Love my little Exa 500 - beautiful design and lovely to use.

These cameras and lenses always look better through your eyes. Must be the Zen. Love these videos. Keep up good work. You're building up a library of very fine work

Lovely episode! I used an EXA-1c in the early 90's, That's all I could afford. Unfortunately, the plastic parts of the winding mechanism broke during a -40degC Russian winter. Camera shops in Dresden still maintain and repair these models. Another outstanding GDR camera is the sixties era Penti (I and II). The winding mechanism of this one is spectacular.

Wonderful, Zenful, Professional and Passionate content and advice as always! Thank you!

Hello Nigel, Thank you very much for another excellent video. The EXA you have, is in fact version 6, approx 1961. There were earlier EXA's, from around 1952, up to around 1966 or so. Some of the later cameras had a vertical running, focal plane shutter, offering speeds up to 1/500 second, (EXA 500). However, Pentacon introduced another model, the EXA 1c, which was in production around the mid 1980's, with a return to the old sector shutter, and M42 lens mount, instead of the Exakta bayonet. You still sometimes see the odd brand new example on Ebay.

I have an Exa 500 which I love to use!

I really love these fine old cameras! Grew up shooting with very similar equipment. So their familiar old Friends!

Thanks for another very interesting video. Wouldn't mind to see a video about lens maintenance!

Another great video. Thanks from a Pentaxian.

I own praktica Nova from 1960's also very stylish beautiful and great to use, so easy to get used to and very handy as if they made it exatly for my palms :D

Always enjoy your videos! I have that "EXAKT" camera and lens. The Zeiss Jena Pancolar lens is legendary. It is my favorite camera lens in my entire collection. That particular Exa was made in the late 1950 and early 1960s. It was the last variation of the original Exa (with no number), which was designed to be the second body for persons with an Exakta or as a pocket or for a lady's purse camera. At the end of their production, you could pick one up for around $25. Great deal on a great camera. You hit it on the nail when you indicated that you can change the lens or the viewfinder and focusing screen. You can even put on one of the behind the lens TTL meters made for Exakta. With the exception that you pointed out the slow speed, it is a very versatile camera. As far as the slow shutter speeds, you have to remember that when camera came out that, top film speed was 200 ISO, so the 1/150 or 1/175 of a second was perfectly reasonable. Carry a neutral density or a dark yellow or orange filter I agree that the model we both have is beautiful. However, the variant with the name plate in the older "Embossed" shiny chrome is stunning. I would love to get one. Same camera just different cosmetics. Finally, people need to be careful on what take up spool to use. The spool comes out so you can put in a film cartridge if you like so you don't have to rewind. However, a word of caution. The original Exa take up spool is the same as the Exakta. However, Ihagee changed to a larger body with a rapid advance lever in the early 60s but kept the same shutter. This take-up spool takes up the film in an opposite direction. If you use a newer Exa take spool in an original Exa it will break the film. When I bought the camera, I used it for a couple of weddings of relatives. Unfortunately, the camera without a take-up spool so I put one in from the newer Exa model. After a couple of broken films, the camera sat on the shelf for almost two decades, until I was alerted by a post from an Exakta website. Changed the spool and it works beautifully! Use it a lot now!

The history of photography throws up some lovely, and interesting, cameras. These 3, from the GDR are just scratching the surface. I have recently begun collecting the rather nice metal compact cameras of the 60's to the 80's. Ricohs, Fujicas, Olympus etc. These cameras are increasing in price rapidly, 3 months ago I bought a Fujica GEr with a jammed shutter - this is a well known problem with this model, and is easily fixable - for £7. I noticed yesterday that another with the same problem is starting on the auction site at £20. Ricoh's and Ollys are the same, there are some lovely cameras around, I have a few Yashica Ministers, the III, the D, the 5, and some Minoltas, 7's etc. Great stuff. Next episode? anything you like, but the cheap 50's intrigues me. Regards George

Great episode! I have bought my Praktica MTL5B new in 1988, with the insurance money for my Exakta varex IIa that sadly got stolen. It still works like new. Love it so much - buy far my favorite camera for film. The cover isn't plastic but mat chromed metal. Mine has a small bow on the top, which wouldn't be possible with plastic. Just two additions about the timeline: the MTL5B was produced between 1980 and 1989 and the Exa changed the color of the plate from silver to black in 1960. So your camera should be from the early 1960s.

lovely trip down memory lane there, my dad had an MTL5B I think it was, wonder if it's still around

The MTL 5B I have is my favourite camera, I've come to enjoy shooting Praktica as they are just simple, no fuss and dependable... Plus they're dirt cheap. I'd like to get my hands on a Pentagon Six sometime

That was delightful and brought back lots of good memories, having used all of these. Thanks! I'd be interested in where to obtain and develop film these days.

