Film cameras
AGFAFLEX I and II User manual
User manual for AGFAFLEX I and II. 39 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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Document details
- Brand
- Agfa
- Model / document
- AGFAFLEX I and II
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 39
- File size
- 8.6 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Page 3 · Read text
GUARANTEE
The lens of your camera has been specially computed and manu-
factured in accordance with the most up-to-date scientific methods
to suit this type of reflex camera.
The ASfo Color Apotar reaches a standard of performance nev)er
preoiously attained in lenses of equal speed haoing the same
number of elements. It possesses remarkably good sharpness,
uery high TssslTtittg power and giaes outstanding reproduction
of detail. A combinatiott of these attributes makes this the ideal
lens fo, miniature photography with black and white or colour
film.
In addition, eoerV lens leaaing our f actory is tested by the most
up-to-date methods and is guaranteed by us fo, its quality andperformance'
AGFA AKTTENGE'E LL*,HAFT
Camera-W erk Muenchen
www.orphancameras.comView original page 3Page 5 · Read text
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AGFAFTEX ll
Type 30r 5
www.orphancameras.comView original page 5Page 6 · Read text
At lost you hove reolized your ombiiion by becoming ihe owner of o single-lens
reflex comero, the Agfoflex. You ore to be congrotuloled on your choice ond we
wish you mony hoppy hours of reloxotion with your new comero.
Your Agfoflex offers the following speciol odvonfoges:
A high speed lens, a built-in erposure meter, a spilit-imdge rangefinder and
large, clear oiewfinder image,
All rother technicol, you moy think. On lhe confrory our designers hove incorporoted
lhese technicol feotures iust to moke photogrophy simple for you.
After very liftle prociice you will be quite fomilior with your corJro ond will be
oble to toke wonderful photogrophs. Pleose toke the lime to reod through this
booklef ond fomiliorize yourself with your Agfoflex. ,, :
Your photogrophic deoler moy hove helped you to lood ihe first block ond white
or colour film in your cqmero buf you will probobly wont to do this yourself ihe
next lime. Exoct instruclions on how this is done ore given on poge 26, and on poge 25
there ore detoils of which film to use for eqch occosion.View original page 6Page 7 · Read text
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THE FILM COUNTE
This is orronged of the lower edge of the comero bock ond shows how mony ex-
posures ore still left.
When looding the film, the tip of the green triongulor mork before the numbers 36
or 20 should lie opposite the fixed mork on the comero body. Turn the milled ring in
the direction of the orrow (see illustrotion).
After looding ond tronsporting the film in the monner described on poges 26 ond 27
the comero is reody for use ond the number 36 (or 20) should be opposite the fixed
mork (see illustrotion).
The film is tronsported ofter the looding process by using the
2
www.orphancameras.comView original page 7Page 8 · Read text
Ploce the ihumb of your right hond beneoih ihe lever ond move it in o semi-circulor direction forwords os for os it will go (see illustrotion), then releose the lever. lf the lever is blocked ond does not move, you should first oress the shutter releose. Cntrtiorr ! lf f or sonlc rcost'ttr thc qtricl; ittind Ietrer i-s ttot tttrned to its full t'ttt'trt, tlrt, rtctit-trt nrrtst bt' rcptcoted. Irr srrdr c,rscs tlra Iert'r oftctr ntoaas only Itnlf ntrd not utny Do rro frtrther. tlrt'tr ,/ spring brrtfrv tt't Ict it tht'lattt'r fctrca bncl; to t'ht' original Ttositiort. 3View original page 8
Page 9 · Read text
FILM TYPE INDICATOR
This reminds you of the type ond speed of film
in your comerq. lf your photo deoler loods the
film for you, set the indicotor immediotely. To
do this, pull out the rewinding knob ond set the
required film type or speed in the window by
meons of the milled ring under the knob (see
illustrotion).
lf, for exomple, o blqck-ond-white film is to be
looded, this is indicoted by setting the block ond
white sectors in the window of the reminder disc.
lf you ore using colour negoiive film, provision
is mode for the following setting:
CN : Colour negotive film,
When looding o colour reversol film for tronsporencies, you should use one of the
following settings:
: Cotorr reversol film, ortificiol light type (incondescent lomps with 3400c Kelvin) ff
CJ : coto'r reversol film, ortificiol floshlight type (3800' Kelvin)
: colour reversol film' doylight type f;t
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FOCUSING ON THE GROUND-GLASS SCREEN
Your Agfoflex con be focused in two woys:
u n d - g I o s s s c re e n y iii,"Tj:",l .Hl[", :: l;ffi ;ff :jl
The focusing principle is the some with the hood viewfinder or the prism finder. A
description of the method using the hood viewfinder follows on the next poge ond
the prism finder is described on poges &-9.
