Exa 1a

The collapsible finder image by Uwe Kulick (Image rights)

EXA 1a's characteristic thick body from above image by Uwe Kulick (Image rights)

The EXA 1a is a mechanical SLR camera body with collapsible top-view finder. It's made for lenses with the EXA-bayonet fitting, among them many of the famous old Meyer-Optik Görlitz lenses. One of the standard lenses made for the EXA is the Meyer-Optik Domiplan 1:2.8/50mm . When this lens is mounted on the EXA its aperture release lever is located exactly over the shutter release button which is placed on the camera's front side beside the lens mount. This construction allows depth-of-field preview by pressing the lens's lever half way, and shutter release with aperture release at once by pressing it down fully. The mirror swings back when the film is advanced.

The viewfinder shows the image mirror-reversed. Full finder brightness is achieved by opening the lens's aperture. Adjusting the aperture to the appropriate value won't darken the finder image until the aperture/release lever is pressed.

The camera has a quite short but effective film advance lever. For changing the film the camera back-and-bottom part has to be removed.

Specifications

• Type: SLR Camera body
• Manufacturer: Ihagee Kamerawerk AG Dresden (belonging more or less to VEB Pentacon since 1964)
• Year of release: 1964
• Films: 35mm
• Lens mount: Ihagee SLR bayonet
• Viewfinder: Collapsible viewing optics over the Exas' typical finder screen loupe. The complete finder unit is replaceable by a pentaprism finder unit
• Shutter: Special construction (bread-box-alike) mounted below the mirror. Speeds: 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/175 sec.

EXA at work image by Uwe Kulick (Image rights)

Resulting EXA image image by Uwe Kulick (Image rights)

EXA with portrait lens, finder folded image by Uwe Kulick (Image rights)

Links

In English:

• Exa page at Wrotniak.net

In German:

• The Exakta and Exa Pages