I really enjoy your channel. You're informed and pleasant. I purchased my third Soviet camera last month after a weeks worth of binge watching your channel, and I couldn't be happier. I have a question for you, though it's unrelated to this video I hope you can answer it. I'm finding these white plastic cards tucked into the back of two of my Zorki camera cases. Do you know what they are, or what they're used for..?

I'm always happy to hear about new-old lenses. Would love to watch your review of mamiya lenses (some of my favorite m42 and 645). An episode on how to maintain and work on old lenses (thanks to you, I'm up to about 30 old lenses in my collection) would be great! Also, any chance of reviewing the praktina camera? I'm trying to get one fixed (pinholes in curtain), it's a beautiful beast that I loved the first time out (light leaks and all). Thanks for your great show!

Some very cool cameras and very worth consideration. I have been tempted to go back and try film again. That Praktica reminds me of my first real camera, a Pentax K--1000. I wish I still had that.

I bought a secondhand Practica in th early 70's when I was an apprentice. The guy in Jessops also persuaded me to buy a Pentacon 3.5/30 (aka Mayer-Lydith) and I still have it!

As always very interesting! Thx for your videos. I would like to get more information about IR photography. Would be nice!

Still have a Praktica LLC with Pancolar 1.8 from the early 70's. Love the combo. Well balanced too.

Thanks Nigel, another enjoyable video. Batteries are a relevant subject too, the bonus with the MTL5B was a change from a mercury cell to the safer and easily bought LR44. A vote for lens maintenance next please. Could be worth looking at solving problems with purchased lenses. Of course it is sensible to buy clean vintage lenses from good sources but we can't resist an apparent eBay bargain of unknown condition :-)

Great episode! I would be keen to see an infrared photography episode. Thanks.

I'm always up for an episode on nice glass, but to be honest all those options sound good to me!

Btw, as always this was a terrific video. These days, when I think about one of my old cameras or lenses, one I once had or one I still have, I think... "when will Zeno do a video about this one..." :)

I've taken a risky punt or two on lenses, not always successful, so I'd love to see a restoration/maintenance tutorial.

Have a Praktica packed away and I feel guilty now so will take it out and give it freedom , I used it with some Tamron lens and have been using them as vintage . Enjoying all your videos, thanks 👍. lens care etc would be a great subject

Schneider-Kreuznach is in West Germany. But after the fall of the wall they whre the owner of the rest of pentacon. This company has the name Schneider - Dresden. The only camera in the world who comes from east and west is the exakta 66. Body from pentacon, modified with parts from Schneider- Kreuznach and lenses from Schneider-Kreuznach. Personally i have the last carl zeiss jena lens. A Zeiss Jena Biometar but essembled with a body from Schneider -Kreuznach. I've bought this lens for 240DM, now it cost 800€! Good investment. zenografi is so cool, no frills and everytime valuable information! Thank you!

Owned the Exakta VX1000. Somewhere around 1966 I guess. Unfortunately the shutter locked up after a couple of years. Made great pics though. With a lens from Jena indeed. Shooting birds was a bit of a challenge due to the noise it made.

Would love to see digital IR episode. I've shot IR film, but have not even explored IR digital. Thanks for the excellent content!

For the Praktica B all lenses called prakticar. Most lenses came from meyer Görlitz, but also from Zeiss Jena. Zooms come from japan. There also exist an M42 Adapter with electronic contacts from pentacon (min 15.10)

Yes, the MTL3'Ss and MTL5s were fine manual 35mm cameras to use. Great.

How I wish now that I had joined one of the UK Pentacon Club visits to Dresden, offered to club members in the 1970's. Amongst other delights, club members were given a tour of the Pentacon factory, then in full operation!.

A wonderful post, nice would be a video about tripods and their handiness !?

Wow, love those moving depth of field arrows on the Exa. Very original, never saw that on a camera again. Re: future episode, my vote goes to infrared photography.

