Photographica: The Exakta V Returns

This week I've been photographing more alleys and whatnot with my Exakta V 35mm camera. When I began collecting and using vintage cameras my initial intent was to stay away from 35mm cameras. I still have my Pentax K-1000 and MX ... if I wanted to shoot 35mm why would I need another camera, much less a vintage 35mm? That was a year ago and today I have several vintage 35mm cameras: An Argus C-3, a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super BC, a Nikkormat FT, an Olympus XA and an Exakta V. I certainly don't need any more vintage 35mms!

The Exakta V was the first vintage 35mm I bought. I went to drop some film off at my local camera store and sitting on the shelf was the Exakta V. It looked like something out of WWII, all leather and chrome, heavy and weapon-like. Considering it was made in Dresden in 1950, that's not far off the mark. Like all German engineering from that time the Exakta V is durable, dependable, precise and functional. It does what it does and it does that incredibly well.

I was intrigued by the Exakta V and the camera store owner said I could put some film through it and try it out. The camera was an immediately learning curve. First of all one needs to advance the film before the mirror drops down. That's easy enough, but the second thing was the P. Angenieux 35mm lens. One has to open the aperture to f2.5, focus and then stop down to the desired stop and take the photograph. I was severely perplexed at first but once I got this routine down, it became second nature. In fact, this slow process is actually a help rather than a hindrance since it forces one to properly compose the shot rather than fire off a series of shots and hope that one comes out. In this regard the Exakta V reminds me of a medium or large format camera. The 35mm lens was the perfect lens, just wide enough to get a lot of information into each shot without distortion. One can stand quite close to the subject or get near panorama shots. I really enjoy the 35mm lens (the Olympus XA has a 35mm lens, too. Another reason I enjoy that camera so much).

It didn't take too long to get me sold on the Exakta V and the camera store racked up another sale. And I began to carry it around with me everywhere. The Exakta V has a number of unusual features. First is the left hand film advance a shutter button. This seems awkward until one gets used to it. There's a self-timer on the right hand side of the camera ... I'm not sure why the engineers didn't swap locations for the film advance/shutter button with the self-timer, but they must have had some reason in mind. A question for the ages. There's a small knife blade within the camera which is used for cutting film. The Exakta V is designed with a replacable take up spool ... one could put an empty film cannister in place of the spool, shoot a few frames of film, slice the film, wind it into the cannister, remove it and develop the film. I've read that the Exaktas were the 35mm camera of choice among European press photographers in the 1950s and I assume this curious feature is the reason. All in all, the Exakta V is a spiffy camera and one well deserving of contemporary use!