Introduction
I found this little camera, an Agfa Isola I, hanging in it’s ever ready case from a bookcase overflowing with second hand books at a local thrift store. The price tag? Just £5. What’s not to love.
Initially I was at a loss with this camera, at first glance it looks like a fairly typical 35mm camera…little more than a viewfinder on top and a fixed lens on the front but open the back and….what’s that? There’s a 120 medium format spool in there.
I’m no optical engineer but I have learned over the years that medium format means longer focal lengths, and this requires lenses far in front of the film. This is why most compact medium format cameras extend in some way with folding bellows projecting the glass forward.
This little Agfa has no bellows, and the lens barely extends at all. Did Agfa work some optical magic Zeiss couldn’t? Eventually I stumbled on the answer…no, but they did think of something equally clever. With a twist of the whole lens assembly it extends forward with a rigid tube….cool!
6×6 medium format in a compact body, with no bellows…what’s not to love? Let’s find out together…
Disclaimer: As you will know from my introduction to this site this will not be a technical or scientific review. Just my genuine impressions of the experience of shooting with this camera, how it makes me feel as a photographer and how it is to live with.
For a history of the Agfa Isola see: https://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Isola
Appearance
I really like the look of the Isola. It looks a lot more like a retro toy than it does as high end photographic instrument, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It looks cheerful and fun, almost as though encouraging you to “give it a try”.
And while it does look a bit toy-like, this Agfa is most definitely not a toy. I’ve seen cameras that actually look like a toy, this isn’t one. This was a proper camera, albeit an entry level one, built for simple, stress free, reliable family snapshots.
On the plain chrome-effect top plate you have just a central viewfinder/shoe hump with the film advance and shutter to the right.
The front of the Isola is dominated by a lens assembly in similar (but slightly different) chrome-effect finish. The big, bold “AGFA ISOLA I” branding and classic Agfa logo hiding in the corner gives the character presence and personality without being over the top.
The back is a simple affair too, with only the central red window (no cover here) and viewfinder. There’s a tripod socket on the bottom, a plain black door latch on one side and that’s it.
I wouldn’t say this camera looks quality but it does look interesting in it’s own way.
Controls
This will be the shortest controls section I’ve written to date because, well….there aren’t many. In contrast to the small cluster of precision dials and levers that defined my first medium format experience this Isola is refreshingly simple.
On the front of the lens you have a focus ring which turns freely but has 3 distinct “stops” at 5-8ft, 8-17ft, 17ft-Infinity. Behind that are 2 switches, one for the shutter you’ll likely never use (1/30 or Bulb) and one for the aperture.
The aperture switch is marked with 3 settings in line drawing form:
- Sunny day=f/11 (with ISO50 film)
- Cloudy Day=f/6.3 (with ISO50 film)
- Yellow Circle=f/6.3 also but with a yellow filter, useful to darken skies with black and white film.
The only controls on the body are the shutter release button and the film advance knob.
To my surprise, and unlike the more expensive Zeiss Ikon I tested, there is double exposure prevention here. You still turn the knob until the next number (printed on the backing paper of the film) appears in the little red window on the back however if you forget there’s a tiny red indicator just in front of the shutter button and the shutter won’t release. Brilliant.
The viewfinder is also larger than on the Zeiss, and quite comfortable to use. You won’t know exactly where the edges of the frame are but more than good enough for this type of camera.
Extending (and retracting) the lens is equally trouble free – twist, pull or push then release. Helpfully, the lens locks in place at both ends too so won’t be accidentally extending in your bag.
Another nice feature is, even if you have advanced the film, the shutter also won’t fire unless the lens is fully extended. This was a cheap camera but Agfa clearly took a thoughtful approach to what they could do with the budget they had.
All the controls are straightforward to use, the only drawback here is there aren’t all that many of them…
Loading and Unloading
Unlike 35mm cameras which have a wide variety of loading and unloading methods, there’s not much variation in compact 120 medium format cameras and you can read more in my earlier reviews.
With the Agfa things work really nicely, a perfect camera to learn on. Simply open the back by releasing the latch on the side. On each side is a hinged metal lever at the bottom which you can pull forward. The spool inserts onto this and the fixed notch at the top of the chamber at an angle. Push the hinged metal piece back in and the film spool is now held tight, straight and secure.
Ensure you have the empty spool on the right and the new film roll on the left.
Next you pull the film leader (tapered edge of the roll) across the chamber, keeping it tight at all times, and insert it through the empty “take up” spool. Give that spool a couple of full turns with the top plate knob to ensure the film is tight then close the back and continue advancing until you see the number “1” appear in the little red window.
Unloading is even easier. Once you’re done with a roll keep winding the film all the way until the last of the film crosses the red window (far beyond the last frame) then open the back, remove the film, and stick the film end down tight with the ready-to-go strip at the end.
