My Exakta 35mm SLR Camera Collection Part #2

Here is the second half of my Exakta 35mm SLr Camera collection. As you can see the quality of these cameras went from good to great and then to pretty bad. The last of the Exaktas was not even a real Exakta, but a completely different design with the name plate exacta attached to it. Though it was not really a bad camera by it's own merits.
Anyway, cameras have surely come a long way from these early pioneers.
In the next video I will show you the rest of my 35mm cameras, Some German, some Japanese, a couple USA and even two Russian copies that should really make you laugh!
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Please watch: "EPSON P800 Chip Decoder unfortunately DID NOT WORK!"
• EPSON P800 Chip Decode...
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[@MichaelRusso]

I just got a IIa off ebay. Of course the curtain was rippled and pin holed. I was able to rescue it by using liquid tape. I mixed it with a little Naptha so it would be less thick. Applied it with a brush, wiping any extra off with a Q tip. After a few layers, the curtain flatten and was once again light proof. Using this method, the curtain does not look butchered. I will be testing it to see how successful my application works.

[@dougauwarter2500]

Some problems here... 1st, the RTL 1000 was NOT a West German camera. Although it cannot be considered one of the original Ihagee Exaktas, it was built in East Germany, not West. Johan Steenbergen, the founder of Ihagee, did try to relaunch his company in the west, but the cameras were not of the same quality, and were obsolete, compared to the Japanese offerings of the time. But they were quite different from the RTL 1000, which actually was a camera made by Pentacon, which took over operation of the Exakta factories and combined them with the Praktica cameras. Secondly, although the VXiib cameras were not as ornate as the iia's, they were not a cheapened version. In fact, they were an improvement in that they used the modern shutter speed times, i.e ⅛, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, and 1/1000. This meant that they could be used with more modern light meters because the speeds were more or less in multiples of 2, like all "modern" film cameras. I have a couple of these earlier cameras, and the quality is consistent. I also have an RTL 1000, which is actually a pretty good camera, and much more in line with what followed. It has two shutter releases, one on the left that allows its use with all the older lenses that require that left shutter release. It's not a bad camera at all, but the Japanese, by this time, were superior in just about every way. One of my favorite cameras is the Topcon RE Super, which is an Exakta bayonet mount, but with more modern features and a superior build quality. Nevertheless, nice video - it's great to see these old cameras showcased!

[@jjock3239]

Interesting video, and nice collection. I have been a lover of the Exacta line since I bought my first Topcon, an RE, in 1967. Every time I looked at an article on Topcon, there was always something in the article that referred to the Exacta. I bought my first Exacta, a VX IIa, in the mid 70s, and it has always been one of my favourite cameras. It still works beautifully, but I don't shoot much film anymore. As you said, they are beautiful instruments, as were all the high quality cameras of the day, and they are just a joy to have around.

[@cheo1949]

Thank you. This was my first camera and I bought my 1949 Exakta when I was 14 for $20!

[@jjock3239]

@@cheo1949 I have purchased at least one other Exacta, I think an Exa and a 1000, and also purchased a lot of the other Exacta accessories, such as the ground glass for the viewers. I haven't looked at my stash for a few years, and now I am prompted to pull everything out and see exactly what items I do have. I thought, that with the change to digital photography, that my beautiful cameras were now worthless. I notice they have lost a lot of their value, but they still have value to me. Bob

[@cheo1949]

@@jjock3239 the weak point of them was the curtain shutter. There was ONE guy in the USA Back in the 70s/90s called the Exacta Camera Company who did servicing and repair. I remember seeing them in the late 50s early 60s for over $400-500 as it was the only camera being used in lab and scientific work like photo micrography.

[@jjock3239]

@@cheo1949 I was just doing some reading, and it was the camera Jimmy Stewart used in the movie "Rear Window". The name plate of the camera was blanked out. I remember the issue with the shutter on the Exacta cameras, and I was told you could check for the problem by shining a light into the body and looking from the other side. I am going to give it a try.

[@cheo1949]

@@jjock3239 Exactas were used in a lot of movies if you look carefully.

[@tonidiprima6506]

I fell in love with Exaktas the moment I saw my great grandfathers Exakta varex vx. I recently have gotten into shooting film and actually learned on this camera I inherited which definitely was a challenge as a first time film shooter but the photos turned out great! I was lucky enough to inherit the base 50mm lens a telephoto lens and a P.Angenieux Paris 28mm f/3.5 Retrofocus lens which looking into it online do I now realize how much its worth... Overall amazing camera to shoot and I am so lucky to have had a relative that shot this camera and saved all the lenses.

[@vyoufinder]

Great historical video from someone experienced with the Exaktas in practical use over the decades. Thanks for making this.

[@cheo1949]

I know NOTHING about Exaktas compared to our own expert here in the Channel who goes my Lazy Dog!

[@Kerberos2233]

great video! just a little corection: the RTL 1000 was also manufactured in east germany but after Ihagee had been merged into pentacon. the camera was designed in tandem with the Praktica LLC and looks and functions extremely similar.

[@cheo1949]

Thank you for the information. I am not a true historian but simple enjoy collecting these great examples of early 33mm technology. Thanks again!!!

