A camera that takes 126 film and offers a massive 30-second longest exposure time
The Instamatic, or 126 format, was introduced by Kodak in 1963. It was designed to be a foolproof system for the snapshot market, and did away with the need to thread a 35mm film, and then rewind it at the end of the roll. With the Instamatic system you simply dropped a fresh cartridge into the back of the camera, took your photos, then removed the cartridge and took it to your local high street chemist for developing and printing.
Although the film was 35mm wide, and could therefore be processed using 35mm machines, the negatives were 28mm square, compared with the 24x36mm of full-frame 35mm. Most 126 cameras, and they were produced in vast quantities, were pretty basic, and only suitable for use in good daylight. Most of the major manufacturers produced the odd high-end model including several single lens reflexes. These weren’t really a commercial success, as if you understood enough about photography to be able to handle an SLR, the chances are you weren’t going to be put off by the simple task of loading a 35mm film cassette into your camera.
Agfa made several 126 models, with the Sensor 300 being the top of the range. It features computerised electronic exposure control and shares many of its specifications with Agfa’s 35mm range of Optima cameras, which were made at the same time as the Agfamatics. When I first saw the camera, I assumed that the twin windows on the front were part of an auto focus system, but that feature didn’t appear on consumer models for another few years. In fact, the windows belong to the exposure system. Focusing is achieved using a scale on the lens, which also includ
