AGFAMATIC 110 CLASSIC CAMERAS


version française

Agfa was one the first manufacturers of cameras to follow Kodak after the launching of the 110 film.
Agfa is one of some to propose cameras and 110 film.
The 110 film declination of the 126 film instamatic despite a lot of hope and some beautiful machines (Pentax Auto110, Rollei A 100) has completely disappeared now complete. The Disc film and after APS film replaced it. APS film is itself now on the decline.

The family of Agfamatic pocket launched in 1973, manufactured by Agfa and designed by Schlagheck & Schultes, is characterized by a very good manufacture, they comprise all a tripod socket, which serves to screw the strap, an orange resilient pad - the 'sensor' and destined for minimize the moved, one of defects of 110 camera

The Sensor shutter release button will be one of the elements is made up of a 16 mm diameter orange disc, placed in a 0.7 mm high collar which has the function of guiding the finger towards the center. This collar is made of chrome-plated brass. Under the disc is the button itself. It has a very short stroke (less than 0.5 mm). A pressure of 300 grams on the plastic disc is enough to trigger. The blur of movement due to the trigger is therefore extremely limited. Agfa will gradually equip all new models with this trigger and will make it its number one advertising argument. The patent corresponding to this shutter release button was filed in Germany in 1968 (published in 1970) under the number DE 1622174, then in the United States, in 1972 (published in 1976) under the number US 3 950 773. The title of this patent is Operating means for Photographic Cameras. (text ofSylvain Halgand )

The advance is copied from that of the Minox B and C whose general design the Agfamatics pockets take up, it is carried out by a back and forth movement of a mobile part of the camera, which in the closed position, blocks the shutter release and protects the viewfinder and lens. Closing and opening the camera transports the film and cocks the shutter. The loud noise caused by this mechanism made the pocket Agfamatics popular under the name of "Ritsch-Ratsch-Kameras" in Germany, "Repitomatic" in France.

The body of the camera is made of mostly black plastic, with some metal components both inside and out - the moving part is made of brushed aluminum, with two other parts of aluminum covered in black plastic on the main body.

The shutter release, the speed (or aperture) button are located on the top of the camera and a button under the housing allows you to lock it in the closed position.


This page is dedicated to the best of the agfamatic pockets, those with exemplary manufacturing and finishing. Agfa having produced many models
(see summary table), this page is dedicated to the Agfamatic or Optima models which have the following elements:
A body with aluminum part and design inspired by the Minox, the Repitomatic cocking system, a sensor type trigger and a film loading door which opens downwards.

This allows the Agfamatic 4008 tele to be part of this page despite its particular dimensions but excludes the Agfamatic 508, 1008 or 1008 tele.

These cameras continue to operate twenty-five years after their launch on the market, proof of exceptional quality and robustness.



· Agfa Agfamatic 2000 pocket (typ 2300)

(1973) Lens: fixed-focus "Color Agnar" 26mm. The instructions claim a focus range from about 1.2 meters / 4 feet to infinity.