AGFA Optima 535 Sensor - pocket snap shooter

I’ve often looked at Rollei 35s thinking how nice it would be to have a pocketable camera to take everywhere. My enthusiasm is inevitably dampened by considering the seemingly poor ergonomics of the Rollei, the vexing question of batteries for the meter, and prices that stay in the premium range.

Thankfully I’ve got this forum to inform my camera choices / feed my GAS. I believe Rick Drawbridge shared info about the Agfa Optima Sensor line of cameras, which impressed me. While the Optima 1535 remains pricey thanks to its couple rangefinder, the 535 is still readily available at prices lower than the shipping cost of the camera. So, I’ve ended up with an Optima 535 Sensor. These are the first shots from my camera.

My quick take: Nice little lens, handy and accurate metering even with alkaline PX625 batteries, and the NICEST viewfinder I’ve used in a long while. Handsome industrial design is exactly to my taste and makes an easy-to-carry and operate camera.

Rain plus wind. Kodak Portra 160.

Cat on a wall. Portra 160.

I still call it the BCE Place. Portra 160.

Massey fire escape. Portra 160.

Nice! Great to see someone else extolling the virtues of the little Agfa Optima Sensors, David. I guess they were relatively unknown in the US, but they were certainly popular in Europe. The 535 is admittedly number two in the five-camera hierarchy, but it shares that very good Solitar lens with it's slightly better-featured brothers. I use the 1035 and the Flash, the next ones up in the range, and I'd really like to get hold of a 1535 with the rangefinder but, as you've pointed out, price considerations come into play.

For those interested in these cameras, here's a link to a must-read article, that hints at a link between the designers of the Plaubel Makina and these Optimas.

ACP - Optima 1535

Thanks for the post; your excellent images show what the Optimas are capable of, and I feel my earlier claims are justified!

Great little shooters with excellent viewfinder and nice release feel.

Rewind mode is a bit crazy - you select reverse with a button and then wind on with the film transport lever.