Film cameras
Agfa Optima IIIS User manual
User manual for Agfa Optima IIIS. 21 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
21 pagesEnglish1.9 MB PDF
Loading your manual…Open PDF directly
Document details
- Brand
- Agfa
- Model / document
- Agfa Optima IIIS
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 21
- File size
- 1.9 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 3 · Read text
Il1
GUARATVTEE I
The lens fitted to youl camera is a product of the Agfa Camera Werk
and has been computed and, manufactured in conformity with lhe most
up-to-date scientific metho ds.
This lens reaches a standard of performance neaer preaiously attained
in lenses of equal speed. hatsing the same number of elements. lts &ief
adzsatiages lie in its great depth af field, extremely high resolaing
power, etcellent definition and outstanding reproduction of detail.
The total of these dtaracteristics makes this the ideal lens for miniature
photography wifh blsck and. white or colour film,
ln ad-dition, eoery lens is thoroughly tested before leauing our factory
by the most up-to-date methods and is guaranteed by us for its quality
and performance'
AGFA AKTTENGESELLSCHAFT
Camera-Werlc Muenchen
www.orphancameras.comView original page 3Page 6 · Read text
You ore now the proud owner of o technicollyperfect comero-the fully ouiomqtic Agfo optimo lll s which does not require ony com- plicoted mqnuol operotions ond so leoves you free to concentroteon the subiect.Whot q source of boundlessioy thot is! From your photogrophic deoler you will hove leorned how simple the Agfo optimo lllS is to hqndle.Shutterspeedsond opertureswhich once hod to be worked out, meosuredor set ore now ot your beck ond coll. The fully outomotic mechonismis something of o mirocle, your in- visible slove to colculote,think ond ocf for you-lust o iouch of the "mogic releose lever" suffices.The symbol settingscover three focusing ronges; exoct focusing con be quickly done with the built-in coupled rongefinder. You will probobly wish to get fomiliorized with this mosterpieceg* precision.on poges 2 to 6 you will find brief operoting instructioris; technicol qdvice ond useful photogrophic hints ore given on poges 7 to 16.View original page 6
Page 7 · Read text
focusing
The built-in coupled rongefinder is very eosy to oper-
ote ond ollows exoct focusing of your subiect in split-
seconds.
With your Agfo Opfimo lll S you con photogroph ot
oll distoncesbetween 3r/off. (1 m.) ond infinity.
Upper illustrolion:
In the centre of the viewfinder imoge you will see o
diomond-shopedportion which is yellow-coloured.At
first, this centre imoge will be seporoted into two hori-
zontolly disploced outlines.
Middle illuslrqlion:
lf you move the focusing ring with the thumb or index
finger you will find thot the outlines of the double
centre imoge coincide. With the comerq held hori-
zontolly the imoge outlinesmove sidewoys;when held
upright they move verticolly.
Lower illuslrotion:
As soon os the two outlines converge meosurementis
completedond the cqmero exocfly focused.
www.orphancameras.comView original page 7Page 8 · Read text
. . . or symbolsfor snopshots
There ore three focusing symbols on the lens
mount of your comero. According to the dis-
tonce from the subiect you set one of the three
following symbols ogoinst the white mork:
Subiect distonce
Close-ups 5 f t . l l i n .AQ
Groups ,r1r.5t1,in.fM
Distontviews infinity
(londscope)",ftf(
Intermediotesettings ore olso possible, if re-
quired.
For your guidonce exqct distoncesore olso in-
dicoted on the lower port of the focusing ring.
The white mqrk obove the word "Compur"
indicotesthe octuol distonce setting.View original page 8Page 9 · Read text
cqmerq fqst
When photogrophing it is importont to hold the. cqmero
steody. You should therefore toke your Optimo in both
honds ond broce your orms ogoinst ybur body. Ploce
the index finger of your right hond on the mogic releose
lever. When you look through ihe viewfinder you will see
o luminousfrome which surroundsthe subiect ond shows
you the exoct picture oreo.
As the luminous frome moves outomoticolly when the
focusingring is turned the exoct pictureoreo will be shown
even for close-ups(3V+ft.).
To toke upright photos, oper-
ote fhe releose lever with your
thumb or index finger, os illus-
troted.
To ensure correctly exposed
photogrophs if is imporlonl
lo set lhe correcl film speed on
lhe comero (see poge Il).
4
www.orphancameras.comView original page 9Page 10 · Read text
Green signol expose
Nore! The lighting is under constqnl con-llllllllll ll lllll l lll A The ouiomotic lrol qs soon os you octuote the ro-
mechonismis con- pid tronsport lever. Sight your sub-
necfed when the A iect. With the signol ot green, press
ond the white mqrk down ihe mogic releqselever to ihe
ore in line. pressurepoint. Then keep the cqm-
erq in this position ond releqse.
