One Roll With An Agfa Click!

I recently obtained an Agfa Click-I, a simple Bakelite-bodied camera that uses 120 film to take 12 square images per roll. While similar to a modern Holga in many respects, it is undeniably not a Holga. Manufactured in Germany from 1958-1970, the Agfa Click was designed to be a simple snapshot camera that anyone could use.  I owned of these nearly 20 years ago, but lent it out to someone, and never saw it again.  Therefore, this is the first roll of film that I've shot with a Click.  It's an altogether different camera from the Agfa Clack, which takes 8 6x9 cm images per roll of 120, much like the early Kodak Brownie cameras, although with better results and more control. I discussed that camera in a post in 2020. 

The Click is somewhat simpler than the Clack, in that it does not have a bulb mode, nor does it accept a cable release. It's definitely a "snapshot" style of camera. It's a fixed-focus camera - one shutter speed - probably 1/30 sec, and two apertures - about f/11 and f/16. There are contacts on the top deck of the camera to attach an Agfa bulb flash. The viewfinder is a simple Galilean type.  Aside from the two selectable apertures (sunny and cloudy), there is a yellow filter option at the maximum aperture. A red window on the back for showing the frame number, and a silver-gray plastic wind knob on the top.  The camera does feature a 1/4" thread tripod socket on the bottom.  The interesting bit to me is the attachment of the back to the body- a sliding metal clip on each side that looks just like the one found on a Holga!  The back cover has a slight curve to it so that the images are less distorted.  That sums up the features of this camera.  

Using the Click is like any simple snapshot camera - point and shoot.  Nothing to adjust other than the apertures, and winding the film on to the next frame.  There is no double-exposure prevention. The Click is an attractive camera, and ergonomically, it's perfect.  

I loaded the Click with a roll of the 100 ISO FPP X-Ray 120 film.  With a 1/30 sec shutter speed, ISO 100 is going to work best in sunny conditions, although Ilford Pan-F might be a better option for full sun.  For example, if it's a subject in full sun, 1/30 at f/16 is still about 2 stops overexposed for 100 ISO film, whereas for Pan-F (ISO 50) it's about perfect.  However, with simple cameras, you really never know quite how things are going to turn out.   In my roll of X-Ray film, a shot in full sun was definitely overexposed, whereas in a dappled sunlight situation, the images looked pretty good, as shown below.

A straight road in the Adirondacks! Overexposed, but still not bad. 

These two photos look perfectly exposed. Oswagatchie River in Harrisburg, NY

Of course, you could use an orange or red or ND filter taped over the front of the lens to reduce the amount of light for situations that call for it.  

Setting sun in Canton, NY, Grasse River. 

Is the Agfa Click as good as a Holga?  Well, with the Holga, you get a faster shutter speed, selectable zones of focus, and the ability to use B for long exposures.  I'd say that the Click may have a better meniscus lens than the Holga, but there does seem to be a "sweet spot" that is in focus about 15 feet away.  

In short, the Agfa Click is a well-built "toy camera" that under the right conditions, can produce reasonably good images.  I would not pay a lot for one, but if you see one for sale for less than $20, it's worth a try.  Make sure you use a low-ISO film for best results in strong daylight.

Twenty Years of Holgas

 

Yes, this is a pitch for my latest issue of Monochrome Mania!  First of all, when I started Monochrome Mania in 2020, I had no idea that I would be publishing a 12th issue just a few years later.  Yes, for me, it's my creative outlet, and more importantly, I'm able to reach many more people with a zine than with a gallery showing.  

Twenty Years of Holgas actually started in about 2001, when I got my first Holga.  But, it really was not until 2003 that I was using one to create memorable images.  I don't care what camera that you use, but it takes some time before you are really proficient with it. With a Holga, that means accepting its limitations, but also knowing when you can push it beyond the "snapshot" with technique, choice of film, and subject choice.

In preparing this issue, I reviewed many hundreds of negatives from my Holgas. Luckily, I had almost all of them scanned in previously when I was working on the medium format toy cameras for MM No. 3, which is now out of print.  Still, reducing 20+ years of photos down to less than 50 images is a feat.   It's not like I have shot with a Holga every day every year, either. I was most prolific with the Holga between 2007-2010, and there are a few years that I hardly shot with it.  Nevertheless, the Holga  is still a camera that gives me wonderful results in certain situations, and I continue to use it.   Could this be a prelude to a larger work?  Maybe.  I still have many stories to tell with toy cameras, and the Holga hasn't been the only instrument for that.

