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Agfa Optima |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in Germany from 1959 to 1960.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 1769
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Agfa
Originally in the 1930s, Agfa used the name Optima to refer to a film in a particular format. Each negative measured 7.5 x 10.5 cm, the film allowing for 8 exposures and only Agfa-compatible cameras could use it. It was a failure.
The name was reused from the late 1950s for cameras using the standard 135 film.
These are very solidly constructed cameras, with the use of chrome metal. They have a rapid wind lever located on the back of the cover. At the base of the lens, a rectangular plate is decorated with lines. The brand's logo is on the right side of this plate. The shutter release button is in the form of a lever located on the opposite side of this plate, with the Optima Ia being a special case. They have a light meter controlling the exposure.
| Years | |||
| Optima |  |
1959-60 | Programmed exposure, shutter priority |
| Optima I |  |
1960-64 | Shutter speed adjusted according to film sensitivity |
| Optima Ia |  |
1962-69 | Programmed exposure, replaces the Optima I |
| Optima II |  |
1960-64 | Programmed exposure, shutter priority |
| Optima III |  |
1960-66 | Programmed exposure |
| Optima II S |  |
1961-66 | like Optima II, but with rangefinder |
| Optima III S |  |
1961-66 | like Optima III, but with rangefinder |
| Optima 500 S |  |
1963-66 | like Optima III S, but with rangefinder |
This series was replaced by the Optima Sensor series at the end of the 1960s.
The Agfa Optima's exposure is fully automatic and programmed, with a preference for shutter speed. The visible lever on the front face, on the right-hand side, allows, when pressed at the same time as the shutter release on the top, to display a green signal in the viewfinder when the exposure is correct. Otherwise, the signal is red and prevents the shutter from firing.
The existence of this lever posed a problem for Agfa engineers, as it was not possible to add a second lever in symmetry for the shutter release. Therefore, a button located on the top of the camera is used to release the shutter. Other models in the series do not have the exposure control lever, and the shutter release is located laterally to the lens.
Another characteristic feature of this model, the first in the Optima series, is the cover that obscures the flash sync socket. To open it, you need to turn the wheel located at the base of the lens.
Interesting links or bibliography :
| Sur Camera-wiki.org, suggested by Sylvain Halgand |
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