THE CAMERA is a precision miniature with coupled range-finder and built-in exposure meter, taking 36 exposures 24x36 mm. on standard 35-mm. film.

    THE LENS is a 2 in. (50 mm.) Color-Solinar / 2.8. This is a 4-element triplet derivative.

    THE LENS MOUNT DIAMETER for filters (push-on only) is 30 mm.

    FOCUSING is by rotation of the front lens cell.

    A FOCUSING LEVER attached to the lens mount is within easy reach cf the left-hand middle finger when the camera is held normally. The focusing system is coupled with the rangefinder.

    THE DISTANCE SCALE, marked on the front of the lens mount, runs from infinity down to 3| ft.

    A DEPTH OF FIELD SCALE is engraved on the front of the shutter, adjacent to the distance scale

    ZONE FOCUS SETTINGS arc marked in red on the distance scale. They are used in conjunction with an aperture setting between / 8 and / 11, and yield a sharp zone from infinity to 15 ft. (far zone), and from about 15 ft. to 8 ft. (near zone).

    THE RANGEFINDER is coupled with the focusing movement of the lens, and is of the co-incidence type. It is combined in one eyepiece with the viewfinder.

    THE VIEWFINDER is a direct vision optical type, showing the image in approximately two-thirds natural size. The finder is diagonally above the lens; there is no parallax compensation.

    THE SHUTTER is a Synchro-Compur between-Iens unit with light value scale and cross-coupled aperture and speed settings.

    THE SHUTTER SPEEDS are 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 second, as well as a B setting.

    A TIME EXPOSURE SCALE, marked in green figures up to 125 seconds, serves as a calculator for the exposure times required with small apertures at low light values.

    XM-SYNCHRONIZATION, selected by a synchronizing lever, is built-in. The same lever also operates the self-timer. The flash socket is mounted on the front panel of the camera, and is the standard 3-mm. co-axial type.

    THE SHUTTER RELEASE is a knob-shaped lever protruding from the side of the lens panel on the front of the camera. It is within very comfortable reach of the right-hand middle finger.

    A CABLE RELEASE SOCKET is fitted in the back of the camera above the rapid winding lever.

    THE EXPOSURE METER, built into the top of the camera, is of the setting marker type. Superimposing a movable marker with the needle position automatically indicates the required light value.

    THE METER SETTING WHEEL incorporates a film speed adjustment, scaled from 12 to 800 ASA, and from 12° to 31° DIN.

    A FILM INDICATOR fitted in the rewind knob also shows the type of film loaded in the camera (black-and-white, or various types of colour film).

    FILM TRANSPORT is by a rapid winding lever in the back of the camera. One full swing of this advances the film by one frame, tensions the shutter, and advances the film counter. The transport acts directly on the sprocket inside the camera.

    THE FILM COUNTER is built into the lower part of the rear of the camera, and counts exposures backwards from No. 36 to No. 1. Loading reference marks are provided for 36-exposure and 20-exposure cassettes respectively.

    THE REWIND KNOB as a telescopic shaft. This extends part of the way without disengaging the rewind shaft, thus permitting more comfortable back-winding.

    THE TAKE-UP SPOOL is permanently built in and is friction driven. The spool core is of large diameter with the usual slit and anchoring hook for the beginning of the film.

    THE MAIN BODY UNIT is a light alloy die-casting. Metal parts are enamelled black or anodized, or in some cases chrome plated. The body covering is Robusit plastic, with the usual leather grained finish.

    THE CAMERA BACK is hinged on and carries a sprung pressure plate inside.

    THE TRIPOD BUSH is centrally below the lens in the camera base.

    THE DIMENSIONS of the camera are 5ix3±x2| in.

    THE WEIGHT is 24 oz.

    THE PRICE is 46 13s. Id. including case (import restricted).

A PHOTOGRAPHER'S VIEW

    The Super Silette L utilizes the revised Silette body styling with integral film transport lever (in other words, built into and not on to the top of the camera). It is in this range that the various permutations and combinations of specifications are now appearing: with and without coupled rangefinder, without and with exposure meter, and with coupled meter.
    This is the rangefinder model with non-coupled exposure meter. It is in a sense a comparatively simple miniature that has spread itself—partly because some people want more than a simple camera, and partly because various camera manufacturers (and by no means only Agfa) think the public ought to want more.
    Judged on its merits, the Agfa Super Silette L is a good quality and efficient camera. Certain points of its design are particularly pleasing: the shutter release on the front is really shake-free—especially if you press it with the right middle finger. The lens performance is very good, well up to anything you would expect from a camera of this type. A few minor points can do with improvement: the depth of field scale is much too crowded to be helpful in practice (often a necessary evil with front-cell focusing systems), and the film speed setting of the exposure meter has wrecked at least two of my finger nails. (But at least you do not easily change the setting by accident, either.)
    Considering its features and scope, the camera is good value for its price.