I' like to see all of the videos you proposed. I just can't decide the order of appearance ... LOL

Oh, wanted to add that you should do one of your great videos on the Praktica Mat. This camera from around 1964 was the very first European camera with a behind the lens meter. Yes, beat everyone - Leica, Zeiss Ikon, Edixa etc. It has a more complicated and accurate camera meter that later Prakticas. Also, the finish is stunning, it is the best I have seen on any Praktica. It was aimed at the professional and discerning amateur. It was only made for a very short time until they brought the Super TL which was a step down from the Praktica Mat. I picked one up at show for $30. Neither the seller nor I knew anything about it, but I was immediately smitten by it.

Nice cameras. Might pick up an EXA sometime. I have a Praktica MTL3 in my collection and it's one of my favorite film cameras. Another one I really like and still have is the first SLR I ever got, a Canon A-1 that I got in 1986 when I was starting photography school. It's a great film camera, with access to Canon's wonderful FD lenses, but looking on eBay, I see that it's a little pricey these days.

Many East German made products are still in use today, because they were designed to last and not to break after a few years of usage, like most of todays products do. Greetings from (West) Germany :)

Great episode! I would like to see some infos about storage of lenses. No one handles that topic! I find all various ideas about storage quite contradictory (for example shall I expose them to light against fungus and get dust inside, or store them in a dark case, where fungus is growing? Which materials are feeding the fungus, and so on). My beloved new Fujinons will quickly become glass waste and may develop fungus over time. However there is big difference to the lenses from the 60s and 70s: you cannot maintenance that lenses by yourselve, since these have delicate optical stabilization and you have to store calibration data from a optical bench inside their electronics after (re-)mounting. Therefore proper storage of current and old lenses is of major importance for everybody who wants to enjoy their gems over years.

I have a CZJ Sonnar 135mm F4, Exakta mount. It is the silver version, and the serial number dates it to 1958/59. Fantastic lens, but is now suffering from 'spider' fungus inside the rear element. Do you know where I can find any maintenance diagrams etc. for this lens? I have another old lens you would probably like - a Rubinar 500mm f5.6 Catadioptic (M42 mount). Generally regarded as the best of the old 'mirror' lenses. Both of these lenses are used on Canon bodies - 700d (w/magic lantern for remote focus stacking), 7d mark ii and M5 mirrorless. M42-EF and Exakta-EF adapters are easily found on eBay.

The Exakta was the first 35mm in the world. There was a soviet model a bit earlier but it was later in production. (2.41)

I've got an mtl3..I never realised it was plastic, the camera is so heavy the finsh is perfect and looks like metal, even after all these years no scratches or cracks.

Hello sir, excellent video as usual, I still have my MTL5, boasting advantageous features for the time and cost, such as self timer, 1/125 th flash sync speed, hot shoe AND flash remote sync socket and Swedish steel vertical travel focal plane shutter. Variants of the B200, B100, BCX, BCA, and its final guise the Jenaflex had contacts / couplings for an autowinder ,made for Praktica by a Japanese company ( I am not certain but seem to remember Minolta, historically have been a company willing to collaborate with other companies). It also had a rudimentary TTL flash compatibility again as a result of a DDR/ NIPON collaboration. BUT, I digress, If you did a video explaining what DYNAMIC RANGE actually is, i for one would appreciate it because as you my guess i started out on 35mm cameras, and quite frankly never heard of it back then, and to be equally candid dont have my head round it now, its something my Fuji,s do for me, sort of. LOL, if you do take up the challenge, make it last as long as needed, cheers.

Very informative as always Nigel! I would to know how you maintain your camera’s and lenses. I have a little collection of about 20 analogue camera’s (and a couple of digital ones as well), mainly I wonder what you have to do to keep them up and running, seen the fact that I don’t shoot with all of them regularly. But that thing about shooting with infrared is also appealing…you make it difficult to choose ;-)

lubrication of the lenses is a good idea :)

Schneider-Kreuznach is sattled in Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ( former west Germany).

You might well enjoy looking into the Russian Kiev rangefinders. Super interesting. &, in a sense, one might look at post-WWII Nikon as having emerged from the Contax/Kiev lineage. Certainly the lens mount of Nikon's rangefinders (the S, S2, S3, etc.) is a version of the Zeiss mount, & the physical design of those cameras reflects Contax/Kiev as well. Plus, since the design of the Nikon F owes much to these rangefinder predecessors, the Contax/Kiev legacy continued for quite a while. They are interesting in many ways -- e.g. vertical, rubber shutters. Beautiful machines! Enjoy...!

