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Agfa Paramat |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in Germany from 1963 to (After) 1967.
Index of rarity in France: Infrequent (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 827
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Agfa
Cameras with "Parat" in their name made by Agfa are models that use 135 film, but the negative is only half the size of a 24 x 36 mm frame, that is, 18 x 24 mm. A 36-exposure 135 film will give 72 shots with these cameras. This can be seen as an advantage because it requires fewer film changes, but it can also be seen as a disadvantage because 72 shots can take a long time to use. To address this issue, Agfa sold a cartridge called "Week-end" with a reduced capacity of 24 shots (equivalent to a 12-exposure 24 x 36 film).
These cameras date back to the early 1960s and are contemporaries of Olympus Pen cameras. They are very well made, and their small size makes them beautiful objects.
| Years | Price for 1965 | |||
| Parat-I |  |
1963-68 | Simple without lightmeter |
168 francs |
| Paramat |  |
1963-67 | Identical to the Parat-I, but with automatic aperture adjustment by the light meter. | 337 francs |
| Optima-Parat |  |
1964-69 | Fully automatic camera, like contemporary Optima models | 548 francs |
The Paramat was introduced at the Photokina in 1963. It comes in two variants: one with a chrome front lens element and another with a fully black front. The camera cover is always chrome.
The Paramat has only one speed, 1/125 sec. An exposure meter controls the exposure. On the left side of the camera, a slider allows the choice between automatic, time, or flash mode. Another slider allows the choice of aperture. Two small windows on the front of the lens show the choices made by these two sliders. When the left slider is set to A (for automatic), the right slider is automatically set to a neutral position and the small window shows a dot instead of an aperture value. When the shutter button is pressed halfway, a red light in the viewfinder turns green if the camera is ready to take a picture, except in the case of double exposures. The viewfinder is a bright frame type (similar to Agfa's collimated viewfinders).
A button marked R located above the camera allows for double exposures.
The focus is adjusted by turning the chrome ring around the lens (Apotar 2.8/30mm). It is possible to use three pictograms (portrait, group, landscape) or a double scale in meters/feet to help set the distance. However, the focus adjustment is not very practical because the ring is small and difficult to grip for larger fingers. In general, the settings available around the lens are not very ergonomic.
Despite its small size, excellent build quality, and ease of use, this camera is not very common. It should have enjoyed better commercial success.
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