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The descriptions below are necessarily brief - for additonal
information on any model feel free to contact chrome age admin
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| Silette
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| Silette (1953)
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 4-speed Pronto (1/25,1/50,1/100,1/200)
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In 1953 this Silette with its 4-speed shutter, and f3.5 triplet lens was revolutionary in a
Britain still not entirely free of wartime rationing. Before then 'miniature cameras'
had been the preserve of the well-off and professional, but at £18 - while not cheap -
the Silette was less than a quarter of the price of a basic Leica, bringing 35mm
(and colour) photography to a whole new market.
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| Silette (1953)
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 8-speed Prontor-S (1,1/2,1/5,1/10,1/25,1/50,1/100,1/300)
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While the 4-speed Pronto model Silette would have been adequate for snapshots a more serious
photographer would require a range of slow speed and a higher top speed for action shots,
both of which the Prontor shutter provided. This is quite an early example with a Prontor-S.
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 4-speed Pronto (1/25,1/50,1/100,1/200)
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In America Silettes were sold as Ansco Memars. Aside from the name around the lens barrel
- which doesn't show very well in the picture - the Memar is identical to the standard Silette. This can be identified
as an early production Memar by the small lettering of the shutter name which was replaced with a larger font in 1955.
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| Silette (1954)
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 8-speed Prontor-SVS (1,1/2,1/5,1/10,1/25,1/50,1/100,1/300)
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The Prontor design evolved throughout the fifties. The S-model had only X-synch and the
delayed-action was set by a toggle on the rim. The SV-model added M-synch while retaining
the toggle for delayed-action. On the SVS both the synchronisation selector (X or M), and the delayed action
were combined in one control which was now placed on the camera's body behind the lens.
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 8-speed Prontor-SVS (1,1/2,1/5,1/10,1/25,1/50,1/100,1/300)
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Agfa had already produced a Super Solinette model so it was natural that they should adapt the Silette body for a
coupled rangefinder. A minor redesign of the lens barrel was required as well as a second window for the rangefinder,
but all other components are the same as the standard model.
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 8-speed Prontor-SVS (1,1/2,1/5,1/10,1/25,1/50,1/100,1/300)
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The Agfa logo between the the finder windows presents something of an enigma; it would later appear on only the
Super Silette f2.0 and Agfa Karat IV. This example's serial number
however is AQ4762 while that of the one above is AQ4692 so they would surely have been part of the same production
batch. It seems likely that the upper part of the body has been replaced by that of a Super Silette f2.0 though
not recently.
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SVS (1,1/2,1/4,1/8,1/15,1/30,1/60,1/125,1/300)
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The next change to the shutter saw the Prontor modified to use new arithmetic speeds. The range of speeds remained
the same but there were now nine intervals - ao each stop could half the last like apertures. The new scale made
it exposure calculations much easier. The aperture scale was now reversed so that it ran contrary to the shutter
speeds shutter-speeds (photograph to follow).
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 4-speed Pronto (1/25,1/50,1/100,1/200)
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While the basic Silette design changed little in the first five years production differences did occur, which is
hardly surprising given that Silette production had passed a million during 1955. The model shown here differs little
from that of 1953 except that the 'PRONTO' label is now rendered in larger type.
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| Silette (1955)
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Schneider-Kreuznach Radionar
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| shutter
| 4-speed Pronto (1/25,1/50,1/100,1/200)
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This model is something of a mystery. It appears to have been built
quite early in the Silette's history. It is mentioned in the second version of the
instruction manual, but doesn't appear in Agfa's advertisments. Other than the
lens it is identical to the Apotar Pronto model, so it may only have been produced
to fill a gap in Apotar production.
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| Super-Silette (1955)
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SVS
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As with the standard model the Super Silette's shutter was upgraded to the 9-speed version of the Prontor-SVS, and the
engraved logo that had sat between the finder windows was dispensed with.
A large proportion of this early model found in Britain are scaled in meters
which might indicate that they were imported unofficially (At this time Agfa marked its lenses
in either metric or imperial distances - never both).
