Bought these two Agfa 35mm camera on eBay. The Super Silette rangefinder on the left cost 99p and no-one else seemed to have noticed [or cared?] that it was the model with the better Solinar 4-element Tessar-type lens and Synchro-Compur shutter, (maybe because the eBay picture of it was terrible). The Silette brightline on the right, with the 3-element Apotar lens and Prontor SVS shutter, cost a dizzying 1p and attracted no other bids whatsoever. Both cameras work and don't look bad at all after a good clean. However, there are a couple of problems. Both of them have lazy shutters in the slow speeds, a common problem on 50 year-old Agfas, so to be 100% useful they are going to need a CLA [Clean, Lubricate, Adjust] before they do any hard work. In addition the Super Silette absolutely stinks of someone's loft, despite multiple cleans. It will fade in time, but it's off-putting right now!
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Bargains from ebay?
Bought these two Agfa 35mm camera on eBay. The Super Silette rangefinder on the left cost 99p and no-one else seemed to have noticed [or cared?] that it was the model with the better Solinar 4-element Tessar-type lens and Synchro-Compur shutter, (maybe because the eBay picture of it was terrible). The Silette brightline on the right, with the 3-element Apotar lens and Prontor SVS shutter, cost a dizzying 1p and attracted no other bids whatsoever. Both cameras work and don't look bad at all after a good clean. However, there are a couple of problems. Both of them have lazy shutters in the slow speeds, a common problem on 50 year-old Agfas, so to be 100% useful they are going to need a CLA [Clean, Lubricate, Adjust] before they do any hard work. In addition the Super Silette absolutely stinks of someone's loft, despite multiple cleans. It will fade in time, but it's off-putting right now!
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