Solinette ll

Terrywoodenpic

Terrywoodenpic

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Terry
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I have just bought another Solinette camera last night..... I already have two Solinette ll cameras with apatar lens's and a Super Solinette with Solinar lens.
I saw a solinette ll also with a solinar lens on Ebay and won it for £13.50. It is the first I have ever seen for sale with that lens.
I bought my first one when in the army and stationed in Kong Kong in 1953. It was an Ideal little camera as it fitted into a battledress top pocket and could go with me everywhere.

I took this shot out of the back of a truck in Germany in 1954 with it

 
Sweet !

and straight as a telegraph pole

Is it a 35mm folder or what Terry, I could google it but then we'd have one less "interesting camera" thread...:D
 
Great shot with a great story, it would be good to see some pics of the Solinette too, Terry.
 
One thing special about the Solinette was that is has helical focusing, the whole lens moves to focus not just the front element, like in most such cameras.
This maintains the lens in its best possible configuration, so even the three element apotar performs above what you might expect.
They never fitted the cheaper out sourced Agnar to this camera.
 
It arrived today it looks like new. however there are a few problems ... a couple of bellows pin holes ( as have most of them) the self timer is sticky and the one second rather slow. AGFA green Grease in the helical focus thread is as turgid as always. It was certainly hardy ever used.

How ever it is a very interesting near mint looking example, as it is fitted with the Prontor SVS shutter and the Solinar lens ( mostly Solinar lenses were combined with the Compur rapid shutter with out a self timer) It also has the film reminder dial as fitted on the Super Solinettes. the distance scale is in feet (unusual for a version that was not imported into the UK)

The most common configuration for solinette ll are
Apotar lens prontor sv shutter no film reminder. distances in metres
some times you find Apotar lens with Prontor svs shutter. distance metres.
far more rare is the Solinar lens and Compur rapid shutter distances in metres. ( this is the same as most Super Solinettes which also have a coupled rangefinder.

THIS ONE
Solinette ll ... Solinar lens, SVS shutter distance in feet... a combination I have never seen or heard of before.

Very few of any sort were ever imported into the UK ...American versions are more common and are marked as Ansco regent or Ansco super regent and most of those are with the higher spec lens and shutter

A number of both the Ansco and Agfa versions found their way on to the British market by way of the American forces BX stores... as did many other restricted items in the early 50's
 
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