A

You ore now the proud owner of o new comero-the Agfo silette I
- o c h o i c e o n w h i c h y o u o r e t o b e c o n g r o t u l o t e d .T h e c o m e r o i s
v e r y s i m p l et o u s e o s y o u w i l l s e e f r o m t h i s e x o m p l e ( o l s o s h o w n i n
t h e o d i o c e n ti l l u s i r o t i o n ) :
A S E T T H E F O C U S I N GS Y M B ( ) I .
B C H O ( ) S ES H U T T E RS P E E D
c

sET tEils sT0P-

then iust press the shutter releose ond you will hqve token the
photogroph.
T h e l e n s o f t h e S i l e t t eI i s t h e A g f o C o l o r - A g n o r f . 2 . 8 / 4 5 .
You will probobly wish to fomiliorizeyourselfwith your new cqme r o o n d l e q r n m o r e o b o u t i t s t e c h n i c o l p o s s i b i l i t i e s .P l e o s e t u r n
over ond fold out the reor cover flop. After reoding the odvice
ond hintsgiven in this little booklet,you will soon be on expert.

How to loqd the cqmerq

The comerq con be looded in doylight, however not in direct sunlight
b u t u s i n gb o d y s h o d o w .
I

First.open the comerq bock by

p r e s s i n gt h e c q t c h t o " o p e n " . T h e n
slide off the bock.

l n s e r t t h e c q s s e t t es o t h o t i t s h o l e
e n g o g e sw i t h t h e r e w i n d c r o n k .

l t i s o d v i s o b l et o p u s h t h e l o c k i n g
k e y ( R )i n t h e d i r e c t i o no f t h e s m o l l
orrow, so thqt the winding spool con
be moved freely.
Turnthe spool by the milledring unt i l o n e o f t h e t w o b r o o d s l i t sq n d i t s
s m q l l l u g o r e u p p e r m o s t .D r q w o u t
f i l m f r o m t h e c o s s e t t et o t h e w i n d i n g
s p o o l , h o l d i n g t h e c o s s e t t ew i t h t h e
other hond.
3

l*portqnt!

, .*
- , f

i- :f
" fi-

-,{
rL

:rf
it

l n s e r tt h e e n d o f t h e f i l m i n t h e s l i t o f t h e w i n d i n g s p o o l s o t h o i t h e l r g e n g q g e si n t h e s e c o n d
f i l m p e r f o r o t i o n( s e e6 ) . N o w t u r n t h e w i n d i n g s p o o l
untilthe film is tout ond the teeth of the tronsport
w h e e l e n g o g ec l e o n l yi n t h e f i l m p e r f o r o t i o n s .
5 W h e n o b o u t l i r r d i n c hf u l l w i d t h o f t h e f i l m p r o i e c t sf r o m t h e c o s s e t t e c, l o s e t h e c o m e r o b y r e p l o c i n gt h e b c r c ki n t h e g r o o v e o f o n o b l i q u e o n g l e ,
s l i d ei t c l o s et o i h e t o p p o r t o f t h e c o m e r oq n d t h e n
p r e s sd o w n s l i g h t l y .C o n t i n u ep r e s s u r eo n t h e b q s e
p l o t e , s l i d e t h e b o c l <r i g h t h o m e o n d s e t t h e c o t c h
to "locl<".

www.orphancameras.com

Film counter
O n t h e t o p p l o t e o l o n g s i d et h e r o p i d
tronsport lever is the film counter.
I t c o u n t s b o c k w o r d so n d s h o w s y o u
t h e n u m b e r o f e x p o s u r e ss t i l l l e f t o n
the film. On its diol ore three triongulor morks,one eoch before the
numbers 36, 20 ond 12. According
to the length of the film looded
the oppropriote triongle should be
set ogoinst the fixed mork. This is
done by setting the smoll milled
w h e e l b e n e q t ht h e c o u n t e r d i o l w i t h
your finger; move it only in the direction of the orrow.
4

When looding the cqmero,the stort

of the film is wosted by exposure
to light ond so you must first mqke
t w o b l o n k e x p o s u r e sb e f o r e s t o r t i n g
to photogroph.
Note: On tronsportingthe film the disc of the
r e w i n d c r o n k u s u o l l yt u r n s o s w e l l , o n d s h o u l d
thereforenot be hindered in ony woy.

