The Exakta 66

[melek]

I just put up a review of the Exakta 66 - one of the more unusual medium format cameras to come out of the Ihagee company after the war.

It's a massive camera (3 pounds, 10 ounces / 1.6 kilograms) that I plan to use soon. Might be a candidate for Lomography's Film Photography Day (April 12).

Briefly, I bought this camera last year, and it mostly sat as I moved to New Jersey from Pittsburgh. Moving to New Jersey for the third time and leaving Pittsburgh for the fourth time.

The camera didn't work much or at all, and it took a major overhaul to correct a number of things. Along the way, I was using a hair dryer in an attempt to remove moisture between the two elements of the popup viewfinder's magnifier, and the leather covering shrunk. I replaced it with some leftover pieces, but I might replace it again.

It has a cloth focal-plane shutter, a removable film back and a nice coated Tessar lens in a heavy chrome mount.

The camera was made in the early 1950s.

I'll put up a few photos after I shoot with it. I shot with it already, but misplaced the roll of film- again.

[Madrigalrose]

Okay. Ready for some examples

Looks like quite an interesting TLR to maneuver. Very curious!

[rumtea]

This is one of the camera that I really want to see in real life

[Captain Slack]

Neat! 3lbs?! Good Lord, my neck is hurting just thinking about hauling that beast around!

Not to hijack this thread, but how does one pronounce Ihagee?

[Santiago Montenegro]

That's a beautiful beast of a camera.

[Dustin McAmera]

how does one pronounce Ihagee?

I understand the company name was originally 'Industrie- und Handelsgesellschaft' (Industrial and Trading Company), or IHG for short, and Ihagee is just those initials said as in German. So I think for an English speaker it's 'Ee-ha' (Yeehar! without the 'Y'), and 'gay'.

[LarryD]

What a light weight. the Kiev 60 weighs 1.95 Kg. I have seen them before but never a working one.

[PFMcFarland]

Popular Photography has a mention of this on their "Time Exposure*February 1955" page. It starts out with the title "Medium-Format "Klunker"", and goes downhill from there. $319.50 new, loaded with features, but lacking in reliability.

I'd still love to have one, if only as a mantle piece.

PF

[melek]

I'll make a video of this camera this weekend. It's a massive camera. I shot a roll recently, but I seem to have misplaced the negatives.

[Bennybee]

Lovely camera, and in such nice shape too. Something to be proud of.