OT: Exa SLR

W

wlewisiii

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Or the Exacta's smaller sibling. Found this today in dirty but working condition at St. Vinnies today. $20 with a 50/2.8 CZJ Tessar on it. Looks like an interesting and funky little piece of East German camera.

Just thought I'd mention it here as there might well be someone with experiance with it.

Off to drop a roll of Tri-X in it and see how well it really does work.

William
 
My Exa has the Ludwig Meritar rather than the Tessar, otherwise a nice (but heavy) old camera. Limited choice of shutter speeds, a waist level finder (at least on mine) and the "gear shift" shutter speed selector make it an interesting user. I have a couple of 135mm's and several Tmount lenses + adapters. Also a couple spare waist level finders.
 
Yep, it has the "gear shift" with a 1/150th maximum. It has a rather dim pentaprism finder and two sync contacts (f and x). I imagine that a waist level finder would actually be a useful feature for it. It's definately interesting - it's a very compact little camera that seems like it will be a fair bit of fun. It could use a serious cleaning but the shutter speeds sound close to my ear. The film will tell the tale.

William
 
I've got one mentioned on a previous thread which has a top shutter speed of 1/175 and a circular dial for setting speed. It came with the CZJ Tessar and as I have two exaktas I have several other lenses for it. The unique guillotine shutter has held up very well these 40 or so years.
Kurt M.
 
I've got a set of five. I think it may take as many as 12 or 14 to make up a complete set of the product line. They were originally conceived of as a low cost product line that would allow people to start an Exakta system affordably. They could use most Exakta lenses. Sort of an "entry level" product.

Compared to the Exakta they are mechanically simpler and thus, if they don't work, they can usually be repaired fairly easily. Most Exaktas from the early 50's have deteriorated shutter curtains. Metal shutters on the Exa's of the same age just need a little lubrication. The older models have a vary narrow range of shutter speeds, tpically topping out at 1/150th. However, they are still very useable by carefully selecting the speed of the film used. Back when these were first marketed, film speeds ran from ASA 10 to perhaps ASA 200. The broader choices of film speeds available today makes these cameras still useable.
 
I bought one of those new for $39.95 at the same time my dad bought an Exacta (VXIIA, I think). My aunt used an Exa I to shoot close ups of butterflies that were so striking that after she died the state wanted her slide collection for a museum. I liked mine but the slow shutter speeds made it tough to shoot Tri-X outdoors. Finally traded it in on a used Canon IV SB -- think I got about what I paid for it -- the Canon was about $100 back then (early 1960s).
 
The shutters that normally deteriorate in the Exaktas are those with the rubberized cloth. The rubber coating goes bad. I have a VX-IIa that I've replaced the curtains on (CLA'd it myself) and it's a fine camera, VERY smooth in operation. Early Exaktas may or may not have bad curtains depending upon use, storage conditions etc.

The automatic 50mm f/2.8 Tessar is a capable lens as any decently-made Tessar is.

Not too many years before the original trapizodal-bodied Exakta was dropped, an imtermediate model - the Exakta 500 - was introduced to fill the void between the enrty-level Exa and the top-of-the-line Exaktas.

I'm of the opinion that the apex of Exaktas was reached with the VX-IIa. Many other Exakta collectors & users have the same opinion.

Walker

pshinkaw said:
I've got a set of five. I think it may take as many as 12 or 14 to make up a complete set of the product line. They were originally conceived of as a low cost product line that would allow people to start an Exakta system affordably. They could use most Exakta lenses. Sort of an "entry level" product.

Compared to the Exakta they are mechanically simpler and thus, if they don't work, they can usually be repaired fairly easily. Most Exaktas from the early 50's have deteriorated shutter curtains. Metal shutters on the Exa's of the same age just need a little lubrication. The older models have a vary narrow range of shutter speeds, tpically topping out at 1/150th. However, they are still very useable by carefully selecting the speed of the film used. Back when these were first marketed, film speeds ran from ASA 10 to perhaps ASA 200. The broader choices of film speeds available today makes these cameras still useable.
Click to expand...
 
Well, I haven't gone through a whole roll yet, but it is definately an "interesting" user experiance. Growing up with autodiaphrams and instant return mirrors is a bit spoiling, I suppose. The mirror thing isn't too bad, but getting used to stopping the lens down is going to take a bit of concentration. The front mounted shutter release is kind of nice - certainly easier to get at than, say, the one on a YashicaMat 124G. The knob wind has a strange feel to it - mostly due to winding the mirror box I imagine. Other than that, it's really no more difficult to use than my Agfa Karat 36 within the shutter's limitations. I could see this being a glove compartment camera for the wifes car with a roll of Plus-X loaded.

But, man oh man, that prism is dim in use. I'm going to have to track down a waist level finder for it. Curt - how much for one of your spares???? :D

Overall grade - neat camera with some very different habits to learn.

William
 
William, the Exakta WL Finders are cheap enough and are pretty common on ebay. I've never owned an Exa but I believe the Exakta WL Finder will work on it. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong! :)

Walker
 
My Exa has an E. Ludwig V Meritar 1:2,9 50mm lens on it. It has the 1/150th shutter shift thingo and is in top condition for its age and specialy since it was packed away for many many years. Cleaned up really well too :) I love how you can take it apart very easily to give it a clean. One day I may put a roll of film though it :)
 
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