Agfa beginning handbook II Reference guide

INTRODUCTION.
 r-:\
 -F ,o-   no  other  hobby   is so much
 lasting   pleasure  obtained   as  from
photography.   Quite   apart  from  the
interest  of  photography   itself,  there
are so many ways  in which    it can be
used.  Whatever  one's aims mav  be.
they are realised to a wonderful deeree.
 If  the  object  in  view  is the  -uki.tg
of souvenirs of one's holidays or  tra-
vels,  a  camera  as  one's  constant
companion  provides  pictures  affording
infinitely   more   pleasure  than  any
which  can be bought.   Records  -  of
personal experiences among places and
people  -  which  awake endless enjoy-
able memories.  And   if one has more
serious   aims,   photography    affords
scope  for  artistic  expression  or  con-
tributes    to   the   pursuit    of   other
occupations.  Everyone   realises  the
truth  of  all this, and the question thus
arises why   it  is that many people have
not  yet  taken up  photography.   The
answer is no doubt  to be found  in the
idea  that  photography    is  something
difficult,   calling  for  much  tFme and
patience, before one can be proficient





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in   it.  Yet  nothing  could  be  further
from  the fact.  In  the following  pages
it  will  be seen how easy it  really  is to
take good pictures.  Provided  that the
methods and means recommended  in
this  booklet  are adhered  to,  anyone                 j
may take up photography  without  fear
of  failure.

THE CAMERA.
     n
            It  go.s without saying that the starting t.
        point  of photography  is the possession
        of a camera, which  is of stand or hand
        pattern, according  to the construction.
       Yours will be a hand camera, which  isII4        the only  right  choice                                   you.  Stand                                       .for
      cameras are rnconvenient  and heavy;
       they  are used  almost  only  by  pro-
        fessional photographers.  Whether  you
       choose  to  use  a  roll-film   or  plate
       camera,  it makes no difference, as the
         different   nature    of   the   sensitive
        material  does  not  affect  the  quality
        of the pictures.  In any case you  will
         find among the Agfa cameras just  the
      one which  is suited  to vou.
            The  Speedex  Carnera
          is designed for  roll-film.   Owing  to  its
       simple   construction   and   practical
       convenience   it  is the ideal camera for
        the beginner.  On opening the camera,
        the lens comes of  itself  into  the posi-
         tion  of  focus,  so that  the camera  is
       ready for use in an instant.  Also other
       arrangements, such  as focussing on
       near objects and the three fixed lens





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stops,  are  exactly   of  the  utmost
 simplicity  required by a beginner.  At
 the sarne time  the camera comprises
 all that  is required  for use in innumer-
 able ways.
     If you require  a camera of a more
 elaborate kind, we recommend the
     Agfa  Standard   Carrteras.
  Among   these  models  you  may
choose cameras  for   roll-film   or  for
plates, yet  all of them have the same
entirely new features.
  The  Agfa  Standard  Cameras  are
distinguished   from    all other  similar
models by the greater ease of focussing
near objects.
  The  shutter  which  carries the  lens
is arranged in a so-called helical mount,
in which  the lens  is moved  to and fro
for  focussing  simply  by moving up or
down  a small  lever  arranged  on  the
shutter.  And  then  the focussing scale
is not  placed  in  the  usual awkward
position on the camera baseboard, but
on  the  upper  edge  of  the  shutter
where  the  scales for  distance  of  the
object, lens aperture,and shutter speed
can all be seen at a single glance when
holding the camera in the ordinary way.

There  are four  chief  parts  of every
 camera:
    1. The  lens, which, so to speak, is
 the  eye  of  the  camera and  forms  a
 miniature  _picture  of  the  subiect on
 the focussing screen or on the slnsitive
 plate or  film.
    2. The   Shutter,   which  serves  to
 open the  lens  for  a certain  correctlv
 measured time  and  then  to  close  it
 again. Such a so-called instantaneous
 shutter  is also adjustable  for  various
 (longer)  times.  The   shutters  most
 suitable for general use are those work-
 ing between the glasses of a lens and
 thus known  aS between-lens  or  dia-
 phragm  shutters.   'Ihe  Aefa Cameras
 are fitted with  shutt".r  of  this kind..
   3. The  carnera,  which   reallv   is
nothing more than a light-tight  closed
box, the size of which  is choien accor-
ding  to the focus  of  the lens and the
size of the picture.  For practical pur-
poses the box takes the form  of  the
bellows  of  an'"accordion, allowing  of
b_eingclosed compactly-It     or extended to
a'qiven distance.    serves the purpose
of  admitting  the rays of  lighi  wLich





