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Exakta cameras
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 9:07 pm    Post subject: Exakta cameras Reply with quote
I am opening this discussion on these beautiful cameras . Sort of classy ones , maybe unfairly forgotten. I have a soft spot on these... Laughing They were proudly standing on the store shelfs when I was a kid , along with the Kievs and Practika .I liked their look the most then (The black logo ones , back in the seventies) .They dissapeared from our stores before I got into photography in '78.
I am curious about your opinion about them , their qualities and their ability to be used as daily shooters today (sadly , I understand there are very few in working condition).


PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Not very few in working condition, most of them works what I have I have 5-10 , bought them for lens or just due beautiful finish like Varex series. Latest ones are Praktica based, works like charm as most Praktica. I am not fond of slr shutter, simple ones like Praktica, Exakta I prefer RF over them. Hard to find nicer camera like Exakta Varex.


PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Teo, sometimes trying to capture things from our youth is a bad idea...just sayin' Smile

I have the Exakta 500 and Exa 1a, both shooters (in the right hands Wink ).

Loading them is not fun, shutter is on the left which I like and if they develop a problem
--repairs will cost many fur pelts and beads to fix.


PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Katastrofo wrote:
Teo, sometimes trying to capture things from our youth is a bad idea...just sayin' Smile

I have the Exakta 500 and Exa 1a, both shooters (in the right hands Wink ).

Loading them is not fun, shutter is on the left which I like and if they develop a problem
--repairs will cost many fur pelts and beads to fix.

I suppose so , Bill Smile And I suppose that the focusing can be a PIA for a impaired vision guy with no real focusing aids . What's nasty on the loading ? The fact that the taking spool is on left ?


PostPosted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Loading I guess is no worse than Russia RFs where you remove the bottom to load,
should have said (at least on the ones I've seen)- no hinged back.

Topcon RE is Exakta mount...


PostPosted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 2:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
They are mostly nice cameras. The 1950s ones are arguably the nicest. The real problem with all of them today is pinholes in the shutter curtains and dried out lubricants from not being used enough, or never having been serviced during their life.

In the 1960s quality fell considerably. A 1950s Exakta rivals Leica for build quality - and it should because they cost just about as much! In the 1960s they began to cut costs to compete with the Japanese and the quality got notched down repeatedly. By the time the VX1000/500 came out Exakta was basically the bottom of the barrel camera, and in my experience these are their poorest cameras quality wise. Exakta was then absorbed into Pentacon and the RTL1000 was released, which is a fine camera, but it lacks the charm and quality of the earlier Varex series. It is however maybe the most conventional Exakta. A great user if you want to use the lenses but not the quirky cameras, since they have a metal shutter you won't find them with holes in the curtains like you will with the earlier models.

Beyond the shutter issues, a couple things to know are - the winding lever has a very, very, verrrrryyyyyyy long stroke on the pre-VX1000 models. This takes some getting used to at first. The other thing is the film doors can be very difficult to close and open properly - and this can result in light leaks or the back coming open unexpectedly. The take up spool is removable which makes loading the film a little bit of a pain if you're in a rush. However the removable spool means you can run film cassette to cassette - and since the the Exakta has an internal film cutting knife - you don't need to waste the last frame or open the camera in a darkroom when running film cassette to cassette. In fact because of the knife you can actually save time by not having to rewind the film. When you use a take up cassette, after you take your last shot, cut the film, wind the last exposure into the cassette, open the camera and put in two new cassettes. The other thing the knife + cassette take up allows is one to effectively use the zone system if they want, and to develop short test rolls, or even test shots.

The slow speeds are often off, and they're a bit of a pain to use anyway.

Edit: The Exas have a metal shutter, and are pretty robust cameras, definitely worth a look too. The shutter speed is limited to only 1/125 or 1/175, but they're simple and reliable cameras.


PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have been opening and fixing some Exaktas lately. I have a good selection of 1950's, 1960's versions.
I also had an Exakta since I was a teenager in the 1970's and I still have it. It is a 1956 version and it still works. I was just shooting with it yesterday. No service needed.

