Film cameras
AGFA OPTIMA Reflex User manual
User manual for AGFA OPTIMA Reflex. 23 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
23 pagesEnglish7.7 MB PDF
Loading your manual…Open PDF directly
Document details
- Brand
- Agfa
- Model / document
- AGFA OPTIMA Reflex
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 23
- File size
- 7.7 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 2 · Read text
EXPLANATIONS CONTENTS
OF ADJACENT ITLUSTRATION
Operotion, poges 2-6 Viewing the subiect 2
3 Greensignol ...exPosing . . ' . . '@ Mogic releose Iever
@ Setting mork Exoct focusing 4
for focusing symbols 5 . . or symbols for snoPshots@ Setiing ring
for focusing Ropid tronsport lever 6
@ Ropid tronsport lever
Tedrnicol seclion, Poges 7-16
@ Rewind cronk
@ Corrying strop eye
@ DIN/ASA scole for setting
the film speed
@ Locking bution for DIN/ASA scole
@ Film counter
@ Accessory shoe
-r@ Mognifying window
for oulomot'lc
ond stop indicotion
@ Comero bock cotch
@ Feet/metre scole
@ Flosh conloctView original page 2Page 3 · Read text
www.butkus.us
GUARAN TEE
T.he,Ienses.fitted to your camera are products of the Agfa camera
werk and haae been computed and manufacturri i, conio'rmili iitithe most up-to-date scientific methods,
These lenses reach a standard of performrnce neaer preuiouslu at-
tained in lenses of equal speeil haiing the same ,r,*b[r;i ;l;r;r;"r.Their chief adaantag.es lie .in- great dipt-h of field, eitrernely iigl, ,i
solaing poTrler, excellent., defiiition and ou'ts'toniing,uprok"iiio" otdetail.
The.total of these characteriitics makes them the ideal lenses- for-.
miniature photography with black and white or colour film. '
,:.111r:r":,,nonr.V len.s is thoro.ughly tested before leaaing our factory
oy tne m.ost up-to-clnte methods and is guaranteed by us for its'quatit"yand performn*ce' "'*' AGFA AKTIENGE'ELLSCHAFT
Camera-Werk MuenchenView original page 3Page 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
Digitally signed by Mike Butkus
DN: cn=Mike Butkus, o=Butkus camera manuals,
ou=butkus.org, email=mike@butkus.org, c=USMike Butkus Date: 2024.01.26 20:13:42 -05'00'View original page 5Page 6 · Read text
www.butkus.us You ore now the proud owner of o technicolly perfect comerq-the fully outomotic Agfo optimo Reflex which does not require ony com- plicoted monuol operotions ond so leoves you free to concentrote on the subiect. You ore to be congrotuloted on your choice. The two lenses qre orronged close together, one obove the other, to give o porollox-free viewfinder imoge. ln foct thot is the greot od- vontoge of the twin-lens reflex system, thot you con view the subiect before, during ond ofter the exposure. Fine photos ore eosily obtoined with the pentoprism viewfinder be- couse the imoge is ideol in size-the some os the finol picture formot. Focusing is done exoctly ond in o trice with the builtin split-imoge rongefinder; for snopshots you olso hove q choice of symbol settings. You will probobly wish'to get fqmiliorized with this mosterpiece of precision. On poges 2 to 6 you will find brief operoting instructions; technicol odvice qnd useful photogrophic hints ore given on poges 7 to 16.View original page 6
Page 7 · Read text
View your subiect
When photogrophing it is imporiont to hold the comero
steody. You should therefore loke your Opiimo Reflex
in both honds ond broce your orms ogoinsf your body.
Ploce the index finger of your right hond on the mogic
releose lever.
To toke upright pholos, operote lhe releose lever with
your lhumb or index finger, os illustro,ted. .
The viewfinder gives olmost o full size imoge of lhe
subiect, showing it os it wi,ll
o'ppeor on the negotive, whiih
helps greotly in selecling the
picture.
Close orrongement of the find- ing ond tcking lenses one obove 6
the other eliminotes porollox
so thot even with close-ups the
whole of the viewfinder imoge
is obioined on the film. www.butkus.us
2View original page 7Page 8 · Read text
www.butkus.us
signol . .. expose!
lmportont points:
The outomotic mechonism is sel Block signol when the wh;te "A" on o red field
Tronsport film is visible in the smoll window be-
hind the symbol setting morks.
When the mogic releose lever is
pressed down you will soon notice
increosed resistonce (the pressure
point); this is when the green signol
Red signol oppeors/ if there is enough light.
Not enough light Then keep lhe cqmerq in this posi-
lion ond releose. The red signol
meons thoi there is not enouoh
light for the photogroph. lf no e-x-
posure is mode remove your finger
from the mogic lever.
Green signol
lf you chonge lhe direclion of your
"All cleor" for comerq before moking lhe expo-
your photogroph sure, remove your finger from lhe
mogic lever ond slqrl ofresh. This
con be done qs oflen os you wish,View original page 8Page 9 · Read text
With your Agfo Optimo Reflex you con photo-
groph ot oll disionces befween 3t7n ft. (1 m.)
ond infinity.
eosyp The built-in coupled rongefinder is very
lo operoie ond ollows exoci focusing of your
subiect in splif seconds.