Because 120 film isn’t sealed away in a light tight plastic canister like 35mm film all of this should be done in subdued light, else you might expose the film to some light and ruin your precious images. The backing paper should be completely lightproof, but it’s always better to be cautious.
I did have an issue with one of my rolls not being tight to the take up spool and therefore being exposed to light at the edges when it was removed, as seen in the photo of the street. I’m putting that down to user error, no fault of this simple and well designed Agfa.
Shooting Experience
Less is more, that’s definitely the phrase that comes to mind when shooting the Isola. Technically speaking this is a very limited camera. You have one shutter speed (1/30), two aperture settings (f/6.8 and f/11)…and that’s it.
In fairness there is a bulb mode for the shutter too but I can’t think of many occasions you would reach for bulb mode on a camera like this. The one shutter speed you do have is quite slow so you will need a steady hand and a posing subject.
You would think these limitations make the camera frustrating however, in truth it’s quite the opposite. As long as you use the cameras as its designers intended you’ll thoroughly enjoy the simplicity of not having lots of settings to manage.
On a bright sunny day, stick some ISO50 film in (such as the underrated Ilford PanF) and off you go. ISO50 was much more common than it is today. The shutter speed/aperture combinations assume this ISO for the correct exposure on a bright sunny day, with a little sticker in the camera advising long-since-discontinued Agfa Isopan.
You simply tell the camera if it’s cloudy or sunny and that’s it, manual film photography doesn’t get easier than this.
Advance film – focus – compose – release – repeat
Even focussing, you can’t select wide apertures here so depth of field is always huge. This is a focussing camera, just select one of the 3 settings – effectively for a photo of a person, group or landscape (infinity) – and off you go, easy.
This is a summer snapshot camera in the best possible way, forget all the how-to guides, forget the theory….just point, shoot and enjoy. In the often technical world of analogue cameras this is refreshing.
And because of that rigid lens tube, rather than bellows, the camera feels less delicate than most. You’ll happily take it anywhere.
I used mine for a family BBQ and a weekend in Chester where the retro aesthetic and classic PanF film worked really well together.
Is this a camera for serious photography? Far from. Is it really quite fun? Most definitely.
Gallery
All the photos below were taken with my Agfa Isola I.
Reliability
Disclaimer: Every vintage camera is different, and the condition of my specific example will likely differ from yours.
By the 1950s the world had discovered plastic, probably bakelite in this case….and they loved it! This little Agfa is metal where it matters but makes use of plastic too. This makes it light, much lighter than you expect when you pick it up.
It does feel reasonably robust, and the solid tube in place of soft bellows is a definite durability benefit, but these early plastics can be brittle.
I wouldn’t recommend dropping it but I’m never worried throwing it in a bag in its ever ready case and knowing it will be in one piece on the other side.
The single speed shutter is so basic too that it should still be going strong long into the future.
Overall, it might be light and basic but it’s still well put together.
Lenses
Nostalgic character at its finest.
This is a simple lens, well above a toy camera but firmly in the “entry level” category in its day. While the narrow aperture helps keep things sharp enough, if you want anything approaching a (technically speaking) good lens look elsewhere. Edges are soft, vignetting is strong.
What this simplicity does give you though is a wonderful vintage character to your photographs. It’s a look you can’t reproduce with a digital filter, and there’s a certain wonder the first time your images come back and look like they were taken half a century ago….not like imitations, like everyday photos from the time you’ve just pulled from a dusty bookcase.
Of course the PanF film is key to this effect but the lens itself is brimming with character.
It’s not for everyone, nor for every occasion, but if this is the look you want the Isola might just be the perfect way to get it.
It’s worth adding that my rating here does not mean the lens is “better” than, for example, the Zeiss Nettar I reviewed, far from. If you want to produce large prints the Zeiss is absolutely the superior choice. What the Agfa has in it’s favour is character. Far from average, it’s brilliant at being a less-than-brilliant lens.
Who’s It For
- People who want a fun, simple summer camera
- People who love vintage character and a retro aesthetic
- People who want to try medium format without complexity
Conclusion
On paper, this camera has a lot in common with my first medium format camera, the Zeiss Ikon Nettar 517/16, it’s a cheap (today) 6×6 medium format camera perfect to start your journey into the fun of large negatives. On paper…
In reality these cameras couldn’t be more different. If the Nettar is a camera for people who want to learn the craft, the Isola is a camera for people who want to forget it, it’s a camera for those times when you want to throw the rules and technique out of the window, not worry about your settings and just have fun. Snap the photo and hope for the best, it’s really rather refreshing.
All I really need to say about the Isola is it made me smile every time I used it, and what more can you really ask of a camera.
Looking for other reviews, check them out here.
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