Agfa Optima 500 (1964)
35mm viewfinder camera with automatic exposure, produced in West Germany starting in 1964.
Overview
The Agfa Optima 500 is a 35mm film viewfinder camera made by Agfa AG in West Germany. Introduced in 1964, it is the second-to-last model in the Optima line and part of the Optima Sensor range. The camera features a selenium cell light meter for automatic exposure and a bright-frame viewfinder with red/green signals indicating correct exposure. It was released during the merger of Belgium's Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V. and Germany's Agfa AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG.
Specifications
| Lens | Agfa Color-Apotar 45mm f/2.8 |
| Focus | Three zone settings, visible from top with distance scale underneath |
| Shutter | Automatically programmed Paratic shutter, 1/30 to 1/500 seconds + Bulb |
| Aperture | Manually selectable or set to "A" for automatic |
| Light Meter | Selenium cell |
| Battery | PX625 / Mallory PX13 button-type, + pole facing downward |
| Film Advance | Rapid wind lever on bottom plate (left-handed), doubles as rewind lever |
| Shutter Release | Round button on lens barrel |
| Viewfinder | Bright-frame with red/green exposure signals |
| Flash | Hot shoe on top plate |
| Film Speed Scale | Semi-circular DIN and ASA pointers on opposite ends of top plate |
| Frame Counter | Manually reset on bottom plate |
| Cable Release | On back, near eight o'clock position relative to lens |
| Rewind Release | Mounted beside lens, latches when pressed inward and upward |
| Film Door Latch | Two textured metal plates pressed simultaneously on right side |
| Dimensions | 12.2 x 8.7 x 6.7 cm |
Design
The Optima 500 has a stylish, subtly octagonal body with a top plate that transitions smoothly into the front housing of the viewfinder and selenium meter. The hot shoe is on one side of the top plate, the film speed indicator on the other. The battery compartment is a removable tray located under the red sensor spot on the top right rear. The take-up spool is on the left, and a hinged plastic cover fits over the take-up reel after threading. The advance lever doubles as the rewind lever when the rewind release is engaged. Opening the back releases the film-spool drive spindle from the bottom plate and resets the rewind release.
Context
The Agfa Optima 500 is the direct descendant of the original Agfa Optima, the first mass-produced camera with automatic exposure, introduced in 1959. It is part of the Optima Sensor range and belongs to the "Fixed lens (viewfinder)" category. The model was released during the corporate merger of Gevaert and Agfa AG, which was owned by Bayer AG at the time.
Market
The PX625 battery required for operation can be difficult to source. Users are advised to reset the frame counter after loading a new film. The camera is nicknamed "Big Red Button" in Hong Kong and is enjoyed with various film types, including color, redscale, and black & white.
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