Film lronsport
W i t h y o u r t hu m b , s w i v e l t h e r o p i d
tronsportlever round os for os possible. Then press down the shutter
r e l e o s eY
. o u s h o u l dr e p e o t t h i s o p e r o t i o n o f f i l m t r o n s p o r to n d s h u t t e rr e leose until the number of exposures

morked on the film corton is opposite the fixed index mork on the film
c o un t e r .
l f t h e r o p i d t r o n s p o r tl e v e r i s b l o c k e d ,
you will hove to press the shutter
releose first. This is becousethe rel e o s eo n d t r o n s p o r tm e c h o n i s m h
sqve
cr lock to ovoid double ond blonk
ex posures.
l f y o u s h o u l d i n o d v e r t e n t l yr e l e o s e
t h e t r on s p o r t l e v e r t o o s o o n , i t r e t u r n s t o i t s s t o r t i n gp o s i t i o nq n d m u s t
then be pushed forword ogoin os
for os possible.

Exposure
Lighting conditions ore subiect to
c o n s i d e r o b l ev o r i q t i o n s ,w h i c h i s w h y
your Silette is fitted with different
shutter speedsond opertures of vorying sizes. By these meons you cqn
o d i u s tt h e c o m e r o t o s u i t t h e p o r t i c u lor light ond subiect.

www.orphancameras.com

Setting shutler speeds

You hove o choice of r/n, 1/6sond
1/rzsSc.The required shutter speed
is set by turning the milled ring @
to bring the figure 30, 60 or 125
exocily opposite the setting mork.
l n t h e o d i o c e n t i l l u s t r o t i o no s e t t i n g
of 1/oosec. is shown. Do not set intermediate palues.
6

T h e s e c t i o ne n t i t l e d " W h o t y o u n e e d
to know" on poges 15116 provides
informotion on choosing the correct
shutter speed.
When set to B, the shutter remoins
open os long os the releqse button
is pressed. For more detoils see
poge 12, "Time exposures".

Lensstops
The necessorylens stop con be seen
f r o m t h e e x p o s u r et o b l e s o n p o g e s 8
ond 9. The required lens stop is set
by turning the block milled ring ot
the reor until the white triongulor
mqrk is in line with the lens stop
n u m b e r .T h e i l l u s t r o t i o nb e l o w s h o w s
o settingof f. 8. For more detoils of
lens stops ond depth of field see
the section on "Whot you need to
know" (poges 15116).

P l e o s en o t e :
Lorge stop - lorge opening,
but smoll
depth of field.

TARGE
STOP
e. g. f. 2.8
S m o l ls to p : s m o l lopeni ng,
b u t l orge
depth of field.

SMATL
STOP
e.g. f.22

EXPOSURE TABLE FOR COLOUR FILM

A p e r t u r e s e t t i n g sr e q u i r ed from Moy to Augusl,
l0 o rn io 4 p m.,shulter
s p e e d r / r : is e C .

Agfocolor Negotive Film CN 17

B e o c h s c e n e s ,m o u n t o i n s

f.lr&16

f.8& ll

f.5,6&8

Well lii streels

ond buildings,
o p e n l o n d s c o p e sw i l h
distont bockground

f 8&ll

f 56&8

P e o p l e ,g r o u p s i n t h e
o p e n , l o n d s c o p e sw i i h
dork foreground,
slreeI sceneS
Dork buildings,
people in the shode

bright
sunshine

slight
hoze

Agfocolor ReversolFilm CT l8

overcost brighl
sunshine
dull

slight
hoze

overcosl
dull

f. 16

f. ll

f.8

1 .1 & 5 . 6

f. ll

f.8

t.5.5

f.56&8

f.4&5.5 f.2,8&4

f. 8

( . 4& 5 . 6

f.2.8&1

1.5.6

1.4

t. 1

t.2.8

Agfocolor Negolive Film CN l7: The universol film for colour or block ond
w h i t e p o p e r p r i n t so n d e n l o r g e m e n t so f o n y s i z e .
Agfocolor ReversolFilm: gives tronsporenciesreody for viewing.
8

E X P O S U RTEA B L EF O R A G F A I S O P A NF B L A C K A N D W H I T E F I L M
from Moy lo August,2

hours ofter sunrise until 2 hours before sunset

L e n so p e r t u r e
ttps

Shutter speed

,'n'il;i :::l'
Beoch scenes,
glociers, snow

t. l6

f.

