Film cameras
Agfa Optima II User manual
User manual for Agfa Optima II. 22 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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Document details
- Brand
- Agfa
- Model / document
- Agfa Optima II
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 22
- File size
- 5.2 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Page 2 · Read text
GUARAI\ITE,E
The lens fitted to your camera is a product of the Agfa Camera Werk
and has been computed and manufactured in conformity with the most
up-to- dat e scientific metho ds.
This lens reaches a stand.ard of performance ner)er previously attained in
# Ienses of equal speed having the same number of elements. Its chief ad-
uantages lie in its great depth of field, extremely high resolving power,
excellent definition and outstanding reproduction of detail.
The tatal of these characteristics malces this the ideal lens f or miniature
photography with colour or black and white film.
ln addition, etrery lens is thoroughly tested before leaoing our factory by
the most up-to-date methods and is guarant'eed by us for its quality and performance'
AGFA AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Camera-Werk MuenchenView original page 2Page 3 · Read text
www.butkus.us You ore now the proud owner of o technicoily perfect cqmero-the fully outomotic Agfo Optimo ll which does not require ony complicoted monuol operofions ond so leoves you free to concentrote on the sub- iect. Whot o source of boundless ioy thqt is! From your photogrophic deoler you will hove leorned how simple the Agfo optimo ll is to hondle. Shutter speeds ond opertures which once hod to be worked out, meosured or set ore now of your beck ond coll. The fully outomotic mechqnism is something of o mirqcle, your in- visible slove to colculote, think ond ocf for you-just o touch of the "mogic releose button" sufiices. You will probobly wish to get fomiliorized with this mosterpiece of precision. on poges 2 to 6 you will find brief operoting instructions; technicol odvice ond useful photogrophic hints ore given on pqges 7 to 16.View original page 3
Page 4 · Read text
Venmo @mike-butkus-camera Ph. 2083 PayPal Name Lynn@butkus.org www.PayPal.me/lynnbutkusView original page 4
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Digitally signed by Mike Butkus
DN: cn=Mike Butkus, o=Butkus camera
manuals, ou=butkus.org, email=mike@butkus.Mike Butkus org, c=US
Date: 2024.01.26 19:44:42 -05'00'View original page 5Page 6 · Read text
www.butkus.us
EXPLANATIONS CONTENTS
OF ADJACENT PAGE
ILLUSTRATION
Ropid tronsport lever 2
Operolion, poges 2-6 Focusing symbols 3
Ropid tronsport@ lever Holding the comero, viewfinder 4 Mogic releose button@
@ Setting mork Toking the first pressure ond releosing 5
for outomotic mechonism Three points for good photos 6@ Seliing mork
for focusing symbols
@ Focusing ring
@ Seiting mork (not visible Film types
in the illustrotion) Looding the comero 819 close-ups for (l m: : 3y4 tt.)
Film counter l0
Technicol section, poges 7-15 Setting the film speed I I
@ Cotch for comero bock Without the outomotic mechonism 12
DIN/ASA scole@ Flosh technique 13 for setting the film speed
@ Socket for coble releose Agoinstthe light ond close-up exposure reodings l4
@ Accessory shoe Filters ond occessories 15@ Rewind knob
@ Flosh contoct Rewinding the film 16View original page 6Page 7 · Read text
. . . is o feoture of your comero, thonks to the
ropid tronsport lever. Move the lever forword
qs for os it will go ond then releqse it. lf the
lever is blocked, thol porticulor frome of film
(which now is behind the lens) hos not been
exposed.
Note! Should the ropid tronsporl lever not
hove been swung forword os for os it will go,
it will hove lo be octuoted ogoin; in such coses
the lever will somelimes block holf woy round.
In this event, releose the lever even if it is
only in the holf-woy position.
In cose you did not lood the first film your-www.butkus.us
self, the necessory instructions on how to do
this ore given on poges 8 ond 9.View original page 7Page 8 · Read text
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How for dwoy is your subiect?
There ore only three focus settings on the With your Agfo Optimo you con
comero. According to the distonce from the photogroph ot oll distonces be-
subiect you merely set one of the lhree sym- tween 3/a ft. (1 m.) ond infinity.
bols on the lens mount ogoinst the white mork:
Subiecrdisronce n n
5fr. ro 7fr. 5in. LJ!=] Close-ups
Groups 7 ft. 5 in. to t5 ft.
Distont views 15 ft. to infiniiy
(londscope)"Gf(
Intermediote setfings ore olso possible, if re-
quired. lf you wish to focus the comero on
obiects only 3la ft. owoy, turn the lens mount
until the 3y4fr. (1 m.) setting is in line with the
white mork obove the word ,,pronlormolor,,.
