Optima Sensor 500
The Optima Sensor 500, made by Agfa in Germany - c.1972/3 - as part of the Optima Sensor range, is a fairly eccentric 35mm viewfinder camera with automatic exposure.
The advance lever is on the bottom plate, to the users left. This doubles as the rewind lever. To rewind, the rewind release, mounted beside the lens, is moved in towards the lens and upward - where it latches. The advance lever is now reverse-geared to be a rewinder. Opening the back, using the catch on the right-hand end, releases the film-spool drive- which springs out of the bottom plate, and resets the rewind release.
Semi-circular film speed scale scale in top plate with pointers at opposite ends for DIN and ASA.
Manually-reset frame counter in bottom plate.
Flash can be connected via a hot shoe, which has a pin to detect the flash gun; a guide-number scale is fitted in the right-hand end.
- Lens: Agfa Color Apotar 42mm f2.8
- Power: PX525 battery, placed where the advance lever might be expected.
Links
- Optima Sensor 500 at westfordcomp.com
