Film cameras
Agfa Silette I User manual
User manual for Agfa Silette I. 26 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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Document details
- Brand
- Agfa
- Model / document
- Agfa Silette I
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 26
- File size
- 2.0 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Page 4 · Read text
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You ore now the proud owner of o new comero-the Agfo silette I
-o choice on which you ore to be congrotuloted.The comero is
very simple to use os you will see from this exomple (olso shown in
the odiocentillusirotion):
A S E T T H E F O C U S I N GS Y M B ( ) I .
B C H O ( ) S ES H U T T E RS P E E D
c s E T t E i l s s T 0 P -
then iust press the shutter releose ond you will hqve token the
photogroph.
The lens of the SiletteI is the Agfo Color-Agnor f.2.8/45.
You will probobly wish to fomiliorize yourself with your new cqm-
ero ond leqrn more obout its technicol possibilities.Pleose turn
over ond fold out the reor cover flop. After reoding the odvice
ond hints given in this little booklet, you will soon be on expert.View original page 4Page 5 · Read text
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How to loqd the cqmerq
The comerq con be looded in doy- 3 lt is odvisobleto push the locking
light, however not in direct sunlight key (R)in the directionof the smoll
but using body shodow. orrow, so thqt the winding spool con
be moved freely.
I First.open the comerq bock by Turn the spool by the milled ring un-
pressingthe cqtch to "open". Then til one of the two brood slits qnd its
slide off the bock. smqll lug ore uppermost.Drqw out
film from the cossetteto the winding
2 lnsert the cqssetteso thot its hole spool, holding the cossettewith the
engogeswith the rewind cronk. other hond.
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l*portqnt!
,- , .f *
i - : f
"fi--,{rL
:rf
it
4 lnsertthe end of the film in the slit of the wind-
i n g s po o l so t h o i t h e lrg engqgesin the second
film perforotion(see6). Now turn the winding spool
until the film is tout ond the teeth of the tronsport
wheel engoge cleonly in the film perforotions.
5 When obout lirrd inch full width of the film pro-
iects from the cossette,close the comero by re-
plocingthe bcrckin the groove of on oblique ongle,
s lidei t c l o set o ih e t o p p o rt of the comeroqnd then
pressdown slightly.Continuepressureon the bqse
plote, slide the bocl<right home ond set the cotch
to "locl<".View original page 6Page 7 · Read text
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Film counter
On the top plote olongsidethe ropid
tronsport lever is the film counter.
It counts bockwords ond shows you
the number of exposuresstill left on
the film. On its diol ore three tri-
ongulor morks, one eoch before the
numbers 36, 20 ond 12. According When looding the cqmero, the stort
to the length of the fi lm looded of the fi lm is wosted by exposure
the oppropriote triongle should be to light ond so you must first mqke
set ogoinst the fixed mork. This is two blonk exposures before storting
done by setting the smoll milled to photogroph.
wheel beneqth the counter diol with Note: On tronsporting the film the disc of the
your finger; move it only in the di- r e w i n d c r o n k u s u o l l y t u r n s o s w e l l , o n d s h o u l d
rection of the orrow. therefore not be hindered in ony woy.
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Film lronsport morked on the film corton is oppo-
site the fixed index mork on the film
With your th umb, swivel the ropid co u nter.
tronsport lever round os for os pos-
sible. Then press down the shutter lf the ropid tronsportlever is blocked,
releose.You shouldrepeot this opero- you will hove to press the shutter
tion of film tronsport ond shutter re- releose first. This is becouse the re-
leose until the number of exposures leose ond tronsportmechonismshqve
cr lock to ovoid double ond blonk
ex posu res.