[@Greg_the_Berean]

Very cool videos (both part 1 & 2) and awesome collection! Thank you for sharing with us and taking a stroll down memory lane. I really find it fascinating that you've had these for so long. So cool my friend and thanks again for sharing! Cheers,

[@cheo1949]

Thanks

[@thomasmoje5926]

Just love those old Exaktas up through the VXIIa (all the ones with the beautiful Exakta script logo on the front plate)..they are works of art.

[@cheo1949]

I love them.

[@CARANDTRAIN]

Thank you for your video. How do you select the long pause / slow speed on the right button? Do you need first to put the left speed on a given position? Other than that question, my base Exacta works well.

[@PaoloMarcelli]

Hey friend, I refilled my OEM T6174 yellow cartridge and I got a perfect nozzle check of my B-500DN, it has been used for just 5000 prints and it's built to print like 20k pages per month, so it's like new! Thank you for your videos about how to refill the PRO 3800 carts, that helped me alot with these that have a pretty similar valve :)

[@cheo1949]

+ADCSFXworks Printing Center Sounds great. I need a kick ass high volume printer like that one.

[@PaoloMarcelli]

The HP OfficeJet Pro 8620 or the Epson Workforce Pro series should be great, the Epson B-500DN it's a great printer but it's not avaiable anymore and it's so expensive if you don't find a great deal like i found :) or if you want the world's most fast desktop printer you'd buy one of the Officejet Pro X Series printers :3

[@cheo1949]

+ADCSFXworks Printing Center What do you know about the new Epson Eco Tank models?

[@PaoloMarcelli]

I never had one of them but I read alot about them, they should be great, and the Epson OEM inks are extremely cheap! the C13T664240 and the other refill bottles of 70mls are sold for just 9,99€ and 15€ for the BK on epson.it, and you print at 33ppm that it's not so bad, my B-500DN is a 39ppm. On each OEM epson ink there's a barcode that you have to write in the Driver after the refill so using a 3rd party ink would be hard I think, but there's no need with these very cheam OEM inks :)

[@cheo1949]

+ADCSFXworks Printing Center I am looking at the WF 4630www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_17?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=epson+workforce+4630&sprefix=EPSON+WORKFORCE+4%2Caps%2C154&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aepson+workforce+4630As if it low in cost. High volume and uses large carts, plus it has complete proven 3rd party support!Are you familiar with it?

[@edwardlee7766]

Thank you for sharing your collections and learnt a lot.

[@cheo1949]

They are my babies!!!

[@sclogse1]

Gettin an Exacta in the mail that actually works, is quite the thrill. I had purchased an early VX II that didn't work except for one or two settings under the left hand, but had purchased it for it's deco era look. And it was cheap. Found a Biotar in ok external condition and polished it to match the look of the body, and was fine, then found this body that works. Watching demos of them working I don't see people switching from Bulb to Time, just using Time. I also noticed after them cranking the dial under the right hand and then setting it to delay, but time exposure was at, say, 11 seconds, the delay was good, but then the 11 seconds wound up being six seconds. And the guy demoing it acting like all was good. (start at 6:28) kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaG7laSgq7mJZ7s So, I'm wondering when to use bulb instead of time. It's not a real biggy, as I won't shoot this Varex VX II camera that often, and would probably shoot around 1/100th of a second for most work, but I'd rather completely understand the camera than not. And I have a PDF of the manual.

[@huyphung7507]

The last one seems to be built by Pentacon, looks exactly like Pentacon SuperTL1000 without a dof-preview lever.

[@cheo1949]

Very likely true. They were.... ahem...... sharing designs back then.

[@pzarc]

Are the lenses and view finders interchangeable between different Exactas? Great video. Thanks.

[@cheo1949]

The early mode!s I showed all used the so called exacta bayonet mount. The view finders prism have slight differences but most are interchangeable in the VX models. Cookie Man here in the channel is an expert on the exacta. Maybe he will better answer you. I bought them to actually use an m and so I never really got into the correcting aspects of them. I just loved their design and beauty.

[@pzarc]

I found the answer for viewfinders here. www.wrotniak.net/photo/exakta/finders.html

[@cheo1949]

Awesome site!!! Thank you for sharing it.

[@_joka9]

I would be happy with one of those VX haha

[@cheo1949]

They were absolutely groundbreaking at the time! I will not part with them.

[@emanuelschimpfossl5919]

Which one would you prefer? :)

[@cheo1949]

The EXACTA ones with removable viewfinder and prisms.

[@LeendertCordemans]

Where can I find part 1?

[@cheo1949]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWK8aq2cdsiZa9U

[@Googolplex6]

Exacta, unfortunately, was in East Germany. This is why the quality eent down. This is not the case of Leica, Zeiss, Schneider-Kreuznach, Rodenstock …

[@rentedtux1883]

The IIb isn't made cheaper. In fact, their curtains are much more reliable than the IIa.

[@cheo1949]

Thanks for the info. I love my Exactas!!

[@rentedtux1883]

I love them too! I have a minty Exa that I love and a VX IIb on the way. By the way, I saw a VX IId. Is that a mis-stamp?

[@cheo1949]

I dunno! I'll have to look.

[@j.badinter988]

Not ISA, but ASA.

[@cheo1949]

It's my accent!

[@j.badinter988]

Ok, I have an accent too, so welcome to the club!

[@christ5469]

Can you email me? I have questions regarding parts/lenses for the Exakta VX camera.