Sharp goodness

Awesome vid as always, IQ is so impressive and looks like you did an amazing job restoring life to great piece of gear. Well done!

@ExpiredBren

Ай бұрын

Thanks Mike!

I am carrying a Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 523/16 - I bought it for 30 euros and it was mint! Got myself a rangefinder for the cold shoe and BAM! perfect pocketable 6x6 with great image quality. Use it every week

@ExpiredBren

Ай бұрын

That would be a pretty compact combination!

Nice video of your trip to the park! That lens is very nice for sure! My Ansco Speedex Special R is identical to yours but with the Apotar 85 f4.5. Not as nice as the Solinar but still a lot of fun to use. Yes, the green grease from hell was a lot of fun to break loose. Not as bad as the lens on my Ansco Viking 4.5. I just about gave up on that one. I too went with a CLA and new bellows to give these great camera a new lease on life.

@ExpiredBren

24 күн бұрын

It’s a shame that nearly all of these Agfa Isolette/Ansco Speedex cameras have the identical issues, but the end result speaks for itself once it’s fixed.

Isolette III is my favourite 6x6 camera. If you look at the aperture ring, you will see a red dot, it means it is the sharpest aperture

@ExpiredBren

Ай бұрын

That'll be good to remember next time that I use the camera!

@randallstewart1224

Ай бұрын

I think you will find that the dot marker in the focus scale ties in with an aperture scale marker. Together, they set the camera at a hyperfocal distance to create a depth of field covering most focus points without having to manually reset focus for each shot.

@chriscard6544

Ай бұрын

@@randallstewart1224 thanks

Excellent video. Would be curious how it would perform in an urban environment, with some architctural and some street photography.

@ExpiredBren

Ай бұрын

I would like to try it in such an environment. Admittedly it can be slow going to focus and setup a composition with the Isolette, but zone focusing would solve some of that.

Note that the version of the Isolette III he has in the video is fairly rare, being the best and most expensive lens/shutter option. The Color-Solinar is a Tessar copy design, but is as good or better. Future comparison: The Isolette versus and Konica Pearl III or IV (same lens).

@ExpiredBren

Ай бұрын

That would make for a great comparison. Also would serve as a great way to compare front cell focusing on the Isolette versus whole unit focusing on the Pearl

I also have this camera but with the weaker lens. Could you tell me about the lens hood you are using here? I always wondered what kind of filters could fit on the lens of this camera.

Similarly I found myself wanting a Konica Pearl IV - then I looked at prices and went for the III.

@randallstewart1224

Ай бұрын

I hear you. Years ago, I looked long for a nice Pearl III, without success. Then, a mint Pearl IV appeared at a nosebleed price, along with an excellent month on my income blotter, and I bought the IV. The lens/shutter on the III is the same, but the IV is "really nice".

@ExpiredBren

Ай бұрын

I didn't realize that the Pearl IV was such a feature-rich folder. Looks like it would be on par with a Certo Six or Super Baldax, albeit in 6x4.5 format.

All folders should be opened slowly! Hold the folding bed while pressing the release.

@ExpiredBren

Ай бұрын

It's definitely crucial do that for all folders. Compared to all of the folding bed cameras that I have, this Isolette springs open way more vigorously