Film cameras
Agfa Optima 500S User manual
User manual for Agfa Optima 500S. 23 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
23 pagesEnglish6.8 MB PDF
Loading your manual…Open PDF directly
Document details
- Brand
- Agfa
- Model / document
- Agfa Optima 500S
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 23
- File size
- 6.8 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
Search available document text
Find a term, then jump to its page in the original PDF. Image-only pages may not be searchable; check the PDF for exact wording and diagrams.
Page 4 · Read text
Venmo @mike-butkus-camera Ph. 2083 PayPal Name Lynn@butkus.org www.PayPal.me/lynnbutkusView original page 4
Page 5 · Read text
EXPLANATION CONTENTS Poge ADJACENTOF
ILLUSTRATION
Q Cotch for comero bock Rongefinder 2
@ Ropid tronsport lever Focusing symbols 3
@ Mogic releose lever Holding the comero 4
@ DIN/ASA scole Green signol-exposing 5 - for setting film speed Ropid tronsport lever 6
@ Window for green
ond red signol
*@ Accessory shoe F rih types m
@ Rewind cronk Looding the comerq . 819
@ Coble releose socket Film counter l0
@ Setting window for Setting the film speed 10/ll
A : Automotic mechonism Deloyed ociion I I J : Flosh ond B : Time exposures Without the outomotic mechonism 12113
@ Setiing mork Time exposures 12
ror Tocustng symbots Floshtechnique : : . : : : . . :r,t14
@ Focusing ring Agoinst the light
@ Deloyed oction mcchonism ond close-up exposure reodings 14
@ Flosh contoct Filters t5
Explonotion of outomoiic operotion 15@ Window fo,r setting flosh guroe numoers Rewinding ihe film 16View original page 5Page 6 · Read text
www.butkus.us The optimo 500 s is one of the comeros of the successful Agfo optimo series which in recent yeors hos estoblished such o good repuiotion oll over the world. We congrotulote you on choosing this comero becouse its opticol performonce sotisfies the highest demonds ond its fully outomotic operotion is unexcelled. You ore holding q smqll mirocle in your honds: the fully sutomotic mechonism of your comero ihinks, colculotes ond octs for you. This meons the down of o new ero in photogrophy ond o genuine qdvonce in fechnicol development. A green signol oppeors in the viewfinder ond slight pressure on the mogic lever produces o successful snop, eoch exposure gives o good picture ond losting pleosure. The coupled rongefinder ensures shorp focusing ond, if you ore in o hurry, you con use the focusing symbols. You will probobly wish to get fomiliorized with this mosterpiece of pre- cision. on poges 2Io 6 you will find brief operoting instructions; tech- nicol odvice ond useful phoiogrophic hints ore given on poges 7 to 16.View original page 6
Page 7 · Read text
Exqkt focusing
The built-in coupled rongefinder is very eosy to
operote ond ollows exoct focusing of your sub-
iect in split-seconds.
In the centre of the viewfinder imoge you will see
o diomond shoped portion which is yellow-col-
oured. At first, this centre imoge will be se-
poroted into two horizontolly disploced outlines
(upper ill.).
lf you move the focusing ring with both index
fingers (middle ill.) you will find thot the outlines
of the double centre imoge coincide. With the
cqmerq held horizontolly the imoge outlines move
sidewoys; when held upright they move verticolly.
As soon os the two outlines converge meosure-
ment is completed ond the comero exoctly
(lower ill.). ;q;t',:'::i t;'' ffi focused ore qlso indicoted on the lower Exqct distqnces
port of the focusing ring. The white mork obove
the word "Compur" indicqtes the octuol distonce
setting (from 31/+ ft./l m. to infinity).
www.butkus.usView original page 7Page 8 · Read text
www.butkus.us... or symbols for snopshots
There ore three focusing symbols on the lens
mount of your comero. According to lhe distonce
from the subiect you set one of the lhree follow-
ing symbols ogoinst the white mork: (lnter-
mediote settings ore olso possible.)
Subiect distonce
Close-ups 6 ft. (1.80 m.) AQ
Groups 12y2ft. (3.80 m.) ixf
Distont views infinity
"ftfs (londscope)
There is no need to set the focusing symbols
absolutely exactly because uniler reasonabty good
lighting conilitions the automatic lens stop and
shutter speed control increases the effectiae focus-
ing range to a mudt greater extent than indicated
by the figures gioen here.View original page 8Page 9 · Read text
View your subiect
When phoioqrqphinq it is importont to hold the comero
steodv. You iholld t6erefore toke your Optimo in-both
hondi ond broce vour orms ogoinst your body. Plqce
the index finger bf your right hond lightly. on. the
moqic releose lever. When you look through the vtew-
findlr vou will see o lumin6us frome which surrounds
the subiect ond shows you the exoct picture oreo.