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Solinar
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| shutter
| 10-speed Synchro-Compur
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The four-element Solinar lens had already appeared on The Super Solinette and several Karat models before it's first
essay on a Super Silette. In addition to the improved lens this model also had the 10 speed Synchro-Compur shutter, which not
not only had a higher maximum speed (1/500th) than the Prontor, but also had a light-value scale(see below).
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| This camera was kindly donated to my collection by Maurice Fisher
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| lens
| 50mm f2.0 Agfa Solagon
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| shutter
| 10-speed Synchro-Compur light value
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The ultimate Silette. It features the fastest lens fitted to any family member - the 6-
element f2 Solagon (previously seen only on the Karat 36). The shutter is a Synchro-Compur
which has the same top speed as the Compur-Rapid (1/500th, but
also has M-synchronisation. One notable addition is the appearance of the Agfa logo engraved between the
finder windows. Later models had a Color-Solagon lens of the same focal length.
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| Silette Compur-Rapid (1956)
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 10-speed Compur-Rapid
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The Compur-Rapid shutter is more commonly found on Kodak's Retinette and Retina cameras
but Agfa used it for this model and all Silettes which used Solinar lenses. The main
advantage over the Prontor was the 1/500th speed It lacked M-synch but did
feature a light-value scale before the Prontor, an innovation which made applying light-
meter readings to the camera controls much easier.
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| Silette L (1956)
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SVS light-value
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A further redesign of the basic Silette featuring Agfa's first pattern uncoupled light-meter.
This is known as the dual-range meter as readings are taken with through a small opening in
the cell cover, or in poor light with the cover lifted.
The results are read as Light-Values from a scale on the top plate, and transferred to the LV scale on the lens. The top
section on the left is shown with the cell cover raised.
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| Super-Silette (1956)
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SVS light value
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Light-value scale version of the f3.5 Apotar Super Silette. Reading the
instruction manual it appears that both the LV and non-LV versions were produced alongside
eachother and the latter did not supercede the earlier version in production. With the LV version
of the Prontor-SVS the V X M
selector moved from its position immediately under the viewfinder to a the right side of the lens barrel
as on the Synchro-Compur models.
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| lens
| 50mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Solinar
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| shutter
| 10-speed Synchro-Compur
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Interchangeable lens version of the Silette, with coupled rangefinder and brightline viewfinder frames for 3 focal
lengths (35mm, 50mm, and 90mm - a 130mm was later made but this had an accessory viewfinder). The viewfinder and
rangefinder window are hidden - when not in use - behind a flip-up panel. Details of the viewfinder layout can be
found under the 1959 model .
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| lens
| 50mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Solinar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SLK
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Quite a landmark in Silette and camera evolution. The SLK shutter assembly was coupled to the lightmeter, so that
the reading could be matched to the LV of the current exposure settings by aligning two needles in a window in the
top plate. The SL is the only Silette model that employs 37mm push-on filters.
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| Silette (1957)
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SVS light-value
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The final model of what you might call 'Pure Silette' marrying the original body design to a new f2.8 Color-Apotar
and a light-value version of the nine-speed Prontor-SVS. A tiny modification has also been made to the lens
panel where the V X M settings are
embossed into a recessed cartouche (photograph to follow in May).
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| Silette
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SVS light-value
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This model remained on sale until 1960 in the UK even though superseded by the 'Brightline' Silettes of 1958 and 1960,
and as might be expected minor modifications were made in production. In this example the lens panel around the
V X M settings is plain and the flash
contact has moved to the left side (facing). An indication of the march of progress is that the film speeds in the
reminder have changed from 8-to-160ASA in the model above to 25-to-200ASA here.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SVS light value
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| An upgrade of the Super Silette design on the same lines as the other 1957 models.
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| Solinar Silette (1957)
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| lens
| 50mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Solinar
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| shutter
| 10-speed Compur-Rapid light-value
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With the four-element Color-Solinar and 10-speed Compur this is very much the de luxe
model of the standard Silette range. Although my Solinar Silette has a metric focussing
scale I know that the model was sold in the UK as advertisements appear for it at the
time. It may be however that the numbers produced were insufficient for the necessary
parts to be manufacted to imperial scale.
