www.orphancameras.

com

The lens fitted to vour camera is a product of the Agfa camera werk
and has been computed.and manufactured.in conformity with the most
up-to-date scientific methods,
This lens readtes a standard of performance neper preaiousry attained
in lensesof equal speed haaing the same number of elements.Its &ief
adaattages lie in its great depth of field, extremely high resoluing
power, etcellent definition and outstanding reproduction of detail.
The total of these cltaracteristicsmakes this the ideal lens
for miniature
photography uith bladc and. ushite or colour film.
In ad-dition, eoery lens is thorough\: tested before leaz:ing our
factory
by the most up'to-date methods and is guaranteedby us
lor its'quarity
and pefiormance.
AGFA-GEVAERT AG
Camera-Werk, Muenchen

www.orphancameras.com
EXPLANATIONS
OF ADJACENT
ILLUSTRATION
Operolion, poges 2-5
@ Ropid tronsporl lever
@ M o g i c r e l e q s eb u l i o n
@ Seiiingmork
for outomqticmechonism

CONTENTS
PAGE

R o p i dt r o n s p o rlte v e r
F o c u s i n sgy m b o l s

2
^

H o l d i n g t h e c o m e r o ,v i e w f i n d e r
G r e e ns i g n o l - r e l e o s i n g

T h r e e p o i n t sf o r g o o d p h o i o s

@ Settingmork
f o r f o c u s i n gs y m b o l s
@ Setting ring for symbols

F i l mt y p e s

Technicol seclion, poges 7-15

Loodingihe comero

@ Cotch for comero bock

F i l mc o u n t e r

l0

@ DIN/ASA scole
for setting the film speed

S e t t i n gt h e f i l m s p e e d

ll

@ Light prism
for red qnd green signol
@ Accessoryshoe
@ Rewind knob
@ Diophrogm ring
@ F l o s hc o n t o c t

. 819

W i t h o u t t h e o u t o m o t i cm e c h o n i s m

12

F l o s hi e c h n i q u e

13

A g o i n s t h e l i g h io n d c l o s e - u pe x p o s u r er e o d i n g s 1 4
F i l t e r so n d o c c e s s o r i e s

15

R e w i n d i n gt h e f i l m

16

Y o u o r e n o w i h e p r o u d o w n e r o f q t e c h n i c o l l yp e r f e c t c o m e r q - t h e
fully outomoticAgfo Opiimo 500 which does not require ony comp l i c o t e d m o n u o l o p e r o t i o n so n d s o l e o v e sy o u f r e e t o c o n c e n t r o t eo n
t h e s u b j e c t .W h o t o s o u r c eo f b o u n d l e s sl o y t h o t i s l
F r o m y o u r p h o t o g r o p h i cd e o l e r y o u w i l l h o v e l e o r n e d h o w s i m p l e l h e
A g f o O p t i m o 5 0 0 i s t o h o n d l e .S h u t t e rs p e e d so n d o p e r i u r e sw h i c h o n c e
h o d i o b e w o r k e d o u t , m e o s u r e do r s e t o r e n o w o f y o u r b e c k o n d c o l l .
T h e f u l l y o u t o m o t i c m e c h o n i s mi s s o m e t h i n g o f o m i r o c l e , y o u r i n v i s i b l e s l o v e t o c o l c u l o t e ,t h i n k o n d o c t f o r y o u - i u s t o i o u c h o f t h e
"mogic
r e l e o s eb u t t o n " s u f f i c e s .
Y o u w i l l p r o b o b l y w i s h t o g e t f o m i l i o r i z e d w i t h t h i s m o s t e r p i e c eo f
p r e c i s i o n .O n p o g e s 2 t o 6 y o u w i l l f i n d b r i e f o p e r o i i n g i n s t r u c t i o n s ;
t e c h n i c o lo d v i c e o n d u s e f u l p h o l o g r o p h i c h i n t s o r e g i v e n o n p o g e s
7 Io 16.

www.orphancameras.com

with the ropid tronsportlever of your Opfimo.

