Exakta 66 (vertical)
See also the earlier horizontal Exakta 6×6 and the West German Exakta 66 of 1986.
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| 1955 advertisement for the Exakta 66 image by Nesster (Image rights) |
The Exakta 66 vertical model is an SLR camera for 6×6 cm pictures on 120 film, made for a few years from 1953 by Ihagee in Dresden, East Germany (McKeown dates it to 1953-4,[1] and an article in a 1953 edition of Exakta magazine states that the camera would probably be available before the end of that year;[2] the camera was certainly still available in 1955, when the advertisement in the illustration was published). It replaced the earlier, horizontally-oriented Exakta 6×6 of 1939 and its short-lived successor of 1951, which was withdrawn because of production problems.[1] It is completely different in design from that camera.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.[3]
The camera has a cloth 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).[3] 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 left shoulder of 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 (the camera also has a table-stand at the front, so that it will stand upright on a flat surface).
A range of high-quality interchangeable lenses was made for the camera. The standard lens is an 80 mm f/2.8 Tessar with preset aperture: McKeown states that lenses between 56 mm and 400 mm were made.[1] The lenses have helical focusing, and a bayonet mount. Some of the lenses are illustrated in a 1953 edition of 'Exakta' magazine,[2] and the article refers to Meyer f/3.5 Primotar lenses in 85, 165 and 180 mm, and f/5.5 Tele-Megors in 150, 180, 250 and 400 mm. As with other Exakta cameras, extension tubes and a bellows were available for close-up work.
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':[3] however, the advertisement shown here does not mention this attractive accessory at all. 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 winder, which also tensions the shutter. Frame spacing is automatic, and there is a frame counter above the winding knob. There is a double-exposure prevention interlock, which has an override mechanism (this is stated in the advertisement shown here, and in the article about the camera in 'Exakta' magazine,[2] but it is not explained in the user's manual.[3]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 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 Exakta magazine Vol. 2, No. 2, 1953, p26-7 at Hugo Ruys' Ihagee.org.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 User's manual at 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, with extension tubes, 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