Here are a few samples from this latest issue.

Twenty Years of  Holgas is 48 pages, including the covers, and measures 8,5 x 8.5 inches. It's a quality print publication, done by Mixam.  

I have changed my shipping to USA-only.  International shipping now costs almost as much as the zine, and to be honest, it's a pain in the butt to ship internationally, as Etsy does not handle that aspect very well.  

  Here are a few images that did not make the zine issue.

  

The Lomo Apparat - a quick take

Lomography introduced the Apparat 35mm camera in 2022, and while I was somewhat interested in the new camera, its price of $90 was a bit off-putting. Furthermore, it was an all-plastic camera - which isn’t surprising, but I decided a while ago not to jump right on a new Lomography product until I had seen some reviews about it.  In October 2023, KEH had a 20% off sale on some film cameras, and lo and behold -- a brand new Apparat for a reasonable price, so I ordered one.

The past couple of years has seen a number of simple plastic 35mm cameras coming to market, most of which are quite similar in features.  The Apparat though, features a 21mm lens with an integral  rectangular lens hood, flash with color filters, and B+ Instant, as well as a multiple exposure option, and a tripod socket.  It’s a small camera that encourages experimentation, as it comes with a close-up lens, multi-faceted “kaleidoscopic” lens, and a Lomo “splitzer” attachment, that when used under the multi-exposure option, allows for different sections of the frame to be exposed separately.  It uses 1 AA cell for the flash, which can be turned off when shooting the camera in daylight. 

After I received my Apparat kit from KEH, I carefully went over everything, and for one, Lomography does a great job packaging their products, making them inviting to open and examine.  Like many of their cameras, the Apparat has a paperback book accompanying it with photos that really showcase the camera’s results,  projected with that fun Lomo “shoot from the hip” ethos.  

Camera specifications:

• Film- 35mm film 
• Shutter- 1/100 sec, plus B and multiple exposure
• Lens- 21mm f/10 
• Tripod socket: yes
• Viewfinder- almost centered, with view approximating the lens coverage
• Flash- uses 1 AA battery, with ND  and multiple colored gels placed in pop-up holder
• Film advance - manual, with thumbwheel
• Film rewind - manual, no detensioning needed
• Film door - clear film reminder window, storage slot for the color flash gels

At first glance, the Apparat resembles on of the many iterations of Kodak 126 Instamatic cameras, except for the obviously large front element and lens hood.  It is definitely more robust than the RETO Ultra-Wide and Slim with the 22mm lens, and has more features.  The included metal wrist strip is quite nice, and complements the black plastic camera body.

In use:  While the Apparat is pretty easy to figure out, I do like the fact that the front switch with B, N, and OFF is easy to see, and when in OFF position, blocks the viewfinder and locks the shutter release.  That’s a welcome feature for any simple-use camera.  In addition, pressing the lower lighted switch beneath the flash turns the flash off/on - also a welcome feature.  My only real complaint is that the thumbwheel film advance is hard to turn as it does not protrude very far from the back.  Also, there is no button to depress to rewind the film. You just turn the rewind lever to pull the film back into the cassette.  I really like the lens hood and the nice secure fit of the lens cap.  I have not yet tried the accessory lenses.  

I shot a roll of Fujifilm Superia 200 in late October - mostly while on a trip to Dutchess Co., NY.  I had the film processed at my local camera store, Ball Photo in Asheville, NC.   I scanned the negatives with my Epson V700, and did some post-scan correction.  Overall, I was happy with my results.  The Apparat is a very simple camera, and I didn’t have high expectations for the results, but I liked what I did get from it.  It’s definitely a step above the typical simple-use cameras that have recently appeared on the market, and it has some features that no other cameras in its class offer.  The images are fairly sharp at center, with some blur towards the edges of the frame, and I don’t think that the wide-angle distortion is really noticeable.  You can be as close as about 1 foot from your subject, and if you use the flash, you can use the neutral density filter gel if you are really close so that the flash doesn’t wash out the image.  

