Exakta cameras

Eugen Mezei · Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 266

@yinyangbt: Seems I'm a bit younger than you, but not by much. I saw only the Zeniths in the shops. We had two photo shops in our town, Cluj. I remember admiring as a kid the photosniper, it hung in one of the shops for years. Seems nobody wanted to buy it or had not the money. I also remember Seagull TLRs and perhaps some Smena. Could be that in Bucharest the offer was more diversified. My father bought his Praktica MTL-3 on a trip to the GDR in 76. I was not allowed to touch it.

@Mos6502: Please explain about the reverse curl advance. I think I don't understand what you mean.

yinyangbt · Expire: 2012-12-27

This is my other Varex , this one doesn't have problems with perforated curtains .The IIb. Also has a squeak sound ,needs lubrication. Here with the same Schneider 135mm

This is what it can deliver ( Varex IIa ) with the Schneider Kreutznach Tele Xenar 135/3.5 Fuji 200 ,when carefully focused :

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

Here's a VXIIB I removed from its shell to lubricate the squawk out of:

Unfortunately it looks like somebody replaced one of the curtains and didn't get the slit width 100% correct when glueing it in, so now the shutter works smoothly and quietly, but the speeds are off.

moltogordo · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 5:42 am Post subject:

Here is my Exakta, a VXIIa embossed. Like my others that have departed, there are the usual pinholes in the shutter. I have 5 or 6 lenses for this beauty, including the 35mm above, a 40mm Kilfitt Macro, a couple of 50s and a 58mm Biotar, a 100mm f2.8 Aragon, and a 135mm F3.5 Quinar by Steinheil.

I have taken a few pictures with these lenses with my VX500, but it gave up the mechanical ghost, so what I've done is put this embossed on the mantle for show, and picked up an RTL1000 to use the lenses. I also have an adapter for Exakta lenses on my trio of Olympus Pen Fs and FTs, so the glass isn't orphaned.

I'm just running some film through the RTL and a Pen FT this week, so I'll post some shots when I develop them. In the meantime, we can all admire this beautiful VXIIa, in spite of it's perforated shutter curtain!

texsport · Joined: 12 Feb 2013 Posts: 53

I have two fine working models:

Exakta Varex VX

Exakta 500

Both with cases in good condition.

The VX is very elegant, but I slightly prefer the unusual, more rounded shape of the 500, because it is quite comfortable and natural in hand.

Nice shooters!

Texsport

Teo · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 1079 Location: Romania

Thank you for posting your beauties here.
Please keep doing so! I'll try to post again mines.
Today I took the "bII" with Schneider-Kreutznach 135/3.5 to a autumn afternoon stroll. It was fun.

TrueLoveOne · Expire: 2013-12-24

Here's my most recent Exakta, a Varex IIb, here with a Flektogon.

1.

Exakta Varex IIb by René Maly, on Flickr

2.

Exakta Varex IIb by René Maly, on Flickr

3.

Exakta Varex IIb by René Maly, on Flickr

moltogordo · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 12:21 am Post subject:

My second contribution to this thread . . . a bit more information and examples here.

Teo · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 1079 Location: Romania

Unfortunately ,I shooted rarely in the last year but generally I had problems focusing corectly. My last film was 90% off ...Very frustrating .But no pinholes , that's the good news. I'll have to get a nex/exakta adapter to test the lenses on digital
The exposure times were good despite the noise (needs lubing)

PWhite214 · Joined: 19 Apr 2014 Posts: 230 Location: Houston, Texas

Last week I received an Exakta TwinTL. Everything works, it is nice, though not made in Germany. I would love to use my M42 lenses on it, but no adapter. If anyone has a spare, PM me, maybe we can work something out.

Phil

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I have the M42 version of the Twin TL (yes, at one point they did that), though its a wreck.
If you want the lensmount from it thats an option.

uddhava · Expire: 2021-06-21

Here are some photos from my VX 1000 and a Trioplan 2.9/50 lens. It was a very dull day and I had a very hard time focusing with the prism viewfinder. The film was some out of date 100 ISO film that I cannot remember the name of unfortunately. The first 6 were edited in Photoshop. The first one is double or triple exposed by accident on the last frame of film, because the frame counter was not working properly.
Here are my Exakta and Exa cameras with some lenses. I have only used the VX 1000, but I will at least test all of them.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8
[url=http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/201412/big_5988_F1740031_1.jpg]

[url]

Teo · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 1079 Location: Romania

1 Great photo the double exposed one ! Worth a big print !
2 I thought I'm the only one having problems focusing thru exakta system
3 Beautiful cameras
4 Good results in the end ,that's important
5 Nice series
6 Exaktas are cameras with character ,of a special kind , I love them

uddhava · Expire: 2021-06-21

Teo · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 1079 Location: Romania

Yes, The results were worse

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

If you have the waist level finder that takes interchangeable focus screens, use that with a split image screen and you won't have any problems.

I actually prefer the plain ground glass and have never had any problem with it. But I have found that many old prisms hav custom diopter eyepieces installed making them unusable for me.

SAlfdasddaa · Joined: 13 Dec 2014 Posts: 3

Using an Exakta is a different experience. They just cant be used as fast as something like a Pentax Spotmatic. Everything is done slower.

exaklaus · Expire: 2011-12-02

Focussing is easy with Exakta if you use the very bright and exakt working more modern fresnell-lenses with spli-image and or micro-prism ring or dot.

Klaus

Teo · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 1079 Location: Romania

I hope I'll fid the time and disposition to get the focusing screens needed. After all there was a system from Exacta exactly Laughing

for that.
My Varex IIb need a cleaning and lubing for best results , but has the courtains OK .Probably I should begin lubing first my IIa with pinholes in courtains just to learn the process....

konicamera · Expire: 2014-06-14

Incidentally, for those of you Exacta fans who havn't seen it yet, here is a great site with lots of info about Exacta cameras:
http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/exakta/index.html

PWhite214 · Joined: 19 Apr 2014 Posts: 230 Location: Houston, Texas

I have two Exakta cameras. One is the Twin TL, which is a different bayonet mount, the other a Varex IIa. The Varex has a jammed shutter. Luckily there is plenty of information on the dis assembly and repair on the internet. I will give it a try soon.

Thanks to 'guardian' posting in the adapters section, [img]http://forum.mflenses.com/ke-t-mount-adapter-t69328.html[/img] I found a Exakta to T mount adapter so I can use 'T' lenses on Exakta and Exa bodies I have. That led me to some research which resulted in ordering Topcon/Exakta adaptall adapter. I hope it fits, should be delivered the first week in January. I am looking forward to trying the 90mm macro (52B)

Here is an EXA 1a with my old f8/500mm lens using the KE to T mount.

Phil

Teo · Joined: 19 Jul 2014 Posts: 1079 Location: Romania

Nice set ,Phil !Good for Street shooting for losing yourself in the crowd and not being noticed Laughing

exaklaus · Expire: 2011-12-02

Phil, because of the shutter of the Exa, this combo will give you some vignetting with your shots.

Klaus

PWhite214 · Joined: 19 Apr 2014 Posts: 230 Location: Houston, Texas

Yes, TEO, I am positive no one would notice that camera pointed in their direction.

Exaklaus, I did read about vignetting with T-mount lenses, but for $5, I thought the adapter would be a nice addition to my collection. Also thinking that the Tamron Adaptall may have the same problem, but willing to try to see if it is useful.

Phil

exaklaus · Expire: 2011-12-02

Most lenses above 100mm will vignet.
Klaus