Agfa Isoflash-Rapid C (1966)

Compact 35mm viewfinder camera using Agfa’s Rapid film system, introduced in 1966 with fixed-focus lens and flashcube support.

Overview

The Agfa Isoflash-Rapid C is a 35mm viewfinder camera made by Agfa Camera-Werk in Munich, Germany, and introduced in 1966. It uses Agfa's proprietary Rapid film cartridge and gets sixteen 24×24mm exposures per roll. It's built simple. The lens is a fixed-focus Isitar, and the Parator shutter has two settings: “Sunny” at 1/80 sec and “Shade/Cloudy” at 1/40 sec. You pick one with a metal tab at the 10 o'clock position on the lens barrel. In the USA it was sold as a rebranded Iso-Rapid C through an Agfa affiliate in Teterboro, New Jersey, as part of Agfa’s effort to compete with Kodak’s Instamatic system.

Specifications

Film System	Agfa Rapid cartridge
Exposure Format	Sixteen 24×24mm exposures per roll
Shutter Speeds	“Sunny” (1/80 sec), “Shade/Cloudy” (1/40 sec)
Dimensions	11 x 7.2 x 5 cm

Design

The Isoflash-Rapid C is mostly textured plastic, with satin-finish aluminum top and bottom plates. The body is boxy. The viewfinder window is octagonal. On the top plate sits a rotating flashcube socket that turns 90 degrees after each shot. Everything is mechanical except the flash, which runs on a 6.3-volt PX23 mercury battery under the removable base plate, plus an internal capacitor. A film door interlock and a film presence sensor keep the camera from operating unless it's loaded properly. Flash distance guidance for AgfaPan, AgfaColor, or AgfaChrome film is stenciled on the back of the top cover. It recommends 5-10 feet with flashcubes.

Context

The Isoflash-Rapid C was one of the early models in Agfa’s Rapid system, a direct response to Kodak’s Instamatic. It belongs to the Iso-Rapid line of simple compact cameras. Outside the United States it was sold as the Iso-Rapid C, and the Isoflash-Rapid C was the U.S.-market variant.