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Exakta cameras
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Home   Film SLR / TLR Cameras
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I hope they all work, if so you got a good deal. I just picked up a couple of Exakta RTLs to get a lens from the lot, but I may run a roll through one of them before selling them.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 11:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
You got a good deal even if the cameras dont work!
The lenses alone are worth more than what you paid.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 12:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Mos6502 wrote:
I hope they all work, if so you got a good deal. I just picked up a couple of Exakta RTLs to get a lens from the lot, but I may run a roll through one of them before selling them.


Chance is high they are works well, due RTL1000 is late Praktica.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 3:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
One works, one doesn't. Unfortunately the one that is broken looks better, and the one that works looks like somebody dropped it. Maybe I need to drop the broken one to fix it? Laughing


PostPosted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
luisalegria wrote:
You got a good deal even if the cameras dont work!
The lenses alone are worth more than what you paid.

So I thought myself . And from two , maybe one works ,and I have one for parts , but I hope both work Smile


PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
My Varex IIa came today along with a Tessar ,a Flek 35/2.8 and a Tele-Xenar 135/3.5 .A little dust in the lenses . No fungus or scratches All in good working condition ,it seems .The apertures a little lazy but working . I 'll check the slow times also . The curtains seem OK .A sooting test will say . Got also two shutter release , a yellow filter , 4 rolls of Fuji (of wich one Neopan 1600 ), a metal hood and a set of rings . Two viewfinders . The camera is a beauty and lighter than I imagined . Even my wife agreed that's beautiful !!! Shocked

The camera will definitely need a lube it coughs a little . Smile (me too after all , these days )


PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
One of the most beautiful SLR ever I agree, congrats!


PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Good deal !


PostPosted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 1:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I had a RTL1000 yes it is a Praktica but with interchangeable viewfinders. I liked mine then traded it for an Olympus OM1n
my middle finger is on the shutter release.




PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


I just got a VX500. It was on ebay, the seller said the shutter was sticky and the lens was hazy so I got it for next to nothing really. When it showed up the lens was near mint! No haze, no internal dust, no finger prints, nothing! The only issue is the dried out grease. The shutter was dragging though and I had to take it apart to clean and lube the spindles. Seems to work fine now. The quality on this VX500 is actually noticeably better than that of the VX1000 I had a while ago, and the serial number suggests it was made late in the run.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I had no idea they were such good looking cameras. That is a handsome camera. You really lucked out. Congrats.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Schnauzer wrote:
I had no idea they were such good looking cameras. That is a handsome camera. You really lucked out. Congrats.


Congrats, take a research on Exaktas Ron, many of them real beauty. I like Varex II best, sadly most of them has curtain issue after 50-60 yrs.
http://forum.mflenses.com/exakta-varex-iia-biotar-58mm-set-long-thread-30-plus-images-t56726.html


PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 9:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Finally , I 've got the Varex IIb ordered before christmas Laughing The package stayed ar a friend , due to my condition , it wasn't a priority for me Laughing
Now , I have a IIa and a IIb and I have to say that I am happy about this .Hope to make a a pic with both and post it here soon .


PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Found this ad today, it's not mine, but it might be of interest for somebody here!

http://link.marktplaats.nl/666353879

I still have to shoot my first roll of film with my EXA500, it's loaded, but so little time......


PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I did manage to to do a successful curtain repair on a nice VX (US marking for Varex).
Now testing the shutter with film.
I used Rick Olesons method of splicing a new curtain panel instead of replacing the tapes and all.
I have three more Exaktas on the workbench I have been trying to do the same.
VXIIa, VXIIb and a VX2 (Varex 2)
Problem with them is somehow I have made the same mistake in all of them and the gear for the second curtain isn't engaging.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Have to clean and lube mines this summer ...


PostPosted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
At last , a pic of one of my Exactas , it's the IIa with the Tele Xenar 135 and a classic Tessar 50/2.8 :


PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I sold the VX500 and went back to an Exa (kept the Pancolar though!)

The Nixon Exa by berangberang, on Flickr

The camera was working ok, but needed the dust knocked out of it.


Exa CLA by berangberang, on Flickr

Works very smoothly now!
Only problem is I don't have an exakta spool for it. Mad


PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have done the Rick Oleson curtain repair successfully on four Exakta cameras so far - VX, VXIIa, VX500,VX1000
It is not at all difficult after doing it once . I have these all working quite well.

