Today we’re in the beautiful Sicilian town of Cefalù. Every time I visit Sicily, I make it a point to come here. I love how this city blends the old and the new while still preserving its authentic Sicilian charm. I hope to capture some of that magic in my video and share it with you.
The Agfa Synchro Box was a simple yet reliable box camera produced by Agfa in 1951. It was a successor to Agfa’s earlier box cameras, designed primarily for amateur photographers who wanted an easy-to-use and affordable camera.
Built with a metal body covered in black leatherette*, the Synchro Box featured a single-element meniscus lens with a fixed aperture of f/11. It supported two shutter speeds: instantaneous (around 1/30s) and bulb (for long exposures). A key feature that set it apart from its predecessors was its built-in synchronization for flash, hence the name “Synchro.” This made it particularly useful for indoor and low-light photography.
The camera used 120 roll film, capturing 6×9 cm negatives, which provided decent image quality for enlargements. It was equipped with a simple viewfinder, and focusing was fixed, making it ideal for snapshots.
The Agfa Synchro Box remained popular throughout the 1950s due to its affordability, durability, and ease of use. Today, it is a sought-after collectible among vintage camera enthusiasts.
*Leatherette is a synthetic material designed to look and feel like leather. It is made from fabric or paper coated with plastic, usually polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU). Leatherette is commonly used in camera bodies, book covers, car seats, and furniture because it is cheaper, more durable, and easier to maintain than real leather.
To calculate the 35mm equivalent focal length of the Agfa Synchro Box lens, we use the formula:
Equivalent Focal Length
Given values:
The 35mm equivalent focal length of the Agfa Synchro Box lens is approximately 42mm, meaning its field of view is similar to a standard wide-angle lens on a 35mm camera.
Photo’s from the trip:
In this video, I explain and demonstrate how to use focus stacking to create a sharp image with a large depth of field. Focus stacking is a technique I use to combine multiple photos of the same scene, each with a different focus plane, to achieve an image that’s in focus from the front to the back.
I explain that this technique is especially useful when the desired focus can’t be achieved with a single photograph, even when increasing the f-stop. In the video, I use Affinity Photo software to merge the images.
If you want more help with this feel free to write me an email using the contact form or hire me on Fiverr.
John had always been fascinated by space exploration. As a child, he had watched in awe as Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon. That moment had changed his life forever. From that day on, John knew he wanted to be an astronaut. He studied hard and worked tirelessly, and finally, his dream became a reality. He was selected to be a part of the first manned mission to Mars. The journey to Mars was long and tedious. It took over six months to reach the planet. During that time, John and his crewmates spent most of their time in stasis, sleeping their way through the vast expanse of space. But when they finally arrived at Mars, the real work began. John's job was to explore the surface of the planet. He was responsible for collecting samples of the soil and rocks, analyzing the atmosphere, and searching for signs of life. It was a daunting task, but he was up for the challenge. The first thing John noticed when he stepped out of the spacecraft was the silence. There was no sound on Mars, no birds chirping, no rustling of leaves, no chatter of people. It was eerie, and it made him feel incredibly alone. But he had a job to do, so he pushed the feeling aside and set to work. He spent hours collecting samples, analyzing them, and recording his findings. He was amazed at the beauty of the planet, the colors of the rocks, and the vastness of the landscape. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and he felt privileged to be there. But as the days went on, John began to feel increasingly isolated. He missed his family and friends, and he longed to be back on Earth. He found it difficult to cope with the monotony of his work, and he began to feel as though he was stuck on the planet forever. One day, while he was out exploring, John stumbled upon something strange. It was a small, metallic object, buried in the sand. He picked it up and examined it, trying to figure out what it was. As he turned it over in his hands, he noticed something etched into the metal. It was a message, written in a language he didn't recognize. John was fascinated. He had always believed that there was life beyond Earth, but this was the first tangible evidence he had seen. He rushed back to the spacecraft to show his crewmates, and they were just as amazed as he was. Over the next few days, John and his team worked tirelessly to decipher the message. It was a complex code, but eventually, they managed to crack it. The message was from an alien race, inviting humans to join them on a journey through the stars. John couldn't believe it. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he knew he had to take it. He talked it over with his crewmates, and they all agreed to go. They spent weeks preparing for the journey, making sure they had everything they needed for the long trip. As they prepared to leave Mars, John couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. He was about to embark on an incredible adventure, one that would take him to the farthest reaches of the universe. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was ready for whatever lay ahead. And so, John and his crewmates set off into the vast expanse of space, heading towards the unknown. They had no idea what lay ahead, but they were determined to find out. For John, this was the realization of a lifelong dream, and he knew he would never forget the incredible journey he was about to undertake.