Upper illuslrotion:
In the cenfre of the viewfinder imoge you will
see o circulor porlion divided diogonolly into
two holves. At first this cenfre imoge in the iwo
semi-circles will be seporoted ond disploced'
Middle illuslrolion:
www.butkus.us With thumb ond index finger lurn the focusing
ring fo the right ond left.
Lower illuslrqlion:
n Asunbrokensoon osimoge,the outlinesmeosurementconvergeis tocompletedgive on
ond the comero exoctly focused.View original page 9Page 10 · Read text
www.butkus.us
. . . or symbols for snopshof
There ore lhree focusing symbols on the lens mount of your comero. According to the
distonce from the subiect you set one of the three following tyrfift ogoinst the blockmorK.
c,oseups 'il'i:#;i;- -aQ
Groups l2tr,.St/zin. t.
:" (3.80 m.) fY'i
Distont views infinity
, (londscope)"af(
For your guidonce exoct distonces ore olso indicoied on the lower pori of the focusing
ring. The block mork on the focusing ring indicotes the octuol distonce setting.View original page 10Page 11 · Read text
lnslontreqdiness...
. . . con be obtoined with the ropid ironsport
lever of your Agfo Optimo Reflex. Therefore,
odvonce your film immediolely ofter eoch ex-
posure. Just swing the lever forword to lhe
stop lo move the frlm one frome. The film
counter @ (see moin illustrotion) shows you
how mony exposures you still hove left.
lf the ropid tronsport lever will not move, the
comero is olreody set for the nexl exposure.
The shutter releose ond film tronsporl ore fiited
with o lock to prevent blonk or double ex-
posu res.
lf inodvertenily you releose the ropid tronsport
lever before completing the full forword stroke
it will return to ils storting position. In this
evenl you should swing the lever forword
ogoin os for os it will go; do not ihen try
to force it through, even if the lever stops
holf woy.View original page 11Page 12 · Read text
www.butkus.us
. ..TECHNICA Phofogrophy is more fun
when you hove mqstered the hints mentioned ond ore
thoroughly fomilior with your comero too. SECTION First of oll, something obout films ond how to choose them:
First use Agfo lsopon F,17o DIN (40 ASA). lt is o fine-groin
blqck ond white film of good contour shorpness ond con-
sistent quolity.
For sports photogrophy the ropid Agfo lsopon ISS film,
2l e 'DlN (100 ASA), is iust right.
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 nqturol reproduction of
both postel ond brilliqnt colours. ln oddition, their high
spegd hos mode the living snopshot in colour o procticol
reolit!.
For shorp, brilliont colour tronsporencies:
Agfocolor Reversol Film CT .|8.
For wonderful olbum colour prints:
Agfocolor Negotive Film CN 17 od CN .|4.View original page 12Page 13 · Read text
The film con be looded in doy- Push locking button of rewind lnsert new film cossette with
light, but olwoys in the shode- cronk in direction of orrow ond hole towords rewind cronk.
moking use of body shodow. drow out rewind cronk firmly
os for os possible.
First open the comero bock by
sliding cotch in direction of
orrow.View original page 13Page 15 · Read text
be for the first exposure After inserting the film, the cqmero should
closed ond the film counter set.
With your thumb, push the smoll knob ot the
bock of the comero so often in the direction of
the qrrow, os shown in the illustrotion, until the
-, ,- opprop,riote triongle (red for 36 exposures, green
for 20 ond yellow for 121is in line with the fixed
r,ed mork. Then operote the ropid tronsport lever
.,. os for os it will go ond press down the mogicwww.butkus.us iu 1"i", until releor" tok", ploce. Repeot this proc-
ess until the red mork is in line with the number
36, 20 or 12, os the cose moy be. Your comero
is then reody for the first exposure. The film
counter indicotes the number of exposures still
left on the film.
Every time the film is moved on lhe core of lhe
rewind cronk lurns, q sure sign thol the film is
properly lronsporled.View original page 15Page 16 · Read text
T- www.butkus.us
lmporlcnl Your comero gives fully outomoti
Remember to set the speed of the film operotion for oll films from ll t
looded on the comero to be sure of cor- 25o DrN (r0-2s0 AsA).
reclly expbsed photogrophs. When you press the mogic releos
To do this, push the smoll orresting knob in lever, the exposure reoding is outc { direction of orrow ond turn the milled disk moticolly ond invisibly fixed for yor
with the oid of o coin until the required'DlN During the exposure it then outc or ASA speed is opposite the setting mork. moticolly orronges o shutter spee
ond operture combinotion which o
woys ensures the correct exposurr
ASA scole: The ASA volues indicoted by dots on tl
film speed scole of the comero represent the followin
figures:
10 25 50 100 2ffi
12 16 20 32 40 64 80 125 1& 2!View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
You probobty recoll whot wos soid obout the red signol in the viewfinder. When it oppeors you connot photogroph with the Optimq Reflex using the outomotic mechonism, but if it is dis- connected you con still obtoin good results with time or flosh exposures. '.', Time exposures For:- this purpose set the outomotic mechonism ring of the blqck "B" scolel the operturds then become visible in the window. When on this setting the shutter stoys open os long qs the mogic releose lever is depressed. The use of o tripod ond coble releose is odvisoble in such coses. The lotter is screwed into o threod on the top of the comero.View original page 17
Page 18 · Read text
www.butkus.us
No floshlight problems APERTURE TABLE FOR FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY
With lightning symbol set, shutter speed will outomoticolly beFor flqsh work turn the qutomotic 1/go sec.