lf you should inodvertentlyreleose
the tro nsport lever too soon, it re-
turns to its storting positionqnd must
then be pushed forword ogoin os
for os possible.View original page 8Page 9 · Read text
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Exposure
Lighting conditions ore subiect to
consideroblevoriqtions,which is why
your Silette is fitted with different
shutter speedsond opertures of vory-
ing sizes. By these meons you cqn
odiust the comero to suit the porticu-
lor light ond subiect. www.orphancameras.com
Setting shutler speeds
You hove o choice of r/n, 1/6sond The section entitled "Whot you need
1/rzsS€c. The required shutter speed to know" on poges 15116 provides
informotion on choosing the correctis set by turning the milled ring @ shutter speed.to bring the figure 30, 60 or 125
exocily opposite the setting mork. When set to B, the shutter remoins
ln the odiocent illustrotiono setting open os long os the releqse button
of 1/oosec. is shown. Do not set in- is pressed. For more detoils see
termediate palues. poge 12, "Time exposures".
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Lensstops Pleosenote:
Lorge stop - lorge opening,
The necessorylens stop con be seen but smoll
from the exposuretobles on poges 8 depth of field.
ond 9. The required lens stop is set
by turning the block milled ring ot
the reor until the white triongulor
mqrk is in line with the lens stop
number.The illustrotionbelow shows
T A R G Eo setting of f. 8. For more detoils of
S T O Plens stops ond depth of field see e. g. f. 2.8the section on "Whot you need to
know" (poges 15116). Smollstop : smoll opening,
but lorge
depth of field.
S M A T L
S T O P
e. g. f.22View original page 10Page 11 · Read text
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E X P O S U R E T A B L E F O R C O L O U R F I L M
Aperture settings requir- Agfocolor Negotive Film CN 17 Agfocolor Reversol Film CT l8
ed from Moy to Augusl,
l 0 o r n i o 4 p m . , s h u l t e r bright slight overcost brighl slight overcosl
sunshine hoze dull sunshine hoze dulls p e e d r / r : i s e C .
Beoch scenes,mountoins f . l r & 1 6 f . 8 & l l f . 5 , 6 & 8 f. 16 f. ll f . 8
W e l l l i i s t r e e l s
o n d b u i l d i n g s ,
o p e n l o n d s c o p e sw i l h
d i s t o n t b o c k g r o u n d f 8 & l l f 5 6 & 8 1 .1 & 5 . 6 f . l l f . 8 t . 5 . 5
P e o p l e ,g r o u p s i n t h e
open, londscopes wiih
dork foreground,
slreeI sceneS f . 5 6 & 8 f . 4 & 5 . 5 f . 2 , 8 & 4 f. 8 1.5.6 1 . 4
D o r k b u i l d i n g s ,
p e o p l e i n t h e s h o d e ( . 4 & 5 . 6 f . 2 . 8 & 1 t. 1 t.2.8
Agfocolor Negolive Film CN l7: The universol film for colour or block ond
white poper prints ond enlorgementsof ony size.
Agfocolor Reversol Film: gives tronsporenciesreody for viewing.
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Focusing Focusingsymbols
Three symbolsfocilitotefocusing.De-
pending on the subiect, yoU should close-ups 6ft.(1.80m.) aQ
set one of the three symbols repro-
Groups 12t/, ft. (3.80m.) ix{
Londscopes infi n ity "ft$(
Additionql focus settings fro m 31/+ft.
to infinity ore orronged on the focus-
duced in enlqrged form on the right ing ring:
to the white index mork.
blqck figrr€s : metres
lf necessory,you con noturollychoose
qny position between two symbols. green figrr€s - feet
r 0View original page 13Page 14 · Read text
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Holdingthe cqmerq
After focusing your Silette, you con posure by pressing the releose but-
toke the first photogroph. lt is essen- ton down firmly ond steodily os for
tiql to hold your comero steody to os possible.
obtoin shorp pictures. You should To toke upright photogrophs, turn
therefore toke your Silette in both the comero through 90o ond operote
honds, brocing your orms ogoinst the shutter releose with thumb or
your body. Hold the comero stroight index finger. Hold the comerq in the
without tilting it. Then moke the ex- monner you prefer.
