{"id":878,"date":"2021-08-25T13:36:03","date_gmt":"2021-08-25T18:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scottstillman.com\/blog\/?p=878"},"modified":"2021-08-25T13:37:30","modified_gmt":"2021-08-25T18:37:30","slug":"the-agfa-chief-a-definitive-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottstillman.com\/blog\/?p=878","title":{"rendered":"The Agfa Chief – A Definitive Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photos made in 2021 with an 80-year old camera. If you are into modifying cameras or photo history, keep reading. If not, it gets a bit dry! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Panorama<\/a>
Panorama of cows made with an Agfa Chief Film Camera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Chief is a simple camera made around 1941 with one shutter speed and one aperture, but also manual \u201cbulb\u201d shutter and a selectable haze? filter. There is also focus control from Near (6-15\u2019) to Far (15\u2019 and BEYOND!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was looking at photos of a friend\u2019s pinhole camera recently and I was interested in the curved film plane. I wondered which other cameras from that era might have a curved film plane and I came upon the Agfa Chief. It\u2019s a medium format camera that was made for two different film types, this one was made for PD-16. It\u2019s wider than 120 film and has different markings, but with 616 to 120 adapters and a custom film guide extension, this camera can shoot modern 120 film.I liked the curved film plane and panoramic negative, roughly 2.25\u201d by 4\u201d. I had to figure out frame spacing, Ilford FP4+ has numbers that work in the red window, you just have to be a little creative to get 6 shots on a roll. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the most fun? You can use the Agfa Portrait Attachment #29 and focus exactly at 42\u201d for a close subject and a real out of focus area in the background.And that, my friends, is the Agfa Chief. Don\u2019t leave home without it. Photos made on Ilford FP4+ and processed in Rodinal 1+50 for 15 minutes. In summary, it’s like a metal Holga with do-it-yourself frame spacing. You still have to tape up the camera to avoid light leaks. But hey, it’s fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n