Agfa Ambiflex (1956–1963)
Agfa’s first 35mm SLR, featuring interchangeable lenses and a behind-the-lens leaf shutter.
Overview
The Agfa Ambiflex is Agfa's first 35mm Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera, introduced in 1956 as the flagship of Agfa's 35mm SLR line through the early 1960s. It was produced from 1956 to 1963 and offered interchangeable lenses via a proprietary bayonet mount, with a leaf shutter located behind the lens—unusual for SLRs of the era. The camera was sold in Europe as the Ambiflex I, II, and III, and in the US under the names Agfaflex III, IV, V, and Colorflex. It featured a coupled selenium exposure meter with match-needle indication, a single-stroke film advance lever, and an automatic resetting frame counter. The viewfinder was interchangeable, with waist-level and eye-level pentaprism options depending on the model.
Specifications
| Film format | 35mm |
| Shutter type | Leaf shutter (behind the lens) |
| Shutter speed range | 1 sec to 1/300 sec, plus B |
| Shutter models | Prontor Reflex or Prontor-SVS; Synchro Compur on some models |
| Lens mount | Agfa interchangeable bayonet mount |
| Standard lens (Ambiflex I/II, Agfaflex III/IV) | Agfa Color-Solinar 50mm f/2.8 |
| Standard lens (Ambiflex III, Agfaflex V) | Agfa Color-Solagon 55mm f/2.0 |
| Available lenses | 35mm f/3.4 Color-Ambion, 90mm f/3.4 Color-Telinear, 135mm f/4.0 Color-Telinear |
| Viewfinder | Interchangeable; waist-level finder and eye-level pentaprism available |
| Focusing | Ground glass screen |
| Light meter | Coupled selenium exposure meter with match needle |
| Film advance | Single-stroke lever |
| Frame counter | Automatic resetting |
| Flash synchronization | M and X |
| Self-timer | Yes |
| Body material | Die-cast metal / brass construction |
| Weight | Over 1000 grams (with lens) for top models |
Design
The Agfa Ambiflex was Agfa's first 35mm SLR and featured a behind-the-lens leaf shutter with the ability to keep the shutter open during focusing, closing only at the moment of exposure. The viewfinder unit was interchangeable, allowing use of either a waist-level finder or an eye-level pentaprism. The body design closely resembled the Agfa Optima rangefinder. While the Selectaflex shares the same lens mount, it is not part of the Ambiflex series; Selectaflex lenses can be mounted on the Ambiflex, but Ambiflex lenses cannot be used on the Selectaflex.
Context
The Ambiflex was Agfa's flagship 35mm SLR line in the late 1950s and early 1960s. By the early 1960s, it was considered technologically behind competitors like Pentax, which used focal-plane shutters. The model hierarchy included the Ambiflex I (Agfaflex III) with waist-level finder, Ambiflex II (Agfaflex IV) with eye-level prism, and Ambiflex III (Agfaflex V) with a faster 55mm f/2.0 lens. Fixed-lens models like the Agfaflex I/II and Colorflex I/II were related but distinct from the interchangeable-lens Ambiflex series.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.