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kuuan
Joined: 14 Jan 2008
Posts: 4569
Location: right now: Austria
Expire: 2014-12-26
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 Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 5:19 am Post subject: M42 Exa usability, waist level viewfinder? |
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kuuan wrote:
Only once in my life (!) I had the chance to look through a waist level viewfinder, if I remember right it was on a Pentax 645 medium format camera. I can't forget that, I never thought that a view that 3 dimensional was possible, and manual focusing was a pleasure!
Ok, that was a MF camera..but it still makes me wonder: if I want that great viewfinder experience for cheap and use my M42 lenses, would an Exa camera with a waist level viewfinder be an option?
or to ask differently:
how are the waist level viewfinders of the M42 Exa bodies?
how useable are Exa generally speaking?
thank you for any input,
cheers,
Andreas
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my photos on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kuuan/collections |
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Spotmatic
Joined: 18 Aug 2008
Posts: 4045
Location: Netherlands
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:01 am Post subject: |
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Spotmatic wrote:
The Pentax 645 does not have, and never will have, a WLF finder. Maybe you are confused with the Pentax 67 
Having said that: the Exa is a VERY basic camera with very basic shutter speeds. In the Exa, at least on the models I have used, the mirror assembly is also the shutter. This limits its usability somewhat.
Maybe the Praktica VLC3 is more interesting for you? This model sports interchangeable finders.
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Peter - Moderator
Pentax K-5 + Pentax 645 + Canon 5D + Bessa RF 10,5cm Heliar, and a 'little' bag full of MF lenses. The lens list is * here *.
My fast 80s: Asahi-Kogaku Takumar 83mm f/1.9 - Super-Takumar 85mm f/1.9 - FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited - Cyclop 85/1.5 (Helios-40 innards) - Komura 80mm f/1.8 - Meyer Görlitz Primoplan 7,5cm 1:1.9 - Carl Zeiss Jena 80mm f/1.8 Pancolar - Canon 85mm f/1.8 S.S.C. - Canon 85mm f/1.2 S.S.C. Aspherical |
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kuuan
Joined: 14 Jan 2008
Posts: 4569
Location: right now: Austria
Expire: 2014-12-26
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:26 am Post subject: |
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kuuan wrote:
thank you Spotmatic for your very informative answer.
yes..because I also thought that the Pentax 645 does not have a WLF I was cautious how to formulate..'if I remember right'..but I think it WAS a 645 and not a Pentax 67.
Could be that what I remember is viewing through a Pentax 645 with the pentaprism viewfinder removed???
if so, how would that compare with the view through a 'real' WLF?
thank you pointing out the Praktica VLC3 - a quite sweet looking camera. Saw there is one at ebay now, but only including a pentaprism VF..I guess no good idea to got for it then..
best regards,
Andreas
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Spotmatic
Joined: 18 Aug 2008
Posts: 4045
Location: Netherlands
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:33 am Post subject: |
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Spotmatic wrote:
| kuuan wrote: |
thank you Spotmatic for your very informative answer.
yes..because I also thought that the Pentax 645 does not have a WLF I was cautious how to formulate..'if I remember right'..but I think it WAS a 645 and not a Pentax 67.
Could be that what I remember is viewing through a Pentax 645 with the pentaprism viewfinder removed???
if so, how would that compare with the view through a 'real' WLF?
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The problem is that none of the Pentax 645 models have a removable prism. The prism is fixed... So no WLF possibilities here. I think you may have looked on the ground glass screen of a Mamiya M645 - a very easy to find camera.
I think a 35mm camera with a WLF finder is somewhat limited. I have tried it before (on my Asahiflex and Pentax LX), but focusing is not very easy on a screen this small. Also, there's almost no '3D-ness' when looking on the screen. For that, you'll definitely need a medium format camera.
| Quote: |
thank you pointing out the Praktica VLC3 - a quite sweet looking camera. Saw there is one at ebay now, but only including a pentaprism VF..I guess no good idea to got for it then..
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Only if you can also find the WLF. Just keep looking for it if you really want it - one will pop up sooner or later.
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Peter - Moderator
Pentax K-5 + Pentax 645 + Canon 5D + Bessa RF 10,5cm Heliar, and a 'little' bag full of MF lenses. The lens list is * here *.
My fast 80s: Asahi-Kogaku Takumar 83mm f/1.9 - Super-Takumar 85mm f/1.9 - FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited - Cyclop 85/1.5 (Helios-40 innards) - Komura 80mm f/1.8 - Meyer Görlitz Primoplan 7,5cm 1:1.9 - Carl Zeiss Jena 80mm f/1.8 Pancolar - Canon 85mm f/1.8 S.S.C. - Canon 85mm f/1.2 S.S.C. Aspherical |
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Seele
Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 742
Location: Sydney Australia
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:35 am Post subject: |
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Seele wrote:
Andreas,
Exa cameras came in two flavours, the "I" and the "II" families.
The "I" has interchangeable viewfinders and normally supplied with a waist-level finder. It has a "mirror shutter" which can only deliver a limited range of speeds, and due to its inherent design, it cannot use lenses longer than 100mm.
The "II" has a fixed pentaprism, and a proper focal plane shutter (which is unusual for being a cloth shutter, but vertical run). This means it has no upper limit in focal length compatibility.
In that case, I think if you can live with the 100mm focal length limit, the Exa I type would be a fine choice. Earlier Exas, naturally, were equipped with the Exakta bayonet mount, but later models had M42 mount with the stop-down actuator, which may be an advantage. |
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