The red signol meons lhere is not
G r e e n s i g n o l ' enough light; time exposures or
"All cleor" for flosh will then help you (see po-
your photogroph ses 12l13).
Note!
lf releqse lever is blocked operote
the ropid tronsporf lever firsi.
lf you chonge the direction of your R e d s i g n o l :
comero before moking your expo- Stop-
sure, remove your finger from the do not phoiogroph
mogic lever ond stori qfresh. This
con be done os offen os you wish.View original page 10Page 11 · Read text
Instqnl reqdiness
... con be obtoined with the ropid tronsport
lever of your Optimo. Therefore, odvonce your
film immediotely ofter eoch exposure. Just
swing the lever forword to the stop to move
the film one frome. The film counter of the
lower reor edge of the comero shows you
how mony exposuresyou still hove left.
lf the ropid tronsport lever will not move, lhe
comerq is olreody set for the next exposure.
The shutter releose ond film tronsport ore fit-
ted with q lock to prevent blonk or double
exposures.
lf you releosethe ropid tronsport lever before
completing the full forword stroke it will re-
turn to its storting position. In this event you
should swing the lever forword ogoin os for
os it will go.
www.orphancameras.comView original page 11Page 13 · Read text
The film con be looded in doy- drow out rewind knob firmly BI ock-ond-wh ite-checks
light, but olwoys in the shode- with right hond os for os pos- : Block ond white film
moking use of body shodow. s i b l e . CN : Colour negotive film CT : Colour reversol film.
First open the comero bock by Now set the film type indicotor DAY doylight type
sliding cotch in direction of by turning the milled edge pro- CK : Colour reversol film, ortificiql
orrow. truding ot the bottom of the re- A light type (incondescent lomps of 3400oKelvin)
Push locking button of rewind wind knob until the desired set- CF : Colour reversol film, ortificiol
knob in direciion of orrow ond ting oppeors in the window: F floshlight type (3800oKelvin)
www.orphancameras.comView original page 13Page 14 · Read text
Insert new film cossette with Turn toke-up spool by its mill- firmly, so thot the lug engoges
hole towords rewind knob. e d d i s k u n t i l t h e b r o o d s l i t o n d in the second film perforotion.
film perforotion Iug ore upper- Now turn the ioke-up spool on
Push bock rewind knob, if nec- most. slightly in the direction of the
essory turning it slightly. Drow out the film from the orrow, os shown in figure F, un-
cossette towords the toke-up t i l i u s t u n d e r h o l f o n i n c h o f
s p o o l . the full film width proiectsfrom
lnsert the end of the film in the the cossette.Close the comero.
slit, holding the toke-up spoolView original page 14Page 15 · Read text
for the first exposure After looding fhe film, the comero should be
closed ond the film counter ot the lower edge
of the comero bock set. Turn the disk of the
film counter until the iip of the green triongle
iust before the number 36 or 20 (depending
on the length of the film) is in line with the
fixed mork. Then operote the ropid tronsport
lever os for os it will go ond press down the
mogic lever until releose tokes ploce. Repeot
this process unfil the mork is in line with the
number 36 (or 20). Your comero is ihen reody
for the first exposure.The film counter indicotes
the number of exposuresstill left on the film.
Every time ihe film is moved on ihe rewind knob rototes in the opposite direction to thot
shown by the qrrow, o sure sign fhot the film is properly loqded ond tronsported.
Double exposures impossible
An ingeniousdouble exposure prevention mechonismensuresthot you do not tqke two
photogrophson one negotive.In oddition ihe film connot be tronsporteduntil <ln exposure
hqs been mode.
t !
www.orphancameras.comView original page 15Page 16 · Read text
lmportonl: for sll films
Remember io set the speed of the film from l1-250 DIN (-|0-250ASA)
looded on the comero lo be sure of cor-
When you press the mogic releosereclly exposed photogrophs.
lever, the exposure reoding is outo-To do this, push in the smoll orresting knob moticolly ond invisibly fixed forqnd turn the milled disk with the qid of o you. During the exposure it thencoin until the required DIN or ASA speed outomoticolly orronges o shutteris opposite the setiing mork. speed ond operture combinotion
which olwoys ensures the correct
exposure.
ASA Scole, The ASA volues indicoted by dots on the
film speed scole of the comero represent the following
fig u re s,
r0 25 50 100 200
12 16 20 32 40 64 80 125 160 250View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
You probobly recoll whot wos soid obout the
red stop signol in the viewfinder. When it op-
peors you connot photogroph with the Optimo
using the outomotic mechonism,but if it is dis-
connectedyou con still obtqin good results.To
do this set the outomqtic mechonismring ot the
time- (B) or flosh symbol (see illustrotionson
this poge).