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' (

come through  the  lens but  no  other
light  of any description.
   4. The  Plate-holder,    serving  to
hold a sensitive dry-plate-  In the case
of a roll-film  camera  this  part  of the
outfit  does  not  exist  as a  separate
fitment,since  the film  is accommodated
in the light-tight  camera body.
  These essential elements of acamera
are given  very practical  shape  in the
Agfa  cameras.  Those   for  use  with
plates  and  film-packs   are  provided
with  a focussing  screen by which  the
appearance of the picture may be jud-
sed.  In the case of a roll-film  camera
the amount  of subject included  in the
picture is iudeed by means of a finder,
conveniently  fixed  to the camera.
  The  high speed of the lenses fitted
to Aefa cameras enables you as a rule
to dispense with  the use of a tripod.
At   the  same  time   subjects  which
require a longer exposure-than  1/ro of
a  second  must  be  taken  with   the
camera held  perfectly   still,  otherwise
the  nictures   will  be  defective  from
double  outlines.   In  such cases  it  is
of advantage to use a tripod,  to which
the  camera   is  screwed.  The  Agfa





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tripod  is very conveniently carried, as
it  folds most compactly  and  is of the
utmost  rigidity  when  erected.


                                              1:;

      THE LENS.
T| 'enses are simply  arrangements ofglasses the  action  of  which   will  be      l
understood  from   the  following   ex-
periment.
   In   full   daylight,   station  yourself
somewhere  about  the  middle   of  .a
room  rvith  an ordirrary  reading  glass
(a magnifying  or burning  glass) in your
hand.  Take up a position between the
window and a sheet of white card, held
in the other hand.   If, now, you move
this  card towards  or away from  the
glass, you  rvill notice  that  at a certain
distance a sharp picture  of the window
appears on  the  card.  The  distance
depends on the so-called focus of the
glass  which   varies   with    diflerent
glasses. The  picture   will  be  upside
down, and not very bright,  on account
of the  light  falling  on the  card from
all sides.  Next,  hold  the glass nearer
to the window;  you  will  then find  that





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the card requires  to be moved  further
 away  and  that  the  picture   of  the
 window   is  larger.  But   if  you come
 further  from  the window,  the picture
 of  it on the card will be formed nearer
 to  the  lens and  will  be  smaller.  A
 photographic lens acts in just the same
 way as the reading glass.
   The best lenses are the anastigmats
 which  are made  in various forms and
 supplied under many  different names.
 They  are constructed so that  all'so-
 called  aberrations  are removed  as a
 result of which they give pictures sharp
 to  the  margins  without   the  use  of
 stops. These lenses thus mav be used at
 their   full  apertures,  and  rapid   in-
stantaneous exposures made even  in
dull  weather;  also portraits  in rooms
with  short exposures.
   This    is  the   great  advantage   of
anastigmats over aplanats, with which
it  is always necessary  to  stop down
more  or  less in  order  to get pictures
which   are  sharp    all   over.   With
anastigmats, on the other hand,   it  is
only  necessary to  use stops  for  the
reasonS set forth p  13.
  So-called  landscape  lenses,  con-
sisting  of  several cernented glasses,





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with  a stop  in  fron_t or  behind,  are
 altogether unsuitable for amareur use.
They  must always be greatly stopped
 down, and so the user can onlv  take
snaps in really bright  light.
  The   lens  of  the  Agfa  Standard
cameras  is the
         Agfa  Anastigrnat.
 It belongs to the so-called unsymme-
 trical  uncemented  types and  consists
 of three separate glasses of the highest
surface.  At  its  full  aperture   it  is of
speed ranging  from   f/6.3  to    f 17.7,
according  to  the size of  the  picture,
and   at   full   aperture   gives   critical
sharpnqss up  to the corners.
  Even  the Speedex camera  is  fitted
with an anastigmat, viz. the Igetar.
          +
  PLAT'ES AND  FILMS.
Phoro*r"phic    plates, otherwise drv-
plates, are glass plates coated on one
side with  a thin  film  of silver bromide
embedded  in  gelatine. When  a plate
of  this  kind   is put  into the camera in
place of the focussing screen and the
rays of the light  from  the lens allowcd





