Agfa Billy I (1950)
A 120 film folding camera with interchangeable shutter and lens configurations, produced as part of Agfa's long-running Billy series.
Overview
The Agfa Billy I is a 120 film folding camera introduced in 1950. It belongs to Agfa's Billy series, which began in 1927 and stayed in production through 1960. The design was new and stylish from version 1. Agfa offered it in several configurations with different lenses and shutters, so performance and price varied. Early models (1950-1951) came with a metal-frame glassless viewfinder. In 1952 that was replaced by a tiny optical viewfinder.
Specifications
| Film Format | 120 roll film |
| Image Format | 6x9 cm (2 1/4 x 3 1/2 inch) |
| Lens (common) | Agnar 105mm f/6.3 lens |
| Focusing | Front-element scale focusing down to one metre |
| Shutter (common option 1) | Vario shutter with speeds 1/25, 1/50, 1/200 second, plus 'B' |
| Shutter (common option 2) | Pronto shutter with speeds 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/200 second, plus 'B' and a self-timer |
| Lens (low-spec example) | f/11 Isomar lens with no focus control but two aperture stops |
| Shutter (low-spec example) | 'I' and 'B' shutter |
| Aperture (low-spec example) | f/11 and f/16 |
| Sync Socket | PC-sync socket for flash bulbs |
| Tripod Socket | One tripod socket on the "lens cover" plate |
| Film Loading | Metal cover for the red window used to read frame counter |
Design
The Agnar 105mm f/6.3 lens is a 3-element/3-group design. The shutter release connects through a metal rod, and you press a lever near the camera body to fire the shutter. On low-spec models the front plate shows depth of field ranges for f/11 and f/16.
Context
The Billy series includes over eight models: Billy Zero, Billy Clack, Billy I Luxus (also known as Billy Igetar 8.8), Billy II, Billy Record, Billy Record II, and Billy Compur. The Agfa Billy I sits in this lineup alongside the Agfa Billy, Agfa Billy-Clack, Agfa Billy Compur, Billy II, Agfa Billy Jgetar 8.8, Agfa Billy Record, and Agfa Billy Record II.
Reception
The Agnar 105mm f/6.3 is a simple 3-element lens, but it performs well from f/8 onwards. One user, Adam Paul, reports preferring the photos from his Billy I. He says it works dependably in decent daylight despite its limitations.
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