Open londscopes

f.ll

f.8

'll

'lr,

rtco

dul |ss#l; ?::i- dur |ss#l" ii!i- ] o,rr

f.8

:;:1,,,
f,22 I f. r5

f. tl

Londscopes
with foreground,
people in lhe open

f. 5 . 6

f.8

f.5.6

t.4

Portroits (in the shode)

J.5.6

t.4

f.2.8

Sports photogrophy,
oction shots

f.'ll

f.8

f. 5 . 6

f.8

''It

f.5.6
J.4

t.16
f.ll

f.ll
f.8

f.8
f. 5.6

Focusing
T h r e es y m b o l sf o c i l i t o t ef o c u s i n g .D e p e n d i n g o n t h e s u b i e c t ,y o U s h o u l d
set one of the three symbols repro-

Focusingsymbols

close-ups 6ft.(1.80m.)

aQ

ix{

Groups

1 2 t / , f t . ( 3 . 8 0m . )

"ft$(

L on d s c op e s

duced in enlqrgedform on the right

to the white index mork.
l f n e c e s s o r yy,o u c o n n o t u r o l l yc h o o s e
qny position betweentwo symbols.
r0

infinity

Additionql focus settings fro m 31/+ft.

to infinityore orronged on the focusing ring:
blqck figrrs : metres
green figrrs - feet

H o l d i n gt h e c q m e r q
A f t e r f o c u s i n g y o u r S i l e t t e ,y o u c o n
toke the first photogroph. lt is essentiql to hold your comero steody to
obtoin shorp pictures.You should
therefore toke your Silette in both
honds, brocing your orms ogoinst
your body. Hold the comero stroight
without tilting it. Then moke the ex-

p o s u r e b y p r e s s i n gt h e r e l e o s e b u t ton down firmly ond steodily os for

os possible.
To toke upright photogrophs,turn
the comero through 90o ond operote
the shutter releose with thumb or
index finger.Hold the comerq in the
m o n n e ry o u p r e f e r .
ll

ln poor light
f l o s h l i g h t o n d t i m e e x p o s ur e s c o m e
t o y o u r o s s i s t o n c e .T h i s i s d o n e o s
f o l l o w st

Flqshmqde very eqsy

A f l o s h g u nw i t h q f o o t c o n t o c ts h o u l d
be used for the Silette | (".g. Agfo
l s i F l o s h g u nM ) . T h e c o n t q c t w i t h t h e
cqmero shutter is mode simply by
s l i d i n gt h e f l o s h g u ni n t o t h e o c c e s s o r y
s h o e . F o r f l o s h p h o t o gr o p h y t h e s hu t ter speed ring should olwoys be set
t o l / s o s e c .T h e s t o p s r e q u i r e d s h o u l d
b e t o k e n f r o m t h e i n s t r u c t i o n sq t t o c h ed to eoch flosh bulb corton.
When ottqching qn electronicflqshgun, the use of the Agfo Adqpter,
. he lens
t y p e 6 7 9 3 ,w i l l b e n e c e s s o r yT
s t o p c o n b e c o l c u l o t e df r o m t h e g u i d e
numberof the floshgun.
12

Time exposures
These ore used for photogrophing
m o t i o n l e s so b i e c t s s u c h q s r e p r o d u c t i o n s o f p i c t u r e s ,d o c u m e n t so r p o s t oge stomps, ond for night photo-

grophy. You should first turn the

lorge milled ring until the setting
mork is in line with the
th is
setting the shutter remo
os
long os the releosebutt
ssed down.
L o n g e r s hu t t e r s p e e d s t
c.
connot be used witho
t i ng
the comero,ond o tripod ond c o b l e
r e l e o s eq r e t h e n n e c e s s o r yT. h e c qb l e

releqsesocket is on the top plote of

t h e c q m e r o @ ( s e em o i n i l l u s t r o t i o n ) .

Rewindingthe film
A f t e r t h e l o s t e x p o s u r e ,t h e c o u n t e r
will indicote I ond the ropid trqnsport lever connot usuollybe moved.
The film now hos to be rewound into
its light-tight cossette by meons of
the rewind crqnk:
First slide the locking key on the
reqr of the top plote of the comercl
in the direction of the orrow. Then
roise the cronk with your finger-noil
ond swivel outwords qs shown in
t h e u p p e r i l l u s t r q t i o no n p o g e 1 4 .
Then turn the cronk in the direction
of the orrow (see right illustrotion
poge 14). When the rewind cronk
turns much more eosily, rewinding

r3

Cleoning
Every time you chonge o film, it is
o d v i s o b l et o c l e o n t h e i n s i d e o f t h e
comero-the looding chomber, the
w i n d i n g s p o o l o n d t h e p r e s s u r ep l o t e
in the bock-corefully with o soft
c o m e l - h o i rb r u s h .T h e l e n s s h o u l d b e
cleqnedonly with o similor brushor
s o f t p i e c e o f c h o m o i sl e o t h e r .
is completeond you cqn then open
the comero.This is done by moving
the cotch on the bose of the comero
to "open" ond then removing the
c o m e r o b o c k d o w n w o r d s .P u t t h e c q s '
sette in its light-tight pocking qnd
mork it os exposed.
When operoting the ropid tronsport
lever, the locking key outomoticolly
r e t u r n st o i t s o r i g i n o l p o s i t i o n .
14

