Exakta Varex
The Exakta Varex is a historical 35 mm reflex camera. It was manufactured by the Ihagee Dresden company; Camera works under management. It is the successor to the Kine Exakta . It was built in different versions from 1950 to 1970.
history
The Kine Exakta was the first single -lens single -lens reflex camera to be mass-produced . VEB Zeiss Ikon in Dresden also brought out a 35mm mirror reflex camera in 1949. The Contax S from Zeiss Ikon had a built-in prism viewfinder based on the pentaprism principle . The prism viewfinder has the advantage that you can see the viewfinder image correctly positioned and upright. In a light shaft finder, however, you see the image reversed. Ihagee and Carl Zeiss Jena had already brought out a prism viewfinder that could be attached to the light shaft.
It therefore made sense to further develop the Kine Exakta 1950 into the Exakta Varex , in which the light shaft could be exchanged for a prism viewfinder with one movement. The Exakta Varex was the first 35mm mirror reflex camera with interchangeable viewfinder. Later, other interchangeable viewfinders appeared, such as a magnifying light shaft or a prism with a light meter. External companies also supplied suitable exchange seekers.
technology
The Exakta Varex is technically only slightly different from the Kine Exakta. In the course of the long construction period, however, some changes were made. These concerned an improvement of the housing, which was not initially made from one piece (the film track was only screwed on), the rear wall, which was now hinged, of the long-term movement, and the introduction of the rear-swinging mirror on the Exakta VX 1000. In addition, some cosmetic changes were made carried out.
variants
A distinction is made between the variants:
- Exakta Varex 1950–1951
- Exakta Varex VX 1951–1956
- Exakta Varex VX IIa 1956–1963
- Exakta Varex VX IIb 1963–1967
- Exakta VX 1000 1967-1970
- Exakta VX 500 1969–1971
For legal reasons, cameras that were sold in the USA were referred to as "Exakta V" or "Exakta VX". Exakta Vx 1000, which were exported to West Germany, were given the designation "Elbaflex" Vx 1000.
In the course of the production of the Exakta Varex VX, standard lightning contacts were introduced. The last series of the Exakta Varex VX IIa (from 1961) received a new front shield and a newly designed light shaft. The lettering on the Exakta Varex VX IIa had previously been changed, and the new version now had raised lettering. The Exakta VX 1000 got a slightly different housing, the rear wall locking was changed and the quick-action lever got a new look. In addition, his commute to work has been shortened. The most important change was the introduction of the swing-back mirror. Before that, the mirror remained in its upper position until the camera was cocked again and the film was transported. Finally, the Exakta VX 500 was a simple model, with only five hundredths of a second as the shortest exposure time and without the long-term mechanism and the film cutter.
Rating
The Exakta Varex is the first 35mm mirror reflex with an interchangeable viewfinder system. It has thus been the model for a number of domestic and foreign cameras. In reportage photography she was able to assert herself internationally for a certain period of time, but until recently she was an integral part of scientific photography.
The Exakta Varex VX is shown on the 10-pfennig postage stamp of the German Post of the GDR from 1955.
literature
- Wurst, Werner: Exakta 35mm photography. Wilhelm Knapp Publishing House, Halle (Saale) 1952.
- Wichmann, Klaus: Exakta from the Kine Exakta to the Elbaflex. Lindemanns Verlag 1995, ISBN 3-89506-129-8 .
- Aguila Clement and Rouah Michel: Exakta Cameras 1933–1978. Hove Photo Books 1989, ISBN 0-906447-38-0 .
- Blumtritt, Herbert: History of the Dresden Photo Industry . Lindemanns Verlag 2001, ISBN 3-89506-212-X .
- Fiedler, Georg: Exakta macro and micro photography. Verlag Wilhelm Knapp, Halle (Saale) 1956.
