AGFA Compact

Congratulations, it´s not easy to find a working Agfa compact! The prices here in Germany are sometimes insane.
A real design classic (designed by Schlagheck design, Munich).
 
petronius said:
Congratulations, it´s not easy to find a working Agfa compact! The prices here in Germany are sometimes insane.
A real design classic (designed by Schlagheck design, Munich).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info on the designer! I like the design, too. I always wonder: is Agfa Compact actually the first camera with motorized lens design? (If not, which one is?)

Agfa Compact is small and heavy, giving an impression of being solid - if a little rough in the detail. It's like Agfa was making good progress in design, but suddenly had to rush into manufacturing. The majority I saw on the auction site appeared non-working. Mine went out of order quickly, so I have only a few pics taken with it.
 
I actually wrote a brief review of Agfa Compact long ago, but it's in Chinese. Google translator may help if anyone's interested.

agfacom-080627-30.jpg

Agfa Compact with Solinar 39mm f/2.8 lens, Fujifilm Superia 200
 
daniel~ said:
It's like Agfa was making good progress in design, but suddenly had to rush into manufacturing. The majority I saw on the auction site appeared non-working.
Click to expand...

I think it is more likely that it proved to be too much of a conversion feat for the Agfa production lines. It really would have required a entirely new factory, as it was a all plastics/electronics affair where the preceding Agfa cameras, in spite of their relatively modern looks, internally were stamped-metal relics closer to fifties folders than to a Olympus XA.

Its failure caused Agfa to shut down its camera factory. But it may not have been "the last Agfa designed and built in Germany" - Agfa still had their camera design in Germany, and hired Balda (who had successfully converted into the world's premier injection mould specialist) and other German makers for assembly.
 
I have a mint Agfa Compact that I purchased at a camera store I worked at right out of HS.
My much older co-worker who was a Leica specialist pointed it out to me and said "People don't know about that camera but the lens on it is every bit as good as a Leica"
I purchased it and ran a roll of Kodachrome 25 through it and I was amazed at how sharp it was.
It just put some batteries in it the other day to test it and it works like new.
 
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