batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
Some years ago, I was given an Exa 1b and found to my surprise that it was fun to use, especially with the WLF. But I only had the lowly Domiplan 50 f3.5 to go with it. Not that I'm a snob about its perceived or real shortcomings but carrying the Exa to take shots with a 50/3.5, what would be the point, I have about two dozen smaller, lighter and more convenient cameras to do that.
So recently I started looking for a more exciting lens and ended up with a Pentacon 30/3.5 (aka Meyer Lydith) for a good price, mounted on a jammed Exa 1a. I was hoping to fix the 1a but it's not looking good, I got as far as taking the advance lever off and found two of its three screws broken, in addition to whatever is jammed underneath.
I'd have been happy with the 1a, I think, I do like the 1b, the lever advance is a joy and makes it sorta almost like an instant-return mirror. I can do without high speeds, and slower than 1/30 is not advisable handheld, so nothing lost there.
OK, long intro, the question is should I look for another 1a, or are the earlier ones nicer overall? I would hate to lose the lever advance but on the other hand, I prefer a hinged back for loading, and they do seem better made and quieter. This is all based on photos/videos on the web.
No interest in an Exakta by the way. Too big, the curtains tend to rot, and left-hand advance with upside down negs already drives me nuts on my Rollei 35.
Thanks.
So recently I started looking for a more exciting lens and ended up with a Pentacon 30/3.5 (aka Meyer Lydith) for a good price, mounted on a jammed Exa 1a. I was hoping to fix the 1a but it's not looking good, I got as far as taking the advance lever off and found two of its three screws broken, in addition to whatever is jammed underneath.
I'd have been happy with the 1a, I think, I do like the 1b, the lever advance is a joy and makes it sorta almost like an instant-return mirror. I can do without high speeds, and slower than 1/30 is not advisable handheld, so nothing lost there.
OK, long intro, the question is should I look for another 1a, or are the earlier ones nicer overall? I would hate to lose the lever advance but on the other hand, I prefer a hinged back for loading, and they do seem better made and quieter. This is all based on photos/videos on the web.
No interest in an Exakta by the way. Too big, the curtains tend to rot, and left-hand advance with upside down negs already drives me nuts on my Rollei 35.
Thanks.
batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
Bump. Anybody?