As the luminous frome is coupled with the focusing ring it moves outomoticolly when the
focusing ring is turned, qnd the exoct picture oreo-(porollox compensotion) will be shown
even fo-r clo-se-ups BU;fi.). Viewfinder'correction leiises (-1.0 to -4.0 dioptres) for persons
with defective viiion focilitote focusing. To toke upright photos, operotelhe releose button
with your thumb or index finger os illustrqted obbve. T6 ensure iorrectly exp-og_e_{ photo'
groplis it is importqnl to set the correcl film speed on lhe cqmerq (see poges l0/ll).
4View original page 9Page 10 · Read text
www.butkus.us
Green signol ... expose
When viewing your sub- Nole!
iect hold ihe comero ob- The outomotic
solutely steody for obout mechonism is
one second. When the connected whengreen signol oppeors in the A ond the ffiihe viewfinder do noi white mork ore inchonge comero position
gond releose, i. e. press line. $
sthe mogic releose lever A percepfible click r*slowly down os for os slop ensures lhe
possible. correct selting.
lf no exposure lokes Green signol: frB
ploce remove your fin- "All cleor" Lger from the lever. for your phoio-
Notel lf no signol op- gropn. ,FlE@ *Tpeors in the viewfinder nI
ropid trons- r-operoieport lever first. Red signol:
lf there is not enough Stop-
light-shown by the red do not photogroph.
signol-time exposures L Jor flosh will then helo'you (see poges 12l13).View original page 10Page 11 · Read text
lnstqnt reqdiness
. . . c<ln be obtqined with the ropid tronsport
lever of your Optimq. Therefore, odvonce your
film immediotely ofter eoch exposure. Just swing
the lever forword to the stop to move the film
on one frome. The film counter of the lower reor
edge of the comerq shows you how mony ex-
posures you still hove left.
lf the ropid tronsport lever will not move, the
cqmero is olreody set for the next exposure. The
shutter releose ond film tronsport ore fitted with
o lock to prevent blqnk or double exposures.
lf you releqse the ropid tronsport lever before
completing the full forword stroke it will return
to its storting position. In this event you should
swing the lever forwqrd ogoin os for os it will
go, even if it is only in the holf-woy position.
Eoery time the film is moped on the disc of the
www.butkus.us rewind crank rotates in the opposite direction to
that shown by the arrow, a sure sign that the film
is properly loaded and transported.View original page 11Page 12 · Read text
www.butkus.us Photogrqphy is more fun
when you hove mostered the hints mentioned qnd oreTECHNICAL thoroughly fomilior with your cqmerq too.
SECTION First of oll, something obout films ond how to choose them:
First use Agfo lsopon F. lt is o fine-groin block-ond-white
film of good contour shorpness ond consistent quolity.
For sports photogrophy the ropid Agfo lsopqn l5S film is
iust right.
With Agfocolor films you con explore the world of colour.
These films hove been firm fqvourites for more thon
twenty-five yeqrr, becouse of their noturol reproduction
of boih postel o;'d brilliont colours. In oddition, thein high
speed hos mode the living snopshot in colour o procticol
reolity.
For shorp, brilliont colour tronsporencies:
Agfocolor Reversql Film CT 18.
From your mounted tronsporencies it is now possible to
hove CT colour prints mqde on poper.
For wonderful olbum colour prints:
Agfccolor Negalive Film CN 17.View original page 12Page 13 · Read text
Looding lhe cqmero . . .
The film con be looded in doy- drowing it out firmly os for os toke up spool by its milled disc
light, but olwoys in the shode possible. until one of ihe three slits ond
use of body shodow. lnsert new film cossette with its film perforoiion lug ore -moking First open the comero bock by hole towords rewind cronK. uppermost (ringed in illusiro-
sliding cotch in direction of or- Push bock rewind cronk, if nec- iion D).
row until comero bock opens up. essory, turning slightly bock- It is best to press in the locking
Drow out rewind cronk by in- words ond forwords until the button on the bose of the cqm-
seriing your finger noil under- recessed poriion engoges in ero to ensure thoi the tronsport
neoih the cronk, roising it ond the hole of the cosselte. Turn wheel moves freely.