Time exposures
Turn the milled ring on the lens mount until "B"
is in line with the mork, os shown in the top
illustrotion. When on this setting the shulter
stoys open os long qs the releose lever is de-
pressed.The use of o tripod ond o coble releose
is qdvisoble in such coses.The lotter is screwed
into the threod below the releose lever from
fhe side. By turning the reqr milled ring the
opertures become visible in the smqll window.
www.orphancameras.comView original page 17Page 19 · Read text
Agqinstthe light
. . r. 3t
Where cleor detoil is required in photogrophs token
ogoinst the light or in deep shodows, the qutomotic
mechonismof the comero con still be usedwith the setting
on the DIN/ASA scole reduced. lt is qdvisobleto set o
film speed of obout 30 DIN or its ASA equivolent less
thon thot morked on the fllm pockoge.lf, for exomple,the
film in the comerCIhos o speed of 17o DIN _ 40 ASA, A leother cose designed
the setting should be reduced to 14o DIN - 20 ASA. to toke o lens hood ond two filtersis ovoiloble.
When o very controsty subiect hos to be photogrophed Filters for your Optimo lll S
ond it is wished to obtoin the correctexposurefor on ob- for block ond white photogrophy
iect which is smoll in comporisonwith its surroundings,it is R e d u c e D I N
odvisoble to toke q close-up meqsurement.lf this is not scoby le setting
done, o person in q light dress in front of o dork wood l i g h t y e l l o w I | ,
(to give on exomple) could eosily produce on incorrect m e d i u m y e u o w 2 l 1D :I 9N: " " '
re od i ng . y e l l o w - s r e e n , I
UV frlter (ultro-violet)
,
In suchcosesopproochwith the cqmerq to o short distonce n o c n o n g e
from ihe subiectond press down the releqse lever gently for speciol photogrophs wilh colour reversol film
io the flrst pressurepoint. Hold the lever in this position
Agfo.l.5 Color Filter ond returnto your originolpositionto toke the photogroph. R no chonge
l 4
www.orphancameras.comView original page 19Page 20 · Read text
Filters
There is o voriety of filters
for blqck-qnd-whitefilm ovoil-
oble for use with the Agfo
O p t i mo l l l S in scre w mo u nts
of 35.5mm. diom. As soon os
o filter is used on the comero
you will hove to reduce the
settingon the film speedscole
CIccordingly.
A filter hoving o foctor of 2
will requireo reductionin the
speed settingof 3u DIN or its
ASA equivolent.lf you hove
o film of lzo DIN - 40 ASA C L O S E - U P A T T A C H M E N T F O R O P T I M A I I I S
l -- th is me q n sth o t yo u will h q ve F o r t h e O p t i m o l l l S , o p r o c t i c o l c l o s e - u po t t o c h m e n ti s o v o i l -
to reduce the figure to f4'' o b l e , t h e A g f o P r o x i m e t e r .l t i s s u p p l i e d i n t w o r o n g e s ' P r o x i -
.|.5DIN - 20 ASA. A fqctor of meier I for o ronge of 40-20 inches ond Proximeier ll for o
would requireo reduction ronge of 20-.l4inches.Both Proximetersmoy be used together to
of I -2 degreesDlN. g i v e o r o n g e o f f o c u s o f l 4 - 1 0 i n c h e s .T h e P r o x i m e t e re n o b l e s
When removingthe fi lter f rom close-upsubiectsto loe seen free from porollox in the viewflnder
the comero do not forget to o n d f o c u s e d o c c u r o t e l yw i t h t h e r o n g e f i n d e r .
reset the originol DIN I ASA Your photographic dealer utill be glad to demonsfrntethis oTtti-
figrre for the film in question. caI citfndtmenffo lrou.
t 5View original page 20Page 21 · Read text
The film is now finished...
Aiter 36 or 20 exposures,occordingto the length
of the film, the ropid tronsport lever will not
move. The film is now finished ond must be re-
wound irrto its cossette.
First releqse the lock of the rewind knob (see
illustrotionB, poge 8) to ollow this to spring out,
ond drow it out only o froction to its first stop.
Then press in the locking buiton in the bose of
the comero qnd turn the rewind knob in the
direction shown by the orrow. Rewinding is
complete when the rewind knob turns freely
ofter releosing the locking button. You con
now open fhe bock of the comero by pushing
the cqtch in the direction shown by the qrrow (seefig. A, poge 8). Pull out the rewind knob
firmly os fqr qs it will go ond remove the cossette.Puf the cossettein its light-tighfpocking
ond mork it os exposed.
1 6
www.orphancameras.comView 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.