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SAMPLES
SUMMARY
This is the American made Agfa version of the Speedex B2, which is identical (all but name) to the Ansco model. Since Agfa/Ansco was the same company at the time, this was common practice. In fact at one time Agfa, Ansco and GAF were all one in the same company, due in part to mergers and name changes to avoid problems for this German company during and after World War II. The camera uses the 120 film format and produces 6x6cm square negatives. A simple viewfinder is incorporated for framing, while a distance scale is provided on the lens for focusing 4 feet to Infinity. A depth of field scale would have been a welcome addition, but is missing from this model. The shutter is a basic manual cocking system found on most early bellows cameras. It does however have the shutter release button (red plastic) located on the top of the camera for convenient access, utilizing a linkage system to fire the shutter lever that is located under the lens housing at the front of the camera. The Speedex B2 folds down to a fairly compact size. The bellows are made of leather and tend to hold up well if taken care of. For a “budget” folder, it has an acceptable range of aperture and shutter speeds. I suggest using ISO 100 or slower speed film when shooting outside with any of these older cameras since they generally have a limited shutter range, which may not be conducive to higher speed films. Use high speed films indoors. Also, since most of the older “affordable” cameras don’t include any type of built-in metering system, ISO 100 allows for easier exposure computing if you find yourself without a light meter.
CLEANING AND REPAIR
When I received the camera it was in fairly good condition. Other than the common need to clean up the exterior and viewfinder glass, I did have to take apart the lens to clean off the fungus and dust that had accumulated over the years; but this is a relatively easy process. I’ve found the lens stopper kit from www.micro-tools.com to be invaluable. Use a #5 to unscrew the front lens element. Remember where the focus ring is pointing when you remove the front element. I suggest using a 50/50 ammonia/hydrogen peroxide solution on all of the lens elements to remove any fungus and/or haze. Once the front element is unscrewed you will see three small screws, once removed it will allow access beyond the black aperture ring and into the shutter assembly. Here you can remove the second element. By setting the aperture to f/4.5 and the shutter to T, access to the third element is possible and cleaning of the outer glass can be performed. Clean the inner glass of the third lens element by opening up the back of the camera and accessing from inside. If necessary, while the front two lens elements are removed, lightly flood the shutter chamber with Ronsonol light fluid and work the shutter to remove any sticky residue. After allowing the shutter assembly to air out for a few hours, put it all back together. The front element should screw back on smoothly; mine did give me a little resistance toward the last revolution and required a slight bit of pressure to get it flat. Always make sure you hold the shutter assembly securely during this procedure or you may force the retractable lens back into the camera and damage the bellows. Luckily the fungus on the first two lens elements did not etch the glass and this coated Anastigmat 85mm provides reasonably sharp images in bright light. Low light conditions result in softer edges, which in some cases can be an advantage. After flushing the shutter and focus ring with Ronsonol light fluid, both function smoothly and accurately.
EBAY SUGGESTIONS
Since the Speedex B2 and a slew of other related Agfa/Ansco Speedex models were designed as mass produced “budget” folders, they can be found for very reasonable prices on EBay. I acquired this one for around 12 dollars. Not a bad price to get into Medium Format photography.
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