l lView original page 14Page 15 · Read text
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ln poor light
floshlight ond time exposures come
to your ossistonce.This is done os
follows t
Flqshmqde very eqsy
A floshgunwith q foot contoct should
be used for the Silette | (".g. Agfo
lsi FloshgunM). The contqct with the
cqmero shutter is mode simply by
slidingthe floshguninto the occessory
shoe. For flosh photogro phy the shut-
ter speed ring should olwoys be set
to l/so sec. The stops required should
be token from the instructionsqttoch-
ed to eoch flosh bulb corton. Time exposures
When ottqching qn electronic flqsh- These ore used for photogrophing gun, the use of the Agfo Adqpter, motionlessobiects such qs reproduc- type 6793,will be necessory.The lens
stop con be colculotedfrom the guide tions of pictures,documentsor post-
number of the floshgun. oge stomps, ond for night photo-
1 2View original page 15Page 16 · Read text
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grophy. You should first turn the releqse socket is on the top plote of
lorge milled ring until the setting the cqmero @ (see moin illustrotion).
mork is in line with the th is
setting the shutter remo os Rewindingthe film
long os the releose butt ss- After the lost exposure, the counter
ed down. will indicote I ond the ropid trqns-
Longer shutter speeds t c. port lever connot usuolly be moved.
connot be used witho ting The film now hos to be rewound into
the comero, ond o tripod ond coble its light-tight cossette by meons of
releoseqre then necessory.The cqble the rewind crqnk:
First slide the locking key on the
reqr of the top plote of the comercl
in the direction of the orrow. Then
roise the cronk with your finger-noil
ond swivel outwords qs shown in
the upper illustrqtionon poge 14.
Then turn the cronk in the direction
of the orrow (see right illustrotion
poge 14). When the rewind cronk
turns much more eosily, rewinding
r3View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
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Cleoning
Every time you chonge o film, it is
odvisoble to cleon the inside of the
comero-the looding chomber, the
winding spool ond the pressureplote
in the bock-corefully with o soft
comel-hoirbrush.The lens should be
cleqned only with o similor brush or
soft piece of chomois leother.
is complete ond you cqn then open
the comero. This is done by moving
the cotch on the bose of the comero
to "open" ond then removing the
comero bock downwords.Put the cqs'
sette in its light-tight pocking qnd
mork it os exposed.
When operoting the ropid tronsport
lever, the locking key outomoticolly
returnsto its originol position.
1 4View original page 17Page 18 · Read text
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FilmTips For sh0rp,brilliont,
reolistictronsporencies:Before looding your comero with .|8.
film os described on pqges 2 ond 3, Agfocolor ReversqlFilm CT
here ore o few suggestionsto help
you in choosingthe right film. For wonderful
colour prints:
First of oll there is Agfo lsopon F,
for block ond white photogrophy. Agfocolor Negotive FilmCN l Z.
It hqs fine groin ond good contour
shorpness.
For sports photogrophy the high-
speed Agfo lsopon ISS is the right
film.
Agfocolor films open up the world
o f c o l o u r t o y o u . F o r m o r e t h q n As mentioned in brief, two fqctors
25 yeors these films hove been greot qre involved in the €xposUr€: the
fqvourites due to their noturol re- lens stop ond the shutter speed. The
production of postel tints ond bright following informotion is designed to
colours olike. Their high speed hos fomiliorize you with the ossociotion
olso mqde colour snopshotso reolity. of these two foctors.View original page 18Page 19 · Read text
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The tens stop regulotes the- otorni londscope in which the foreground
of light reoching the film. ln poor ond bockground ore to be shorp, o
lighting conditions, it is therefore smoller lens stop will hove to be set
necessqry to use o lorge lens stop ond q correspondingly longer shut-
(e.g. f.2.8 or 4). lf lighting of the ier speed. Do not use intermediote
subiect is good, o smoller lens stop settings. '16);
con be chosen (e. g. f. 11 or Depth of field is the shorp zone in
this is known os stopping down. front of ond behind the point on
which the comero is focused. This
The shuller of your comero offers shorp zone is vorioble; it increoses
the second possibility of controlling os the comero is stopped down ond
the quontity of light. A short shutter the distonce increoses.To help you
speed,such os rf pssac.,will of course in finding out how for. this shorp
ollow less light to reoch the film zone extends,the toble on poges 18
thon o longer speed such os 1/66sec. qnd l9 gives the exoct depth of field
or even 1/s6sec. for every focus setting.