Open ond close the hood Roise the mognifier by sliding Before closing hood
only by the knob. cotch in direction of orrow. fird lower mognifier.View original page 10Page 11 · Read text
FOCUSING THE CAMFRA
WITH THE HCOD VIEWFINDER
ATTACHED)z (s With the hood open you shou ld im- i\ qL mediotely see your subiect on the screen.
otherwise the quick wind lever must be
operoted.4,Nld When you first point the comero of the
subiect the picture will be out of focus,
but if you turn the front ring on the lens
AGTAF|.E mount (see illustrotion) you con focus the
l-!l!U:|U comero eosily. For criticol focusing the
mognifier is provided.
In the middle you will see o light circle
belonging to the split-imoge rongefinder.
Wotch the verticol lines of the subiect ond
turn the focusing ring. The two holves of
the circle will stort to converge. As soon
qs the broken verticol lines of the subiect
(upper illustrotion, poge 7) ore no longer
in double outline ond o complete imoge
www.orphancameras.comView original page 11Page 12 · Read text
is obtoined the comero is correctly focused 'q" il ti lower illustrotion, poge 7). -E F' The imoge seen on the viewfinder screen is the some os thot obtoined through the comero lens. This meons thot the picture on the negotive is exoctly the some os the one selected by you in the finder.When using the hood viewfinder the l imoge oppeors the right woy up but the sides ore reversed; the prism viewfinder Rgives o true vision imoge the right wqy ro u nd.View original page 12
Page 13 · Read text
CHANGING THE VIEWFINDERS
As olreody mentioned, it is possible to
chonge the viewfinders on the Agfoflex.
Eoch viewfinder system hos its own porticulor
merits ond so it is o good plon to purchose
both the hood ond prism finders.
The Agfoflex I is fitted with the hood type
of viewfinder, whilst the Agfoflex ll hos o
prism finder.
Either type of viewfinder con be chonged
very quickly. All you hove to do is to squeeze
in both the side grips (upper illustrotion)
ond you con then lift out the hood view-
finder or prism finder, os the cose moy be.
Both finders ore reploced by pushing them
down without squeezing the grips until they
engoge with on oudible click.
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FOCUSING THE CAMERA WITH THE PRISM FINDER ATTAC H E D Prism finders ore q lso referred to os pento- prisms. To focus the Agfoflex ll you shou ld hold the comercr in the monner shown on the right, ollowing it to rest ogoinst your foce with the eye-piece of the pentoprism close to your eye. Then turn the focusing ring until the imoge is shorp on the ground-glsss screen. A more relioble method of focusing the comercl exoctly is to use the split-imoge rongefinder. lf you look ot the verticol lines of the subiect you will find thot the lwo holves of lhe picture in the smoll focusing circle do nol coincide. As soon os these lines (upper illustrotion, poge 7) conlinue in single outline from top to bottom ond o complete piclure is obloined, lhe comero is correclly focused (lower illustrotion, poge 7).View original page 14
Page 15 · Read text
THE EXPOSURE METER film first look for its speed roting on
the corton ond set this on the ASA/DINof your Agfoflex will ensure properly scole. lf your film is roted by onother
exposed negotives. When looding the system the comporotive toble on the
opposite poge will give you the cor-
responding volue. To set the speed
turn the inner scole ring by the pro-
iection (see orrow) until the required
figure is opposite the triongulor mork.
Our illustrotion shows o film speed set-
tins of 40 ASA (l70 DIN).
lf you point the comero towords the
subiect the needle will register in the
exposure meter window. Now turn the
outer milled ring to set the frome
morker exoctly over the needle. When
you hove done this, the triongle ot
the scole window will point to o
figure on the red scole (e.9. ll in the
www.orphancameras.comView original page 15Page 17 · Read text
SETTING THE EXPOSURE VALUE
Hold the diophrogm setting ring by the
two block buttons in the monner il-
lustroted ond push the button indicofed
by the orrow towords the cenire of the
lens. The ring then turns ond sets the
exposure volue on the lower port of the
shutter. The required exposure volue or
intermediote reoding is odiusted so thot
if is opposite the red triongulor mork
(lower illustrotion).
