Agfa Karat
From Camerapedia.org
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The Karat is a strut folding camera made by Agfa from the mid-1930s until the mid-1950s. It came with a new film loading concept for 35mm film. The camera has to be loaded with a cartridge in which the film is provided and an empty cartridge of the same type. The film advance mechanism of the camera transfers the film step by step out of the one into the other cartridge. The piece of film lying inside the camera between the cartridges will always be fixed perfectly in the focal plane. The Karat cartridges are a light-tight version of a an older cartridge type of Agfa. 27 years later the Karat cartridges were revived as Agfa's Rapid film system.
In 1948 the Karat 36 appeared that broke the tradition and used the standard 35mm film cassette.
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Karat 6.3 ArtDeco
- Year of release: 1936
- Film Format: 35mm 12 exp in Rapid cassette
- Shutter: Agfa Automat B 25 50 100.
- Lens: Igestar 6.3/50 (three elements)
- Aperture: 6.3 to 22
- Viewfinder: optical direct vision viewfinder
- Flash: None
Karat 6.3
- Year of release: 1938
- Film Format: 35mm 12 exp in Rapid cassette
- Shutter: Agfa Automat B 25 50 100.
- Lens: Igestar 6.3/55 (three elements)
- Aperture: 6.3 to 22
- Viewfinder: optical direct vision viewfinder
- Flash: None
Karat 4.5
- Year of release: 1938
- Film Format: 35mm 12 exp in Rapid cassette
- Shutter: prontor B 25-125.
- Lens: Oppar 4.5/55 (four elements)
- Aperture: 4.5 to 32
- Viewfinder: optical direct vision viewfinder
- Flash: None
Karat 3.5
- Year of release: 1938
- Film Format: 35mm 12 exp in Rapid cassette
- Shutter: Compur-Rapid B 1-500; Compur B 1-300; Prontor B 1-250; Prontor S 1-300
- Lens: Agfa Solinar 3.5/50 (four elements); Agfa Apotar 3.5/55 (three elements)
- Aperture: 3.5 to 32
- Viewfinder: optical direct vision viewfinder
- Flash: Models with Prontor S
Karat 12 (Karat 2.8)
 Agfa Karat 12 |
Originally called the Karat 2.8, it was later called the Karat 12 to differentiate it from the Karat 36. The Karat 12 upgrades the Karat system to include a rangefinder and lever wind. The unusual rangfinder, different from most, shifted the entire upper and lower halves of the image when focusing
- Year of release: 1941
- Film Format: 35mm 12 exp in Rapid cassette
- Shutter: Compur B 1-300; Compur-Rapid B 1-500
- Lens: Schneider-Kreuanach Xenar 2.8/50 (five elements)
- Aperture: 2.8 to 16
- Viewfinder: Split image Rangefinder
- Flash: Some with Compur-Rapid
Karat 36
With the Karat 36, the series moved from the Rapid cassettes to the Kodak 35mm cartridge, though the Karat 12 remained in production for several more years. The Karat 36 was produced with at least two different film advance lever designs and top engravings.
The Ansco Karomat was a re-badged version of the Karat 36 produced for the American Market. In 1953, it sold for $164US (over $1200 in 2007 US dollars - these were not cheap cameras!) At the same time, a comparable Contax IIA cost $440, and a comparable Leica IIIc cost $385.
- Year of release: 1948
- Film Format: 35mm
- Shutter: Compur-Rapid B 1-500; Synchro-Compur B 1-500
- Lens: Agfa Solinar 2.8/50 (four elements); Agfa Solagon 2.0/50; Rodenstock Heligon 2.0/50; Schneider Xenon 2.0/50 (all six elements)
- Aperture: 2.0 or 2.8 to 16
- Viewfinder: optical viewfinder with superimposed rangefinder
- Flash: X- , V- and M-synchronization
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| Ansco Karomat 36 (1951) | Agfa Karat 36 (1952) with Schneider-Kreuznach Karat Xenon 1:2/50 lens | |
Karat IV
The Karat IV upgrades the Karat 36 with a more conventional superimposed rangefinder.
- Film Format: 35mm
- Shutter: Prontor-SVS
- Lens: Agfa Solinar 2.8/50 (four elements); Agfa Solagon 2.0/50; Rodenstock Heligon 2.0/50; Schneider Xenon 2.0/50 (all six elements)
- Aperture: 2.8 to 16
- Viewfinder: optical viewfinder with superimposed rangefinder
- Flash: X- , V- and M-synchronization
Bibliography
Original documents
- W.D. Emanuel, Agfa Karat Guide, Focal Press, 1951
Links
- Karat-Kameras is a German Web sight devoted to the Karat.
- Agfa Karat at Roland and Caroline's [1]
- Karat 12/2,8, Karat 12/3,5, Karat 4,5, Karat 6,3 (postwar), Karat 6,3 (prewar) at www.collection-appareils.fr
- manual of Agfa Karat IV at Michael Butkus Jr.'s [2]