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to act on  it for a short time, the silver
bromide  is strongly  affected where the
picture  is  bright  (e. g. the  sky);  less
strongly  so, in  the  other  parts  of the
picture, and very  slightly  or not  at  all
in the shadows.  Whilst  the support  of
the sensitive coating  in the case of dry
plates  is glass, with   film   it  is a thin
sheet of  celluloid.
  When you purchase plates or  films,
see  that  they  bear  the  trade-mark




You  will  then be sure of  getting  the
best which can be obtained.  This  great
continental   photographic   firr,n, how-
ever,  manufactures  many   different
kinds  of  plates, which  are not  all  of
them  suitable  for  the beginner.  The
kind  which  you must  get are marked
Agfa  Extra-Rapid   Plates.  We  have
particular  reasons  for  recommending
these plates to you at the start of your
photography.
  The   contents   of  the  packet  are
sensitive  to  light,  so that  the packet
must  on  no  account  be opened  in

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 jI
      daylight  or Iamp  light.  The  slightest
      trace of white  light  falling on the plates
I       will  ruin  them.  The packet should be
     opened  only  in  the dark-room   in red
       light.
      A plate'is put  into the dark-slide in
      the  following  manner:    In  the  red
       light,  remove  the  outer  wrapping   of
      the box  of  plates.  Then  take  off the
     cover of the box;  you  will  then see
      the wrappings   of  black  paper which
      contain  the plates. Remove one plate
     and  put  the  rest on one  side away
     from  the dark-room   light.  The  platl
     should  be  held  only  by  the  edges.
      Fingering  of the surface may give iise
      to spots. Now  take a look at the plate,
      but  not  too  near  to  the  dark-room
     lamp. One side is plain glass, and the
      other  of matt  surface.  The  matt  side
       is the coated or emulsion  side.  The
      plate  is now  put  into  the  dark-slide
     (ready  to  hand)  with  the  matt  side
     towards  the  shutter,  so that  the  sur-
     face faces the  light  which   will  come
     from  the  lens.  Now  close the  dark-
      slide, and  carefully  re-pack  the other
      plates in the box, taking  care ttrat the
     outer  plates are arranged with  glass,
     not  emulsion,   in  contact  with   the
                   1 l



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wrapping  paper. The box is now again
        wrapped  in paper or tied  with  string
           to prevent  accidental  opening.
         When  using Agfa  roll-films  or Agfa
          film-packs  no  dark-room   is  required
           for  loading  the  camera  or  the  film-
        packadapter -  a verygreatadvantage in
        comparison  with  plates.  Your  dealer
            will show you how very simple   it  is to
         put the spool of film into the camera or
           to load the adapter  of the  film-pack.
                             . 4
            TAKING
        A PHOTOGRAPH.
                I)
         fDefore  proceeding  to take an5' parti-
          cular  subject you  should make your-
           self  entirely   conversant   with   your
        camera. Practise at leisure the various
        movements, especially the operation  of
         the  shutter.     It   is  a good  plan  to
         rehearse the  various  items  of  mani-
          pulation  in their due order, as set forth
           in  brief  at  the  end  of  this  chapter.
        When  using  a  plate  camera  the
        procedure  is as follows:
           Set up the camera for  this  prelimi-
        narv practice  in a room,   pointing   it