Justswingthe lever forwqrd to move ihe film
on one frome. The film counterot the lower
reqr edge of the comeroshowsyou how mony
you still hove left.
exposures
lf the ropid tronsportlever will not move,the
comerqis olreody set for the nexl exposure.
The shutterreleoseond film tronsportore fitied with o lock to prevent blqnk or double
exposures.
lf you releoselhe ropid tronsportlever before
compleiingthe full forword stroke it will relurn to i,tssiortingposiiion.ln lhis event you
shouldswing the lever forword ogoin os for
os it will go.

Howfor owqyisyoursu.biect?
There ore only lhree focus settingson the
comero.Accordingto the distoncefrom the
subiectyou merelyset one of the three symb o l so n t h e l e n sm o u n lo g o i n stth e w h i t em o r k :

With your Agfo Optimo you con

p h o t o g r o p ho t o l l d i s t o n c e sb e tween 3tla ft. (1 m) ond infinity.

Subiecl disionce

AQ
f\{
,A(\
l'l"l

ctose-ups

5 f r .r o 7 f t . 5 i n .

Groups

7 ft. 5 in.to

Distqntviews

'15
ft.

.|5ft.

to infiniiy
(londscope)

lntermediotesettingsore olso possible,if required. lf you wish to focus the comero on

objects only 31/aft. owoy, turn ihe lens mount
until the 3y4 ft. F m) settingis in line with the
white morkobovethe word "ompu/'.
To ensurecorreclly exposedphotogrophsit is importonl lo set lhe correcl film speed on
lhe cqmerq(seepoge ll).

Toke the first pressure. . .

www.orphancameras.com

W h e n p h o t o g r o p h i n gi t i s i m p o r t o n t i o h o l d t h e c o m e r q
s t e o d y .Y o u s h o u l d t h e r e f o r e t o k e y o u r O p t i m o i n b o i h
honds ond broce your orms ogoinsi your body. Ploce
ihe index finger of your right hond on the mogic releose
b u t t o n . W h e n y o u l o o k t h r o u g h i h e v i e w f i n d e ry o u w i l l
s e e o l u m i n o u s f r o m e w h i c h s u r r o u n d st h e s u b i e c t o n d
s h o w sy o u i h e e x o c t p i c t u r e o r e o .
F o r c l o s e - u p s( 3 y 4 f t . s e t i i n g ) ,t h e t w o l i n e s b e l o w t h e t o p
m o r g i n o f t h i s f r o m e i n d i c o i ei h e u p p e r e d g e o f i h e p i c ture oreo.

T o t o k e u p r i g h tp h o t o s ,o p e r o t e t h e r e l e o s eb u t i o n w i t h
your thumb or index finger,
os illustroied.

Gr eensignol... r eleqse

ililililil|rililtIlil TNhoet eo!u i o m q t i c

m e c h o n i s mi s c o n n e c t e dw h e n t h e A
ond the whitemork
ore in line.

G r e e ns i g n o l :
"All
cleor" for
your photogroph

R e ds i g n o l '
Stopdo not photogroph

The ligl*ing is under conslonlconl r o l q s s o o n o s y o u o c i u o t et h e

r o p i d t r o n s p o r tl e v e r . S i g h t y o u r
s u b i e c tW
. i i h t h e s i g n o lo l g r e e n ,
p r e s sd o w n t h e m o g i cr e l e o s eb u t t o n t o t h e p r e s s u rpeo i n t .T h e nk e e p
in this posirion ond
lh;::"'"
T h e r e d s i g n o lm e o n st h e r e i s n o t
e n o u g h l i g h t ; t i m e e x p o s u r e so r
f l q s h w i l l t h e n h e l p y o u ( s e ep o s e s1 2 l 1 3 ) .
l f n o e x p o s u r et o k e s p l o c e , r e m o v e
your finger from ihe button.Then
r e - s i g h it h e s u b i e c to n d p r e s sd o w n
the button ogoin to the pressure
point; finolly press righi down to
exoose.

