Exa 500
The Exa 500, introduced in 1966 by Ihagee of Dresden, Germany (later East Germany), was the last of the Exa line of 35mm SLRs. The Exa 500 was also known as the Exakta 500.
Description
The Exa 500 had an unusual "bulgy" shape. The shutter-release was a separate button, on the body - underneath the lens-mounted stop-down lever (or button, depending on lens). Pressing the lever stopped-down the lens, and further pressure also pressed the shutter-release. This meant that there was no coupling necessary from camera to lens to stop down the lens. The lens mount was the Exakta bayonet fitting.
The vertical cloth focal-plane shutter was faster than the earlier Exas, running from 1/2 - 1/500s. The speed dial is mounted around the rewind crank. The viewfinder was fixed, and featured an instant-return mirror and a bright ground-glass focusing screen with central microprism - all unlike many other Exas. The advance lever has a travel of only ~120° - shorter than previous Exas. Around the top of the advance lever, the frame counter counts down; on the edge of the counter is a film speed reminder.