Just try it out once. Let us ossume thot the
exposure meter gove o volue of 12 which
you hove to set opposite the red triongle.
As soon os you hove set the correct ex-
posure volue, remove your fingers from
the buttons. From now on you should nol
olter the exposure volue selling ond only
lhe milled shuller speed ring moy be
lurned.
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Now turn the shutter speed ring ond set
the required exposure time opposite the
red triongulor mork on top of the lens
mount. With the exposure volue used in
this exomple the following combinotions
ore then possible,
f.2.8 fl 16 22
Shutier speed l/,roo llrt; tlm tl.to rlr; tl*
Eoch of these shutter speed ond operiure
combinotions ollows on equol omount of
light to reoch the film ond so you only
need to select the one best suited to your
subiect by turning the lorge milled ring
to the required setting (see @, illustrotion
poge 15). To be sure of choosing the cor-
rect combinotion the following informo-
tion is importont:View original page 18Page 19 · Read text
WHICH IS THE BEST SHUTTER SPEED AND APERTURE COMBINATION ?
lf you wish to photogroph o londscope with both foreground ond bockground in focus,
you must use q smoll operture (for exomple, f.8 ond 1/6q sec. os shown on lhe previous
poge). Longer exposure times such os 1/go, 1/15 ond l/e sec. connot normolly be used
withoui o tripod, becouse of comero shoke.
For o quickly moving obiect on the other hond you should use o fost shufter speed
to ovoid blurring (such os l/soo sec. belween f.2.8 ond 4 shown on the previous poge).
In fhe firsi cose o slower shufter speed is chosen in fovour of o smoll operture ond in
the second cose o lorger operture is selected to enoble the use of o foster shutter speed.
You moy sometimes obtoin exposure volue reodings on ihe exposure meter which lie
between two numbers. These con olso be set on lhe comero with the diophrogm ring,
but shutter speeds should never be set so thot the red triongulor mork lies belween
two speeds. You con eosily ovoid this, however, becouse eoch selting on lhe lorge
milled ring hos o click stop.
www.orphancameras.comView original page 19Page 21 · Read text
DEPTH OF FIELD
We hove olreody mentioned the motter of lorge ond smoll opertures in the choice of
suitoble shufter speed ond operture combinotions. By turning the diophrogm ring in one
direction or the other the lens operture con be mqde either lorger or smoller. lf you wish
to see for yourself how the diophrogm of your comero opens ond closes, look ot the Ilens from the front ofter operoting lhe shuller releose. Turn the diophrogm ring ond you I
will find thot o smoll number (t. 2.8, for exomple) is opposite the triongulor setting
mork when the diophrogm is wide open. When the diophrogm operture is smoll, this I
number is lorger (e.9.f.22).
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As you will see from this exomple, depth of field is vorioble; it increoses os the operture
becomes smoller ond the distonce becomes greoter. To help you in finding out how for
this zone of shorp focusing extends, your Agfoflex hos whot is known os o depth of
field scole (@, illustrotion poge 15). From it you con find the opproximote depth of
field for ony given lens operture. I
lf, for exompf", yoy focus the comero to o distonce of 15 ft. (5 m.) with on operture of f.8, you look for the Itwo engroved numbers 8 on the depth of field scole ond then reod off the ronge between these two points
on the odiocent focusing ring. This gives you the zone of shorp focusing for thot lens operture; in fhis I
porticulor cose it will be opproximotely from l0 lo 30 feet (Fl0 m.). For further detoils reod the ex-
plonotion of the illustrotion on poge 17.
16
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SNAPSHOT SETTING
ln moments of tension or humour split-
second timing is essentiol to copture
your subiect ond it is therefore often
odvisoble to use whot is colled <l snop-
shot or zone focusing setting.
For this purpose the l0 feet ond 30 feet
morkings ore engroved in red on the
focusing scole. lf you select on oper-
ture ond shutter soeed combinotion in
which the stop f. 11 is opposite the
triongulor mork ond then set the focus-
ing to 30 feet, you will obtoin o depth
of field from obout l5 feet to infinity.
lf the comero is focused on l0 feet the shorp zone will be from obout 8 to 20 feet. ln
the obove illustrotion orrows ond dots hove been included to moke this point cleorer
ond show how you con reod off the depth of field from the focusing scole of your comero.
