Agfa Optima 1 (1960–1964)

Little is documented about the Agfa Optima 1 in depth, and what exists is muddled by its close relative, the Optima 1a. Here is what the record shows. It is a compact 35mm camera made by Agfa in Germany, produced between 1960 and 1964 (though some sources place it from the late 1950s through the 1960s), and widely described as the predecessor to the Optima 1a. It carried an Agnar Prontar Lux 45mm f/2.8 lens, though some listings call it a Color Agnar 45mm f/2.8. The body was pitched at accessible, straightforward photography - one account describes the line as setting the stage for foolproof camera operation.

The Optima 1 was the lower-cost follow-up to the original 1959 Optima, one of the first cameras with a fully automatic program auto-exposure mode. The original carried a retail price of $79.95. The Optima 1 kept a selenium meter coupled to the aperture and shutter settings for automatic exposure. The selenium cell is the known weak point. Dead meters are common enough that using the camera with a failed meter is a documented workaround. At least one repair case centered on the shutter, which suggests it as another failure point. Working examples still turn up, and owners report shooting modern films like Kodak Ektar 100 without trouble.

Be careful when buying. Many listings labeled "Optima 1" are actually the Optima 1a, a different model with its own lens and shutter specs. Resale prices for the Optima 1 itself are low. Listings have shown $9.47, ₪158.60, and 5,000 PKR, and one unit sold secondhand in 2016 for £2.40. An owner's manual is archived on archive.org.

Type: compact 35mm camera (viewfinder/rangefinder descriptions vary by source)
Lens: Agnar Prontar Lux 45mm f/2.8 (also listed as Color Agnar 45mm f/2.8)
Exposure: selenium meter, automatic; manual shutter speed control also provided
Years: 1960–1964
Made in: Germany