EXAKTA VX1000 SLR

[Stephen]

Another Exakta reflex on its way, this time a VX 1000, of the later types made in the 1960's. Generally considered not so good as earlier models, still features most of the quirks of the design, but cleaned up a bit.

Exakta really are a flexible system camera, you can do any kind of 35mm photography on them, and at a lower cost.
The lens with this body is one of Meyer's Lydith 30mm wide angle lenses, manual operation on this budget lens. I have several standard lenses of other types that will fit with auto diaphragm operation.



Lydith wide angles are quite good in performance as long as stopped down to F8, and a decent hood is used. Both items at £16, on Ebay.

Stephen

[Stephen]

At last, a decent condition Ihagee Exakta VX1000....it all works fine, nothing failed on test, dead smooth wind-on, an accurate shutter, with decent condition blinds, the low speeds all work, and the self timer is fine.

It needs a new screen fitted, it is missing,(as listed on ebay), I have got spares of most types that Ihagee supplied. I popped in a split prism screen and the focusing is accurate with a Carl Zeiss Pancolor lens fitted.

No dings or dents, only very slight wear to satin chrome around the prism. The interior is as new condition. One side front leather panel looks as though it has been replaced, the pattern is different.

The shutter tests accurate, only 1000Th is a fraction slow, the others within 10% or better. The wind on and cocking is very smooth, may have been lubricated already. The focal plan shutter blinds have no visible holes, and the cloth is un-marked. All the shutter flash contacts work correctly. The Exakta bayonet lens mount is as new, no play.

The front top name plate is ribbed black backing, and raised anodised aluminium lettering, better than other Vx100 I have seen. It has the export mark on the bottom.


It came with a Meyer Lydith 30mm F3.5, said to be OK except for cleaning marks, but I cannot see many! It is clear and clean, fungus free etc. Even the lens body is in good condition.

Manual aperture operation with the Lydith, no iris control except the ring on the body.

I'll put a 200 ASA colour film through soon, autumn landscapes would suit the camera and lens, and take a spare 50mm Pancolor as well. The Lydith is a good lens for landscapes and views. Quite why Meyer could not squeeze out 2 more millimetre to make it a 28mm is beyond me. Cost can only be the explanation, every penny saved helped the ailing East German company.

Exakta were held in administration for many years after the war, due to western claims of ownership, and legal wrangles, but in effect they were run by Pentacon by the early 1950's, who allowed no investment or development till some legal issues were sorted. The VX1000 was an improved model, the last of the Dresden made old style cameras. Only after the final takeover by Pentacon did the new RTL appear, with un-needed changes!
The only decent thing the RTL got was the Zeiss Practica metal shutter.
Exakta never quite got the cloth shutter right, not so much in design as in poor assembly, poor grease and oil, and shambolic testing... there did not seem to be much!

If taken apart, serviced, and fitted with new blinds and tapes, they work very well indeed. But Ihagee had little motivation to do anything more than tick over for 30 years. They only made the body and shutter after all, they made no lens or prisms in house, purely engineering and finishing the body and accessories.

Now I need to find a decent 100mm lens and a CZ 20mm wide angle,(but not at ebay Prices!). I have got a Som Bertiot 24mm, very delicate lens, the glass marks if you breath on it!..I would love some Old Delft glass, but the prices are fearfully high. Most lens makers made for Exakta at one time or another, even Kern and TTH in the UK.

And the best bit £16, approx $25 for the body and the lens.

Stephen.

[Stephen]

I changed over the whole prism for a spare with a split screen, as there were a couple of small marks etc on the chrome. The replacement prism was bought as used, but came sealed in a box, with the screen still in it's box.
So the camera is near 100% now, apart from not having it's own original standard lens.

[Stephen]

A quick 8 exposure test film, 35mm bulk B/W, 100asa, shows good performance from the VX 1000 body and the Lydith lens, and now a full colour 200asa negative film is being used for the weekend to give some autumnal landscape shots.
The short test film shows no pinholes in the shutter blinds, and correct capping as the shutter is cocked.
Very pleasant to use camera, fuss free manual photography, and at very low cost!

Stephen.

[Stephen]

From B/W test film, at the Historic Chatham Dockyard on the River Medway in Kent,(UK).


Exakta VX 1000 with Meyer Lydith 30mm wide angle lens, Ilford FP4 at 125th F8.

Stephen.

[julio1fer]

A keeper, no doubt. I should use my VX IIb more often. How would you rate the 30mm lens?

[Stephen]

The Lydith is not at all bad, just a bit soft at full aperture. It steadily sharpens as the aperture gets smaller and only at minimum are there refraction problems, and they are slight. The depth of focus is fine, with a modern high speed film and F16 virtually all in focus to enlargements of 12 inch wide or more. If used the display on computer screens it is acceptable at all apertures.
The sample was scanned and original is sharper. Meyer lenses are a bit underrated in general. If you buy a Lydith, check the front element, which is vast, has not been over cleaned or scratched. Most Retrofocus wide angles suffer the same problem.

Stephen.

[julio1fer]

Thanks for the information, Stephen. I will keep an eye on Lydiths. They are more "authentic" than the Vivitar 28mm that I normally use with the VX IIb.

[hansz]

Or try the Flektogon 4/25... although it will cost a bit more...

[Stephen]

Oct 19, 2015 1:42:27 GMT -5 hansz said:

Or try the Flektogon 4/25... although it will cost a bit more...

A different league I think, I am sure you have seen the prices on Ebay, you could have bought Old Delph lenses a few years for the money they are asking nowadays, and Flektogon's in Exakta mount seem to attract a high premium rate price.

As the Lydith was thrown in with the VX1000 as a job lot at less than average for the body only, it virtually came free, or else I paid for the lens and the VX was free.

Most result from the Lydith I have seen before have been mediocre, but the average buyer was the owner of a Zenit or Praktica, a their first camera.

Nearly always the poor result was down to camera shake, not knowing how to hold the camera, or the choice of too low a shutter speed.

When we had a complaint on a lens, then they got tested on the customers camera, on a monopod or a tripod, plus hand held with as high a speed as practical. It was almost unknown to find any faults, it was the user's inexperience that was the problem.

It also caught a few more experienced photographers as well, they assumed all cheaper lens were rubbish, and wish fulfillment occured, and using a cheaper lens as though it was a Nikkor resulted in poor shots.

If you kept within the bounds of the abilities of the lens then you get results. The East Germans were not bad lens makers, they were much better than the Russians, mainly on consistency.

It was just that they were dull designs in general, the dead hand of Communism design plagued them. There was no motivation for newer designs, and stagnation took over. At first after the war a lot left in the east were happy to sit it out on the assumption that, like the West, the occupiers would withdraw. But things settled down and slowly the State took over, and no real Russian withdrawal. It left a lot of bitter older optical producers, who even after reunion, could not be saved.

Stephen

[hansz]

I always take one of my Slik monopods wherever I go (only when carrying a camera of course...). I still have the aluminum ones, easy to adjust and low weight.

Old Delft lenses are very rare, even here in The Netherlands.

About prices, you know the prices of early Biotars are fetching these days on the Bay... in this case a good Helios-44 is not so bad. I have several, some of which are mediocre, but others are as good a Biotar can be! Also the M39 ones are very affordable - with a M39 rim into a M42 adapter, they work very nicely on system cameras like the Sony Nex line.

Hans

[Stephen]

Great fan of the Bolex monopod, fantastic standard engineering in them, works as walking stick as well....and, yes, they can be used to take selfies!, but very useful in a crowd, with camera on remote, and over 12 feet up.(With a wide angle lens of course).

Stephen.