www.orphancameras.com

Threepoints

w h i c h y o u c o n q u i c k l y m o s t e r s u f f i c ei o o b i o i n
perfectPictures'
l . S e t t h e f o c u s i n gs Y m b o l .
2 . L i n e u p y o u r s u b i e c tq n d i q k e t h e f i r s t
pressure.
3 . G r e e n s i g n o l i n v i e w f i n d e r' P r e s s r e l e q s e
bution righi down.
Afterwordsprepore the comero for the next phoiogroph
qs noi to miss
b y o p e r o i i n g t h e r o p i d t r o n s p o r tl e v e r , s o
s
h
o
t
.
on oction
Thot's lust how eosy photogrophyis
with the Agfo OPtimo500'
But you will probobly wont to know more
cqmeroin your honds

so toke the

Photogrophyis more .fun

w h e n y o u h q v e m o s i e r e dt h e t h r e e p o i n t s m e n t i o n e do n d
o r e l h o r o u g h l yf o m i l i o r w i t h y o u r c o m e r o i o o .
F i r s io f o l l , s o m e t h i n go b o u t f i l m so n d h o w t o c h o o s et h e m :
F i r s iu s e A g f o l s o p o n F , l 7 D I N ( 4 0 A S A ) . I t i s o f i n e - g r o i n
b l c c k - o n d - w h i i ef i l m o f g o o d c o n t o u r s h o r p n e s so n d c o n s i s l e nq
t uoliiy.
For sport photogrophy the ropid Agfo lsopon ISSfilm,
2 l D I N ( , l 0 0A S A ) , i s i u s t r i s h t .
With Agfocolor films you con explore ihe world of colo u r . T h e s ef i l m s h o v e b e e n f i r m f o v o u r i t e sf o r m o r e t h o n
t w e n t y - f i v ey e o r s , b e c o u s e o f t h e i r n o t u r o l r e p r o d u c t i o n
of boih postel ond brilliont colours. In oddition, their
high speed hos mode the living snopshot in colour q
p r o c t i c o lr e o l i t y .
For shorp,brilliqntcolour tronspqrencies:
Agfocolor ReversqF
l ilmCT'18.
For wonderful olbum colour prints:
Agfocolor Negotive Film CN 17 or CN.l4.

www.orphancameras.com

The film con be looded in doy- drow oui rewind knob firmly
light,but olwoysin the shode- with left hond os for os posmoking use of body shodow. s i b l e .
Firstopen the comero bock bY
sliding cotch in direction of
orrow.
Push locking buiton of rewind
knob in direciionof orrow ond

Now set the film type indicotor

by turningthe millededge Proiruding ot the bottom of the
rewind knob until the desired
settingoppeorsin the window:

Block ond white checks

: Block ond while film
CN =
CT =
DAY
CK :
A
CF :
F

Colour negotive film

Colour reversol film,
doylight tyPe
C o l o u r r e v e r s o lf i l m , o r t i f i c i o l
liqht lype (incondescenl
lo.-rnps'6f3400o Kelvin)
C o l o u r r e v e r s o lf i l m , o r t i f i c i o l
floshlight tYPe (3800oKelvin)

il

I
I

Insert new film cosseltewiih Turn loke-up spool by its mill- firmly, so thot the lug engoges
hole lowords rewind knob.
ed disk until the brood slit ond in the secondfilm perforotion.
film perforotionlug ore upperPushbock rewind knob, if nec- mosf.
Now iurn the toke-upspool on
essory turning slightly bock- Drow out ihe film from the slighily in the directionof the
words ond forwords.
cossette lowords the toke-up orrow, os shownin figure F, unspoor.
til iust under holf on inch of
lnsertihe end of the film in the the full film width proiectsfrom
slit, holding the toke-up spool the cosseite.

www.orphancameras.com

for the firsl exPosure

p o s u r e s t i l ll e f t o n t h e f i l m '
to thot
knob roiotesin the oppositedirection
Everytime the film is movedon the rewind
film is properlyloodedond tronsported'
shownby the orrow," t""1lg" thot the
imPossible
Doubleexposures
e n s u r e tsh o t y o u d o n o t t o k e i w o
s o u b l e" * o J r r r " p r e v e n t i o n . m e c h o n i s m tronsporteduniil on exposure
A n i n g e n i o ud
be
connoi
on one ""niiiu".in"oial,ion the film
photogrophs
h o sb e e nm o d e .