FilmTips
Before looding your comero with
film os describedon pqges 2 ond 3,
h e r e o r e o f e w s u g g e s t i o n st o h e l p
y o u i n c h o o s i n gt h e r i g h t f i l m .
First of oll there is Agfo lsopon F,
for block ond white photogrophy.
It hqs fine groin ond good contour
shorpness.
For sports photogrophy the highspeed Agfo lsopon ISS is the right
film.
Agfocolor films open up the world
of colour to you.For more thqn
25 yeors these films hove been greot
fqvourites due to their noturol reproduction of postel tints ond bright
colours olike. Their high speed hos
o l s o m q d e c o l o u r s n o p s h o t so r e o l i t y .

F o r s h 0 r p ,b r i l l i o n t ,
r e o l i s t i ct r o n s p o r e n c i e:s
A g f o c o l o r R e v e r s q lF i l m C T

.|8.

For wonderful
colour prints:
A g f o c o l o r N e g o t i v eF i l mC N l Z .

As mentioned in brief, two fqctors

qre involved in the xposUr:the
lens stop ond the shutterspeed.The
f o l l o w i n g i n f o r m o t i o n i s d e s i g n e dt o
fomiliorize you with the ossociotion
of these two foctors.

londscope in which the foreground

The tens stop regulotes the- otorni
ond bockgroundore to be shorp, o
of light reoching the film. ln poor
smoller lens stop will hove to be set
lighting conditions, it is therefore
o n d q c o r r e s p o n d i n g l yl o n g e r s h u t necessqry to use o lorge lens stop
ier speed. Do not use intermediote
(e.g. f.2.8 or 4). lf lighting of the
s u b i e c t i s g o o d , o s m o l l e r l e n s s t o p settings.
'16);
con be chosen (e. g. f. 11 or
Depth of field is the shorp zone in
this is known os stopping down.
front of ond behind the point on
which the comero is focused. This
The shuller of your comero offers
shorp zone is vorioble; it increoses
t h e s e c o n d p o s s i b i l i t y o f c o n t r o l l i n g os the comero is stopped down ond
the quontity of light. A short shutter t h e d i s t o n c e i n c r e o s e s .T o h e l p y o u
speed,such os rf pssac.,will of course
in finding out how for. this shorp
ollow less light to reoch the film
z o n e e x t e n d s ,t h e t o b l e o n p o g e s1 8
t h o n o l o n g e r s p e e d s u c h o s 1 / 6 6s e c . qnd l9 gives the exoct depth of field
or even 1/s6sec.
for every focus setting.
For oction photogrophs o shorter
s p e e d s h o u l d b e c h o s e n( r l p i l o n d o
lorger lens stop used.On the other
hond, if you wish to photogroph o
15

B e f o r e m o k i n g e o c h e x p o s u r eg
, lonce
t h r o u g h t h e v i e w f i n d e rt o s e e w h e t h e r t h e s u b i e c tw o u l d b e b e t t e r o s o n
oblong or upright photogroph.

#
*

Somegenerol hints
for your photogrophs
A very striking effect con be obtoine d b y p h o t o g r o p h i n gt h e s u b i e c t b y
o b l i q u e s u n l i g h t .O f c o u r s e ,y o u c o n
olso photogrophwith the sun behind
you, but then you must be coreful to
keep your own shodow out of the
picture. In such cosesthe relief effect
is less.
Photogrophs without sunshine ore
olso possible. With on overcost sky,
controst cqn be heightened on o
block ond white film by using o med i u m y e l l o w o r o r o n g e - r e df i l t e r . T h e
omount by which the exposurethen
hos to be increosed cqn be seen
from the filter foctor porticulors
suppliedby the mokers.

Photos ogoinst the lighf cqll for

some experience becousethe roys of
the sun should not foll directly on
t h e l e n s .l t i s b e s t t o t q k e o d v o n t o g e
of the shodow of o tree or house
ond use o lens hood ioo.
People should noi be photogrophed
i n f r o n t o f b u s h e so n d t r e e s o n d t h e
sky is often o more sotisfoctory bockground. Try odopting o crouching
position for such photogrophs. A
chonge in the comero position often
relieves the monotony. Try out youiSilette with "bird's-eye" views, such
os from o churchtower down on to the
mqrket squore. "Worm's-eye" views
con olso produce unusuol effects.
With views from q mountoin peok
or tower try to include some foreground interest.