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L*'rx;;,-                                                           ..i.rrr:i,lcii, *

out  of the window.  You  will  then be
 able to see the picture  plainly  on the
 ground glass without  aid of a focussine
 cloth.  The  ground  glass must be aI
 a  particular   distance  from  the  lens,
 that   is  to- say  the  camera  must  be
 focussed according  to the focus of the
 lens and the distance of the subiect.
 Focussing must  always be  carefully
 done on the object or part  of the sub-
ject  which   is  of  chief  interest.  You
 will  find  that, according  to the quality
 of your  lens, the  picture   falls  off  in
sharpness at the edges. You can im-
prove matters by using  smaller  stops.
With  good  anastigmats,  such as the
Agfa Anastigmats, and the Igetar, the
picture  is sharp  to the edges without
stopping down  (see  p.  8).  But you
cannot always dispense with  the stops,
otherwise  you  would  never  get near
and distant  objects both  sharp on the
ground  glass.   All   lenses, however
made, behave in this way, so that stops
are  necessary  even  with   the  best
lenses, since the stop is the only means
of  overcoming   this   difficulty.   Now
arrange the camera so that you obtain
the desired picture on the ground glass.
In doingthis you must take care that the

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ground  glass is always vertical.    If you
are photographing  houses opposite  to
you and cannot  get the  roofs  in  the
picture, you should not attempt  to do
this  by   tilting   the  camera,  as  this
u'ould cduse a distortion  of the vertical
lines,  making   the  houses  look  as
if  they   were   falling   together.    In
such a case you can improve  matters
by taking up a standpoint  further  from
the houses.
   Roll-film   cameras  are  usually  not
provided  with  a focussing screen and
therefore  cannot  be handled  as just
described.  In  order  to  obtain  sharp
pictures  these cameras are fitted  with
special means, among which  is the so-
called finder.  This   is a small fitment
which shows the picture in miniature,
so that you can judge what  is included
on  the   film.   Moreover   the  Agfa
Standard  Cameras  are  fitted  with  a
so-called direct-vision  or frame finder,
the use of which   is best ascertained
from  your  dealer when  buying   the
camera.   But   the   finder   is  of  no
assistance in  making  sharp  pictures.
For  this purpose a focussing scale is
used, which,  in  the case of the Agfa
Standard models, is placed above the
               t4

lens mount  and  is  provided  with  a
pointer.
  The  distance  of  the  subject  to be
photographed  is judged  or measured
(roughly,  -one  full  pace  equals  one
yard), and the  pointer  is  set to  the
respective number.
  Focussing  having  been  completed,
the focussing screen (in the case of a
plate camera) is removed and the dark-
slide put  in  its place.  The  shutter  of
the camera  is closed and  set  to  the
correct  speed  and  stop,  respecting
which  instruction  follows.  The shutter
of  the  dark-slide   is drawn.  and  the
camera held  (for a snap)  in the hand
as high as possible, at least on a level
with   the  chest,  and  pressed  firmly
against the body.  The  shutter  is then
operated by  a  light  pressure  of  the
finger on the release. The  dark-slide
is then closed, and the process repeated
for each exposure. With  a film camera,
after photographing  a subject, the film
is simplywound  on tothe next number,
when  the camera  is ready  for a fresh
exposure. When  using film-packs,  the
next paper tab  is pulled out and torn
off.

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Ifere  we   will  set  out  again  thc
series of operations.
A. When using  aplate  carnerawith
         focussin$   screen:
  (1) Set up the camera.
  (2) Uncover thelens. (Shutter orcap).
  (3) Insert the largest stop.
 14) Focus on  the  chief  part  of  the
,    subject.
 (5) Stop down forrequiredsharpness.
 (6) Ascertain  the  time  of  exposure
     from  the Agfa  Exposure  Calcu-
      lator.
 (?) Close the lens.
 (8) Insert the  dark-slide.'
 (9) Draw  the dark-slide  shutter.
(10) Expose.
(11) Close and take out the dark-slide.
B.    Hand   cameras    without
         Focussin$   Screen:
 (1) Pull down the baseboard and set
     the focussing scale
 (2) See that  the  lens  is closed and
     that  stop and  shutter speed are                                                                                   I{d
     correctly adjusted. Then  set the
     shutter.
 (3) Ascertain time  t-rf exposure from
     the Agfa Exposure  Calculator.
                          t 6

(1) Insert dark-slide and draw shutter.
  (5) View  subject  in  finder,  holdins
     camera straiglit.
  (6) Operate the shutter.
  (7) Close the dark-slide.
      With   .Film   Packs   the  next
      operation  is:
  (8) Pull  the tab, and tear  off.
   With   Filrn  Carneras.   the corre_
 sponding movement  is to turn on the
 film  to  the  next  nurnber.

