C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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rangefinder-medium-format
The Agfa Record III (1952) is a 6×9cm folding medium-format camera produced in Munich, West Germany, by Agfa. It is the premium tier of Agfa's postwar 6×9cm folder range, distinguished from the Billy Record by a superior Solinar lens (in its highest-specification version) and a more capable Prontor-SVS shutter. It produces eight 6×9cm frames on 120 film — negatives of approximately 56×82mm that yield superb contact prints and require minimal enlargement for sharp, grain-free 8×10 inch prints.
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C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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About this camera
Postwar Germany's refined medium-format folder — the Agfa Record III brought the Solinar Tessar-type lens and Prontor-SVS shutter to the accessible end of the market, producing high-quality 6×9cm negatives that bear comparison with far more expensive contemporaries.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 roll film (6×9 cm; some 6×6 variants) |
| Mount | Fixed (non-interchangeable) |
| Years | 1952–1960 |
| Lens | Agfa Solinar 105mm f/4.5 (Tessar-type) or Apotar 105/4.5 |
| Shutter | Prontor-SVS: 1s – 1/400s + B + T |
| Flash sync | M and X sync; PC socket |
| Meter | None |
| Exposure | Manual |
| Viewfinder | Optical direct, scale focus |
| Focus | Scale (estimated distance) |
| Battery | None |
Agfa resumed medium-format folder production in the early 1950s as West Germany's economy began recovering. The Record series sat above the Billy line in the product hierarchy: while the Billy Record was a straightforward affordable folder, the Record III offered the Solinar lens that Agfa reserved for its higher-performance products — equivalent to the Tessar formula that Zeiss used in its own medium-format folders.
The Solinar 105/4.5 represents some of the best lens performance Agfa offered in the medium-format space. Tested against Voigtländer Bessa I and Zeiss Ikon Nettar in period reviews, the Solinar Record III was found to produce comparable centre sharpness at working apertures, with the Solinar's four elements providing better edge performance than the three-element Apotar.
The Record III was sold in West Germany and exported internationally through the 1950s. It was discontinued around 1960 as Agfa shifted its medium-format offerings toward the Optima and Silette 35mm lines, reflecting the market's movement away from 6×9cm folders.
The Agfa Record III offers some of the best Tessar-type optical performance available in a 6×9cm scale-focus folder at prices well below Voigtländer Bessa or Zeiss Ikon equivalents. For film photographers today, it provides a practical entry into 6×9cm format photography: eight shots per roll of 120, magnificent large negatives, and the distinctive Solinar rendering. The absence of a rangefinder is its main limitation, but at f/8 and working distances of 4 metres or more, scale focus is reliable.
Fixed lens, non-interchangeable. Best-specification version: Agfa Solinar 105mm f/4.5 (four-element Tessar type). Mid-tier: Agfa Apotar 105/4.5 (triplet). Entry: Agnar 105/6.3 (doublet). Accessories: push-on 32mm or 35mm filters, lens hoods, and PC-socket flash units.
BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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