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Art Deco Cameras

Agfa Speedex 0

Specification

Agfa Speedex 0
Agfa Speedex 0
 
Manufacturer: Agfa
Produced: 1932 - 1937
Classification:Medium Format
Body Type:Folding Bed
Bellows Deployment:Self Erecting
Construction:Metal
Film Type:127
Film width:46mm
Image Size:4 x 6.5 cm
No. of Images:8
Lens Type:Solinar
Focus Type:Variable
Focal Length:75mm
Focal Range:7ft - inf.
Aperture Type :Iris
Apertures :f/3.9 - f/32
Shutter Type:Compur
Shutter Speeds:T,B, I(1/300s - 1s)
Size Open (w x h x d):75 x 120 x 95 mm
Size Closed (w x h x d):75 x 120 x 29 mm
Weight:445g

Art Deco Credentials

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Iconic: Famous, well-known and celebrated

Description

The Speedex 0 (Billy 0) is a small vertical folding camera, made by Agfa from 1932 to 1937. It makes eight pictures 4x6.5 cm on 127 roll film. The lens is either an f/3.9 Solinar (a Tessar-type) in a Compur shutter (as pictured), or f/5.6 Igestar anastigmat in a dial-set Pronto shutter. It is focused by screwing the front element in and out. On my example the focus scale is in feet, and is marked down to 7 feet although some of the cameras with the Igestar were scaled in metres. It has a flip-up frame viewfinder on the body and a brilliant finder on the shutter which swivels for portrait and landscape images. The Speedex Zero is slimmer and more elegant than most cameras and is well made.

How to Use

This camera takes 127 film which is still available from select outlets - search for 'Rera Pan 100-127' which is a black & white film. For those photographers in the UK, try Nick & Trick photographic services. If you want to use a particular type of film which is not available commercially, then you can cut your own 127 film from any 120 film. See my page on 'How to cut 127 film from 120 film'.

Photographs taken with this camera

The pictures below were taken with this camera. One thing I learned from this was that I should have cleaned and vacuumed the inside of the camera, particularly the bellows, before using it. As you can see on the third picture, which is an enlarged version of the second picture, there are small bits of dust that have got onto the film. Film used Rera Pan 100-127.

Bridge
Marbella Bench
film dirt