To ensure correclly exposed photogrophs it is importoni lo sel lhe correcl film speed on
lhe cqmero (see poge ll).View original page 8Page 9 · Read text
View your subiect . . . When photogrophing it is importoni to hold the comero sfeody. You should therefore toke your Optimo in both honds ond broce your orms ogoinsl your body' Ploce lhe index finger of your right hond genily on the mogic releose button. When you look through the viewfinder you will see o luminous frome which surrounds ihe subiect ond shows you the exoct Picture oreo. For close-ups (3t/a ff. setting), the two lines below the top morgin of fhis frome indicole the upper edge of the pic- ture oreo. To toke upright photos, oPer- ote lhe releose bution with your thumb or index finger, qs illustroted.View original page 9
Page 11 · Read text
which you con quickly moster suffice to obtoin
perfect pictures:
1. Set the focusing symbol.
2. Line up your subiect ond toke the first
pressure.
3. Green signol in viewfinder: Press releose
button right down.
Afterwords prepore the comero for the next photogroph
by operoting the ropid tronsport lever, so os not to miss
on oction shot.
Thot's iust how eosy photogrophy is with the Agfo Optimo ll.
But you will probobly wont to know more . . . so toke the
comero in your hondsView original page 11Page 12 · Read text
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Photogrophy is more fun
when you hove mostered the thiee points mentioned ondTECHNICAT ore thoroughly fomiliqr with your comero too.
First of oll, something obout films ond how to choose them: SECTION
First use Agfo lsoponF,lT DIN (40 ASA). lt is o fine-groin
block ond white film of good contour shorpness.
For sport photogrophy the ropid Agfo lsopon ISS film,
2l DIN ('100 ASA), is iust risht.
With Agfocolor films you con explore the world of col-
our. These films hove been firm fovourites for more thon
twenty yeors, becouse of their noturol reproduction of
both postel ond brilliont colours. In oddition, their high
speed hos mode the living snopshot in colour o procticol
reolity.
For shorp, brilliont colour tronsporencies:
Agfocolor Reversol Film CT .|8.
For wonderful olbum colour prints:
Agfocolor Negotive Film CN lZ.View original page 12Page 14 · Read text
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Inserl new film cossette with Turn toke-up spool by its milled firmly, so thoi the lug engoges
hole towords rewind knob. disk until the brood slit ond film in the second film perforotion.
I perforotion lug ore uppermost.
Push bqck rewind knob, if nec- Now turn the toke-up spool on
essory turning slightly bock- Drow out the film from the cos- slighily in the direction of the
words qnd forwords. sette towords the toke-up spool. orrow (see fig. F), until iust
under holf on inch of the full
Insert lhe end of the film in the film width proiects from the
slit, holding the toke-up spool cossetie. Close the co mero.View original page 14Page 15 · Read text
for lhe first exposure After looding the film, the film counier ot the
Iower edge of the comero bock must be set.
Turn the disk of the film counter uniil ihe tip
of lhe green triongle iust before ihe number 36
or 20 (depending on the length of the film) is
in line with the fixed mork. Then operote fhe
ropid lronsport lever os for os it will go ond
let it return to ils originol position. Press
the mogic releose button down lo the stop.
Repeot this process until the mork is in line
with the number 36 (or 20). Your comero is
then reody for lhe first exposure. The film
counter indicotes lhe number of exposures
still left on the film.
Every time the film is moved on the rewind knob rototes in the opposite direction to thot
shown by lhe orrow, o sure sign thot the firm is properly rooded ond rronsporred.
Double exposures impossible
An ingenious double exposure prevention mechonism ensures thot you do not ioke two
photogrophs on one negoiive. In oddition ihe film connot be tronsporied until on exposure
hos been mode.
'10View original page 15Page 16 · Read text
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lmporlonl: for oll films
(10-250 ASA)Remember to sef the speed of the film from ll-25 DIN
looded on the comero lo be sure of cor-
reclly exposed photogrophs. When you press the mogic releose
buiton, the exposure reoding isTo do this, turn the milled disk with the oid
of o coin until the required DIN or ASA outomoticolly ond invisibly fixed for you. During the exposure it thenspeed is opposite the setting mork. outomoticolly orronges o shutter
speed ond operture combinolion
which olwoys ensures lhe correct
exposure.
ASA Scole: The ASA volues indicoted by dots on the
film speed scqle of lhe comerq represeni the following
figures,
t0 25 50 100 200
12 16 20 32 40 64 80 125 160 250View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
You probobly recqll whot wos soid oboul the red stop signol in the viewfinder. When if op- peors you connot photogroph with the Optimo using ihe outomotic mechonism, but if it is dis- connected you con still obtoin good resulls. To do ihis set the outomotic mechonism ring ot the time- (B) or flosh symbol (see iop ill.). Time exposures Turn the milled ring on the lens mount until "8" is in line with the mork.When onthis settingthe shutter stoys open os long os the releose button is depressed. The use of o tripod ond o coble releose is odvisoble in such coses. The Iotter is screwed into the threod on ihe comero iop (5, see moin ill.). By turning the reor ring with the oid of its lower key the opertures become visible in the smoll window (see lower ill.).View original page 17
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Flssh technique
No floshlight problems
For flosh work iurn ihe outomotic mechonism
ring uniil the flosh symbol is opposite the mork.
