Episode 98: The Exakta Episode

Episode 98 of the Camerosity Podcast is dedicated entirely to the Ihagee Exakta, one of the hosts' favorite and longest-lived camera brands. While most people know the Exakta name for its high-end but quirky 35mm SLRs, the article notes that Ihagee actually produced cameras using three different film formats and nine different lens mounts over the company's history. Hosts Anthony, Stephen, Paul, and Mike are joined by a large group of returning and first-time callers to try to cover this sprawling history in one sitting, with Mike taking the lead on chronicling the story since the group couldn't find an outside expert on the subject.

The discussion moves roughly chronologically, starting with the company's founding and the earliest 127 Vest Pocket Exaktas, then the Night Exaktas, the early Kine Exaktas, the Varex models, and the redesigned VX1000 and Elbaflex cameras, before venturing into rarer and stranger models like the Exakta Real, Exakta Twin TL, and various Japanese- and Chinese-made variants. Mike singles out the VX1000 as representing a major design shift and suggests it's the ideal starting point for someone wanting a first Exakta. The group also spends time on the Exakta's smaller sibling, the Exa, discussing its strengths and weaknesses, how the shutter mechanism works on early models, and a curious "System Exa" that wasn't actually made by Ihagee. Other topics include the Exakta's film cutter and unusual cassette-to-cassette film transport, cleaning tips for Exakta ground glass, the medium-format Exakta 66 SLRs, and the famous Exakta with a 400mm Kilfitt lens featured in Hitchcock's Rear Window. The episode closes with a look at Topcon SLRs, which share the Exakta mount, and a discussion of how compatible lenses actually are between the two brands.

The episode functions less as a definitive verdict and more as a wide-ranging attempt to organize and demystify a genuinely complicated camera lineage, touching on collectibility, usability, and the sheer number of lens mounts and manufacturers connected to the Exakta name. The hosts reiterate their open invitation for listeners of any expertise level to join future episodes, and note that Episode 99 will be a callers-free, catch-up-style episode, ahead of a planned special 100th episode.

AI-generated summary. May not capture every detail — read the full article below for the complete picture.

It has been a couple of weeks but the gang finally got back together to devote an entire episode to one of our favorite, and longest lived camera brands, the Ihagee Exakta. If you are familiar with the Exakta name, you probably know them as a maker of high end, but very quirky 35mm SLRs, however there were far more Exaktas produced in the 20th century using three different forms of film and nine different lens mounts. In Episode 98, the Camerosity Podcast hosts do their best to try and corral all those models and history into a single episode.

Joining Anthony, Stephen, Paul, and Mike are returning and first time callers Daniel from Chicago, Eric Lorenz, Fernando Villava, Howard Sandler, Ira Cohen, Michael Boudreau, Mike Toppo, Pat Casey, and Phil Clark.

We were unable to find an expert who could speak intelligently on the history and wide range of Exakta models made, so Mike did his best to cover the history, starting with how the company formed, and we go (mostly) in chronological order from the first 127 Vest Pocket Exaktas, the Night Exaktas, the early Kine Exaktas, into the Varex models, the redesigned VX1000 and Elbaflex models, and into the weeds with uncommon cameras like the Exakta Real, Exakta Twin TL, and some other Japanese and Chinese made models.

In addition to the Ihagee Exakta, we also dedicate a bit of time to the Exakta’s little brother, the Exa, covering that models strengths and weaknesses. We attempt to explain how the shutter on early Exas work, and Mike tells a story of a hard to find “System Exa” that’s not even made by Ihagee at all.

Many questions were asked with varying levels of good answers, including how many lens mounts can be found on an Exakta camera, how many different companies produced Exakta cameras, what is the best introduction to the Exakta lineup, and whether or not Exaktas are good for shooting or just for collecting. We even spend some time on the infamous Exaka with 400mm Kilfitt lens found in the Hollywood classic movie, Rear Window.

And just to round it all off, we spend the end of the episode on the Topcon SLRs which use the Exakta mount, including whether all lenses are fully compatible between the two company’s models.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

The last several episodes of the show have been wonderfully exciting and informational. We’ve had a huge number of guests, many of whom are first time callers who joined a long list of people who have contributed to this show. And while all the hosts enjoy chatting with all of you, we haven’t had an episode to ourselves in a while, so for Episode 99, we are not taking any callers. We want to spend this time to get caught up on what we’ve been doing, share with you some of the private discussions we have behind closed doors, but mostly, we’re looking for an episode that’s easier to edit.

Don’t worry though, for the next, next episode, we hit triple digits, episode number 100. It gives me chills just typing that here. We will be looking for something special for our centennial episode and once we know what that is, and what date we are recording it, we will be sure to let you all know! Until then, Episode 99 will be recorded sometime in early October.

In This Episode

Exaktas Are an Accidental Collection / Mike Had Wanted to Do an Exakta Show with Hugo Ruys
Did Ihagee Ever Make Their Own Lenses? / Canon Once Made a Lens Using the Exakta Mount
Did Other Companies Make Cameras that Use the Exakta Mount?
Topcon R / Mamiya Prismat / Tokiwa Seiki Firstflex 35
Differences Between a Night Exakta and a Regular Vest Pocket Exakta
What is a “Kine Exakta”? / Identifying All the Different Exaktas / Mike Mirrors wrotniak.net
Captain Jack’s Exakta Website / Exakta Books and other Sites
What is the Difference between Varex, VX, and non Varex?
Paul’s Tip for Cleaning an Exakta Ground Glass
The Exakta VX1000 Signaled a Big Change in Exakta Design / Mike Thinks the VX1000 Is the Perfect First Exakta
A Kickstarter to Revive the Elbaflex / The Real Elbaflex
Using the Exakta’s Film Cutter / Cassette to Cassette Film Transport / Exakta and Exa Take Up Spools
Differences Between Exaktas and Exas
The Ihagee Exa that Wasn’t Made By Ihagee / System Exa / How Does the Shutter Work on the Exa?
How Likely Are you to Find Working Exaktas and Exas? / Cloth Shutter Curtains
What was the Lens and Camera Used in the Movie Rear Window? / Kilfitt Lenses / Adapting Exakta Lenses
Olympus Made a 4cm f/3.5 Zuiko Lens in Exakta Mount / Exa and Exaktas Advance Film Opposite of Each Other
It’s Spelled Ihagee, not Jhagee or Thagee
The Horizontal and Vertical Exakta 66 Medium Format SLRs
The Exakta Real Was an Attempt to Re-Launch the Exakta With More Modern Features
Exakta Twin TL and Twin TL 42 / How Many Lens Mounts Can Be Found on Exakta Cameras?
Are Exaktas Good for Shooting or Just for Collectors? / The Exakta Self-Timer and Slow Speed Escapement
Do Topcon SLRs Have the Same Mount as the Exakta? / Lens Compatibility

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

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