Agfa Box 44 (1932–1938)

Entry-level roll film box camera sold at a promotional price of 4 Reichsmarks to boost film sales.

Overview

The Agfa Box 44 was a simple box camera made by Agfa Camera Werk AG from 1932 to 1938. It was built for beginners and used 120 roll film to make 6x9 cm images. It had a fixed-focus meniscus lens and a rotary disk shutter with limited speed options, and no built-in meter, so the user had to judge exposure. The housing combined cardboard and wood for structure, with sheet metal front and rear panels. Its nickname was "Preisbox" (Prize). It was part of a 1932 campaign where customers collected four 1-Mark coins marked with the letters A, G, F, and A to claim the camera for 4 Reichsmarks. The campaign was a major success and sold 900,000 units before it ended, helping to popularize photography among the general public.

Specifications

Film Format	120 film
Image Size	6x9 cm
Lens	Meniscus f/11
Shutter	Rotary Disk Shutter (Moment und Zeit)
Focus	Fixed focus
Exposure Metering	without
Flash Connection	without

Design

The Agfa Box 44 was built mainly from cardboard and wood for rigidity, with sheet metal for the front and rear panels. The design was kept simple on purpose to hold production costs down, since this was an affordable entry-level camera.

Context

The Box 44 was introduced as part of a promotional campaign in 1932. Agfa sold the camera at a loss - 4 Reichsmarks - and counted on profits from future film sales. It succeeded the first Agfa Box camera for 6×9 cm film from 1930 and preceded the Agfa Box 50, which revived the series' popularity in the 1950s. The Box 44 was one of the most successful and best-selling cameras in history, and it played a key role in making photography accessible to a wider audience. It belongs to a series that includes the Agfa Box 34, Box 50, Box I (model 54), and Box-Spezial (model 64).

Market

The Agfa Box 44 has a reported street price of $20. Reviewers note its optical quality is very poor, and the shutter has a limited speed range - often only one - which makes it difficult to use. It got low scores for image quality (1/5) and versatility (1/5), and a moderate score for value for money (3/5). The verdict: “If you want to use one, arm yourself with patience and don't have big expectations.”