Unless you are out on a bright sunny day at the beach, I recommend using ISO 200 or 400 film.  In cloudy weather, 400 ISO film should definitely be used.  I have yet to try the Apparat with b&w film, and look forward to doing so.

Is the Apparat for you?  It’s a bit lo-fi, but it feels secure in the hands and has a great wide-angle view that is better than any other simple-use camera.  It has options to encourage experimentation at a relatively low price.  It’s not as fragile as other simple use cameras, and it is fun to use.  I know that people will complain about the B option and no cable release, but if it’s on a solid tripod, there is not going to be much in the way of camera shake.  And because it does have a B setting, once could use it with low-ISO film, tripod, and guesstimation for the exposure.  You could use Lomo’s Babylon (ISO 13) or Fantome (ISO 8), and in full sun, a 1 second B exposure should be fine, with longer exposures accordingly for other conditions.

Here are some images from my first roll with the Apparat.

 

KODAK'S TRI-X SINGLE-USE CAMERA

Last year, Kodak introduced their single-use camera loaded with a roll of Tri-X film.  I was initially skeptical, but finally ordered one from the Film Photography Project Store.  Seeing that I have been working on an issue of Monochrome Mania dedicated to 35mm toy cameras, I really had to try out this camera (the issue will be available in late March from my Etsy shop).  For starters, the phrase "Kodak Professional" on the front of this little plastic camera seems laughable, but just go with it.  The camera is pre-loaded with a 27 exposure roll of Tri-X, which is a 400 ISO black and white film. There is a built-in flash, so other than the film, the camera is similar to Kodak's Fun Saver series of cameras. I mostly shot outdoors, and only used the flash as a fill-flash and not as the sole light source, so I did not evaluate the performance in a dark indoor setting.  I suppose like any of these cameras, the small flash will be good for up to 10 feet.  The angle of view is wide, as the lens is a 30mm f/10, 2-element acrylic lens.  The focus distance is 1 meter to infinity. 

 I shot with the camera over the course of over a month, and its compactness allows it to easily fit into a shirt pocket, as well as any space in a camera bag. I should note that I taped a yellow gel over the lens when shooting on sunny days, so that I would not overexpose the image, and to achieve better tonality.  After I was finished with the roll, I opened the camera body and removed the film cassette, which other than the serrated top of the spool, looks like any other roll of Tri-X, and with the chrome cap ends. 

I developed the film in the FPP D-96 developer for 8 minutes, and did the standard fix and wash that I do for all my black and white films.  Overall, I have to say that I am pleased with the results.  Tri-X fell out of favor with me because the film base always cupped when dried.  That's a real pain in the ass when I am trying to load it into the Epson scanner  film holders, and films that lie perfectly flat are my preference.  Perhaps Kodak's made some changes, because this time, the film was almost perfectly flat.  The other factor is that the cameras are assembled in China, and maybe the film is made there, as well.  That could be a reason for the difference.

If you are new to film photography, and want to experience shooting B&W, this is a good way to try it out.  I have seen prices in the $11-$14 range, so the camera is pretty cheap.  On the other hand, Ilford has a single-use B&W camera loaded with Ilford HP5+.  I've not tried the camera, but HP5+ is the film that I prefer over Kodak Tri-X.  The price for the Ilford alternative is in the same price range.   In addition, Harman sells a single-use camera loaded with Ilford XP-2, a C-41 film (that can also be developed in b&w chemistry).  Lomography also sells a simple-use camera loaded with 400 ISO Lady Grey film. If you just want a simple camera loaded with B&W film, you could get a Harman 35 reloadable which comes with 2 rolls of Kentmere 400 for about $30.  

Three other choices for a simple to use camera with B&W film: Ilford B&W, Harman B&W, and Lomography Monochrome

The Harman camera w/2 rolls of Kentmere 400 is a good value.

You CAN reload the Kodak camera with another roll of film, and if if you are careful opening the camera body, you'll quickly see how that would work.  It would probably be best to use a 24-exposure roll as the counter starts at 27.  I'll give it a try later on and see if it works with a normal cassette, or if I have to use the one with a serrated end to the film spool (like the one that was in the camera).  The wider view of the Kodak camera certainly is a plus, and I felt that the lens was plenty sharp enough. 

Of course, if you don't develop film yourself, The Darkroom Lab can develop it and you can get scans and prints from that roll of Tri-X.  

