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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Exaktar 2.8 35mm
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:16 am
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:16 am
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Today I got the "Exaktar 2.8 35mm" (M42).

I am interested in appraisals of this lens.
Don´t be shy. I got it on a flea market for 5 Euros and I own wonderful other M42-lenses, so I can stand negative estimations. Cool


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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:11 pm
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:11 pm
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congrats Retro!
They are no bad lens, only different Very Happy


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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:39 pm
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:39 pm
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Today I made a comparison between my Flektogon (alu 35/2.8 ) and the Exaktar (35/2.8 ) and was astonished, how brave the Exaktar could stand the competition:



Strange is in my view, that one can nearly find nothing in the web about the Exaktar-lenses... Crying or Very sad


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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:59 pm
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:59 pm
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I've heard of them Retro and have also read mostly negative comments - the latter of which, your sample appears to disprove quite nicely indeed.


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:37 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:37 pm
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Confusing for me is the fact, that the pictures I could see in the web about the "Exaktar 50 /2.8" where different from my copy. They had the title "Auto" (which my copy has not) and the did not have the metal silver ring for the aperture, which mine has (see picture):



There were also so few information about its production.
Some write about "Ihagee" (east or west Germany) - Others claim the production in Korea.

Has anyone more information about this lens please?

Last edited by Retro on Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:40 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:40 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:40 pm
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Unfortunately no.


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:16 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:16 pm
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There was indeed an Exakta mount Exaktar lens produced in the 1950's as a basic kit lens and IIRC it was reputed to not have a particularly good reputation.

It looks to me like your lens is of more modern Far Eastern origin although where and by whom, I don't know. It could be too that yours is an earlier example made by a different factory from the ones you're seeing on the web.


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:29 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:29 pm
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Thank you, bob955i and Attila.

My difficult investigations in the web brouht me the following results and assumptions:

Quote:
My copy of the Exaktar 35/2.8 (with the silver metal aperture-ring). is probably produced in Japan für "Ihagee-West" - it has a good image quality, because it is an imitation of the "Zeiss Distagon 35 / 2.8". Nevertheless exist newer versions (black plastik aperture-ring), which are of lesser quality.


Last edited by Retro on Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:33 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:32 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:32 pm
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I don't think so any Exaktar lenses can be close to any Carl Zeiss lenses.


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:37 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:37 pm
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Quote:
Difficult to say me politely , so I say raw , sorry. This is bullshit

No problem.
Thank you very much in contrary for your frankness.
The comparison with Carl Zeiss lenses is not a statement from me Wink and I am interested in a serious information-archeology.
One of my spare web-sources was: http://www.ihagee.org/top02.htm (scroll down to "Exaktar").

Or such sources: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280245703164#ebayphotohosting


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:46 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:46 pm
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Retro wrote:
Quote:
Difficult to say me politely , so I say raw , sorry. This is bullshit

No problem.
Thank you very much in contrary for your frankness.
The comparison with Carl Zeiss lenses is not a statement from me Wink and I am interested in a serious information-archeology.
One of my spare web-sources was: http://www.ihagee.org/top02.htm (scroll down to "Exaktar").

Or such sources: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280245703164#ebayphotohosting


Oh, great I wouldn't want to hurt you , so after little hesitate I removed genuine post.


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:54 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:54 pm
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You did not hurt me in any way. Please feel free to publish your original posting with "bullshit".
I published speculations and it is important and necessary, to correct such speculations.
You know, I am a believer in Carl Zeiss lenses too and not "in love" with the "Exaktar".
I read the negative appraisal of LucisPictor (who is a reliable source for me) about this lens and expected to get it verified.
But my first experiments with it gave better results, so I started my frustrating recherche about the lens.

What annoyed me rather was, that in fact I could found nearly nothing valid about the brand mark "Exaktar". Rolling Eyes

Last edited by Retro on Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:03 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:03 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:03 pm
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Quote:
What annoyed me rather was, that I in fact could found nearly nothin valid about the brand mark "Exaktar". Rolling Eyes

This is interesting really. Sometimes we can find really nice lenses in junk I got an auto revuenon 135mm f2.8 lens from Carsten (LucisPictor) That was a suprise me too really.It is sharp wide open! Shocked


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:06 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:06 pm
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There must exist many copies of the Exaktar lenses like Helios.
Finding "nothing" about it in the web can mean, that it is like Helios underestimated or it is in deed bulk of lesser quality.

Again I like to point out, that I found no image of the "Exaktar 35 / 2.8" with this silver metal ring like my copy has, which could indicate, that there are circulating different versions with different quality.

Last edited by Retro on Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:12 pm; edited 2 times in total


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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:10 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:10 pm
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Retro wrote:
There must exist many copies of the Exaktar lenses like Helios.
Finding "nothing" about it in the web can mean, that it is like Helios underestimated or it is in deed bulk of lesser quality.

Again I like to point out, that I found no image of the "Exaktar 35 / 2.8" with this silver metal ring, which could indicate, that there are different versions whith different quality.



Yes it is underrated lenses are not documented at all. Should be a nice project to save this one too and document their advantages and disadvantages.


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Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 12:40 pm
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Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 12:40 pm
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Reviving an old thread - I just received a Topcon mount (Exakta, but flange integral aperture actuator) 135/2.8 Exaktar. Looks like my RE200/RE300 Topcon branded lenses (the cameras seem also to have been marketed as Carena and Exakta), which I assume to be Tokina made.

Sevo


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Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 11:56 am
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Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 11:56 am
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Sevo wrote:
Reviving an old thread - I just received a Topcon mount (Exakta, but flange integral aperture actuator) 135/2.8 Exaktar. Looks like my RE200/RE300 Topcon branded lenses (the cameras seem also to have been marketed as Carena and Exakta), which I assume to be Tokina made.


The Topcor branded lenses that came with Topcon RE200/RE300 were made by Cima Kogaku. After the demise of Topcon, Cima Kogaku sold the lenses in its own brand, Cimko/Cimako, and I think, branded also at least as Exaktar, Carenar, Quantaray, Focal, and Revuenon. Maybe also Rikenon.

Maybe someone more knowledgeable can fill in more, this seems to belong to the more fuzzy area of Japanese lens history... Smile

sami


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Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 4:45 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 4:45 pm
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I have Carenar EET 35/2.8 and 135/2.8 in Topcon RE mount. Both are engraved "Made In Korea". They appear to be from the same time period as my Topcon RE200.


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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 2:29 pm
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 2:29 pm
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Im sitting here trying to convert a Topcor 35mm 2.8 to Pentax PK/A Mount. Halfway there but its hard to get infinity.....


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Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 10:58 am
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Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 10:58 am
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I have this one.
Auto Exaktar 35mm F2.8 by random dump, on Flickr

For close ups it's okay i guess. A bit dreamy.

apple by random dump, on Flickr
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