Agfa Karat, that had previosly came in the market, uses a sort of 24mm x 36mm-format film only for 12 exposures. But this film was not so popular among those who used this camera at that time. Then the model used 35mm format film was produced in 1946 as an upgrade of Karat. This was, what we call, Agfa karat 36.
The structures of Karat 36 are so unique that the bellows comes out when you unlock the lens board lock and extend the lens board, and also winding process is opposite of what we usually do with a normal camera, which is that pulling the film wind lever to the center of the camera body.
Focusing is by the vertical double-image superimposing rangefinder. This is, I would say, easier to focus than the normal horizontal one.
Also, because of the straight helicoid of the lens, you can focus both before and after extending the lens board.
- First introduced in 1946.
- Camera type : 35mm format rangefinder folding camera
- Picture size : 24mm x 36mm
- Viewfinder : reverse-Galilean finder, vertical double-image superimposing rangefinder
- Finder magnification : 0.6x
- Lens : Agfa Solinar F2.8/50mm
- Focusing : straight helicoid
- Shutter : Synchro-compur
- Shutter speeds : B, 1-1/500sec.
- Flash sync contact : B, M, X
- Film wind : lever, arc operation 130deg., one stroke
- Frame counter : manual, forward-count
- Body dimensions : 132x82x72mm (when folded.)
- Body weight : appox. 660g.