mechonism ring fo the yellow flosh
scole, os shown on poge 12; the BlockCleorond whitebulbs film DoylightBlue bulbscolour
opertures become visible in the ou Colour negotive film Reversol film Symbol e6 (cN r7) (cT 18)smoll window. .3* l7o DIN = 40 ASA l8o DIN : 50 ASA o
A constont shutter speed of l/so XMI-PFI XMI B-PFI BB
sec. is used for flosh work. The od-
, 5 f.22 f.16iocent toble shows the opertures.
needed for o number of flosh bulbs 7 f.16 f.lr AQof present on the morket. The plug
of the flosh coble is connected to
the flosh contoct @ (see moin 9Yz f.il f.8
illustrotion). t5 f.8 t. s.6 *rn
Eleclronic floshguns con olso be used, in which cose the operture is colculoted from the
guide number of the floshgun. For exomple: Guide number of electronic floshgun 96
divided by o distonce of l2 feet : operture f/8.View original page 18Page 19 · Read text
Where cleor detoil is required in photogrophs token You con olso photogroph
ogoinst the light or in deep shodows, the outomotic the wonders of the minio-
mechonism of the comero con still be used with the ture world with your Op-
setting on the DIN/ASA scole reduced. lt is odvisoble timo Reflex.to set o film speed of obout 30 DIN or its ASA equiv-
qlent less thon thot morked on the film pockoge. lf, All you need do is use thefor exomple, the film in the comero hos o speed of Agfo close-up qttochment'l7o DIN : 40 ASA, the setting should -be reduced to which covers both lenses oft4o DtN : 20 ASA. the comero.
When o very controsty subject hos to be photogrophed
ond it is wished to obtoin the, correct exposu,re for on You con then still moke full
obiect which is smoll in comporison with its surround- use of the split-imoge ronge-
ings, it is odvisoble to toke o close-up meosuremenl. finder by turning the focus-
lf this is not done, o person in o light dress in front of ing ring, os described on
o dork wood (to give on exomple) could eosily produce poge 4, until the outlines
on incorrect reoding (over-exposur.e). converge.
In such coses opprooch with the comero to o short dis- This close-up ottochment istonce from the subiect ond press down the releose
otlever gently to the first pressure point. Hold the lever used for photogrophs
in this position ond return to your originol position to distonces of 15-32 inches
toke the photogroph. (38-80 cm.) from the comero.
14View original page 19Page 20 · Read text
www.butkus.us
There ore two filters for block ond white film ovoil- Accessories
oble for use with your Agfo Optimo Reflex: Type No.
Medium yellow (filter foctor 1.5)
6345/051 ond UV filter (no foctor). Medium yellow filter
63461051 For speciol photos with colour reversql film on UV filter (ultro-violet) .|.5R Color Filter con be used. lt suppresses the R 1.5 Color filter 6347/051
high proportion of blue light (".g., ot middoy) ond Close-upottochment 63481051
does not require o chonge of the DINiASA set_ Lens hood 6349/051
ting. The only filter for which it is necessory to re_
duce the setting on the film speed scole (poge'11) All filters ond close-up ottoch- is therefore the medium yellow filter, the'reduction ments ore combined with o lensbeing lo or its ASA equivolent. hood.
lf, for exomple, you hove When removing the medium yel-
o film of 17o DIN -i- low filler do nol forget lo resel
40 ASA in the cqmero, the originqt DIN/ASA figure for
the setting would hove to the film in queslion.
be reduced to 160 DIN
: 32 ASA.View original page 20Page 21 · Read text
The film is now finished...
After 36, 20 or 12 exposures, occording to the
length of lhe film, the ropid ironsport lever will
noi move. The film is now finished ond must be
rewound into its cossette.
To do this, first releose the lock of lhe rewind
cronk (see illustrotion B, poge 8) ond position
, the cronk so thot its recessed portion fiis over ;' ihe centre core. Now press down the locking
bulton on the comero bock ond turn the rewind
www.butkus.us cronk in direction shown by the orrow. This
rewinds the film into the empty cosselte.
, .. l
Rewinding is complete when the rewind cronk lurns freely ofler releosing the locking but-
lon. You con now open ihe bock of lhe comero by pushing lhe cotch in ihe direction shown
by the orrow (see fig. A, poge 8). Pull out the rewind cronk firmly os for os it will go ond
remove the cossette. Put the cossette in its light-tight pocking ond mork it os exposed.
16View 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.