Digitally signed by Mike Butkus
DN: cn=Mike Butkus, o=Butkus camera manuals, ou=butkus.org,
email=mike@butkus.org, c=USMike Butkus Date: 2023.04.25 19:50:27 -04'00'View original page 13Page 14 · Read text
www.butkus.us ...issoeqsy
Drow oul the film from the cos- Now turn the loke-up spool comero bock by pressing it
sette in the direction of the slightly on. home firmly. Afier closing the
I orrow. lnserl the end of the comero set the film counter ot
film in the slii of the toke-up When just under hqlf on inch ihe lower edge of the comero
spool so thot the lug engoges of ihe full film widih proiects bock.
in the second film perforotion. from ihe cossette, close the
\,
s
&View original page 14Page 15 · Read text
Film tronsport
Film speed
Turn the disc of the film counter until the tip of
the triongle iust before the number 36,20 61 12
(depending on the length of film) is in line with
Tne Trxeo morK.
When looding the comero, the stqrt of the film
is wosted by exposure to light qnd so you must
first moke two blonk expoiures before storting
to photogroph.
Operote the ropid tronsport lever with your
thumb, swinq it forword o3 for os it will oo-ond
let it return-slowly. Then press down the-mogic
releose lever os fbr os pdssible ond repeot t'6is
procedure with the tronsport lever ond releose
lever until the number 36, 20 or 12 is opposite
the fixed mork, occording to the length'of the
film.
The film counter indicqtes the number of expo-
sures still left on the film.
Film speed
To ensure correctly exposed photogrophs it is
importont to set the c6rrect film speed on the
comero. This is morked on the film pockoge ondView original page 15Page 16 · Read text
www.butkus.usDeloyed qclion
should be set on the comero immediotely ofter
looding with film.
This is done by pushing the smoll orresting knob
in the direction of the orrow. The milled disc
con then be turned in either direction with o
coin. A setting of 40 ASA is shown in the lower
illustrotion on poge 10.
Deloyed qclion photogrophs
ore possible with oll outomotic ond flosh expo-
surei, but not with time exposures (B setting).
Ploce the cqmero on o firm support, preferobly
on o tripod. Set the deloyed oction lever to V
ond preis down the mogit releose lever qs fqr
qs it will go. lt will then be orrested in this posi-
tion. A buzzing noise indicotes thot the deloyed
oction mechonism is working; it will releose
the shutter outomoticolly ofter obout 8 seconds.
releose photogroph the the tokingAfter 'tf,epress then o-na leverbullon ogirin, will dodn
return to its originol position. Then lrqnsporl
the film.View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
Time exposures
lf the signol in the viewfinder stoys red when
viewing the subiect, lhis meons thot there is not
enough lighi. In such coses time exposures or
flosh will help you.
For time exposures longer shutier speeds ore
used which connot be controlled outomoticolly;
these ore moinly used in poor light, for portroit
work or reproductions of pictures in ortificiol
light, ond for night phoiogrophy etc.
By meons of the setting key (1 in upper illustro-
tion) the outomotic mechonism is disconnected
ond the key is moved until the lelter B oppeors
in the smoll window (lower illustrotion). The
shutter then remoins open os long os the releose
lever is pressed down; the photogroph connot be roken with the comero held in your
honds, ond o tripod ond coble releose (8, moin illustrotion) must rherefore be used.
By moving the setting key @ the required lens stop con be set, e. g. f/11, os shown in the
lower illustrotion.
12View original page 17Page 18 · Read text
www.butkus.usFlqsh exposures Flosh mqde very eqsy t. A floshgun such os the Agfolux, Agfo lsi K or Agfo Tully K is ottoched by its foot to the occessory shoe on top of the comero ond the leod connected to lhe flosh contoct of the comero (13, moin illustrotion). Disconnect the outomotic mechonism by mov- ing the setting key (1, upper illustrotion) until the flosh symbol oppeors in the smoll window (see lower illustrotion). This gives o shutter speed of 1/so sec. 3. Determine guide number from the flosh bulb pockoge, toking into occount lhe speed of lhe film looded. Sei guide number. The window for setting lhe block guide numbers is on the ring to the right of the window for rhe flosh symbol, look- ing ot the comero from obove. By meons of setling key @ the guide number on the flosh bulb corton is now set next lo the symbol corresponding lo lhot set on the lens. The verticol lines represent the setting mork. lf, for instonce, the guide number 90 is chosen for lhe group symbol the window opposite the flosh sign shows ihe lens stop 8, which is the exqct Iens operlure required for lhe porticulor film speed ond sublect distonce.View original page 18
Page 19 · Read text
Exposure hints
s*, .-!&. zz',. ...-g,- -js
Do not forget to set the correct qbout 3 DIN or its ASA equivolent less thon
distonce from the subiect on the thot morked on the film pockbge.
