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Agilux Agiflex III |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in United Kingdom from 1954 to (After) 1957.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 5667
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Agilux
Agilux is a brand of Aeronautical & General Instruments Ltd1.
This company, based in Croydon, south of London, since 1915, initially manufactured military and civilian radio equipment. During the 1930s, the production diversified to include signaling equipment, electric navigation, radio, broadcasting, etc. During World War II, AGI produced various cameras for the Royal Air Force, the Agiflite.
After the war, the expertise was used to manufacture some models of civilian cameras under the Agilux brand, initially quite classic, then a little more original in shape or material of manufacture. AGI abandoned civilian photography in the 1960s.
1 The company still exists in 2021, now based in Poole, Dorset.
The overall shape of this Agiflex is strongly inspired by that of the pre-war Kochmann Reflex-Korelle, but the manufacturing, both in terms of materials used and mechanisms, is different. It can be assumed that Agilux sought to offer English amateurs an economic alternative to the German imported cameras available in small numbers and at very high prices due to customs duties.
It is a single-lens reflex camera, using 120 film to produce 6 x 6 negatives. The shutter is a cloth curtain type. It is wound by a knob. The lens is interchangeable with a 50mm diameter bayonet.
The overall shape reflects its functionality, without any aesthetic appeal. The viewing chamber is square, while the main body seems to be the recovery of a folding camera from the 1920s/30s.
Slow speeds are limited to 1/25. It is necessary to upgrade to the Agiflex II to obtain higher speeds.
It is known that before the war, some examples of Korelle were made under license in the United States. For Agiflex, there is no trace of such an agreement. In 1952, a very similar camera was found in the United States under the name of Master-Reflex, distributed by Ercona Camera Corp. (New York).
The Agiflex III is a modernization of the two previous models.
The design has been revised to follow the evolution of the Agifold III. There are more sharp angles, and the trims are in satin chrome. The viewfinder can be removed for cleaning or to replace it with another (no sign of such an existence). It transforms into a sports viewfinder, and the magnifier has a larger diameter. The standard 80 mm lens can be an f/3.5 or an f/2.8.
The synchronization socket is relocated and is now adjacent to the cable release socket. A frame counter is synchronized with the film advance.
Interesting links or bibliography :
 The British Journal Photographic Almanac de 1955 |
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