For oction photogrophs o shorter Before moking eoch exposure,glonce
speed should be chosen(rlpil ond o through the viewfinder to see wheth-
lorger lens stop used. On the other er the subiect would be better os on
hond, if you wish to photogroph o oblong or upright photogroph.
1 5View original page 19Page 20 · Read text
# www.orphancameras.com Somegenerol hints Photos ogoinst the lighf cqll for
for your photogrophs some experience becousethe roys of
* the sun should not foll directly on
A very striking effect con be obtoin- the lens. lt is best to tqke odvontoge
ed by photogrophing the subiect by of the shodow of o tree or house
oblique sunlight.Of course, you con ond use o lens hood ioo.
olso photogroph with the sun behind People should noi be photogrophed you, but then you must be coreful to in front of bushesond trees ond the keep your own shodow out of the sky is often o more sotisfoctory bock- picture. In such coses the relief effect ground. Try odopting o crouching is less.
position for such photogrophs. A
Photogrophs without sunshine ore chonge in the comero position often
olso possible. With on overcost sky, relieves the monotony. Try out youi-
controst cqn be heightened on o Silette with "bird's-eye" views, such
block ond white film by using o me- os from o churchtower down on to the
dium yellow or oronge-redfilter. The mqrket squore. "Worm's-eye" views
omount by which the exposure then con olso produce unusuol effects.
hos to be increosed cqn be seen With views from q mountoin peok
from the filter foctor porticulors or tower try to include some fore-
supplied by the mokers. ground interest.View original page 20Page 21 · Read text
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D E P T H O F F I E L D F O R A G F A f . 2 . 8 1 4 5 m m . L E N S E S
Diometer of circle of confusion: 0.03 mm.
A t o
distonce
setting
of
3rlz,
4',
AQ
8',
fi{
25'
"ftf(
The distoncesto the subiect ore meosured from the film plone (reor edge of occessoryshoe).
t 8View original page 21Page 23 · Read text
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Exposure tobles of the
kind shown on poges 8 For proiection of your
ond 9 ore only guides. colour tro nsporencieswe
It is better to rely on on recommend the ottroc-
exposure meter such qs tive Agfo Diomqtor H
the Agfo Lucimeter S. lt mogozine proiector.
is simple to use, hondy Yond ottroctively styled.
Like the Agfo lens hood,
Agfo filters ore supplied
in stondqrd mounts for . ffin
your Silettel. There is o
),**-r;'*/' procticoI leother cose
toking the lens hood
ond two filters, for ot-
toching to the corrying
strop of the ever-reody
cose.View original page 23Page 25 · Read text
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Q Coble releose socket @@
@ Ropid tronsport lever
@ Flosh contoct
in occessoryshoe
@ R e w i n d c r o n k
@ Shutter releose
@ F o c u s i n gr i n g
@ Shutter speed ring
@ Lens stop ring @@@View original page 25Page 26 · Read text
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The lens for the ASfa Silette has been specially computed and
manuf a'ctured in accordance with the oery latest scientifia
methods to suit this type of camera.
Its performance is of a standard hitherto unattained by other
lenses haoing an equal number of elements. Brilliant definition,
high resolaing power and excellent reproduction of detail are
its outstanding characteristics. A combination of these attrib-
utes makes it the ideal lens fo, miniature photography utith
black and white or colour film.
ln addition, eaery lens leaoing our factory is tested bV the most
up-to-date methods and is guaranteed f or its quality and
performance'
AGFA AKTTENGE5E LLSCHAFT
Camera-W erk MuendtenView original page 26From the M. Butkus Camera Manual Library. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
Check the model and edition against your equipment.
PDF verified 2026-10-10.