Agfa Compact Electronic

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The Agfa Compact was first presented in 1980 as the Agfa Optima 935, being both the last in the Optima Sensor series and the last camera model to be produced in Agfa's Munich factory. All subsequent Agfa cameras were made by OEM suppliers in the far east.

"Compact" was a departure from the previous Optima line, having both a new outer apperance, with a striking olive paint, and an integrated motor drive. The motor operates both film advance and extension of the lens (a 39 mm f/2,8 Solinar, itself a new design compared to Agfa's previous 40 mm Solitar). The camera is activated by pulling down a slider that covers the finder. At the time of release, the Compact was, true to its name, the world's smallest camera with motor advance, far smaller than the likes of Canon AF35M. What it didn't have was autofocus, instead it uses guess focus like most of its Optima predecessors.

Similar to many small cameras of its era (such as the Olympus XA), the Compact has a custom flash that clips on to its side. It was also delivered with a bracket with a standard hot shoe. Another unexpected feature is the thread for a common cable release.

Due to the circumstances of Agfa, and possibly due to manufacturing problems, it is now a rare camera.