Agfa Agomar 90/2.8

Reviews

1. 

   16:9 – March 15, 2022

   The Agfa Agomar, AKA Reflecta/Wetzlar Agomar 90mm f2.8, is a commonly-available entry-level projector lens that suffers from extreme flare susceptibility and hot-spotting despite its multicoating.

   Typically, projector lenses have a sweet spot of high resolution in the centre frame, deteriorating rapidly in the outer image circle. However at distance, the Agomar 90/2.8 only rises to a peak of 6.8, with Zone 3 sinking to 5.9. Near-field shooting flattens Zone 1 resolution to the same low level (6.0) as Zone 3 (5.8). It is consistently soft all over, rendering images with vintage glow and smeared focus transitions, with a thin-walled soap-bubble bokeh typical of a triplet in a well damped barrel. On a 35mm sensor there’s minimal swirling, with cat-eyes developing predictably across an image circle that appears to be at least 55mm in diameter, allowing space for movements or coverage of a medium format sensor – where swirly bokeh would strongly feature. Colours are somewhat muted. As you might expect, the fixed circular ‘aperture’ doesn’t render specular highlights as sunstars.

   Few projector lenses of this specification are noteworthy performers, and this one is no exception. In the present market, there’s no difference in price between f2.8 lenses and far more recommendable f2.4 or f2.5 versions.