Here are some examples from the roll of Tri-X, and I am quite happy with them.

It's Patently Obvious - ANSCO PIX PANORAMA

 That the best cropped pocket  pano camera is the Ansco Pix Panorama

I had just loaded film into one of my favorite 35mm toy cameras - the Ansco Pix Panorama, when I paused to read the following on the base - "Made in China   U.S. Patent 4,595,269" 

Patented?  What could the patent be for? Within a few minutes of Google searching, I found the patent and the patent abstract:

Camera Double Exposure Prevention System

Patent number: 4595269 

Abstract: A double-exposure prevention system for a still camera having a cockable spring-biased linear movable shutter-actuating slider operable between a cocked condition and held thereat by a latch movably responsive to a manually operated release member and thereafter upon release of the latch to a shutter-actuating position is provided with means for allowing one end of the slider to be rotated out of and away from the axis of the shutter-actuating movement throughout most of the subsequent rewind operation. While in this second angular position, the slider disables the operation of the release member, preventing accidental tripping of the latch after a cocking condition has been restored. During a small terminal portion of the film advance and after the preceding frame has been safely advanced so as to be out of the way, the film advance mechanism then rotates the slider back to its initial position.

Type: Grant

Filed: October 9, 1984

Date of Patent: June 17, 1986

Assignee: W. Haking Enterprises Limited

Inventor: Wai C. Wong

You can download and read the entire patent, if you wish.

I'd heard of Haking, as the Halina cameras are attributed to that company.  From Camerapedia, I found:

W. Haking Enterprises Ltd. is a camera and binocular maker based in British Hong Kong. It was founded by Dr. Haking Wong (1906-1996) and Dr. Pauline Chan in 1956. In 2002 the company was taken over by Dr. Tony Chak-Leung Tai & Dr. Tai-Chin Lo and built a new factory in Xinhui (Guangdong). Its camera products of the brands Halina and Ansco are distributed nowadays in the UK, Ireland, the Middle East and Africa by a company named Halina Imaging, that belongs to the British photographic distribution company SPS Logistics. Older cameras of Haking are marked as "Empire made"

Makes sense that the camera is the ANSCO Pix Panorama, as Haking has rights to the Ansco name. But the patent?  I could see nothing in the Pix Panorama that makes it appreciably different from all the other simple 35mm plastic cameras with a lens cover that locks the shutter when its closed. The Pix Panorama came out in 1986-87, and Haking also sold the same camera branded as the Halina Panorama. It was also sold as the Hanimex Panorama 35, Suntone MM350, Arico Panorama CL-168 and Revue Panorama.  Without fully investigating all of the claims in the patent, I can only assume that it's just novel enough to be accepted.  But, for such a simple camera it raises questions. Do other makers of cheap plastic cameras (including Kodak) have a different mechanism or did they pay royalties to Haking for using the patent features?  

Okay,  enough of the arcane world of patents and copyrights.  The Ansco Pix Panorama still remains one of my favorite 35mm toy cameras for three reasons:

• Viewfinder shows the panoramic field of view
• 27mm 2-element lens 
• removable pano mask

I previously mentioned the removable mask in the post about a year ago : Widening Your Horizon

The 13x36 pano mask inside the camera can be removed to give a really nice 24x36 mm wide-angle negative. You can remove the front of the camera and mess with the viewfinder to give the full-frame view, but I never did that.  As a pocket pano camera, I think it's the best of the bunch, mostly because of the lens. The shutter is supposed to be 1/125 sec and an f/11 aperture.  On a sunny day, ISO 100 film will be fine.  Much has been said about the "faux pano" 13x36 cropped frame.  While no, it's not as good as say, a 24x72 pano frame, with the right film and lighting, your cropped pano images can be pretty good.  These cameras can be slipped easily into a pocket, and will surprise you with their results.  I've had an ANSCO Pix Panorama since at least 2005, and in searching for older images to be included in my forthcoming 35mm toy camera issue of Monochrome Mania, I found a lot of images that I'd forgotten about.  I'm all about cheap panos, and this camera will get more use this year, I promise.  

Here are a few images from years past:

2006, Ilford Delta 400

2006, Ilford Delta 400

2006, Ilford Delta 400

2007, Ilford HP-5+

2007, Ilford HP-5+

2007, Ilford HP-5+

2007, Ilford HP-5+