I have the Exa camera body, that I picked up from a garage sale for 5 bucks. It has a Meritar 2.9 50 mm. If I wanted a Ziss lens like you have , what mount would I search under?

It would be great to get your take on lens and camera storage All the very best

I recently picked up a Praktica Nova 1b for a song. Although, as Prakticas go it's not very practical. You'd have to have super vision to read the dials and fingers like toothpicks. But, I think, it does look good, and is quite ingenious in its way. I'm looking forward to trying it out. Although, it will have to be in conjunction with a digital light meter I am expecting from Germany. As for what I'd like to see next. Well, all of them really. Although maintaining lenses always interests me.

Schneider Kreuznach is from a city called Bad Kreuznach about an hour west of Frankfurt - nowhere near GDR...

Schneider Kreutnach are West German and take the second part of their name from Bad Kreutnach, which is a large German town close to Wiesbaden and famous for providing health clinics and fairly decent wine. I use to stay there during the 1980s. It was surrounded by Nato bases.

Would like to see a video about infrared!

thank you again for an interesting video! By the way Schneider Kreuznach is located in Rheinland-Pfalz (or rhineland-palatinate) in West-Germany (French occupation zone after WW2) But the Schneider Kreuznach Company had some legal fights about name/trademark rights in the 1990ies, long after the cameras in your video were produced.

That Praktica 5B is actually a late 80s camera. Though the technology inside it certainly makes it seem older. It was the second to last fully mechanical Praktica before the fall of the Soviet Union. The MTL 50 being the final. Also, the Prakticas for about a 20 year span were near identical. All that really differed were things like the ground glass, did it have a self timer, how the lightmeter worked. But you can't go wrong with really any of them. I have myself a Super TL 1000 from the early 80s, and the aforementioned MTL 50. Could recommend either.

I bought a Praktica MTL 5B in the Mid 80s brand new. It taught me everything about the basics of photography, and it never let me down until a 10 meter fall finally destroyed it in the early 2000s. I miss it a lot. Unfortunately, they aren't that cheap anymore here in Germany, at least when they're still in good shape. It seems the MTL5 and 5B models can have film transport problems these days. I don't know if the MTL3 or LTL models are any better in that respect.

Lens maintenance and STORAGE would be great. Problem in Oz is lens storage when it hits 30 - 40 degrees C in summer

for the western market there were different labels like Porst, Quelle, Revue, RevueFlex on Praktica cameras.

Bad Kreuznach, where Schneider still sits I believe, is in what was West Germany. Their vintage lenses are exceptional, too, in particular the 50mm Xenon. It is on par with the best German vintage lenses.

I have a BCX, it’s a great camera. I got it with a PB-M42 adapter, which can use M42 lenses in automatic mode. The only issue is that the film doesn’t advance properly, it does tend to create double exposures. Sometimes they are nice surprises but sometimes it has ruined some nice pictures. Any solutions for this problem? I read in some forum that one needs to be “steady and slow” but no results so far. It’s a pity because I like this camera. Now I’m using the Praktica MTL50, very nice but no automatic mode and quite heavy. Thanks!

Howdy just got a exacta but need a focusing screen. Hopefully I can use a old Pentax one

Lots of great, cheap cameras to choose from in this category! I love my little Exa 1b with the waist level viewfinder. The only annoying thing is that the shutter button is on the left side for some reason :-)

A few minor errors in description of the Exa's functioning. All early Ihagee SLRs, including Exacta's through the VXIIA lacked a quick return mirror. But, this has nothing to do with the shutter. Moreover, Ihagee did not innovate the bayonet mount -- the Zeiss Contax, for example, had one (also inherited by the Kiev, btw; the Kiev was to the pre-war Contax what the Fed was to the the pre-war Leica). My first SLR was an Exakta! A complicated but extraordinary camera.

