Folding Cameras - the Latest in 1950's Technology

If you want a camera that makes large negatives, and yet folds up small enough to fit in your pocket, then the only choice is one of the folders from the 1950's. They lack most of the modern conveniences, but pack the full punch of medium format. They're made of real metal, and are great for traveling, especially if you bring along a small portable tripod.
Many folding cameras were manufactured during this era, by such respected companies as Zeiss and Voigtlander, but in my humble opinion, Agfa seems to have come up with the most attractive design. Hold one in your hands and you'll know: they're the BMW of folders. These photos were made with my 6x9 Agfa Record II camera, and these with my 6x6 Isolette.

The Agfa Record produces 6x9 images, and the Agfa Isolette shoots 6x6 on the same 120 roll film. To advance the film, you watch though a little red window on the back, and wind until the next number appears. Then you cock the shutter. The shutters on these cameras are almost inaudible. Depending on the model, you get manual focus, rangefinder focus, or even coupled rangefinder focus in later versions. Many models have double-exposure prevention, which locks the shutter release until the film has been advanced to the next frame.
Some shutters have built-in self-timers, which are perfect for making exposures with no vibration - and for including yourself in a group portrait. Newer models have flash synchronization, and can sometimes be purchased with original leather case, still in good shape.
Scanning at 2400 dpi with an affordable consumer scanner such as the Epson 4990, a 6x6 image comes to around 25 megapixels. A 6x9 image gives around 40 megapixels. With a dedicated film scanner such as the Nikon Super COOLSCAN 9000 ED, you can get much better image quality, and even more megapixels. The Nikon can scan at 4000 spi, down to the grain of the finest film, and get everything there is to see.
To the right is a sample image, taken with an Agfa Record II, with its 3-element 105mm Apotar lens, a classic Cooke-Triplet design. The film is medium-grain TMax 400, and the picture was taken hand-held. The detail section is taken from the whole image, scanned with an Epson 4990 at its setting of "2400 ppi". It has been enlarged to a size of 14x26 inches at 300 dpi.
You can see the screw heads on the sign, even though the photo was taken from a great distance... hand-held ! For best results, use a fine-grained film like TMax 100 or Fuji Acros, place the camera on a tripod or a monopod, and shoot the lens at f/8 or f/11, where it is sharpest. (Most lenses are at their best, when stopped down just a few stops from wide-open).
Click here to see a 40-Megapixel scan of a negative made with the same camera, (caution: 4 MB file download). It was scanned at 2400 spi, making a file that is roughly 8000x5000 pixels. Your browser will display it small by default, but if you click on the image you can see it full-size. The image is practically life-sized: not bad for a 1950's camera with a simple lens!
Here is another image made with the same camera. The camera was placed on a portable tripod and the self-timer was used so that the photographer could also appear in the photograph.
The top-of-the-line Agfa Record III model came with a better lens, the 4-element coated Solinar, and had its own built-in uncoupled rangefinder. The Solinar lens was designed to give better results for color images, but as this sample photo suggests, even the 3-element coated Apotar on the Record II, is plenty sharp !
A great place to learn more about these cameras is Medium Format in Your Pocket. Jurgen Kreckel is the fellow from whom many purchase their folding cameras. He's a great guy, and restores them to perfection. His web site shows a great variety of folding cameras, along with a gallery of sample images taken by the cameras. See Vintage Folding Cameras
Courtesy of: The Kenneth Lee Gallery