Building on the success of the Super Solinette and the Super Silette, Agfa also offered its own interchangeable-lens rangefinder camera.
It's a modest system that first featured three real lenses (not interchangeable front elements). The Ambi Silette has a Synchro-Compur leaf shutter but without the EV/LVS system.
It has lever wind and knob rewind.
When I first saw photos of this camera, I thought it was large, like the size of the Retina IIIS or the Retina Reflex. But it's not large at all. Anything but. It's built on the same shell as the Super Silette (the first model), which itself was adapted from the folding Super Solinette. The Super Solinette is one of the smaller folding rangefinders. For reference, the Super Solinette (and Ambi Silette) is slightly larger than the Kodak Retina II - like maybe 1.5mm wider and 1.5mm taller.
Here it is, back to back with the Super Solinette.
The 50mm Solinar lens is very solid, causing the camera to be front heavy. I suspect there is some brass and steel under the light-alloy barrel. A small metal tab can be extended from the base to prevent the camera from tipping forward when it sits on a flat surface.
The lenses are attached via a tight-fitting bayonet and requires less than a 1/8th turn to lock into place. The owner's manual suggests wiggling the lens when removing the camera, and the manual isn't kidding. You do have to wiggle the lens to allow it to slide free of its mount.
The one thing this camera does have is a flap that covers the viewfinder and rangefinder windows. I'm not really sure why it is necessary, as most cameras before and since haven't needed it. The flap can prevent light from above from entering the viewfinder. Otherwise, it seems superfluous.
By the way, this appears to use the same type of rangefinder as the Super Solinette and Super Silette. That would make sense when it comes to production and supply.
The 35mm framelines are always visible. A switch on the top of the camera is used to make the 50mm and 90mm frames visible. In this photo, you can see the 50mm framelines surrounded by the 35mm framelines.
There is no meter, which is fine. This camera's lens didn't have the "Agfa lubrication issue," which was nice. In fact, it focuses very smoothly.
I just got this, so I haven't had a chance to take any mediocre photos with it. Maybe this weekend, I'll pop a roll of film into it.
All three lenses have a 37mm filter thread. There also is a 130mm telephoto lens, which requires the use of an external viewfinder for framing. I sort of wonder if a 130mm lens is too much for this camera's narrow-base rangefinder.
