Strange Olympus lens

[dustin]

I was out and around on Saturday and stopped at a yardsale. Big box of cameras- an Exakta stood out so i snatched it up, especially when I saw what was mounted on it.

I vaguely remembered that Olympus, Nikon and likely others made their proprietary lenses in other mounts. In doing a bit of research, it sounds like they didn't do it very often...a quick search turns up that there were maybe 500 or so known to have been produced

So what I've got is a 4cm f/3.5 C. Zuiko for Exakta mount- Sadly it's got a few small dings on the rear element- because of how it was made, the back glass sticks out past the mount and is very vulnerable...doesn't help that this guy stored his cameras loose in a cardboard box!

I'm new to the forum...so forgive me if this isn't the correct place to post this! But how much would the scratching devalue the lens? Its a balance of its scarcity against the condition I would think

Going to try and post the photo...the scratches are hard to photograph though, so I'll just post the one pic

[tsiya]

That is a pretty piece of work!
I've quit trying to guess values, it always depends on how much you want to sell it and and much someone else wants it.

[nikonbob]

Dustin

Welcome to the forum and what an interesting item for your first post. I didn't know Oly made lenses in Exackta mount. I hope you will post photos made with that lens.

Bob

[dustin]

It certainly is a real piece of work! Real solid and super heavy for its size

I will post some photos up right as soon as I can get some taken, the Exakta VX that it came attached to seems like its shutter is on its last legs...it squeels at fast speeds! Reminds me of canon shutters that need to be oiled...

The rear curtain has got a curve in it too, and I'm missing the take-up spool. I could probably just attach a small peg for the spool and tape the film to it right? Haha

[mickeyobe]

"I'm missing the take-up spool. I could probably just attach a small peg for the spool and tape the film to it right?"

An empty spool from a roll 35mm film might serve. They usually have a slot in them so a little trimming of the leader could make a good fit. Tape as well. It wont hurt.

Mickey

[PeterW]

Dustin,

It's more rare to find an Exakta with its metal take-up spool than without it because they were fond of falling out when you opened the camera.

Ihagee produced quite a few models of the Exakta VX for the European and US markets. Some had detachable backs and some had hinged backs, but I think I'm correct in saying that they all had provision for cassette to cassette film winding.

If yours has the built-in cutting knife, operated by unscrewing a small knurled knob at the bottom and pulling it out, then it certainly was. The idea was that by sacrificing three frames of a roll you could cut off test shots and take the take-up cassette away for developing. This was more widely used in scientific and medical photography where the Exakta was very popular than in normal amateur photography,

Of course, you don't have to use cassette to cassette you can, as Mickey suggests, use almost any spool from a 35mm cassette as a take-up spool.

With regard to the shutter curtains, you can re-tension/replace them and lubricate the spindes yourself if you're reasonably good at camera tinkering. I replaced a set some yeas ago when my fingers were less arthritic than they are today.

There are some very useful hints, tips and sketches on Rick Olsen's website


Before you start tearing things apart it would be advisable to try out the camera and that Oly lens just as they are ... just in case!

Best of luck.

PeterW

[dustin]

Peter, its funny that you mention that as I just noticed the cutting blade while sizing up my empty spool that i salvaged from an old cassette! It's too bad that I'm missing the metal spool, but I've got a reloadable cartridge and it sounds like either one should work just fine

I have a habbit of taking on bigger repair jobs than I can handle, but I think I've done it enough times that the past few have actually been...well successful! I've never gone further down cleaning out a viewfinder on an SLR before, but I think this Exakta is in rough enough shape to be a guinea pig.

I'll be sure to post about that after I finish a roll with the Oly and Steinheil that it came with

Thanks all for the info and warm welcome

[photax]

Hi Dustin !

Never seen or heard about such a lens before. A great find ! Very interesting !
Looking forward to see your pictures,
A warm welcome from Austria,

MIK

[SidW]

Hi Dustin. Hugo Ruys has an enormous lens list for Exaktas here:

www.ihagee.org/#equipment

and follow the "Exakta lens list 2348 items" link.

He has three different versions of your Olympus lens, including yours.