Opening the Exaktas is turning into quite a routine. I can do it in my sleep now.

So far I have a Varex, a VX (US branded Varex), 2xVXIIa, 2xVXIIb, VX500, VX1000
With various interesting accessories, including the Magnear macro focus finder, Harwix meter prism, early Vielzweck bellows/copy stand/macro focus assembly, Macro-Extenar belows lens, etc. And a lot of various lenses of course.

Unfortunately there is still a problem with some of my collection, in that the shutter gears seem to get out of position and cause different problems. I have one camera that automatically releases the shutter at the end of the cocking cycle, and two that will cock one curtain but not the other. I need to buy Uptons Exakta repair guide I think.

I also now have a (very cheap) Exa II, which is quite different from the original Exa as it has a cloth shutter and a little faster speeds.
Quite easy to open but..
Unfortunately its got not just pinholes, but the mechanism is mechanically jammed and so far I am having no luck releasing it.

Also two 2/58 Biotars are a problem, one the semi-auto cocking version and the other preset. The semi-auto one I still need to figure out how to reassemble the helical, and the preset has been impossible to open as the ring that needs to be loosened for disassembly is impossible to reach.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Mos6502 wrote:

Only problem is I don't have an exakta spool for it. Mad


Take the spool from a 35 mm cartridge.
You could even put a cartridge there, but you need to invert the spool in it. Best for this is one of the old cartridges you could open by hand and close again. They are still sold for people who roll from bulk.

To the OP:
I don't have any Exakta, but I do use an Exa 1a, 1c and an Exa II.
When did you see Exaktas in Romania? Well... 1973 I was 3 years old, they were gone at the time I could remember. I do remember the Seagull TLRs and the Snipers. Also the Azomures Papers and chemicals. I've avoided Azomures film, interestingly some months ago I found 4 rolls of Azopan. I remember I preferred ORWO.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes I'm using a plastic spool right now, but it's not as good with the Exa. The deeper flanges on the original spools help keep the film from scratching the inside of the camera.

I bought an Exa II to get the spool out of but it came with an odd spool that doesn't fit the Exa properly (it's slightly longer than normal), I'm not sure what that spool is from because it's plastic and obviously not an Exakta spool. The Exa II is also part jammed. It will wind on and fire, but the first curtain hangs up half way up. Also lots of pinholes in the shutter. Interesting camera but probably not worth repair.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The film scratches the camera?

Why you don't put the spool you use now in a film canister? So you can do canister to canister and not rewind the film.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Eugen Mezei wrote:
Mos6502 wrote:

Only problem is I don't have an exakta spool for it. Mad


Take the spool from a 35 mm cartridge.
You could even put a cartridge there, but you need to invert the spool in it. Best for this is one of the old cartridges you could open by hand and close again. They are still sold for people who roll from bulk.

To the OP:
I don't have any Exakta, but I do use an Exa 1a, 1c and an Exa II.
When did you see Exaktas in Romania? Well... 1973 I was 3 years old, they were gone at the time I could remember. I do remember the Seagull TLRs and the Snipers. Also the Azomures Papers and chemicals. I've avoided Azomures film, interestingly some months ago I found 4 rolls of Azopan. I remember I preferred ORWO.

Salutari ,Eugen ! Very Happy
That was long ago , before 1971-72 , I think around 1968-72 . I think they dissapeared after 1975 maybe there were still in some small foto-muzica stores (remember them?) Smile in smaller towns ,where they had no market - they costed 2-3 monthly salarys - or in the biggest ones wich were better supplied.And they weren't supplied to all stores ,they were scarcer .Some Practikas ( L , MTL ) lasted some more years along with the Zenit and Kiev and Pentacon six on the shelfs.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Eugen Mezei wrote:


Why you don't put the spool you use now in a film canister? So you can do canister to canister and not rewind the film.


A good idea .
And , Eugen , the Practicas still were on shelves around 1978-79 and dissapeared by 1984-85

luisalegria , Mos ,I envy you all being so diligent and working on your gear ! I'm so lazy Laughing I have to get some tools and clean/lube my Exactas.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Eugen Mezei wrote:
The film scratches the camera?

Why you don't put the spool you use now in a film canister? So you can do canister to canister and not rewind the film.


The original Exa uses a reverse curl advance.
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