DEPTH

OF

FIELD

FOR

AGFA

f.2.8 145 mm. LENSES

Diometer of circle of confusion: 0.03mm.

Ato
distonce
setting
of

3rlz,
4',

AQ
8',

fi{
25'

"ftf(
T h e d i s t o n c e st o t h e s u b i e c t o r e m e o s u r e df r o m t h e f i l m p l o n e ( r e o r e d g e o f o c c e s s o r ys h o e ) .

t8

DEPTH

OF

FIELD

FOR

A GFA

f.2.8 145 mm. LENSES

D i o m e t e r o f c i r c l e o f c o n f u s i o n :0 . 0 3 m m .

Ato
d i s t on c e
s e t t i n go f

ond stopping down to

f. l1

sh o r p definition is obtoined fr om
31/z'

t.22

f, l6

trtf ,tt _!,rlt/2,

ft.to...ft.

2'1Ar/2"
4'6"

2'8sla"-5'rlz"

3'frf fi" -5'4"

2'11s l e"- 6'2r /2"

4',

3'47
la"4'10"

EQ

4'7151rc"
4'\tln"

4'3r1fi,,_g,g1l*,,

8',

5'l0r/a"-12'9'

5'2rlz"-77'77la"

fxd

7'l0rlt" *30'70"

-?5'107ln"
6'881e"

$,p,r_so

11'481s"-@

9'ltlz"-oo

/t !," -6s

l4'131a"-@

I0,3,,_oo

25',

/rA(\1
I l rI I

|g'g|f s't-a

3'101s1rc"--13'
4'73/a"42'751 e"

T h e d i s t o n c e st o t h e s u b i e c t o r e m e o s u r e d f r o m t h e f i l m p l o n e ( r e o r e d g e o f o c c e s s o r ys h o e ) .

19

Exposure tobles of the

kind shown on poges 8
ond 9 ore only guides.
It is better to rely on on
exposure meter such qs
the Agfo LucimeterS. lt
is simple to use, hondy
ond ottroctively styled.

),**-r;'*/'

For proiection of your

c o l o u r t r o n s p or e n c i e sw e
recommend the ottroctive Agfo Diomqtor H
mogozine proiector.
Y

Likethe Agfo lenshood,

Agfo filtersore supplied
in stondqrd mounts for
y o u r S i l e t t el . T h e r e i s o
procticoI leother cose
toking the lens hood
ond two filters, for ottoching to the corrying
strop of the ever-reody
cose.

ffin

CONTENTS

l - o o d i n gt h e c o m e r o
S e t t i n gt h e f i l m c o u n t e r
F i l mt r o n s p o r t
E x p o s u r e( s h u t t e rs p e e d q n d l e n s s t o p )
E x p o s u r eh i n t s ,c o l o u r
E x p o s u r eh i n t s ,b l o c k o n d w h i t e
F o c u sni g
Holding the comerq-exposing

Flosh mode eosy

Time exposures
R e w i n d i n gt h e f i l m
C l e on i n g
F i l mt i p s
Whqt you need to know
Exposure hints
Depth of field toble
Accessories

2-3
4
5
6-7
8
9

r0

1t

12
12-13
13-14
14
15

r5-r6

17
18-r9
2c'|21

W e r e s e r v e t h e r i g h t t o m o k e o l t e r q t i o n st o t h e A g f o S i l e t t el , o r i s ing from further development.

A G F A A K TE
I NGESELLSCHAFT
C o m e r o - W e r kM u e n c h e n

Q Coble releosesocket

@@

@ Ropid tronsport lever

@ Flosh contoct
i n o c c e s s o r ys h o e

@ R e w i n dc r o n k

@ Shutter releose

@ F o c u s i n gr i n g

@ S h u t t e rs p e e d r i n g

@ L e n ss t o p r i n g

@@@

The lens for the ASfa Silette has been specially computed and
manuf a'ctured in accordance with the oery latest scientifia
methods to suit this type of camera.
Its performance is of a standard hitherto unattained by other
lenses haoing an equal number of elements. Brilliant definition,
high resolaing power and excellent reproduction of detail are
its outstanding

characteristics. A combination of these attributes makes it the ideal lens fo, miniature photography utith
black and white or colour film.
ln addition, eaery lens leaoing our factory is tested bV the most
up-to-date methods and is guaranteed f or its quality and
performance'
AGFA AKTTENGE5E LLSCHAFT
Camera-W erk Muendten