lens os well. When photogrophing with reversol film, such os lf you wish to work only with Agfocolor CT18, with qn overcost sky the set-
stop numbers you con set these ting on the DIN/ASA disc should be reduced by
by meons of the key @ in the 2 DlN, in dull weother even by 3-4 DlN, e. ci.
window opposife the flosh sign insteod of 18 DIN / 50 ASA, l6'DlN / 32 ASA dr
(see lower illustrotion on poge'13, 14 DIN /20ASA should be set. Do not forqet to f.8 in the exomple shown). re-set the originol film speed ofter the exp-osure
Similorly, when using on elec- nos oeen mode.
lronic flashgun the oppropriote When o very controsty subiect hos to be photo- guide numb-er should'be iet on grophed ond it is wished to obtoin the iorrect
your Optimo-os described on exposure for on obiect which is smoll in com-
poge i3. porison with its surroundings, it is odvisoble to
When returning the setting key toke o close-up meosurement. lf this is not done,
O to the A (:-outomotic)"Posi- o person in o light dress in front of o dork wood
on tion the setting key @ olso (to give on exomple) could eosily produce springs bock outomoticolly to its incorrect reoding.
originol position. In such coses opprooch with the comero to o
Where cleor detqil is required in short distonce from the subiect ond press down
photogrophs token ogoinst the the releose lever qently to the first pressure
light it is odvisoble, when using point. Hold the levelr in ihis position ond return
the outomotic mechqnism. to set to your originol stondpoint to toke the photo-
the scole to o film speed of groph.
14View original page 19Page 20 · Read text
fwww.butkus.usFully qulomotic operqtion
k
A leother cose designed to toke of your Optimo 500 5 in brief :
o lens hood ond iwo filters is
ovoiloble for this comerq.
Fillers for your Optimo 500 S The speciol shutter of your Optimo 500 S covers
in screw mounts S of 35.5 mm. diom. speeds of 1/go sec. to o fost 1/5ss s€c., the lens
blockfor ond stops ronge from f.2.8 to 22. When you presswhife photogrophy
Reduce DrN score the mogic releose lever down slowly the best setting by shutter speed ond operture combinotion is fixed lisht yellow I I
mediumyellow 2 | DIN ond set. yef low-green 2 l Then you releose the shutter by pressing theUV filter (ultro-violet) no chonge
When removino the filter from the com- lever right down. This single operotion is your
reset theero to do not foiget originol guorontee of o correctly exposed photogroph. figure the in question. filmDIN/ASA for
For speciol photogrophs lf you hove to chonge the direction of the com-with colour reversol film
Agfo Color Filter R 1.5 no chonge erq before moking the exposure, toke your
NATARIX (Type 6713/355) finger from the mogic lever qnd stort ofresh.
FOR CTOSE.UPS
You con olso moke close-ups (below When photogrophing it is importont to hold the3y4 |l.ll m.) with the Optimo 500 S ifyou own the Agfo Notorix close-up ot- comero obsolutely steody during meosurement
tochment. The Notorix viewfinder ottoch- ond releose so thot the fully outomotic mecho-ment compensotes for porollox whenlining up your subiect. nism operotes properly.
l5View original page 20Page 21 · Read text
Rewinding the film
After 36, 20 or 12 exposures (occording to the
lengih of film) the dot on the counter will be in
line with the dosh before the "0". The film is
now finished ond hos to be rewound into its
light-tight cossette.
First press in the locking button on the bose of
the cqmero, lift the cronk with your finger noil
ond turn if so thqt the hondle points outwords.
Now turn the cronk in the direction of the qrrow.
Rewinding is complete when the rewind cronk
turns freely. You con now open the bock of the
cqmero by pushing the locking lever to the right
(see illustrotion A on poge 8). Then pull out the
rewind cronk os for os it will go ond remove
the cossette from the cqmero, ploce it in its
light-tight pocking ond mork it os exposed. On
operoting the ropid tronsport lever the locking
button will spring out ogoin.View original page 21Related documents and language editions
From the M. Butkus Camera Manual Library. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
Check the model and edition against your equipment.
PDF verified 2026-10-10.