AGFA HALF FRAME CAMERAS
(1940) Agfa (an German camera manufacturer) and Ansco (an American camera manufacturer) joined forces in 1928 and made a wide variety of cameras over a period of many years. Some of these cameras are labeled "AGFA", some "ANSCO", some "AGFA ANSCO", and others "GAF" (an abbreviation for the merged company "General Aniline & Film Corp.). One of their first joint cameras was a completely redesigned Ansco Memo in 1939. The orginal Ansco Memo was a half-frame, box camera, while the new Agfa Ansco Memo, of 1939, was a full-frame, folding-bed camera and did not bear any resemblance to the original Ansco Memo -- to the confusion of many. The next year, 1940, Agfa Ansco came out with a half-frame model of this new folding camera. This new half-frame version was also called the Agfa Ansco Memo -- which further confused the situation. Anyway, this new half-frame camera, has shutter speeds of B, T, 1/2 - 1/250. The manually-focusing lens was available in f3.5, f4.5 and f5.6 versions. It did not use the original Ansco Memo cassette, but adapted the Agfa KARAT cassette -- used in the Agfa Karat cameras of the same time period -- which eventually evolved into the popular Agfa Rapid cassettes that was used in many half-frame (and full-frame) cameras over the next 40 years. The camera was never that popular, perhaps because it had to compete against a camera with the same name and size and a larger format picutre.
(1963) From the 1950's to the 1970's, Agfa made a series of cameras called the Optima. One camera in the series was a half-frame model -- the Optima Parat. In many ways it was similar to the other half-frame cameras of the day. It had a four-element, three-group 30mm f2.8 (to f22) manually focusing lens. Shutter speeds ran from 1/30 - 1/500, plus B. The built-in selenium meter controlled the shutter speed and the aperture settings in programmed automatic exposure control. What set the Parat apart was the screw-in telephoto lens that was available which provided a 55mm optic -- equivalent to an 85mm full-frame lens. There were variations in the styling of the camera with different covering available. Some have a film memo dial on top. Same body syling as the other Parats. Close-focusing to three feet. Built-in hot shoe.
(1963) Three element, 30mm f2.8 manually focusing lens. Shutter speeds of B, 1/30 - 1/125. Athough there appears to be a window for a meter, there is no meter. Close-focusing to three feet. Built-in hot shoe.
Same as the Parat.
(1963) This was an automatic version of the Parat. It has the same body and the same lens as the Parat but a single speed shutter of 1/125. It added a selenium meter to set the f-stop. Close-focusing to three feet. Built-in hot shoe.
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