# Exactas



## The Barbarian (Aug 19, 2012)

Beautiful machines or weird, left-handed oddities?   I love them.  Misspelled "Exakta", I see.


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## MLeeK (Aug 19, 2012)

I think it is a beautiful LOOKING piece! I'd be happy with it sitting up there with my others!


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## The Barbarian (Aug 19, 2012)

Even better, the lenses are interchangeable on this one:


Which is pretty good looking as well.   The RE Super was a tank, and more advanced than the  Nikons and Canons of its day.


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## Rick58 (Aug 20, 2012)

My first SLR was a VXIIa given to me by my dad. Beautifully made with a Zeiss lens that took razor sharp pictures. Being it WAS my first SLR and WAS my dad's, I could kick myself down the street and back for trading it. I was young and apparently extremely stupid. I traded it for a AF peice of crap that today I can't even tell you what make it was. It seems the younger you are the smarter you THINK you are.


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## sm4him (Aug 20, 2012)

That first one is sexy! 
I'm with MLeek, I wouldn't mind having that in my collection.

I still have every camera I ever owned, with three exceptions--a Polaroid land camera (which belonged to the whole family), a Kodak disc camera that fell apart, and my first Canon Powershot, which I lost one Thanksgiving.
But unfortunately, I never had any sexy-looking or top-of-the-line kind of cameras, so my camera collection is a little bit like the Island of Misfit Toys.  But they're mine, and I love them.


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## Rick58 (Aug 20, 2012)

sm4him said:


> That first one is sexy!
> I'm with MLeek, I wouldn't mind having that in my collection.
> 
> I still have every camera I ever owned, with three exceptions--a Polaroid land camera (which belonged to the whole family), a Kodak disc camera that fell apart, and my first Canon Powershot, which I lost one Thanksgiving.
> But unfortunately, I never had any sexy-looking or top-of-the-line kind of cameras, so my camera collection is a little bit like the Island of Misfit Toys. But they're mine, and I love them.



I believe that may be a VXIIa. They were very nice complete system camera's with interchangeable finders and an entire array of lenses, tubes etc. One unique feature is, they incorporated a knife along the film track. In theory a section of film could be cut off and developed without finishing the roll. I have to admit, I never attempted that maneuver. There are still many on Ebay.


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## IanG (Aug 20, 2012)

I've a Varex IIb, the VX models were US import versions as the Varex TM was already in use in the US.

Actually Exacta/Exakta and Praktica/Praktika were spelling changes made by VEB Pentacon. I wish now that I'd bought a Varex 1000 rather than a Zenit E in the late 1960's, I probably didn't have the extra cash 

Ian


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## Derrel (Aug 20, 2012)

The build quality of those old Exaktas rivals that of modern "flagship" Canons and Nikons!!! The doggone things are simply ROCK-solid!!! Such lovely mechanical instruments!


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## SamSpade1941 (Aug 20, 2012)

When I was in the Army it was not uncommon to see these around the post towns where someone who served in Germany would acquire one and bring it back they were actually made in East  Germany at least for a while till the Soviets decided they needed the factory worse than the Germans did. Beautifully crafted cameras, intricate and amazing like most German engineered stuff. I remember seeing one pop up from time to time at an estate sale at some of my CONUS postings. I just never had the urge to own one but talk about cool factor. They have it in spades, they take some amazingly nice photos also.  While I was stationed over in Germany I was more concerned with buying a Leica which I did a single stroke M3 that had been previously enjoyed by someone else. I carried it along with my Nikon F in my Ruck sack when we would leave the Kaserne for field maneuvers.


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## IanG (Aug 20, 2012)

SamSpade1941 said:


> When I was in the Army it was not uncommon to see these around the post towns where someone who served in Germany would acquire one and bring it back they were actually made in East  Germany at least for a while till the Soviets decided they needed the factory worse than the Germans did.



Totally untrue, sure Exacta mergered with Praktica/Pentacon but that had nothing to do with Soviet russua and production continued.

Ian


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## The Barbarian (Aug 20, 2012)

> I believe that may be a VXIIa.



Good eye.  That's what it is.


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## SamSpade1941 (Aug 20, 2012)

IanG said:


> SamSpade1941 said:
> 
> 
> > When I was in the Army it was not uncommon to see these around the post towns where someone who served in Germany would acquire one and bring it back they were actually made in East  Germany at least for a while till the Soviets decided they needed the factory worse than the Germans did.
> ...



Reading is fundamental I never said that I said that the Russians had anything to do with making Exacta cameras. I said that Exacta cameras were made in East Germany and they were, I also said the Russians packed up the factory which they did with many of  the factories in East Germany right down to the last nut bolt and screw and sent them back to Russia. That is historical fact and they did it with everything from cameras, to bomber plants.  If they did not do it with the Exacta plant I accept my error and the correction. Take the time to read and understand what was said though instead of making a sweeping generalization which is inaccurate when correcting someone.  

Thanks for the clarification by the way.


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## Rick58 (Aug 20, 2012)

SamSpade1941 said:


> IanG said:
> 
> 
> > SamSpade1941 said:
> ...



I have a totally Russian made Leica M3 complete with every Leica marking. Absolutely nothing to indicate it's actually Russian except one small piece...THE LENS...lol.  I've never heard of the Exacta's meeting the same fate.


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## SamSpade1941 (Aug 20, 2012)

Rick58 said:


> SamSpade1941 said:
> 
> 
> > IanG said:
> ...



Rick that would not surprise me, they were pretty good reverse engineers. I know they made an excellent Contax copy and a B29 copy right down to the last rivet.


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## compur (Jan 5, 2013)




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## Rick58 (Jan 5, 2013)

Love those Exactka's... A Mercedes with a lens


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## compur (Jan 6, 2013)




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