with 2 films (Kodak and Fuji) and was really astonished about the sharpness of the Solagon. One of my favourites, especially in combination with the Fuji Superia Reala 100asa film.

[27davidson]

I agree with hanskerensky. I have a Super Silette Solagon f2 50mm and a Ambi Silette with three lenses. Fuju Superia Reala is a good match for these cameras - the pictures are sharp, the colors are accurate and the contrasts are even.

[Murray Kelly]

Anyone have tips on getting the film to get past #1? I seems to stick at the felt inside the cassette first time round and the sprocket holes tear at #2 or 3.
I am using a film with a thin base so maybe it's that.
I cut the leader the same as the factory loads with the double bump (top and bottom).
Having cassettes that don't disassemble makes it hard to imagine exactly what is going on.
Thanks
Murray

[hanskerensky]

Anyone have tips on getting the film to get past #1? I seems to stick at the felt inside the cassette first time round and the sprocket holes tear at #2 or 3.
I am using a film with a thin base so maybe it's that.
I cut the leader the same as the factory loads with the double bump (top and bottom).
Having cassettes that don't disassemble makes it hard to imagine exactly what is going on.
Thanks
Murray

My Super Silette also put much tension on the film during transport.
This tension was noticably reduced after cleaning and greasing the rewinder axis.

[Ranger Copy]

I have been going through an Agfa phase, which includes the half-frames, various Karats, Silettes, Optimas and others. Agfa always seemed to have some kind of camera for the amateur and advanced amateur market.

The Silette and Solinette are nice little cameras with the Solinette having the advantage of being folding cameras. The Super Solinette is a sweet little camera with a coupled rangefinder.

In 35mm, the Apotar is a very good lens for a triplet, while the Solinar is a Tessar type (four elements in three groups).

I've gotten some very nice photos with the Apotar.

And of course, the downside with the Agfas are the frozen focusing helicals.

Once that's been sorted out, you have a mighty fine camera.

and out do you get it all sorted out? and a good day to you as well.
regards,

[Vince Lupo]

I had an Ambi Silette kit with three lenses, cases, etc but I didn't think much of the quality of the camera. The rangefinder on this camera was a bit dodgy, and overall the materials just felt 'lesser' in quality to me. Sold it about two years ago, and wouldn't buy another.

[Murray Kelly]

My Super Silette also put much tension on the film during transport.
This tension was noticably reduced after cleaning and greasing the rewinder axis.

Well, I finally nailed it! :-)
I carefully prised one end off the cassette to see just exactly was inside. The 2 brass (phosphor-bronze, actually) pairs of clips on the outside are the anchors for two spirals over the edges of the film about the level of sprocket holes and direct the film into a roll as the camera pushes the film across the gate and into the take-up side.
However, in their wisdom, the engineers have put a bulky roller of PVC tube inside that and reduced the available space for film to between the springs and the roller. I removed the roller and reassembled the cassette (that was a whew!) and the Hawkeye Surveillance film which is on a thin base now works beautifully.
I note I have 2 kinds of cassette marked 'E' and 'G' and I have worked out the 'E' is ISO 80 and the 'G' is ISO 100. The metering on the Isomat appears to be OK since it's been in its box and case since forever but does anyone know if other cassettes exist and the marking on them and maybe describe the bar on the cassette's side which sets the camera's auto speed?

TIA
Murray

[farlymac]

I've got an Ansco Memar and an Agfa Super Silette. Of course, both lenses were frozen. I've gotten the Memar cleaned up and ready for relube, assembly, and colimating. The Super is going to have to wait until I can get a donor body in able to replace the front and rear lens elements. The front is all scratched up, and the rear looks like it has some fungus etching on it. Will have to do a complete teardown and overhaul as the shutter needs work, so I might as well do it up right.

They do feel like very comfortable cameras to use, and I am looking forward to seeing what results I get.

PF