Film cameras
Agfa Silette II User manual
User manual for Agfa Silette II. 27 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 II
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 27
- File size
- 6.9 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Page 3 · Read text
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You ore now the proud owner of q new comerq-the Agfo Silette ll
choice on which you ore to be congrotuloted. The comero is -o simple to use, os you will see from this exomple (cf. odiocent very
illustrotion):
A SET THE FOCUSIlIG SYMB()T
B CHO()SE SHUTTER SPEED
C SET IENS STOP-
hqve token theI then iust press ihe shutter releose ond you will
photogroph.
The lens of the Silette ll is the Agfo Color-Agnor f.2.8145.
You will probobly wish to fqmiliorize yourself with your new com-u ero ond leorn more obout its technicol possibilities. Pleose iurn v
ii:i the poges ond fold out the reor cover flop. After reoding the odvice
ond hints given in this little booklet, you will soon be on expert. ri!View original page 3Page 5 · Read text
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HOW TO IOAD THE CAMERA
The comero con be looded in doy- 3 lt is odvisoble io push the unlock-
light, however, not in direct sunlight ing key in the direction of the
but using body shodow. smoll orrow, so thoi the winding spool
con be moved freely.
I First open the comero bock by Turn ihe spool by the milled ring un-
pressing the coich to "open". Theh til the slit'ond slnoll lug ore upper-
slide off the bock. mosT.
Drow out film from the cossette io 2 Insert lhe cossette so thoi its hole the winding spool, holding the cos-
engoges wiih the rewind crqnk. seite with the other hond.View original page 5Page 6 · Read text
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IMPORIANT!
45
4 Insert the end of the film in ihe slit of the wind-
ing spool so ihot the lug engoges in the second
film perforotion (see 6). Noir tur-n i-he windino spool
uniil the film is iout ond the teeth of the trdnsoorr
wheel engoge cleonly in the film perforotions.
5 When obout 1/Brd inch full width of the film pro-
iects from the cossette, close the comero by re-
plocing the bock in the groove oi on oblique ongre
(cotch to "open"), slide it close to ihe iop port ot
the comero ond ihen press down slightly. Continue
pressure on the bose plote, slide the bocl< right
home ond set the cotch to "lock".View original page 6Page 7 · Read text
FILM COUNTER On the top plote olongside the ropid tronsport lever is the film counter. It counts bockwords ond shows you the number of exposures still left on the film. On its diol ore three tri- ongulor morks, one eqch before the When looding the comero, the siorf numbers 36, 20 ond 12. According of the film is wosted by exposure to to the length of the film looded the light ond so you must first moke two oppropriote triongle should be set blonk exposures before storting to ogoinst the fixed mork. This is done photogroph. by setting the smoll milled wheel Coution!The disc of the rewind cronk turns os beneoth the counier diol with your the film is tronsported ond should therefore finger. not be hindered in ony woy. AView original page 7
Page 8 · Read text
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FILM TRANSPORT number of exposures morked on the
film corton is opposite the fixed indexWith your thumb, swivel the ropid mork on the film counter (see illus-tronsport lever round os for os pos- trotion below).sible ond let if return. Then press
down the shutter releose. You should lf the ropid tronsport lever is block-
repeot this operotion of film trons- ed, you will hove to press the shutter
porl ond shutter releose until the releose first. This is becouse the re-
leose ond tronsport mechonisms hove
o lock to ovoid double ond blonk
exposures.
lf you should inodvertently releose
the tronsport lever too soon, it re-
turns to its storting position qnd must
then be pushed forword ogoin os for
os possible.View original page 8Page 9 · Read text
EXPOSURE
Lighting conditions ore subiect to
consideroble vo,riqtions, which is why
your Silette is fitted with different
shutter speeds ond opertures of vory-
ing sizes. By these meons you con
odjust the comero to suit the porticu-
lor light ond subiect. Digitally signed by Mike Butkus
DN: cn=Mike Butkus, o=Butkus camera manuals,
ou=butkus.org, email=mike@butkus.org, c=US Mike Butkus Date: 2022.03.06 17:48:12 -05'00'
SETTING SHUTTER SPEEDS
The section entitled "Whot you needYou hove o choice of 1/so, 1/66 ond to know" on poges 15/16 provides1/rzr Sec. The required shutter speed informotion on choosing the correct
is set by turning the milled ring @ to shutter speed.bring the figure 30, 60 or 125 exoctly
opposite the setting mork. In the od- When set to B, the shutter remoins
iocenf illustrotion o setting of 1/60 sec. open os long qs the releose button
is shown. Do not set intermediate is pressed. For more detoils see
oalues. poges 12113, "Time exposures".
6View original page 9Page 10 · Read text
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IENS STOPS Pleose note:
Lorge siop : low number
The necessory lens stop con be seen lorge opening,from ihe exposure tobles on poges but smoll depth of field.18119. The required lens stop is set by
turning the block milled ring ot the
reqr until the white triongulor mork is
in line with the lens stop number. The
illusirotion below shows o setting of LARGEf.8. For more detoils of lens stops STOPond depth of field see ihe section on
"Whot you need to know" (p. l5l.|6). e. g. f.2.8
Exoct porticulors of depth of field,
see poge 9.