Read yesterday, that Topcon went with the Exacta bayonet mount, with their initial SLRs. You could mount Exacta glass on you RE, but most Topcor glass did not really work on Exacta cameras, (Just trying to justify, finding a Super D, ha). Stay safe.Peace

Storage and lubrication 👍

I was stationed in West Germany and I as going to buy a new slr. The base exchange had Nikon, Canon, and Pratica and Minolta. Couldn't afford the Nikon or Canon. So the choice was either minolta or Pratika...I had a Petri F slr...knew the Japanese built good cameras. Knew very little about europe built cameras. I bought the Minolta srt 202

Благодарю Вас за прекрасный обзор этих замечательных камер. Я счастливый обладатель одной из них - Praktica MTL5b. Это мой любимый фотоаппарат. И у меня есть прекрасный настоящий Carl Zeiss Pancolar 50mm f/1.8. Но, он требует некоторой профилактики. У него скрипит кольцо фокусировки. Его нужно смазать, но я боюсь его разбирать.

i wish someone would make a video about how to get the most retro look. lens, film, developer, the whole thing. :DDD

Thanks for the video. Prakticar 50mm 1.4 starts from 300$ on ebay US :) in Germany them must be cheaper I guess

Maybe you could look at the Pentax transition from M42 to their 'open source' bayonet, and explore the new models - developed from the Spotmatic experience, that sprang from this upgrade (or downgrade if you will ;-) - Thank you for your honest - but inspired, still low key approach to the subject matter :-) We oldtimers like that.

The Praktica L series actually originally dates to the late 60s, but it's fair to say it's typical of the 70s. However, the MTL5B actually dates from the mid-80s - 1985, to be precise. The BCX is basically the same as the BC1. One of the nicest cameras of its type, regardless of manufacturer.

I've got an MTL3 with a Helios 44-2 and the 135mm Jupiter. It's so much easier to use and more reliable than the Miranda Sensorex my dad owned. I paid 20 dollars US for the camera with case but no lens last year.

PRAKTICA's unusual position of the shutter button shall prevent camera shake during release.

BCX is the BC1, i think the BCX sign is from the british importeur. The times are very exact in comparison to the mechanics.

in my experience you can buy a camera & lens combo mostly cheaper than the lens alone. Most people don't know what they have to offer....

Well, there are also people who - after huge restoration costs - drive around in an old car without ABS, without airbags and without any assistance system, and end up at the same ice cream parlour as everyone else. This Exa here, for example, delivers a mirror-inverted image via the viewfinder: together with the miserable magnifying glass, it always takes minutes to adjust the camera so that you are finally ready to press the shutter release. Yes, an anachronism. I wonder how they took photos with it back then. They did, of course, and I have enough photo books with excellent shots to show that you can take significant pictures without any automatic. With that Exa and a 36 film you are practically busy for a whole day. 'Anachronism' sums it up quite well: you fall out of time with it. Basically, the Exa is a mirror of one's own impatience. A psycho apparatus. Self-awareness for 30 euros: Where else can you get that? By the way, this Exa is of course a beauty. It fits better in the hand than a Leica M and its proportions appeal to every aesthete.

Just tested the mtl 3 the body is metal not plastic, its a very thin aluminium shell over the chassis not a solid casting so gives the cheap sound when tapped

The single lens reflex is much older, just not in this format.

Its amazing how many I see breathing on lenses then cleaning with their t-shirts!! How about a little education on lens care (Blowers and Microfibre), Not storing in damp garages etc.. Keep up the good work ( And Im glad you mentioned the trusty old Zenit)...

Schneider took over Pentacon-Practica Dresden over, but was never DDR manufacturer as far as I know.

Ihagee is from a dutch man who founded in Dresden a factory before WWII. (real time😄 comment, now in min 1.28)Also in the GDR Exakta had in the first time dutch ownership, so the soviet can't carry the production machines in the soviet union.

I hope Schneider-Kreuznach will forgive you that you moved them to East Germany! 😉

Had Exa, Exacta and Practica many years ago. Would not want to go back there again. To me they are almost unusable

MTL5: Praktica Practica was the first camera which have chrome on plastic, an east german patent.Ok,not a good innovation...A Mtl5 is rough and have a bit from a pepper mil(Min 11.12)

Praktica BCX don't exist in Germany. Also whe have no silver modells. The names of the B Series in Germany: BC1, BCA, BX, BXS. Great Britain was the best market for praktica in the west. ( Min 1.36)

Schneider-Kreuznach lenses are bavarian. So West-German.

Nikon are copies of Praktica and other German cameras

Please, dont read ihagee like that. It pains me greatly to hear that.