                                               i '
      EXPOSURE.rn
  I he  great  question   is now:   $'hat
exposure shall   I  give ?  The  success
 o-f the  picture  depends   largely  on
the exposure  for the many  difficulties
in    lvhich    there    is   fortunatelv
an    excellent    soluticin     in     th;
form   of  the  AGFA  EXPOSURE
CALCULATOR.
    It goes without  saying that the time
of exposure must be longer when the
lighting  is poor.    It   is necessaryj'into
expose longer on a dull  dav than
sunshine; longer  in  wintei  than  in
summer;  and longer  early or  late  in
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the d.ay than about noon.  The  times
of day and year and the  state of the
weather  are  factors  of  the  greatest
importance.   Full  account  is taken  of
them in the Agfa Exposure  Calculator,
as also of the character  of the subject,
speed of the plate or film and aperture
of the lens.  As regards plate speed,
this   differs   greatly  among   various
makes  and  grades,  and  there   are
various systems of denoting  the speed
of a plate. That  of Scheiner is the one
now  most  commonly   used on  the
Continent  whilst  in England  plates are
rated   for  speed  according   to   the
systems   of   Flurter   and   Driffield,
Watkins  and others.  The Agfa Extra-
Rapid plates which you are using are
of extreme  speed, and the Agfa  roll-
film  and  fihn-packs  are just  as  fast.
   In  the  Calculator  the  stop  of  the
lens  (relative  aperture)   is marked  as
fl8,   fll?,  and  so on.  The  weather
conditions  are  provided   for  by  the
"light-value".   Thus  you know  all thefactors concerned, and are in a position    I
to  use  the  calculator.    In  order   to
provide  against any chance  of  error,
we will  work  out an example, so that

                                      l 8

you  will  be able  to see whether  you
are using  the  calculator  correctly.  -
   For exposures by  daylight,  take the
calculator  in the hand so that the  title
"Agfa  Exposure  Calculator"   is upper-
most.  You  will  see that on  this  side
there are two cut-out  portions  in each
of which  a slide moves up and down.
The   first  thing  to do  is  to  find  the
"relative  light-value".    In  column  4
(down  the  middle   fixed  part  of  the
calculator)  are  the  numbers  1-39,
marked  "relative  light-value".      If you
are working   in  bright   sunlight,  but
with   u'hite  clouds  in  the  sky,  these
numbers are used as they stand. Under
other conditions  of weather you depart
somewhat from  them.  The  degree of
difference  is found by pushing the left
hand  slide up a  little   until  the small
oblong   table   "relative    light-value"
comes into  view.  You  will  there see
that  in  bright   sunlight,  but  without
clouds  in  the  sky,  the  light  value  is
less, as shown by column  4;  still less,
in  diffused  light, and so on. We  will
now  suppose  that  you  are  photo-
graphing  a landscape with  foreground
under cloudless sky at 10 a.m. in July.
You  set the  left hand  slide  rvith  the

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lower   series  of  numbers   so  that
"10  a. m."  comes opposite "July".
Then  in the column  giving the various
plates, read upwards  until  you come
to Extra-Rapid,   to the right  of which
you will see the figure 27 for the rela-
tive   light-value.    But  as  you   are
working  in sunlight,  but with cloudless
sky, you must take a figure 2 units less,
so  that  you  get  the  relative   light-
value  25.  Now   pull  the  right  hand
slide down so that the line "landscape
with  foreground"  comes opposite 25.
Next  in column  7  (relative  aperture)
you find the  stop, viz.f 112,and oppo-
site to  it on the  left.  in column  6. the
time of exposure, viz.7 l*  of a second.
That   is  to  say at  fllz  you  will  give
t/rr of a second. But   if you think  that
on account of movement  in the subject,
a somewhat  shorter  exposure  is  ne-
cessary, say 1/so of a second, you see
at once what stop to use, viz.fl9.   In
other words the calculator  tells you the
time  of exposure for any stop and also
the stop  for any given  time  of expo-
sure.  Further  examoles  will  be found  on          Ilthe  envelope  of  the  exposure  calcu-          ,
lator.                                                                                                             I
            20                                                                                                II


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