Smoll siop : high number
smoll opening,
but lorge depth of field.
j8 2.8{5.69
SMATL
STOP
e. g. f .22View original page 10Page 11 · Read text
FOCUSING Focusing symbols
Three symbols focilitote focusing. De-
pending on the subiect, you should Close-ups 6 fr. (1.80 m.) set one of the three symbols repro- eQ
Groups 12t/2ft. (3.80 m.) fY{
"ilf( Londscopes infinity
Additionol focus settings ore orrong-duced in enlorged form on the right
to the white index mork. ed on the focusing ring:
block figures : metres lf necessory, you con noturolly choose
ony position between two symbols. green figures : feei
8View original page 11Page 13 · Read text
HOTDING THE CAMERA this frome indicote the upper edge of
the picture orecr. It is essentiol to hold your comero Hold the comero stroight without tilt-steody to obtoin shorp pictures. You ing it. Then moke the exposure byshould therefore toke your Silette in pressing ihe releose button downboth honds, brocing your orms firmly ond sieodily os for os possible.ogoinst your body. To toke uprighi phoiogrophs, turn
The luminous frome of the viewfinder the cqmero ihrough 90o ond operote
shows the exoct piciure oreo. For the shuiter releose wiih ihumb orclose-ups (3r/o ft. : I m. setiing), the index finger. Hold the comero in the
two lines below the top morgin of monner you prefer.
t0View original page 13Page 14 · Read text
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DETAYED ACTION PHOIOGRAPHS
ore possible ot oll shutler speeds,
but not for time exposures (B setiing).
Ploce the comero on o firm support,
preferobly on o tripod. Set the de-
loyed oction lever to the right up to
V ond press down the releose lever
os fqr os it will go. lt will then be
orrested in this position. A buzzing
noise indicotes thot the deloyed oc-
tion mechonism is operoting ond will
releose the shutter ouiomoticolly in
obout 8 seconds.
After toking the photogroph press
lhe releqse bullon down ogoin, ondt the lever will ihen return to its origi-
position. fhen lronsport the film.I nolView original page 14Page 15 · Read text
IN POOR LIGHT
floshlight ond time exposures come
io your ossistonce. This is done os
follows:
FLASH MADE VERY EASY
A floshgun with middle contoct should
be used for the Silette ll (e' g. Agfo
lsi M Floshgun). The contoct with the
comero shutter is mode simPlY bY
sliding the floshgun into the occes-
sory shoe. For flqsh photogrophy the
shulter speed ring should olwoys be
set to 1/go sec. The stops required
should be token from the instructions
TIME EXPOSURESoitoched to eoch flosh bulb corton.
photogroPhingWhen using on electronic floshgun, These ore used for
o smoll odopter will be necessory. motionless obiects such os reproduc-
The lens stop con be colculqted from tions of pictures, documents or post-
the guide number of the floshgun. oge stomps, ond for night Photog-
12View original page 15Page 16 · Read text
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rophy. You should first turn the mill- releose socket is on the top plote of
ed ring @ unti Eetting mork is the comero @ (see moin illustrotion).
in line wiih the is setting lhe
shutter remqin long os lhe REWINDING THE FItIl|l
releose butfon d down. After the lost exposure, lhe counler
Longer shulter on 1/3e sec. will indicote 0 ond the ropid trons-
connol be use irt supporting port lever connot usuolly be moved.
lhe comero, ond o fripod ond coble The film now hos to be rewound inlo
releose ore then necessory. The coble its light-tight cossette by meons of
the rewind cronk.
First slide the unlocking key @ on the
reor of the top plote of the comero
in the direction of lhe orrow. Then
roise lhe cronk with your finger-noil
ond swivel outwords os shown in ihe
upper illuslrotion on poge 14.
Then turn the cronk in the direction
of the orrow (see right illustroiion,
poge 14). When the rewind cronk
turns much more eosily, rewinding
'13View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
CTEANING
Every time you chonge o film, it is www.butkus.us
odvisoble to cleon the inside of the
comero corefully-the looding chom-
ber, the winding spool ond the pres-
sure plote in the bock-with o soft
comel-hoir brush. The lens should be
cleoned only wiih q similor brush or
soft piece of chomois leother.
is complete ond you con then open
the comero. This is done by moving
ihe cotch on the bqse of the comero
io "open" ond then removing the com-
ero bock sidewords (see illustrotion 1,
poge 2). Put the cossette in its light-
iight pocking ond mork it os exposed.
When operoting the ropid tronsport
lever, the unlocking key outomoticolly
returns to its originol position.
't4View original page 17Page 18 · Read text
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FILM TIPS For shorp, brilliont,
reolistic tronsporencies :
Before looding your comero with film .|8.
os described on poges 2 and 3, here Agfocolor Reversol Film CT
ore o few suggestions to help you in For wonderfulchoosing the right film. colour prints:
First of oll there is Agfo lsopon F,
for block ond white photogrophy. Agfocolor Negotive Film CN lZ.
It hos fine groin ond good contour
sh orpness.
