Agfa Ansco No. 1a Readyset Royal Camera
The Agfa Ansco No. 1A Readyset Royal Is a stunning example of Art Deco design from the late 1920s. Manufactured In Benghamton, New York, the "Royal" edition was a premium version of the Readyset line, distinguished by It's beautiful ostrich-grain leather covering and silver-toned hardware. Designed for simplicity, It features a meniscus Antar fixed-focus lens, allowing users to take photos without worrying about complex adjustments. It takes 116mm film, which Is no longer made today, luckily there Is 116mm - 120mm adapters that go on both, top and bottom of the spool.
The Antar Fixed-Focused Lens :
The camera was designed for speed and ease of use. The Antar lens Is fixed-focus, meaning It was factory-set to keep everything from about 8 feet to infinity In focus. It removed the guesswork, making It the point and shoot of It's generation.
Exotic Ostrich-Grain Leather Finish :
Unlike the standard black leatherette of most vintage cameras, the Royal edition Is wrapped In a distinctive tan ostrich-grain leather. This was a premium aesthetic choice intended to appeal to the "luxury traveler" of the late 1920s.
The Shutter Settings :
It offers two main modes, 1 (INST) short for Instant, for snapshots In daylight. 2 (TIME) for long exposures In low light using a tripod.
Reversible Brilliant Finder :
The small glass box sitting above the lens Is the viewfinder. It Is swiveling/reversible, allowing the photographer to rotate It to compose photos In either "Portrait" (Vertical) or "Landscape" (Horizontal) orientation.
Folding Bellows :
This Is a "folding" camera. When you press the release botton, the front bed drops down and the lens pulls foward on a set of maroon-colored bellows. This allowed a camera that took very large photos to fold down small enough to fit into a coat pocket or a small travel bag.
Film Loading :
The camera was built for 116 roll film. You can get 116 to 120 roll film 3d-printed plastic adapters. Look for 116mm to 120mm film adapters.
Integrated Cable Release Socket :
The shutter includes a socket for a threaded cable release. This allowed the photographer to trigger the shutter without touching the camera body, preventing "camera shake" and ensuring perfectly sharp images during long exposures.
What Is A Meniscus Lens? :
A meniscus lens Is a single piece of glass that Is curved like a crescent moon (convex on one side, concave on the other). Meniscus lenses often produce photos with soft, slightly romantic feel. While the center Is sharp, the edges of the photo tend to have a gentle "vignette" or blur.