Exacta

1933

Original model, second version

Ihagee

Dresden

Germany

Lens:

f3.5, 7 cm Zeiss Tessar, iris diaphragm to f16. Interchangeable screw mount. Serial no. 1379545 (c.1932).

Shutter:

Focal-plane speeded 1/25 - 1/1000, Z, B. Second blind delayed to vary exposure. Self-capping.

Construction:

Leather covered metal body.

Format:

8, 4.5 x 6 cm exposures on 127 roll-film.

Focusing:

Helical to 2 feet.

Attributes:

Reflex viewing through taking lens. Waist-level finder with ground glass screen and magnifier. Frame finder in hood, mirror in hood for eye-level use.
Mirror raised by spring.
Film-advance indicated by red window. Film-advance tensions shutter and lowers mirror. Double exposure prevention.

Identification:

Late type film-advance knob.

Serial Number:

406266 .

With:

f5.5, 15 cm Meyer Tele-Megor. Lens hood. Serial no. 861047.
Accessory focusing hood with magnifier, in pouch.; Lens cap.; Ever-ready case.

The original version was, with minor improvements, renamed model A in 1934 when the model B with slow speeds was introduced. Main variations of the original model are in the shape of the film-advance wheel; the earliest versions were shorter and of small diameter (22 mm, later 26 mm). The lens thread was also changed during the first year of production from 39.5 x 0.5 mm pitch to 39.8 x 0.75 mm pitch. The price with an f3.5 Tessar was £18.0.0.

The chief designer at Ihagee at this time was Karl Nuchtenerlein (b. 1904, d.1944) who was instrumental in the development of the Exacta cameras.

The focusing hood shown here was available with or without a magnifying lens.

References & Notes:

BJA 1934, pp. 282, 601.; BJA 1935, pp. 309, 591.; Falchenberg, Exacta Exhibition Cat.; Cameras from Dresden, p. 19.;

Further Information:

Coe, Cameras, p.141.

Illustrations:

Auer, History, p.183.

Early Photography