AGFA Optima 500 Manual

							
The lens fitted to vour camera is a product of the Agfa camera werkand has been computed. and manufactured. in conformity with the mostup-to-date scientific metho ds,This lens readtes a standard of performance neper preaiousry attainedin lenses of equal speed haaing the same number of elements. Its &iefadaattages lie in its great depth of field, extremely high resoluingpower, etcellent definition and outstanding reproduction of detail.The total of these cltaracteristics makes this the ideal lens for miniaturephotography uith bladc and. ushite or colour film.In ad-dition, eoery lens is thorough\: tested before leaz:ing our factoryby the most upto-date methods and is guaranteed by us lor itsquarityand pefiormance.
AGFA-GEVAERT AGCamera-Werk, Muenchen
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EXPLANATIONSOF ADJACENTILLUSTRATION
Operolion, poges 2-5
@ Ropid tronsporl lever
@ Mogic releqse bulion
@ Seiiing morkfor outomqtic mechonism
@ Setting morkfor focusing symbols
@ Setting ring for symbols
Technicol seclion, poges 7-15
@ Cotch for comero bock
@ DIN/ASA scolefor setting the film speed
@ Light prismfor red qnd green signol
@ Accessory shoe
@ Rewind knob
@ Diophrogm ring
@ Flosh contoct
CONTENTS
Ropid tronsport lever
Focusing symbols
PAGE
.2
Holding the comero, viewfinder
Green signol-releosing
Three points for good phoios
^
5
o
Film types
Looding ihe comero . 819
Film counter l0
Setting the film speed ll
Without the outomotic mechonism 12
Flosh iechnique 13
Agoinst the lighi ond close-up exposure reodings 14
Filters ond occessories 15
Rewinding the film 16
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You ore now ihe proud owner of q technicolly perfect comerq-thefully outomotic Agfo Opiimo 500 which does not require ony com-plicoted monuol operotions ond so leoves you free to concentrote onthe subject. Whot o source of boundless loy thot isl
From your photogrophic deoler you will hove leorned how simple lheAgfo Optimo 500 is to hondle. Shutter speeds ond operiures which oncehod io be worked out, meosured or set ore now of your beck ond coll.
The fully outomotic mechonism is something of o mirocle, your in-visible slove to colculote, think ond oct for you-iust o iouch of themogic releose button suffices.
You will probobly wish to get fomiliorized with this mosterpiece ofprecision. On poges 2 to 6 you will find brief operoiing instructions;technicol odvice ond useful phologrophic hints ore given on poges7 Io 16. 
						

							
with the ropid tronsport lever of your Opfimo.
Just swing the lever forwqrd to move ihe film
on one frome. The film counter ot the lower
reqr edge of the comero shows you how mony
exposures you still hove left.
lf the ropid tronsport lever will not move, the
comerq is olreody set for the nexl exposure.
The shutter releose ond film tronsport ore fit-
ied with o lock to prevent blqnk or double
exposures.
lf you releose lhe ropid tronsport lever before
compleiing the full forword stroke it will re-
lurn to i,ts siorting posiiion. ln lhis event you
should swing the lever forword ogoin os for
os it will go.
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How for owqy is your su.biect?
With your Agfo Optimo you con
photogroph ot oll distonces be-
tween 3tla ft. (1 m) ond infinity.
There ore only lhree focus settings on thecomero. According to the distonce from thesubiect you merely set one of the three sym-bols on the lens mounl ogoinst the white mork:
AQ ctose-ups
f\{ Groups
,A( Distqnt views .|5ft. to infiniiy
lll - (londscope)
lntermediote settings ore olso possible, if re-quired. lf you wish to focus the comero onobjects only 31/a ft. owoy, turn ihe lens mountuntil the 3y4 ft. F m) setting is in line with thewhite mork obove the word €ompu/.
To ensure correclly exposed photogrophs it is importonl lo set lhe correcl film speed onlhe cqmerq (see poge ll).
Subiecl disionce
5fr. ro 7ft.5in.
7 ft. 5 in. to 15 ft. 
						

							
Toke the first pressure . . .
When photogrophing it is importont io hold the comerq
steody. You should therefore toke your Optimo in boih
honds ond broce your orms ogoinsi your body. Ploce
ihe index finger of your right hond on the mogic releose
button. When you look through ihe viewfinder you will
see o luminous frome which surrounds the subiect ond
shows you ihe exoct picture oreo.
For close-ups (3y4 ft. setiing), the two lines below the top
morgin of this frome indicoie ihe upper edge of ihe pic-
ture oreo.
To toke upright photos, oper-
ote the releose bution with
your thumb or index finger,
os illustroied.
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ililililil|rililtIlilNote !
The ouiomqtic
mechonism is con-
nected when the A
ond the white mork
ore in line.
Green signol:All cleor for
your photogroph
Red signol
Stop-
do not photogroph
Green signol ... releqse
The ligl*ing is under conslonl con-lrol qs soon os you ociuote the
ropid tronsport lever. Sight your
subiect. Wiih the signol ol green,
press down the mogic releose but-
ton to the pressure point. Then keep
lh;:: 
in this posirion ond
The red signol meons there is not
enough light; time exposures or
flqsh will then help you (see po-
ses 12l13).
lf no exposure tokes ploce, remove
your finger from ihe button. Then
re-sighi the subiect ond press down
the button ogoin to the pressure
point; finolly press righi down to
exoose. 
						

							
Three points
which you con quickly moster suffice io obioin
perfect Pictures
l. Set the focusing sYmbol.
2. Line up your subiect qnd iqke the first
pressu re.
3. Green signol in viewfinder  Press releqse
bution righi down.
Afterwords prepore the comero for the next phoiogroph
by operoiing the ropid tronsport lever, so qs noi to miss
on oction shot.
Thots lust how eosy photogrophy is
with the Agfo OPtimo 500
But you will probobly wont to know more so toke the
cqmero in your honds
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