Exa I
In the world of under-appreciated 35mm film cameras. perhaps no other line is overlooked more than the Exakta cameras. Where some cameras deserve their status as "also-rans," the Exakta line of cameras have earned their place alongside others that should not be ignored.
The company that produced the earliest versions of these cameras was called Ihagee and began life in Dresden, Germany. After World War II, when camera production re-started, the factory found itself in the Soviet-occupied part of East Germany. With some degree of autonomy from the East German state, Ihagee produced and exported Exakta cameras.
The Exa 1 began its three year production run in 1962. This camera was more than just an incremental change from the Exa. The Exa 1 body was larger and more rounded than its immediate predecessor. Despite the larger body, the Exa 1 lost its bulb flash socket, but kept the single socket for electronic flashes. One trait that the Exa1 kept was its standard waist level finder that could be changed out to accept a more modern penta-prism. Additionally, the focusing screen of the Exa 1 could be changed by the user to further customize the camera to their liking.
As well designed as these mechanical cameras are, Ihagee outsourced the lens production to Carl Zeiss, Meyer Optic, and Schneider Kreuznach, so the image quality out of these little cameras is second to none. Photographers who become accustomed to the quirky placement of the shutter release and the fairly limited shutter speeds will be rewarded with pictures that look as good as anything from similar lenses on much more expensive cameras.
While it may be easy to overlook these cameras, do yourself - and your photography - a favor and seek out one of these little gems. They're easy to spot: just search where everyone else isn't.
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