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Agiflite Aerial camera

Does anyone know anything about the Agiflite Aerial camera? Is it only suitable for aerial? what film format?

-- John Dixon , March 30, 2003; 03:37 A.M. Eastern

Answers

It's my understanding that camera takes 70mm film and has two standard lenses: a 150mm and a 350mm both made by Zeiss.

-- Art Haykin , March 30, 2003; 05:50 A.M. Eastern

The Agiflite is a continuation of a Williamson design that A.G.I. Ltd., then of Croydon, Surrey, now of Poole, Dorset, picked up after Williamson failed. The most recent version is being sold off as surplus by the US Navy and Coast Guard.

I recently asked AGI for information about their aerial cameras and was told that they sold that division around 15 years ago and that it ended up in the hands of Meggitts. AGI knows nothing about them now, and Meggitts' site offered so little hope that I didn't contact them.

70 mm film. Fixed focus, therefore suitable for use only with distant subjects.

Sold with a variety of lenses, originally from Taylor, Taylor, Hobson (4"/2.0, 12"/4.0) more recently from Zeiss (150/2.8 Sonnar, 350/5.6 Tele-Tessar). I understand there were other focal lengths as well, but have no specifics.

I recently got the TTH lenses, am trying them on a 2x3 Pacemaker Speed Graphic. The Lens Collector's Vade Mecum speaks highly of them, but cautions they're hard to adapt to most cameras. Both make nice images on the ground glass, but so does nearly everything. Am waiting for film to come back from the lab. The 12" has very very short back focus, makes infinity with the front standard on the Graphic's inner rails. I doubt either could easily be adapted to anything but a Speed Graphic. Don't see a clean inexpensive way to put either in shutter, and the 12" is huge.

A friend of mine recently got a 150 Agiflite Sonnar. Cute, but its not clear what can be done with it. I have me doubts about the 350/5.6 TeleTessar. The same lens was offered for Hasselblads, and every comment I've seen on it complained about color fringing. No visible fringing on the GG with the 12"/4 TTH.

Short summary, if you need what an Agiflite can do its probably a very good tool, otherwise its a fine doorstop.

Cheers,

Dan

-- Dan Fromm , March 30, 2003; 12:01 P.M. Eastern