Agfa Silette

P

PaulRicciardi

Established
Local time
4:27 PM
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
72
Location
South Carolina, US
View My Gallery
Anyone else out there have or use any of the Agfa Silette cameras?

Personally I love them. I have a Silette Vario that I got for free...it has a dent on it, the film advance can be a little bit noisy and the scale focus scared me at first as it was my first non SLR camera but I slowly grew to love its simplicity, compact size and most of all the quiet vibrationless shutter. A lot of times I'll shoot a shot with it and not even notice I tripped the shutter.

So, anyone else out there using one?
 
I have a Silette and and also a Solina, which is pretty much identical except for an f3.5 lens instead of f2.8. The pair were a bargain at $10. They're nice little cameras; I should use them more often, especially now that I've gotten more comfortable with scale focusing. Here's a shot from the Silette:



(Hmm. That negative was probably scanned using my old flatbed scanner. I should rescan that set someday.)
 
Blimey, I thought I was the only person in years who'd used a Silette!

I was given one a couple of summers ago - exact model uncertain, but with the bog-standard Agnar lens. I found it nice and usable, and most of the photos were crisp enough (unless you are a razor-sharp six-element pedant), though it did get a bit hazy when used in shade on a bright day.

It actualy won me a third prize in a photography class at the village flower show - "A Sporting Event" - a row of people sat in a cricket pavilion watching intently some point out of the frame. Actually it's not a great photo, but the judge liked it's "documentary look".

Actually, thinking about it, there must be a demand for them somewhere - our local Oxfam does a quarterly camera sale and there are nearly always two or three Silettes, and they always sell - unless it's the same three cameras going round in circles...

Adrian
 
PaulRicciardi said:
Anyone else out there have or use any of the Agfa Silette cameras?

Personally I love them. I have a Silette Vario that I got for free...it has a dent on it, the film advance can be a little bit noisy and the scale focus scared me at first as it was my first non SLR camera but I slowly grew to love its simplicity, compact size and most of all the quiet vibrationless shutter. A lot of times I'll shoot a shot with it and not even notice I tripped the shutter.

So, anyone else out there using one?
Click to expand...


I have a Super Memar (the Ansco version of the Super Silette). Does that count?
 
Last edited:
I have a Silette I (see Stockholm 1964 in my gallery) bought new in Germany around 1963. It still works and the f2.8 45 mm Agnar is sharp from f5.6 up. At f4 quality deteriorates and I have never used it wide open probably because of scale focusing needing some leeway.
I also have a Super Solina with a 45mm F2.8 apotar which has some spots but takes excellent photos. My prize silette is a Super Silettte with a 50mm F2.8 Solinar but I have never used it. Too many cameras.
Kurt M.
 
For 6 months or so I have looked for various lighter cameras. As one gets older one wants to carry less heavy gear. Only two months ago I found a Silette with Apotar with Pronto SV. It was in reasonable condition and I gave it a CLA. Then we went for a shoot-out. The cameras involved were Rollei 35 Tessar, Rollei 35 Sonnar, Minolta 7SII, Olympur 35RD, Olympus 35SP. The results were shocking. The Silette outdone all the others when stopped down to f5.6 and did respectably wide opened. All of us were quite surprised that it beat the two Rolleis so easily. The Japanese cameras gave sharp results but the pictures looked flatter and lacking in shadow details. I ended up selling my Rollei 35 Tessar two days after the shoot out. No regrets at all. I would have loved to have a rangefinder as well. I then used it with a little rangefinder fitted to the shoe. Then a month ago I saw 3 Silettes on sale and all were working examples and going quite cheap. So I bought all of them and am now waiting for their deliveries. One with Solinar with rangefinder. One with Apotar with rangefinder. And one is the same as the one I bought earlier. I will give them the usual CLAs. I guess this will probably be me buying 35mm for a long long time.

Sometimes good things do come cheap.
 
Here's a couple from my Silette and its Agnar lens. Not a particularly inspired roll, and I can't find my favourite. Furthermore, my scanner has done alarming things to the nice late-evening glow of the upper pic, which looks buckets better in the flesh. Believe it or not, the bottom one is the prizewinner - despite my lightmeter reading obviously being all to cock. By the way, that's me 4th from left. So you can stalk me now...

Adrian

Silette.jpg
 
I own both aSilette and a Super Silette which I purchased on Ebay several years ago
.Shot them just as I bought them,no CLA.
Results ....exellent ,bearing in mind I almost always shoot @ f5.6 or smaller.
Also have a Solinette and a Super Solinette, which is the foldiong version of the Silette
Much prefer the latter because of its pocketability.
Both the Super versions have the Solinar len which in my experience matches the quality of the Zeiss Tessar.
 
Last edited:
I have been going through an Agfa phase, which includes the half-frames, various Karats, Silettes, Optimas and others. Agfa always seemed to have some kind of camera for the amateur and advanced amateur market.

The Silette and Solinette are nice little cameras with the Solinette having the advantage of being folding cameras. The Super Solinette is a sweet little camera with a coupled rangefinder.

In 35mm, the Apotar is a very good lens for a triplet, while the Solinar is a Tessar type (four elements in three groups).

I've gotten some very nice photos with the Apotar.

And of course, the downside with the Agfas are the frozen focusing helicals.

Once that's been sorted out, you have a mighty fine camera.
 
Last edited:
I just recently sold on Ebay an Ambi Silette which I bought from a charity shop. It had slightly dodgy wind on lever, but was otherwise in great shape. It had loads of neat fetures including switchable framelines, and interchangeable lenses. I already have the III so didn't use it and decided to move it on. It went for a reasonable price too.
 
As long as the Apotar lens is clean and properly calibrated you really can't go wrong. Enjoy your camera. It is now my most used 135 camera.
 
I have around 13 silette's, all different all great. the super silette f2 solagon is sweeeeet. there are a multitude of accessories for them, I love the original agfa 30mm push on filters. a great camera to just have and play with that will turn out ok photos. just sitting and going through the speeds gives me a buzz, i dont care if thats geeky i love it.
 
Just got back today from a CLA the Super Silette with the Solinar 3.5 I bought at a flea market last Sunday for 10 euros. I find it a lovely camera, with a very easy to use rangefinder, and a nice design.
 
I have a Super Silette with the Solagon lens.
Tested now with 2 films (Kodak and Fuji) and was really astonished about the sharpness of the Solagon. One of my favourites, especially in combination with the Fuji Superia Reala 100asa film.
 
I agree with hanskerensky. I have a Super Silette Solagon f2 50mm and a Ambi Silette with three lenses. Fuju Superia Reala is a good match for these cameras - the pictures are sharp, the colors are accurate and the contrasts are even.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Agfa Close-up lens help - Natarix 35
Replies
6
Views
1K
titrisol
titrisol
Velorum
Another Vito B enthusiast
Replies
8
Views
786
Velorum
Velorum
A
FED2 Shutter Capping Problem
Replies
5
Views
381
ARCamera
A
H
Nikon F Shutter Speeds Adjustment 1/60th and 1/500th
Replies
0
Views
105
Howie1922
H
K
Agfa Silette SL
Replies
5
Views
2K
JeffS7444
JeffS7444
Back
Top Bottom