Exakta 66 (vertical)
See also the horizontal Exakta 66 and the later Exakta 66.
The Exakta 66 vertical model is an SLR camera for 6×6 cm pictures on 120 film. It was made for only about a year from 1953-4 by Ihagee in Dresden, East Germany.[1] It replaced the earlier, horizontally-oriented Exakta 66 of 1939 and its short-lived successor of 1951, which was withdrawn because of production problems.[1] It is completely different in design from that camera. The film is loaded in interchangeable backs, and runs vertically, with the supply spool at the bottom.[2]
The camera has a focal-plane shutter with a very wide range for the period — 12 seconds to 1/1000th plus 'B' and 'T'. The speed is set with separate fast and slow speed dials on the right hand side of the body. The upper dial sets speeds from 1/25 - 1/1000 second, 'B' and 'T'; the lower dial has separate scales for 1 - 12 seconds, and for 1/5 - 6 seconds (this second slow speed scale is for use with the self-timer).[2]
The shutter release is a button on the bottom right corner of the front. It is threaded for a cable release.
The shutter is synchronised for flash, with a PC socket on the body. The synchronisation delay is adjustable for bulb and electronic flash, with a dial on the left side of the body. There is no accessory shoe, but the camera has two ¼-inch tripod bushes, to which a flash bracket might attach.
A range of high-quality interchangeable lenses was made for the camera. The standard lens is an 80 mm f/2.8 Tessar. The lenses have helical focusing, and a bayonet mount.
The viewfinder is interchangeable. The standard finder is a folding waist-level hood, with a loupe and the facility to fold the front panel to form a frame finder, familiar on TLR cameras. The user's manual refers to a pentaprism finder as 'in preparation'.[2] There is a magnifying lens (i.e. a condenser) above the ground-glass screen, and this is also interchangeable with a 'special' one (presumably allowing a stronger magnifier to be fitted).
Between the two speed dials is the film advance knob (with a butterfly handle) which also tensions the shutter. There is a double-exposure prevention interlock, with no override mechanism.[2] Frame spacing is automatic, and there is a frame counter above the winding knob.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). p428.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 User's manual at Hugo Ruys' Ihagee.org.
Links
- Examples sold in past Westlicht auctions in Vienna:
- Exakta 66 serial no. 600089, sold at the June 2008 auction.
- Exakta 66 serial no 600243, sold at the May 2011 auction.
- Exakta 66 serial no. 601002, sold at the May 2004 auction.
- The Ihagee page of Peter Lanczak's site features a picture and a repair manual for the vertical Exakta 6×6
