AGFA Optima 1535
Introduced in 1977 the Optima 1535 Sensor by AGFA. It was the fastest and only rangefinder of the Optima Sensor line. The others are all zone focus.
This is not a very romantic camera design. It looks like AGFA hired a teutonic industrial designer from Playmobil, locked them in a room with no prior camera designs and said make us a small consumer camera. And then painted it black. The Optima is a triumph of function over form.
After I picked it up and played with it, I started to warm up to it quickly. It just works and add some very nice user features to the process. The film loading is redesigned to be simple and quick. The viewfinder is large and clear. The rangefinder is nice and easy to use. Exposure is only automatic but with nice results. Rewind is uniquely designed to use to film advance lever.
My Take:
I was pleasantly surprised by the Optima 1535. Love the size. Small but feels well built. Very nice to use. About the only thing that worried me was the fact that the batteries are inside and require opening the back to change. If you can live with a fully automatic rangefinder, the portability and usability of the Optima 1535 make it a contender. I don't normally get excited about camera cases, don't use them, but mine came with a very nice molded leather case that fits like a glove.
Lens: fixed AGFA Paratronic Solitar 40mm 2.8
Film: Fomapan 100
