Agfa Optima 500 SN (1966) with Color solinar and Paratic shutter

[daniel_iggers]

Anyone know anything about the Agfa Optima 500 SN?

 

I just "won" an Agfa Optima 500 SN. It looks like a 35mm rangefinder. It has a

2.8 / 45mm Color Solinar lens and (I think) a Paratic shutter. I was able to

find limited information by googling, including that it is from 1966, and that

Rich Silfver (in a 2003 post on Rangefinderforum) recommended it without saying

much more.

 

Based on that small amount of information, I am hoping that aperture and shutter

speeds can be set mnanually. Problem is, from the photo with the listing and the

few photos that I googled, it looks like it might be a fully automatic camera

that does not allow for manual setting of shutter speeds. I wouldn't expect a

40-year old selenium meter to still work, and accordingly if the camera is auto

only (apart from a fixed shutter speed flash option), it won't be worth much.

 

Anyone have any information on this model?

[charles_stobbs3]

The Erikfiss website gives Optima a glowing review. The Butkus website has a manual. Not sure if either is your model. Always fun opening a package.

[john carter]

I have an Agfa Optima IIs. It works as new. Even though it is Auto, it is nice to just focus and shoot sometimes. Try this site. http://home.hetnet.nl/~agfa/AGFATHEO.html

[daniel_iggers]

Nice photo.

 

I guess I'll have to wait and see.

[h._p.]

The Agfa Optima 500S appears in the 1965-66 edition of Wallace Heaton's Blue Book. Film speeds are 10-250 ASA; 4-element Color-Solinar; Compur speeded /30th - 1/500th (continously variable); auto exposure; rangefinder and parallax corrected bright line finder. Price was a wallet punishing 59 pounds 16 shillings and 6 pence, putting it well into the top price bracket for fixed lens 35s. Interestingly, it disappears from the 1966-67 edition, leaving behind only its much cheaper relation the 1a.

[daniel_iggers]

Thanks. That "continuously variable" and auto exposure suggests auto exposure only. I guess I'll find out in due course.

[daniel_iggers]

My guess was right: You can set the Agfa Optima 500 SN to "A", and let the camera's program automatic system select both the aperture and the shutter speed, or you can set it to flash, at a fixed shutter speed, and select the aperture. Actually there also is a third choice - you can set it to "B" and stll adjust the aperture. The shutter and aperture seem to respond to light, and I've loaded a roll of film, but it remains to be seen what the exposures are like. The camera also has coupled zone focus indicators in the viewfinder, but no rangefinder.