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| lens
| 50mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Solinar
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| shutter
| 10-speed Compur-Rapid light-value
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Variant of the Silette L fitted with an f2.8 Color-Solinar lens and
Compur-Rapid shutter. Unlike the Solinar-Silette shown above this example's focussing scale is marked in feet
rather metres. It also differs from the standard model by having what the Focal Guide identifies as a 'dual range
claw' mechanism on the top plate.
Shown on the left is the Solinar Silette L with its meter cover lifted.
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Apotar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SVS light-value
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1958 saw a significant cosmetic resign of the Silette L top section enclosing the finder and lightmeter window
in a bright chrome frame giving it a strong resemblance to the
Silette SL. This is an interim variant which retains the f3.5 Apotar rather than the
new f2.8 Color-Apotar.
The lightmeter was also replaced by one that read across one range rather than the two of earlier cells, so there was no
longer a need for readings to be taken through the closed cell cover as in earlier models.
To accomodate the single meter range the mechanism for converting the reading into a light-value also changed.
On the top left can be seen the upper section of the Solinar Silette L
where the mechanism has two windows for light-value(showing red and green), while in the section of the new
Silette L (below left) shows only one (showing red).
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| shutter
| 9-speed Prontor-SVS light-value
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A Color-Apotar lens brings the L model up to the same standard as the other f2.8 models. Note that with this new shape
Silette L the Agfa logo no longer appears on the Robustol covering and has instead been engraved on the meter cell cover.
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| Silette (1958)
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| shutter
| 4-speed Pronto
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The Color-Apotar was not initially fitted to Pronto Silette and the 1958 english manual still lists it with the f3.5 Apotar.
The Pronto model was relatively short-lived giving way the following year to a
new version based on the Silette Vario body design. This is one of the rarer production model Silettes.
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Agnar
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| shutter
| 3-speed Vario
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In response to a growing number of inexpensive 35mm cameras Agfa introduced its own budget model in 1958. To cut
production costs plastic and stamped metal parts replaced expensive die-castings. Versions of the Agnar lens had
appeared for many years on Agfa's Billy and Isolette folding snapshot cameras, as had the Vario shutter. It was also
marketed in America as the Solina.
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| Silette Brightline (1958)
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| 9-speed Prontor-SVS light-value
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Although they didn't go on sale in Britain until 1959 Agfa produced a restyled range of Silette models in the
previous year. All were given a flat top plate with recessed shutter release and a brightline frame in the
viewfinder (excepting the Super Silette L). Aside from the top housing the body was slightly
larger than earlier Silettes, while the lens panel assumed a more modern, streamlined appearance.
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| Silette Solinar Brightline (1958)
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| lens
| 50mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Solinar
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| shutter
| 10-speed Compur-Rapid light-value
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In tandem with the Apotar model above a brightline version of the Solinar
Silette was produced,
with the same lens and shutter combination as the earlier type. There are a few refinements on the standard Silette Brightline;
the chrome plating has a more polished finish, and the viewfinder has been given a gold coating to reduce glare.
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| Silette Brightline L (1958)
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| 4-speed Pronto
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Third of the brightline models the Silette L differs significantly by moving the shutter release to the
front of the camera as was becoming increasingly common, but perhaps also to accomodate the exposure calculator in the
top plate. Unlike earlier L models this does not have a light-value shutter and meter readings are presented in aperture
and shutter speed.
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| Super Silette L (1958)
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| lens
| 50mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Solinar
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| shutter
| 10-speed Synchro Compur
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The Super Silette L demonstrates the difficulty of accomodating all technical advances without significantly altering
the body, and ultimately the brightline frame had to be omitted. It does however have a rangefinder, a four-glass lens
an inbuilt meter, and a ten-speed light value shutter.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| shutter
| 5-speed Prontor-LK (1/15,1/30,1/60,1/125,1/250)
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Slightly less well specified version of the previous year's
SL. The Solinar lens was replaced with a Color-Apotar Triplet, and
shutter speeds reduced from 9 to 5. This was the first Agfa model to bear the LK designation used by several German
manufacturers to indicate that the lightmeter was coupled to the exposure controls.