There is no internal quality difference I can see between the 1950's versions and the 1960's VXIIa and VXIIb (the ones with a different faceplate). Some of the later 1950's Exakta Varex also had rubber coated shutter curtains along with the VXIIa's. Thats the main quality difference with both the earlier 1950's and the later 1960's VXIIb, of which some also had non-rubber shutter curtains.

I also have a VX500, which I also fixed, and that is certainly more cheaply made inside and out.

The biggest problem is as already said, the shutter curtains and lubrication. It is not that hard to fix the lubrication problem yourself. The cameras are not hard to disassemble for lubrication, it just takes some patience as there are a lot of screws. The shutter curtains are not that easy to fix. You need good luck, neatness and the right materials.

There were actually many kinds of focus screens made for Exaktas and many had focus aids like split image. You can also change the focus screens very easily. Focus screens for Exakta are very easy to find and quite cheap. There are also plenty of different finders for them. Vertical, prism, macro of different kinds, metering prisms, etc. These different finders are also mostly quite common and cheap.

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


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I never had an Exakta. I never used any of them. Always like the varex ones.

From there, if someday have the bucks to buy one, "she" with me will be.

In childhood, was the medical camera. A cult one.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
What about an RTL1000? I sold my Exakta and both my Exas and kept the RTL1000, it's a good camera, but more like a Praktica than a pukka Exakta.

There are some other cameras with Exakta mount, Mamiya made a nice one, very solidly built, it came with a Canon OM 1.9/50 lens.

You can sometimes find adapters to put Exakta lenses on other cameras, I know Konica made one.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Miranda and Minolta had an Exakta adapter. I have them. They arent perfectly usable on all Minolta and Miranda bodies due to many bodies having projections beyond the lens mount. Overall I think Miranda cameras, some of them anyway like the laterSensorex and Sensomat, with the adapter and a shutter button extension come closest to an Exakta body replacement.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 5:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
In Exakta stuff most beautiful thing is camera itself, lenses just second at least to me, RTL1000 is a Praktica , feeling is nowhere close than keep a Varex in your hands.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
luisalegria wrote:
Miranda and Minolta had an Exakta adapter. I have them. They arent perfectly usable on all Minolta and Miranda bodies due to many bodies having projections beyond the lens mount. Overall I think Miranda cameras, some of them anyway like the laterSensorex and Sensomat, with the adapter and a shutter button extension come closest to an Exakta body replacement.


The automatic adapter for the miranda should not have a problem with any of the Exakta lenses, since the lenses are mounted upside down there's nothing to block them when locking into the mount. If you have the older adapter, you can actually put it on upside down on the Miranda body and thus also mount the exakta lenses upside down, again avoiding the problem.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
luisalegria wrote:
I have been opening and fixing some Exaktas lately. I have a good selection of 1950's, 1960's versions.
I also had an Exakta since I was a teenager in the 1970's and I still have it. It is a 1956 version and it still works. I was just shooting with it yesterday. No service needed.

There is no internal quality difference I can see between the 1950's versions and the 1960's VXIIa and VXIIb (the ones with a different faceplate). Some of the later 1950's Exakta Varex also had rubber coated shutter curtains along with the VXIIa's. Thats the main quality difference with both the earlier 1950's and the later 1960's VXIIb, of which some also had non-rubber shutter curtains.

I also have a VX500, which I also fixed, and that is certainly more cheaply made inside and out.

The biggest problem is as already said, the shutter curtains and lubrication. It is not that hard to fix the lubrication problem yourself. The cameras are not hard to disassemble for lubrication, it just takes some patience as there are a lot of screws. The shutter curtains are not that easy to fix. You need good luck, neatness and the right materials.

There were actually many kinds of focus screens made for Exaktas and many had focus aids like split image. You can also change the focus screens very easily. Focus screens for Exakta are very easy to find and quite cheap. There are also plenty of different finders for them. Vertical, prism, macro of different kinds, metering prisms, etc. These different finders are also mostly quite common and cheap.

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


I am kinda puzzled by the problem of rubberized courtains thai is said to develop pinholes . Still unclear wich of the IIa and IIb developed the problem ( and how frequent and serious it really is).