A constont shutier speed of 1/'ro sec. is used
for flosh work. Pleose see the column for "X"
synchronizoiion on eoch pocket of flosh bulbs
for the required operiure which is set by turn-
ing ihe reor ring. The plug of the flosh coble
is connecied io the flosh contoct (12, moin illu-
strotion).
Electronic floshguns con olso be used, in which
cose ihe operture is colculoted from ihe guide
number of the floshgun.
E. g. guide number of elecironic floshgun 96 The hondy Agfolux floshgun
divided by o distonce of 12feet: operture f/8. in zip coseView original page 18Page 19 · Read text
Agoinst the light
Where cleor detoil is required in photogrophs token
ogoinst the light or in deep shodows, it is odvisoble io use
the oulomotic mechonism of the comero with the setting
on the DIN/ASA scole reduced. lt will be sufficient to sel
o film speed of obout 3 DIN or its ASA equivolent less
thon ihoi morked on ihe film pockoge. lf, for exomple,
the film in ihe comero hos o speed of 17 DIN : 40 ASA, A leother cose designed
ond ihe setting should be reduced to l4 DIN:20 ASA. to toke o lens hood two filters is ovoiloble.
When o very controsty subiect hos to be phoiogrophed
you r Optimo | | ond it is wished to obtoin the correct exposure for on Filters for
obiect which is smoll in comporison with iis surroundings, for block ond white photogrophy
it is odvisoble to iqke whot is known os o close-up meos- Reduce DIN scole setting urement wiih the built-in exposure meier of the comero. by
lf this is not done, o person in o light dress in front of o lisht yellow I I
mediumyellow 2 ! OtN dork wood (to give on exomple) could eosily produce on yellow-green z I over-exposure. UV filter no chonge
In such cqses opprooch with the comero to o short dis- for speciol photo-
tonce from the subiect ond press down the releose buiion grophs with colour
to ihe first pressure point. Hold the butfon in this position reversol film Agfo Color Filter
ond return to your originol position to toke the photogroph. R 1.5 no chonge
14View original page 19Page 20 · Read text
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Filters / Accessories
Filters fh.h" Close-upsThere is o vorieiy of filters 1-'*t'r*1 you con olso photogroph
for blqck qnd white film ovoil- I^, tg--.4ry tne wonders of the mrn- -+lF rurur e wor ro wrTn your oble for use with the Agfo i.r IOptimo ll in screw mounis of $ D '7?W OPiimOpiimo. All you houL-io
35.5 mm. diom. As soon os o
filter is used on the comero Wyou will hqve to reduce the into the lens mount'1?'l::ii:J,'j""f:l;#;of youi comero. An
setting on the film speed scole odditionol Notorix viewfinder ott6chment compen-
occordingly. sotes for pcrrollox when lining up your subiect.
A filter hovinq o foctor of 2 Shorp defin-ition of the subjecl
edgewill require o ieduciion in the Symbol seiting (leosured from ihe front ottochment)speed settinq of 3 DIN or its obtoinedof the close-upot o distonce -isASA equivoient. lf you hove of obouto film of lZ DIN : 40 ASA 16 in. (41 crn.)this meons ihot you will hove 3y4 ft.
to reduce the fioure to l4 DIN.l.5 : 20 ASA. A ioctor of
would require o reduction of 201/2 in. (52 cm.)r-2 DrN. :QQ
When removing the filter from
the comero do not forget to 232/ain. (60.5 cm.)reset the originol DIN/ASA ftrf
figure for the film in question.
28 in. (21 cm.) "fr$(View original page 20Page 21 · Read text
The film is now finished ...
After 36 or 20 exposures, occording to lhe
length of the film, the ropid fronsport lever
will nol move. The film is now finished ond
must be rewound into ils cossette.
First releose the lock of the rewind knob (see
illustroiion B, poge 8) to ollow this to spring
out, ond drow it out only o froction to iis
www.butkus.us firsi stop.
Then press in the locking button in the bose
of the comero ond iurn the rewind knob in
ihe direclion shown by lhe orrow. Rewinding
is complete when lhe rewind knob lurns freely
ofter releosing the locking bution. You con now open the bock of lhe comero by moving
ihe coich in the direciion shown by lhe orrow in fig. A, poge 8. Pull oui the rewind knob
firmly os for os it will go ond remove ihe cossette. Put the cossette in its light-tight pocking
ond mork it os exposed.
l6View original page 21Page 22 · Read text
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3View original page 22From 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.