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| lens
| 50mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Solinar
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| 10-speed Synchro-Compur
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This model is dated in texts as 1959 however there are several changes which could have been made incrementally. There
is a larger film advance lever, strap lugs have been added to the sides, amd the order in which the focal lengsth appear
on the top plate had changed from 50-35-90 to the more logical 35-50-90.
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| The biggest change was made to the viewfinder panel where the combined brightline and rangefinder window was
divided into two separate windows.
The camera shown has suffered heavy brassing on the covering panel a not uncommon problem
on Ambi Silettes.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| shutter
| 4-speed Pronto
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Although this Pronto model has a similar profile to Silette Vario they are quite different cameras. While
the 'pronto' has abandoned the traditional Silette body shape it is just as solidly made as its predecessors
using cast rather than stamped metal parts, and it has retained the superior Color-Apotar lens and shutter.
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| lens
| 50mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Solinar
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| 9-speed Prontor-SLK
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Also known as the Silette Automatic, the SLE marries the lens and shutter
of the Silette SL to two new developments
. The metering is reduced to a single matchneedle shown in the viewfinder as well as the top
plate window. The viewfinder also features a suspended brightline frame. This is coupled
to the focussing ring to prevent parallax errors and moves up and down as focus changes and was later employed
on the Optima IIIS and
Optima 500S.
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| Super Silette (1959)
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| 10-speed Prontor-SVS light-value
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Similarly styled to the brightline models, the flat top plate
now encloses the rewind knob, and the shutter-release moves to the front of the camera giving
it a very clean look. A faster 10-speed Prontor shutter is fitted, with the speeds
extended to 1/500th. It was also marketed in America as the Super Solina.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| 5-speed Pronto-LK (1/15,1/30,1/60,1/125,1/250)
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Second model to bear the LK appelation and introducing a new style format to the Agfa range. The photographer alters
either to match up a needle in a window in the top plate. Like many Agfa cameras of similar vintage the example
shown has lost the trim from the panels next to the viewfinder and around the lens.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| 6-speed Pronto-LK (1/15,1/30,1/60,1/125,1/250,1/500)
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Rangefinder variant of the LK shown above. In addition to the split image rangefinder this model also has a faster
version of the Pronto-LK shutter with a maximum speed of 1/500th second.
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| Super Silette Automatic (1959)
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| lens
| 50mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Solinar
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| 9-speed Prontor-SLK (1,1/2,1/4,1/8,1/15,1/30,1/60,1/125,1/250,1/500)
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Quite possibly the apogee of fixed-lens Silette development, adding a Color-Solinar lens, a viewfinder display
of the lightmeter's match-needle and the Prontor-SLK shutter to the already impressive LK specification.Remarkably
this example has retained all its original trim showing how the two models above would have looked.
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| Silette 9-Speed Brightline (1960)
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
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| 9-speed Prontor-SVS light-value
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1960 brought another cosmetic change for the Silette series. Here the flat top-plate is abandoned in favour of a
shape more reminiscent of the 'classic' Silette profie. The body's overall dimensions however, remained constant
with the original brighline models. The 9-speed Silette also adopted the 35.5mm screw-in filter mount.
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| Silette 4-Speed Brightline (1960)
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Agnar
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| 4-speed Pronto (1/30,1/60,1/125,1/250)
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The 'junior' Pronto shuttered model also adopted the new top-plate but in the process lost its Color-Apotar lens
for the generally inferior Color-Agnar. By this time the Pronto had finally switched to arithmetic speeds, with the
maximum increased to 1/250th. There are several differences to the Color-Apotar lensed version aside
from the shutter; the viewfinder on this model is larger, 'SILETTE' is picked out in white letters on a black ground
on the lens barrel, and the filter ring has a 30.5mm thread.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Agnar
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| 3-speed Vario
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Modest upgrade of the original Silette Vario
with the f3.5 version of the Agnar, giving way to a new f2.8 Color-Agnar.
