Agfa Billy Model 1 Folder Camera
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Folder Cameras FAQ Pages
The Agfa Billy folder camera series were made starting in 1928 (the date of
the German firm Agfa's merger with Ansco Inc. of the U.S.A. to form
Agfa-Ansco Inc.), and up to 1960. These folder cameras were mass
produced. So they are not collectible cameras in the usual sense. But
they can provide a lot of fun for a modest investment of $25-50 US or so.
This Billy I model is from the later post-war period, having been produced in the period from 1950 to 1957. The camera was produced in two variants. The earlier version had an eye level frame finder (on the right side), as well as using pre-war parts and a Vario shutter (from 1/25th to 1/200th plus Bulb). The later optical finder version (also on the right side) was produced from 1952 onward. The Pronto shutter also featured standard folder speeds (again, 1/25th to 1/200th second plus Bulb).
Why bother listing such a low cost folder camera? Because so many
Agfa-Ansco Billy series cameras were made, you are highly likely to
encounter them for sale on EBAY
auction, camera shows, and online sales. As the listing below shows,
many of these cameras from the late 1950s have survived the decades
fairly well. However, it is uneconomic to repair such cameras (which
is why we feature some simple repair hints on the bottom of our index page.
This model has a Agfa Agnar 1:6.3 lens.This camera is in excellent condition,and comes with the original instruction booklet,and the leather case.The only thing that seems to be missing is glass in the view finder.The shutter is working,not a mark on the lens,and the bellows are in mint condition.
Hello,
I stopped by at your site and really liked it. About the Agfa Billy:
I've got the same camera (also with booklet and leather case!) You
mentioned that the only thing missing on your Billy, was glass in the
rangefinder. Well, there should be no glass in the rangefinder, so it
seems your camera is complete. Did you ever take any pictures wih it?
Greetings from Holland,
Herman Holtrop
From: [email protected] (GLewis4457)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Agfa Billy Record
Date: 11 Nov 1998
>Hi all- I just received through my Grandfather, an Agfa Billy Record >folding camera- does anyone know about this camera, or how I can get >info on using it. I think it takes 120 film.
Mike, it does indeed use 120 film. I have a Billy Record I with a
Schneider-Kreuznach Radionar lens. Not the sharpest lens (triplet)
evermade, but enough for what I use it for. I think some late ones did
have the much better Xenar lens available. Mine takes 8 6x9cm
(2.25x3.25in) images. Aperture and shutter speed dials are pretty evident.
Focus is guestimate via rotating front element. Self timer is on the
underside of the shutter mechanism. I use a Weston hand meter for
exposure calculation. Shutter arm is located above the shutter speed dial
and is cocked manually for each exposure.
If you have any specific questions email if you like.
Jerry in Houston
Jerry Lewis
Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 From: Text-Bild-Grafik Holger Weigelt [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Medium Format : Agfa Billy Record Hello ! Some time ago I loaned an Agfa Billy-Record for a test and found out that the lens originally wasn't mounted in the exact position for highest sharpness. I could improve it by underlaying it with a ring of thicker paper before remounting. Greetings from Eastern Friesland Holger
[Ed. note: thanks again for these handy tips and notes!..] Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2002 From: Text-Bild-Grafik Holger Weigelt [email protected] To: Robert Monaghan [email protected] Subject: Re: Medium Format : Agfa Billy Record Hi, Bob ! Thanks for Your reply ! A friend had received the Agfa Billy -Camera I told about as a gift from his father. I loaned it for some tests on 6x9 format and we both were astonished and full of pleasure about the quality of the pictures that could be achieved after the little correction of the lens. It has three fixed focusing positions and it's original mounting was slightly out of focus so all the takes ever done before weren't really as sharp as possible. For my own photographical work I sometimes use a Zeiss-Ikon Nettar 6x6 with good results. I like this Camera because it provides the relatively large 6x6 format being small enough to carry it with me everywhere I normally wouldn't have any camera at hand. I also use two old 9x12s. One is a Nettel I use with original plate-carriers adapted to film sheets. The other a Merkel-Tharandt for which I built an additional back that enables me to use modern 4x5inch film-cassettes for film in both 9x12 and 4x5" format. The last has a very fine Rodenstock Eurynar lens that at medium or small aperture really can compare with modern lenses. Kind regards Holger www.holger-weigelt.de
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