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
As far as I can tell the rubberized curtains were made from the late 1950's until maybe the mid 1960's.
I don't know if there was any systematic use of the rubberized curtains. Some Exaktas of the period have them, some don't.
Exakta model numbers are also quite confusing.

The last "good" models are the VXIIa and VXIIb
These had the "EXAKTA" name on the enameled strip instead of engraved. They also had changes on how the slow speeds worked.
The main external differentiation between the VXIIa and VXIIb, other than the engraved model, is that the VXIIa lacks a finder lock slider.
I have a VXIIa with a non-rubberized curtain, and a VXIIb with a rubberized curtain. I have had and resold a couple of other VXIIb bodies with bad rubber curtains.

The problem is very serious.
All the rubberized curtains I have seen (15+) have been wrinkled with lots of pinholes.
Pinholes are bad. Depending on whether you immediately reset the mirror, or how fast you shoot, you will certainly see spots on the film, which can be more or less serious. Sometimes you will even see streaks if the pinholes are large.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 8:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
luisalegria wrote:

The last "good" models are the VXIIa and VXIIb
These had the "EXAKTA" name on the enameled strip instead of engraved. They also had changes on how the slow speeds worked.
The main external differentiation between the VXIIa and VXIIb, other than the engraved model, is that the VXIIa lacks a finder lock slider.
.

Like this one ?



Exakta Varex IIa

Despite many opinions of Exakta colectors who like the most the previous engraved design , I prefere this one . Introduced in fabrication from 1957 onwards , if I remember well.

So it is possible that they used rubberized mostly on IIb?
as far as I understand , the courtains on the VX500 , 1000 and EXA 1b are good with no pinhole problem ?
I understand that could use one of these as donor for shutter courtains if needed ?


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, that one.
I have also seen rubberized curtains on the older style.
I have no idea how many of any model had the rubberized curtains, just what I have seen, which is that many of these do.
As for donors of curtains, this is not a good idea I think.
If you are going to go so far as to unglue and replace the whole curtain unit including tapes with one thats just as ancient, it does not seem like the best fix.
Rick Oleson suggests cutting out just the portion of the curtain that covers the film frame.
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-160.html

You can get curtain material from this guy -
http://aki-asahi.net/store/html/curtains/shutter-curtain.php

I have some from him, and it seems to be very good.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I also got the VXIIa and VXIIb switched - the a has the slider lock of course.

I haven't seen the other Miranda adapter. The one I have lets you install the Exakta lens firmly "upside down", in such a way even that the shutter button overlaps the Miranda shutter button (which requires an extension). But though it is firmly mounted that way it isn't locked.
It will not permit the mounting of Exakta lenses with "arms" in the proper alignment on cameras like the original Sensorex as the overhang on that model interferes with the "arm".


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
What is not good in the later VX 1000 and 500 models ?


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I don't know about the VX1000, I never worked on one.
The VX500 has no slow speeds and a top speed of 500
The internals look cheaper. Chromed or brass pieces in older models seem to be steel, and some screws are not chrome or blued but plain, and rusty.
External chrome plating is thin and a different finish thats not so attractive.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you !


PostPosted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have a beautiful Miranda Sensorex for sale BTW if you do find an adapter.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
So , it seems that grosso modo speaking there are little chances to get a "good" Exakta without courtains problems . The late VX 1000 being not so appealing as cheaply made compared with the previous models IIa and IIb (but better courtains material it seems ).
Mmmmmm .... good old Bill seems to be right after all , it seems Confused
And that's annoying me Laughing


PostPosted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have two great repair men here if you really wish one they can refurbish one to you fully including curtain I am sure.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
I have two great repair men here if you really wish one they can refurbish one to you fully including curtain I am sure.

Thank you , Attila ! I am glad to hear that , so now I can search one that suits me , knowing that I have a back-up ! Very Happy


PostPosted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
What can I say ?
GAS has struck again ! Rolling Eyes
Finally I took a plunge .Varex VX IIa + Varex VX IIb + Tele Xenar 135/3.5 + Flektogon 35/2.8 + Tessar 50/2.8 (two of it ) + 4 Fujifilm + some filters + extension tubes + self timer and some other stuff for 150 E ! (no transport ) Cool That's Santa ! Very Happy
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