The Iloca was a 35mm

135 film

The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...

 rangefinder camera

Rangefinder camera

A rangefinder camera is a camera fitted with a rangefinder: a range-finding focusing mechanism allowing the photographer to measure the subject distance and take photographs that are in sharp focus...

 produced from 1952 to 1959 by Wilhelm Witt of Hamburg. The name "Rapid" came from the adoption of a rapid winding lever. Sold very successful in the 1950s through the Sears mail order catalogue in the USA.

Their main claim to fame was the introduction of the first 35mm camera with an integrated electric motor wind. Unfortunately it was very expensive and sold poorly in Europe. It was much more successful in the USA where it was sold as the Graphic 35 Electric.

The company was acquired by Agfa in 1960(?) and the Iloca Electric was re-introduced as the Agfa Selecta m - only this time with a fixed f2.8 Solinar lens in place of the interchangeable bayonet mount.

Iloca Cameras

• Iloca IIa
• Iloca Rapid (A) - 1952
• Iloca Rapid B / Sears Tower 51 - 1954
• Iloca Rapid I - 1956
• Iloca Rapid IL / MPP Iloca - 1956
• Iloca Rapid IIL / Sears Tower 52 / Argos V100 - 1956
• Iloca Rapid III - 1959
• Iloca Automatic
• Iloca Electric / Graphic 35 Electric - 1959

External links

• Iloca Rapid at Tigin's Classic Cameras
• Repair notes of the Iloca Rapid (A), Iloca Rapid B and Iloca IIa at Daniel Mitchell's camera site