Agfa's 35mm viewfinder family — mechanical scale-focus compact made 1953-1974, sold in the US as Ansco Memar.
The Silette was the family name Agfa of Munich used from 1953 until 1974 for successive generations of fixed-lens 35mm viewfinder cameras. The original Silette of 1953 sat at the accessible end of Agfa's 35mm range, and early models were sold in the United States under the Ansco Memar name.
First-generation Silettes used scale focusing, a leaf shutter and a flush-fitting rapid wind lever, with an accessory shoe, flash-sync socket and a film-type reminder in the rewind dial. Lens and shutter combinations varied across the range: Agnar 45mm f/3.5, Color Agnar or Color Apotar 45mm f/2.8, or Color Solinar 50mm f/2.8, fitted in Vario, Pronto, Prontor or Compur-Rapid shutters, many with a built-in self-timer. The camera is fully mechanical and needs no battery.
A solidly built, straightforward viewfinder camera suited to collectors and film shooters who enjoy guess-focus photography. Basic models have no rangefinder and no meter, so distances are estimated and exposure set by hand or from a table, which favours unhurried daylight shooting over fast candid work.
Many Silette variants exist, so confirm exactly which lens and shutter combination a listing shows, since desirability differs. Check that slow shutter speeds do not stick from dried lubricant, that the focus ring turns smoothly, and that the viewfinder is free of haze. Worn advance mechanisms and dented filter rings are the other common faults on these bodies.