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The Agfa Isola was a line of medium format viewfinder cameras made by Agfa in Germany. [1]

There were three models, original Isola, Isola I and Isola II. All models use 120 roll film for 6x6cm frames.

The lens is collapsible; once extended, it was turned to lock back in storage position. The shutter release is interlocked with the lens extension and you can only engage the shutter when the lens is extended.

Winding on the film is also required as the Isola feature a double exposure guard. when the indicator above shutter-button is red you cannot take an exposure and it means you have to wind on to the next frame. It's a handy feature but you can't disengage it so voluntary double exposures are not possible.

The lens Agfa Agnar, (on the Isola II), is a simple triplet design capable of taking good and fairly sharp photographs. It has blue coatings (visible on the picture above).  It's somewhat prone to lens flare, a lens hood is certainly not a luxury with this camera. For aperture you can choose between f6.3 and f11.

Focus is obtained by means of turning the front element with help of a distance scale (usually in meters, although scales in both feet and metres exist for export models), to use it effectively you either need a good eye or a decent additional rangefinder. Sometimes this method of focus is also nicknamed "The Guess-O-Matic".

The Isola is a fairly decent camera, it's certainly more advanced than its predecessors like the Agfa Click-I, Agfa Click-II and Agfa Clack and it has a better lens assembly than those cameras.

There are two other cameras with the name Isola which unrelated with the original Isola series: Agfa Isola 22 and Isola 44.

Models[]

Isola[]

Isola

Isola

  • Produced in 1955
  • Agfa Isola name on the upper part of the lens-shutter barrel
  • With the introduction of the more basic Isola I in 1957, the name of the Isola changed to Isola II without any technical or major external changes.
  • The only difference: the Agfa logo of the Isola is on left lower part of the camera's front leatherette, but on the front plate of Isola

Isola I[]

See the article Agfa Isola I

Isola II[]

  • Produced between 1956-59
  • The Isola (1956) with a new name
  • Lens: Agnar 75mm f/6.3 (3 element)
  • Shutter: Singlo II with speeds 1/30,1/100, B
  • Flash contact with X synchronization + cold shoe.
  • It doesn't have any roman numerals with Isola name, it's just written as Agfa Isola on the upper or lower part of the lens-shutter barrel. The name is on the box.

Notes and references[]

  1. McKeown's p.24

Links[]

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