Agfa Record III

[loneranger]

I bought this camera (Agfa Record iii, 6x9) on a whim on ebay, a late night buy, which I kind of regretted in the morning. But it was cheap ($150), it has been sitting in my drawer for about a year. The shutter seems to work right and the lens is pretty clean. I put a roll through it and the pics are REALLY AWESOME. Not sure what the reputation of the camera is. The lens is Solinar 105/4.5. Does anyone here have any more info about the camera. I really like the large negatives , with lots of detail.

 

[ZeissFan]

The Agfa 6x9 Record with the Solinar enjoys an excellent reputation among those who own them, which sadly doesn't include me.

Their other folding Isolette cameras also are well thought of, although many seem to suffer from pinholes in the bellows (for those fitted with the plastic-covered bellows) and frozen lens helicals.

 

[loneranger]

Here's the camera. The bellows is brand new actually, replaced by the seller, which is one reason I thought it was a good deal. I just looked it up on flickr and seems like tons of people are using this camera...now maybe not all late night buys on ebay turn out so bad

 

[loneranger]

By the way I found this written in the back of the leather case, can anyone make sense out of it, sounds like the owner may have been in the army....maybe I can track him down..

 

[loneranger]

Who is Mr.Fibble?

 

[Mr_Flibble]

That would be me 😉

It lookls like a regular name, serial number, unit designation for an army man.

I've tried looking up his number on the NARA website, but that yielded no results.

I'm not up to par on the occupation forces in Germany in the 1950s, but I guess our man John, as part of the 23rd Ordnance Company, might have bought his camera there.
From what I can find this company was/is stationed at the badnerhof base at Heilbronn in Germany.

I'll do some digging and see what I can find.

 

[loneranger]

That would be me 😉

It lookls like a regular name, serial number, unit designation for an army man.

I've tried looking up his number on the NARA website, but that yielded no results.

I'm not up to par on the occupation forces in Germany in the 1950s, but I guess our man John, as part of the 23rd Ordnance Company, might have bought his camera there.
From what I can find this company was/is stationed at the badnerhof base at Heilbronn in Germany.

I'll do some digging and see what I can find.

That's great, thanks, but what is that a 7 after his first name or is it F, the first letter of his last name?

 

[Mr_Flibble]

My best guess is that it is supposed to be a letter instead of a number. The initial of his middle name most likely.
Can you make out the crossed out bit? I've come across a number of items with last names or serial numbers crossed out before.

Items of clothing are usually marked with the initial of the last name, and the last 4 numbers of the serial number. I'm not sure how items were personalized in the post-war years.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Does anyone here have any more info about the camera.

Free downloadable (pdf)manual: http://www.certo6.com/images/recordIII-manual.pdf

Other than that, it was made at Agfa Kamera-Werk in Munich, Germany, between 1950 and 1957, has a Galilian viewfinder, has an uncoupled coincident rangefinder, was available with 5 different lenses (the Solinar being the best choice), took 120 rollfilm, could have any of six different shutters (Synchro Compur being the best), and your minimum focusing distance is just slightly over 3 feet. The one you got was the best possible configuration for the Record III, and (once the lubrication and bellows problems are solved) they are all very good cameras.

 

[puderse]

Old PX AGFA

Old PX AGFA

The US before the service number designates a draftee. They went to last four SSAN in the 60's when I was in. Had to re-do all the numbers on everything I had labled.

By the way, I have a Vest Pocket Kodak with a name, rank, number and "Royal Flying Corps" written inside of the case. Is there any way to trace that down?

 

[FallisPhoto]

Can you make out the crossed out bit? I've come across a number of items with last names or serial numbers crossed out before.

The old ink is probably oil-based paste ink, from a ballpoint pen, and is deep inside the leather; it would take days to get it out and you'd probably have to use white gas. Most of the new inks (and dyes, from markers) are much more easily alcohol soluable. A quick wipe down with rubbing alcohol and you'd most likely be able to read it.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

By the way, I have a Vest Pocket Kodak with a name, rank, number and "Royal Flying Corps" written inside of the case. Is there any way to trace that down?

Your best bet is to post the info over at www.theaerodrome.com forum. As it's marked RFC, it would be from before the change-over to RAF in 1918.

 

[Muggins]

By the way, I have a Vest Pocket Kodak with a name, rank, number and "Royal Flying Corps" written inside of the case. Is there any way to trace that down?

The other place you could try is the Great War Forum:

http://www.1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/

Its associated site, "The Long, Long Trail" (link at top left of the forum homepage) will probably give you a good start on how much you can find out just from that information, and if you register there'll be lots of help available if you get stuck. I'm told that some of the US-based WW1 air forums are so German-centred that it's hard to get the RFC/RAF's existence acknowledged - however (a) I don't know if it's true and (b) I've never visited them. You may want to bear that in mind.

The GWF also has a thread somewhere (Chit-chat, I think) about photos taken today with WW1-era cameras. If you've ever used your one, that would fit right in! I'd love to see pics of it anyway.

Hope that helps,

Adrian