Exa & Meritar

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

I've run across this forum a couple of times recently looking for info on this or that old camera/lens.

Decided I should make a post, and what better than to make that post about a new (to me) camera.

I've always wanted an Exakta, but they're not easy to find in shops, and tend to be overpriced when you do find them. Similarly while they come up often enough on ebay for fair prices, I have a hard time handing over $50 for something I haven't been able to test. But this little Exa showed up with a $30 buy it now and free shipping, so I figured it would be worth the risk.

Unfortunately the pentaprism was a bit wonked up, but I found a waist level finder and was in business.

Before we move on though:

Isn't that a beautiful piece of camera?

Anyway after packing up at my old place to move, I took a detour to the botanic gardens about an hour before closing and ran off a test roll real quick. I'm quite happy with the results! It may be a pretty limited camera, and not the sharpest lens, but the results are plenty satisfactory.

All images were shot at f8 or f5.6

A crop to better display the "boke" - it's actually quite smooth! Although the lens is apparently under corrected.

I did notice some flare in the a few images, but I think maybe the lens just needs to be cleaned, I didn't do anything but blow on it to get some dust off the front element.

Also, I noticed on one shot taken with the sun behind me, there seemed to be some slight fog on the top of the photo. I think this may be from stray light entering the camera through the waist level finder during the exposure. Since the Mirror in the Exa is part of the shutter, and thus the exposure starts before the mirror is fully raised, it seems possible that stray light could enter the camera through the viewfinder before the mirror/shutter finishes its travel.

Other things, it is basically the typical 1950s SLR experience. No auto aperture. No mirror return. Pre-set lens, fiddly advance knob instead of a lever. But I use my Praktiflex FX enough that I'm pretty used to the constant fiddling early SLRs require to take pictures. All in all though it is a fun little camera to take pictures with. Although almost too small to get a good hold of in some instances.

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

Hi

That's a decent looking camera and images. I have the Meritar in m42 mount. It's a good performer at f5.6 on and has interesting bokeh wide open. Get a hood for it though. That improves it massively and may prevent that fogging.

Seele · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Posts: 742 Location: Sydney Australia

Mos6502,

A good Exa can be enjoyable as long as you do not go beyond 105mm in focal length. Also, it is probably worth tracking down a pre-1962 "pointy" prism for it, as yours is a later one which works well, but stylistically not a good match.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Welcome! Nice to see your happiness with your new toy! Congrats!

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Thanks for sharing, only seen the Meritar shot on a DSLR before, reminds me a lot of how my Meyer Domiplan looks on film, nice vintage look.

You should try it for portraits, I really liked the Domiplan for BW film portraits, the softness at larger apertures came in handy then.

I think I have a lens in Exakta mount in my drawer of odds and sods, I'll have a look, if I do you can have it. I see Exakta mount Meyer lenses on ebay cheap all the time, saw a Exakta mount Lydith 3.5/35 go for less tha 10ukp the other day, if I hadn't already got a Lydith in M42 I'd have bid on it, very nice lens, especially on film, I have some negs I shot with mine the other day that I need to scan, they look very sharp and contrasty to my eyes on the lightbox with a loupe.

Oh, and I second the suggestion on a lens hood, my 1960s and early 70s Meyers all benefit greatly from the addition of a hood.

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

I'll have to see what size hood I can find. The filter thread seems to be an unusual size. At first I thought it was going to be Series V, but it's a couple mm too wide. I think it measures about 35mm across internally.

Seele, I'm keeping my eyes open for a prism, unfortunately most of the ones I see on ebay seem to be dented right now! So I guess I'll just have to lay in wait for the right one to appear. The waist level finder I bought also came with a rangefinder focusing screen - too bad the WL finder doesn't take interchangeable screens... but it'll be useful when I pick up another prism finder.

iangreenhalgh1, I'd love to have another lens to play with. I've been looking at wide angle lenses but they seem to go for a lot on ebay usually (well here in the U.S., exakta stuff looks cheaper on ebay UK, and Germany) - although normal lenses seem to go for peanuts here, so I may just pick up a Tessar or Pancolar for the heck of it. Although I do like the look the Meritar provides.

Mos6502 · Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 960 Location: Austin

Picked up this off of ebay:

I just wanted the lens. The VX1000 is pretty rough, but aside from a disintedgrated mirror bumper and some haze on the mirror - I think it works fine. So I guess it's a project for the future.

The lens is a Sigma Widemax 28mm/f2.8, I'm guessing 70s vintage. Looks giant on the Exa. But it'll be cool to play with a decently fast wide angle on the Exa. It even focuses down to 1'.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Nice find on that Sigma. Exakta stuff is cheaper here, still not common but you do see them quite often.