For sports photogrophy the high- WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWspeed Agfo lsopon ISS is the right
film.
Agfocolor films open up the world
of colour to you. Fore more thon As mentioned in brief, two foctors
25 yeors ihese films hove been greot ore involved in the exposure: the
fovourites 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 mode colour snopshots o reolity. of these two foctors.
lf,View original page 18Page 19 · Read text
The lens slop regulotes the omount londscope in which the foreground
of light reoching the film. In poor ond bockground ore to be shorp, o
lighting conditions, it is therefore smoller lens stop will hove to be set
necessory io use o lorge lens stop ond q correspondingly longer shut-
(". 9. f. 2.8 or 4). lf lighting of the ter speed.
subiect is good, o smoller lens stop
con be chosen (e.g. f. ll or 16); this Depth of field is the shorp zone in
is known os stopping down. front of ond behind the point on
which the comerq is focused. This
The shutter of your comero offers the shorp zone is vorioble; it increoses
second possibility of controlling the os the comero is stopped down ond
quontity of light. A short shuiter the distonce increoses. To help you
speed, such os rf psSec., will of course in finding out how for this shorp
qllow less light to reoch the film thon zone exiends, the toble on poge 9
o longer speed such os 1/6s sec. or gives the exoct depth of field for
even 1/30 sec. vorious focus settings.
For oction photogrophs o shorter
speed should be chosen (rlps) ond o
lorger lens stop used. On the other
hond, if you wish io photogroph o
16View original page 19Page 20 · Read text
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Finolly, q few generol photographic obiect such os o fence os foreground
tips. A good impression of depth con interest.
be obtoined in your photogroPhs if
you ollow the light to strike the sub- People should not be PhotogroPhed
iect from the side. in front of bushes ond trees ond the
Before toking o photogroph view the sky is often o more sotisfoctory bock-
subiect severol times to see whether ground. Tty odopting o crouching
the oblong or upright shope is better. position for such photogroPhs.
Chonge the position of the comero
occosionolly too. Photogrophs from Photos ogoinsl the light coll for some
o worm's eye or bird's eye view fre- experience becouse the roys of the
quently moke the subiect more in- sun should not foll directlY on the
teresting. lens. lt is best to toke odvontoge of
When photogrophing londscopes re- the shodow of o tree or house ond
member to hove someone or some use o lens hood too.
We reserve the right to moke olterotions to the Agfo Sileite ll, orising from further development.
AGFA AKTI ENGESELLSCHAFT
CAMERA.WERK MUENCHENView original page 20Page 21 · Read text
EXPOSURE TABLE FOR COLOUR FILM Aperture settings requir- Agfocolor Negotive Film CN l7 Agfocolor Reversol Film CT'18 ed from Moy to Augusr, l0 o.rn. to 4 p.m., shutter bright slight overcost bright slight ; overcosfspeed t/r:l; sec. sunshine hoze dull sunshine hoze dull Beoch scenes, mounioins f.lr&t6 f.8 & 11 f.il f.8 Well lit streets ond bu ild ings, open londscopes with distont bockground f.8&ll f.5.6&8 t.4&5.6 f. ll f.8 f.5.6 People, groups in the open, londscopes with dork foreground, sireet scenes. f.5.6&8 i i.4&s.6 )tt.2.8&4 f.8 f.5.6 f.4 Dork buildings, people in the shode t.4&5.6 f.2.8&4 t. 4 t.2.8 - Agfocolor Negotive Film CN l7: The universol film for colour or block ond white poper prints ond enlorgements of ony size. Agfocolor Reversql Film: gives tronsporencies reody for viewing. t8View original page 21
Page 23 · Read text
Exposure tobles of the
kind shown on poges 18 your ond l9 qre only guides. For proiection of
It is befter to rel/on on colour tronsporencies we recommend the ottroc- exposure meter such os tive Agfo Diomotor H the Agfo Lucimeter S. lt
is simple to use, hondy mogozine proiector.
ond ottroctively styled. Y
Like the Agfo lens hood,
Agfo filters ore supplied
stondord mounts forrffi in your Silette ll. There is o
procticol leother cose
toking the lens hood
ond two filters, for ot-
toching to the corrying
strop of the ever-reody
cose.\4,/*'zwView original page 23Page 24 · Read text
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CONTENTS
Looding the comero 2-3
Film counter 4
Film tronsport 5
Exposure (shutter speed ond lens stop) 6-7
Focusing 8
Depth of field toble 9
Holding the comero-exposing l0
Deloyed oction photogrophs 1l
With. the Agfo close-up
ottochmenf, you con cov-
er o ronge of I 6 to 32
inches, whilst the Notorix
viewfinder ottochment
supplied with it ensures
freedom from porollox.
The tilted occessory shoe
ensures equol illumino-
tion for close-ups with
flosh.View original page 24Page 25 · Read text
@ Shutter releose @ Ropid film tronsport lever @ Coble releose socket @ Unlocking key for film rewind @ Flosh contoct in occessory shoe @ Rewind cronk @ Deloyed oction releose @ Focusing ring @ Shutter speed ring @ Lens stop ringView original page 25
From 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.