lmporlonl:
Rememberto set the speed of the film
looded on the comerolo be sure of cor.
reclly exposedphologrophs.
To do this,pushin the smollorrestingknob
o n d i u r n t h e m i l l e dd i s k w i i h i h e o i d o f o
c o i n u n i i l t h e r e q u i r e dD I N o r A S A s p e e d
is oppositethe settingmork.

for qll films

from ll-25 DIN (10-250ASA)
When you pressihe mogicreleose
bution, the exposure reoding is
outomolicolly
ond invisiblyfixedfor
y o u . D u r i n gt h e e x p o s u r ei t t h e n
o u t o m o l i c o l l yo r r o n g e so s h u t t e r
s p e e d o n d o p e r t u r ec o m b i n q t i o n
which olwoys ensuresthe correct
exposure.

www.orphancameras.com

on this Po'ge).

TirneexPosures
"B"
until
T u r nt h e m i l l e dr i n g o n t h e l e n sm o u n t
in the top
i s i n l i n e w i t h t h e m o r k ,o s s h o w n
shutter
ihe
setting
this
lilustrotion.When on
b
u
t i o ni s
r
e
l
e
o
s
e
t
h
e
o
s
l
o
n
g
o
s
s i o y so p e n
coble
ond.o
rt.'" ,'J of o triPod
;;J;";:;.
loiter
The
coses'
such
;"1:";; is odvisqblein
releose
the
below
ihreod
the
t.t"*"a into
ir
'fria"
milled
tr.t the side'By turningthe reor
smoll
t
h
e
i
n
v
i
s
i
b
l
e
i"glL"' ofurtr,"' become
window.

No floshlight problems
For flosh work turn the ouiomqtic mechqnism
ring uniil the flosh symbol is opposite the
white mork.
A constont shutter speed of llgo sec. is used
for flosh work. Pleose see the column for ,,X',
s y n c h r o n i z o t i o no n e o c h p o c k e t o f f l o s h b u l b s
f o r i h e r e q u i r e do p e r t u r ew h i c h i s s e t b y t u r n ing ihe reor milled ring. The plug of the flosh
coble is connectedio the flosh contoct ll2.
moin illusirotion).
Eleclronicfloshgunscon qlso be used, in which
c o s e i h e o p e r i u r e i s c q l c u l q t e df r o m t h e g u i d e
n u m b e ro f t h e f l o s h g u n .
E .g . g u i d e n u m b e r o f e l e c t r o n i c f l o s h g u n 9 6
divided by o distonce of l2 feet = operiure f/8.

The hondyAgfoluxfloshgun
in zip cose

www.orphancameras.com

p h o t o g r o p h si o k e n
W h e r e c l e o r d e t o i l i s r e q u i r e di n .
th.e
shodows'
deep
in
or
fight
"n"fttt tf't"
,outomotic
with.thesetting
used
be
still
con
co'mero
ihe
of
mechonism
odvisobleto sef o
." lfl" DIN/ASA scole reduced'lt is
lessthon
equivoleni
ASA
iis
or
DIN
3
iirn to""a of obout
the film
exomple'
for
in"t titf."a on the film pockoge'lf'
the set:
A
S
A
'
4
0
D
I
N
i n t h u . o . " r o h o s o s p e e do f 1 7
:
ASA'
20
DIN
14
to
ii"g tL.ufa be red'uced

A l e o i h e r c o s e .d e s i g n e d
;; i":k; ; lens ho.od,ond
t w o f i l t e r si s o v o l l o b l e '
Filtersfor YourOPtimo