Exoct porticulors of the depth of field obtoinoble ot vorious opertures ond distonces con
be seen from the toble on poges 30 ond 31.
t7View original page 22Page 23 · Read text
DELAYED ACTION REI-EASE
Sometimes you wont to be in fhe picture yourself. Your AEfoflex provides for this wish
with its delbved oclion releose. A firm iupport for fhe iomero'is needed, or better
still, o tripod. First of oll set the required shuHer speed ond lhen, ofter tronsporting the
film, move the smoll lever from the "X" to lhe "V" posifion. As soon os you press down
lhe shufter releose the deloyed oction mechonism storfs working ond operotes the
shutter ofler obout 7 seconds. This gives you plenfy of time to get into the picture. On no
qccounl should the quickwind film lever be touched whilst the deloyed oclion mechonism
is running. After moking lhe exposure the lever outomoticolly relurns io its "X" setting
ond hos tb be moved tothe "V" position ogoin eoch time the deloyed oction is required.
All instontoneous shutler speeds con be used for deloyed oction (l-t7rog sec.) bui not
the "B" sefting (time exposure). You con olso use o floshgun in coniunction with the
deloyed oction. Further detoils obout this ore given on poges 20 ond 2l.
IF THE LIGHT IS POOR...
you con use the "B" setting on ihe shutter for o iir" lt is best lo ploce thecomero on o firm supporl or tripod ond then screw o coble"rporure.releose, preferoblyone wilh
o time lock, into the threoded shutter releose. Then moke the exposure. The diophrogm
remoins open os long os pressure is mointqined on the shufler releose bullon oi on lhe
coble releose.
It is not possible io set the green figures morked on the shulter speed ring. These ore
merely included lo show the correct length of exposure for lime exposurei on the "B"
setling. They indicote the number of complete seconds for which the diophrogm must
remoin open ol o given operture.
l8
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For exomple, if you sei exposure volue 4, the following shutter speed ond operture
combinqtions ore possible :
Shutter speed rlz 1B4 8 15' 30
Aperture 2.8 45.68 11 16 22
Assuming ihot you wish to use operture f. 16 in this porticulor instonce, you proceed
os follows:
First sef fhe green "B", lhen the operlure f. 16 ogoinst the iriongulor mork ond keep the
shulter open for l5 seconds by pressing the shutler releose. Do not forget to re-set the
exposure volue oflerwords.
For ohoioqrophs of fireworks you connot use lhe exposure meter to obtoin ihe correcl
setii'ng, beiouie the length of the exposure depends oh the durotion of the light given by
the fireworks lhemselves. In such cbses you hust use the lorgest lens opeilure (f. 2.8),set the "B" time exposure mork opposite the block trionqle ond infinitv (: on the -)focusing scole. You'will olso need'ir coble releose with time lock, o firm iripod with o
boll-ond-socket or tilt heod ond good visibilify for yourself ond your Agfoflex. Photo-
grophs of this kind on Agfocolor film ore very striking indeed.
FLASHLIGHT IS CHILD'S PLAY
With indoor photogrophs it is often necessory fo supplemenf ihe poor light by flosh-
light. Noturolln your Agfoflex hos o flosh cohfoct for this purpose.
l9View original page 24Page 25 · Read text
The floshgun, of the Agfo Synchro KM or
Agfolux type, is first ottoched to the shoe of
o flosh brocket which is then screwed firmly
to the tripod bush of your Agfoflex. We
odvise you to use one of the commerciol
brockets monufoctured for this purpose. Fi-
nolly you should connect the flosh leod to the
contocl on the comero (see illustrotion).
lf you look of the top of your comero you
will see o smoll lever on the right which is set
to the "X" or "M" position, occording to the
type of floshgun (see illustrotion, poge 21).
The M-type synchronizotion is less frequently
used ond therefore hos on orresting cotch.
This cotch con be releosed by moving the
smoll lever on the right of the synchronizotion
button towords the centre of the lens, os
shown by the orrow on poge 21. The syn-
chronizotion button con then be set to the
"M" position.
The "X" setting is used for more frequently, for which you should noie the following:
For "X" synchronizqlion move lever to "X" (or io "V" for deloyed oction shots) ond
olw.oys use o shutter speed of 1/,r9 sec. The opertures to use ore shown in the odiocent
toble.
20
www.orphancameras.comView original page 25From the M. Butkus archive. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
Check the model and edition against your equipment.
PDF verified 2026-10-10.