Agfa's Optima electronic compact — the Optima 1035, fixed-lens, auto exposure, bright finder, 35mm, 1979.
The Agfa Optima 1035 is a fixed-lens 35mm compact from the late 1970s, part of Agfa's Optima electronic series of viewfinder cameras made in Germany. This generation of Optima compacts was known for a large, bright viewfinder with an in-finder exposure display and a distinctive prominent shutter release.
It is a 35mm viewfinder compact with a fixed focal-length lens rather than a zoom, and a coupled or scale-focusing system depending on the exact model. Exposure is handled by an electronic automatic system with a built-in meter; a battery is needed for the meter and electronic shutter. It has a hot shoe or built-in flash provision depending on version and reads film speed via a manual ISO/ASA setting.
The Optima 1035 suits users who want a well-built classic viewfinder compact for street and travel photography with a fast, simple shooting style and a clear finder. Its strengths are the bright viewfinder and solid German construction; its limits are automatic-only exposure that depends on a working battery and the fixed single focal length.
When buying used, confirm the electronic shutter fires and the meter responds, since these depend on the battery and the original cells may be obsolete types. Check the viewfinder and finder display for haze or dim readouts, inspect the lens for haze or fungus, and verify the light seals at the film door. Look for battery-compartment corrosion, test the focusing action, and confirm the film advance and rewind feel smooth.