W h e n o V e r y c o n t r o s t y s u b i e c t h q s t o b e p h ofor
t o gon
rophed
for block ond while PhotogroPhY
exposure
""a-;i it wirn"a io obtoin ihe correct
iis,surroundings'
R e d u c eD I N
wilh
"rl.i *r,lrln is smollin comporison
scole setting
meos'
close-up
o
os
known
is
by
it-i, oauitoUt"to toke whot
comero'
of
DIN
1
"t"-r"*i *itf-r the built-inexposuremeier .the
Iiohtvellow
DIN
dressin froni of o
2
light
o
in
person
o
*
'
"
d
i
u
t
Y
"
l
l
o
*
done,
not
is
lf this
DIN
on
2
produce
y
e
l
l
o
w
g
i
e
e
n
eosily
could
Jonkwood (io give on exomple)
UV filter (ultro-violei)
no chonge
i n c o r r e crte o d i n g .
to o shortdistonce
ln suchcosesopproochwith the comero
for sPeciol PhotogroPhs
bufionto the
with colour leversol lllm
it.tln" subieciond pressdown the releose
ond
position
this
in
Aqfo Color Filier
Hoia tnu button
;;;';;;J;J-poiit.
no chonge
Ri.5
p
h
o
t
o
g
r
o
p
h
'
t
h
e
t
o
k
e
t
o
p
o
s
i
t
i
o
n
r e t u r nt o y o u , o , ' g ' n o l

Filters/ Accessories
Filters
There is o voriety of filters
for blqck ond whit6 film ovoiloble for use with ihe Aofo
Opiimo 500 in screw mor-ilts
o f 3 5 . 5m m d i o m . A s s o o n o s
q f i l t e r i s u s e do n t h e c o m e r c r
you will hove to reducethe
setting..on.th
f i el m s p e e ds c o l e
q c c o r oI n gl y .
A filter hovinq o focior of 2
will require 6 reduciionin
the speed settinq of 3 DIN
o r i t s A S A e q u i v d l e n t .l f y o u
hove o film of 17 DIN- :
40 ASA this meonsthot you
<- l w i l l h o v e i o r e d u c et h e f i o u r e
: 20 ASA. A fo-ctor
to 14
. l .DIN
5
of
would require q reduction of l-2 DlN.
W h e n r e m o v i n gt h e f i l t e rf r o m
ihe comerq do nol forget io
reset the originol DIN/ASA
t i g u r et o r t h e t i l m i n q u e s t i o n .

Close-ups
You con olso photogroph
the wonders of the minioiure world with yo'Jr
Optimo. All you hovb io
do is fix ihe Agfo Notorix
c l o s e - u po t t o c h m e n tl o t h e
l e n sm o u n i o f y o u r c o m e r o .A n o d d i t i o n o l
N o t o r i x v i e w f i n d e r o t t o c h m e n t c o m p e n s o t e sf o r
p o r o l l o xw h e n l i n i n g u p y o u r s u b i e c t . '
Symbol setting

Shorp definition of the subiecl

(meosured from the froni edge
of ihe lens) is obtoined ot o
d i s t o n c eo f o b o u t

3y4 ft.

1' 3"-1,7"

An
LJ''?

1'8"-2'y2"

ix{
/YA'Y\
llill

2/1/2t_2/6,

2'6"-3,2y2"

www.orphancameras.com

The film is now finished.. .

occordingto the length
After 36 or 20 exposures,
of the film, the ropid tronsportlever will not
remove.The film is now finishedond mustbe
cossette.
its
wound into
(see
Firstreleosethe lock of the rewind knob
out'
spring
fo
ihis
ollow
to
illustrotionB, poge 8)
stop'
first
its
to
froction
o
only
out
it
ond drow
. ose.,of
T h e np r e s si n t h e l o c k i n gb u t t o ni n . t h e b
in the
k
n
o
b
r
e
w
i
n
d
t
h
e
t h e c o m e r qs n d t u r n
is
Rewinding
orrow'
the
by
shown
Jirection
freely
turns
.omplutu when the rewind knob
o f t e i r e l e o s i n gt h e l o c k i n g b u t t o n ' Y o u . c q n
no* op"n the bock of the comeroby pushing
pqg" 8)' Pull out the rewind
qrrow (seefiS'
the cqfchin the direciionshown by the
{'
Pui the cossetiein ifs lighi-tighl
knob firmly os for os it will go ond removeihe cossetie'
pockingond mork it os exPosed'