Edixas! Edixas everywhere!

[Mos6502]

In my search for an Edixa TTL I found not only a TTL but a Prismaflex too. Well actually two Prismaflexes, but they became one under my hand.



Three Edixas - 1955, 1965, and 1967.

The object of my Edixa desires:


The 1967 Edixa TTL. The first Edixa with TTL metering and readout in the viewfinder. In 1966 Wirgin introduced their first TTL camera, but rather strangely located the meter needle on the top plate - probably to make use of parts they already had for their CDS metered cameras.

The TTL is basically the last meaningful improvement to the Edixa Reflex family. It was replaced by the LTL in 1968 which simply had refined controls (a more ergonomic, and better looking meter switch).



The meter is turned on with this little lever on the side of the lens throat.



It's really quite a smart looking camera. Because the Edixa retained a lift and set, revolving shutter dial until the bitter end, the meter could not be coupled directly to the shutter setting. The thumbwheel around the rewind knob was used to communicate the shutter speed to the meter. Alas - not exactly as easy as using a Spotmatic, or even the Edixa's East German rival - Praktica Super TL.

While the Edixa had been a successful up to date camera in the 1950s and early 60s, it fell victim to circumstance in the late 60s. Heinz Waaske who was chiefly in charge of engineering Wirgin's cameras left the company in 1965. Henry Wirgin himself retired in 1968. And all this uncertainty about the product's future was played out against the backdrop of rising German inflation and growing competition. Not just competition from the Japanese, but even domestically. When Zeiss introduced the Icarex they introduced the first directly competitive West German product the Edixa had to contend with.

The LTL was in production until 1971 when the Edixa Electronica TL came out. The development of the Electronica was a gamble that bled the company dry - and ultimately it was a flop, and Edixa was history.

Unfortunately my TTL has pinholes in the shutter. Otherwise it miraculously seems to be entirely functional.
Both of the Prismaflexes had various mechanical problems. But out of two I was able to make one functional camera:


I took a test roll with a Helios 44M lens I got for free. It had been pretty moldy when I got it, and the mold had etched the glass. Even so I wanted to try it out.



The results were very low contrast and a tendency to flare... I don't know if I'll be using it again. I had to turn the contrast way up here.

[Minolfan]

Amazing that you could make one good working camera from two bodies with problems. I would expect that both had comparable troubles after so many years! If that was the case there was hardly a chance to make one good.
Do you like to use these cameras?

[Mos6502]

I haven't used them enough to make proper judgement yet.

One Prismaflex had a problem where the instant return mirror was flipping down before the shutter completed its travel. The other had had fungus growing on the pentaprism and this destroyed the silvering. Both had slow shutters. So I took the good prism from the first one and put into the second one, then cleaned and adjusted the shutter. The mechanisms were surprising different inside which was odd, the later one which had the mirror problem operates much more smoothly and quietly, but there was nothing I could do about the mirror without much disassembly.

The older one has a very uneven feel in the film advance while advancing, but the shutter is accurate and it seems to be perfectly functional now.

I've got another roll in it now and will be using it with the Meyer Oreston instead of the Helios.