I picked this AGFA Optima 200 Sensor, up at a thrift store for 10 Dkr – that's around $1,5 – it was looking kind of crappy, but it had a decent lens on it and for the price, I thought that I had very little to lose.
To begin with it just ended up in the pile of other cameras I need to use/check out.
But then one day, I popped a film in it, and of I went.
At first, I wasn't even sure the shutter was working – I knew it was, because that's one of the things I always check before I buy a used camera – it made this flat, almost non-existent sound when I pressed the shutter button. And I later found out that it can get stuck from time to time, especially if you're not using it.
The camera certainly is better than it looks, I mean this camera is not gonna win any design prizes. But it's handy and not that hard to use, even for an analog photography beginner.
It uses zone focus – you know the man, people, mountain kind of focus, which is fine by me, as long as there is a real distance scale as well, and the Optima 200 as that on the “bottom” of the lens, and that is fantastic, because then you know exactly how far you are focusing.
I'd say if you happen to stopple upon this camera with a low price tag, go for it, you won't be disappointed. I would not rule out that I might put yet another film in it some day.
Useful links
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The Looks
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The Quality
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The Handling
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The Price
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The Output
In short!
It sure is better then it looks.
Pros
- Quick loading of film.
- Good lens.
- Distance scale
Cons
- Looks like a toy.
- Flat shutter sound
- Shutter gets stuck.
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