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| Silette 4-Speed Brightline
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Agnar
| | shutter
| 4-speed Pronto (1/30,1/60,1/125,1/250)
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A later production variant of the 4-Speed Brightline where some of the innovations of the earlier model have been
abandoned; the name plate is once again bright chrome with black engraving, and it has reverted to a 30mm push on
filter mount.
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| This camera was kindly donated to my collection by Maurice Fisher
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Agnar
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| 3-speed Prontor125
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By the early-Sixties the Silette was very much the junior model of Agfa's 35mm range; most parts were now plastic ot thin
metal stampings and the previous decade's technical advances are argely omitted - the Silette I has a three speed shutter,
X-synchronisation only and no brightline frame in the viewfinder.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Agnar
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| 3-speed Prontor125
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A variant of the Silette I fitted with a flash holder for AG1 bulbs; the top housing has a compartment for a 15-volt
battery in the rear of the top housing, with a plastic cover giving the aperture at the three focusiing points for films
from 25 to 400 ASA.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Agnar
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| 4-speed Prontor125
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The 1962 Silette L is very different from the flagship models of only a few years before. As with contemporary
Silette models build quality has decreased, and the specification is pared back to basics; unlike the Silette I and
silette F however the L has a brightline frame in the finder.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Agnar
| | shutter
| 4-speed Prontor-LK
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Coupled lightmeter version of the 1961 Silette with the rather limited Color-Agnar lens and shutter speeds limited to
to four. Only four years after the introduction of the original SL version coupled meters had become declasse and
models featuring them were seated firmly in the lower price range.
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| lens
| 45mm f3.5 Agfa Color-Agnar
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| shutter
| 3-speed Vario
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Final variant of the Vario model with the slower f3.5 Color-Agnar substituted for the
f2.8 version.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Agnar
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| 3-speed Prontor-125
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In response to Kodak's 126 easy-load cartridge Agfa revived its earlier Karat
cassette to form the improved Rapid system. As the Rapid's cassette-to-cassette
transport did away with the need for a rewind crank the Silette-Rapid's design is more compact than an equivalent 135
camera.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Apotar
| | shutter
| 6-speed Prontor 500 LK
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One of the better specified later Silette model with the Color-Apotar lens. Its lightmeter
is coupled to the shutter and the reding displayed by a swinging needle in the viewfinder.
Cosmetically it's very similar to the Optima 500, even sharing the strangely angular
transport lever.
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| lens
| 45mm f2.8 Agfa Color-Agnar
| | shutter
| 4-speed Parator (1/30,1/60,1/125,1/300)
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A neatly designed 35mm compact from the late-60s / early-70s. As the with earlier LK models the shutter and aperture controls
are coupled with the lightmeter with swinging-needle displays in the top-plate and viewfinder. The design features
several neat touches like the soft 'sensor' shutter release but the film rewind takes some figuring out if you don't have the
manual.
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| Silette Accessories
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| Apotar & Solinar Proximeter I & II
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Agfa produced two close-focussing aids for Super Silettes with Apotar
or Solinar lenses. The Proximeter consists of an optical wedge for the view and rangefinders
and a close-up taking lens, joined by a short metal chain. The whole then attaches to the camera's accessory shoe.
The Proximeter comes in one and two dioptre strengths and it's possible to mount both on the camera at the same
time and focus even closer.
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| Solagon Proximeter I & II
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A special Proximeter was made for the Super Silette 2.0. Because the Solagon lens was set in a hellical mount the
optical wedge had to move with the lens and so was fixed to the supplemantary lens. The additional weight meant that
a simple slip on fit for the supplementary was not practical and it had to be locked in position with the screw shown
to the right of the lens.
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| Natarix
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For its non-rangefinder models Agfa supplied a series of Natar and Natarix attachments. These
comprised a slanted viewfinder that slotted into the accessory shoe, and a +1 dioptre close-up
lens. The model shown can only be fitted to cameras with a centrally located shoe, but later
models could be adjusted to allow for offset positions. Later models also had flash contacts.
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