CPD
Hi everyone,
I have three questions about the Exakta 66:
1. Does it also have the well-known Pentacon Six drawbacks (film advance)?
2. Was the 40mm lens by Schneider listed in my brochure ever actually produced, or did it remain merely an announcement?
3. What is the E.66 actually like? – Zeiss Jena lenses have a certain appeal for me.
Many thanks and best regards!
CP
Gast
Franz,
I’ll say straight away that I’m not really an expert, but as far as I can tell, the Exakta 66 is the Eastern Bloc version of the Pentacon SIX, as the name ‘Exakta’ wasn’t allowed to be used in West Germany.
Or do you mean the Exakta 6x6? That would be a pre-war model, or from the 1950s.
Roland
Gast
Hello Roland,
The Exakta 66 wasn’t manufactured until after the fall of the Berlin Wall and is essentially a modified Pentacon Six. CZJ lenses are also compatible.
Best regards
Gast
CP,
By the way, I mistook you for Franz earlier – my apologies – but you’re right; what I meant was Exakta Varex, which was eventually called Elbaflex in the West.
Roland
mau
Hello CP
As one of the few owners of this camera, I’ll reply here as well.
I’ve never had any problems with the film advance (overlaps). What does happen to me occasionally is that the shutter doesn’t operate correctly. However, that’s a user error; you have to wind the lever all the way up in one go. This is one of the things I like least about this otherwise high-quality camera. Other downsides are the lack of a mirror lock-up and the double exposure lock that can’t be disabled.
But as you’ve already written in the forum, it’s the lenses available for this camera. There’s no affordable 30mm for 6x6 available for any other system; the same applies, albeit with a smaller margin, to the other focal lengths. I don’t think it’s possible to get into another system from the major brands like Rollei, Hasselblad, Bronica or Mamiya at a similar price. Another option might be a Texas Leica from Fuji. But even that is likely to be more expensive.
Despite the limitations mentioned above, I have never regretted buying this camera. If you can get your hands on one, go for it. If you need interchangeable magazines, you can buy a Kiev 60 or a second Exakta.
cfb_de
Hi mau,
I’m getting in touch now that you’ve brought up the topic of “second magazine = second body / Kiev-60” :-)
I’ve been a happy Kiev-60 user for years. The camera just needs to be adjusted once to the “West” film advance setting (you can do this yourself) and then it works fine. In fact, if I were to get a second magazine, I’d buy a second camera as well (along with the associated, very real, functional risk).
I’d still invest the money saved compared to the re-labelled P-Six=Exakta in a decent Flektogon, Sonnar and Jupiter-250, and simply spare myself the hassle with the P-Six/Exakta’s rangefinder. The Kiev TTL viewfinder is brighter and offers a much wider view.
Even though the P-Six’s light shaft is far more ingeniously designed and the camera feels better to handle mechanically. Even though the Exakta can transmit the aperture value to the prism (though I’ve never needed that in medium format, as I don’t do sports photography).
The extra cost of an Exakta – coupled with the typical quirks of a P-Six – does not, in my humble opinion, justify the added functionality of the measuring prism. Even though the Kiev-60 has other typical quirks of its own (the film advance has to be adjusted, and it looks absolutely dreadful).
I’d rather fork out a hundred quid more and buy a second-hand Hassi 500C/M. It does have its mechanical quirks too (auxiliary shutter lenses can only be removed whilst locked in place), but at least its reputation online is beyond reproach ;-) The lenses are just as good and, despite the built-in central shutter, only marginally cheaper than the Schneider lenses for the Exakta. A 150mm C-Sonnar goes for the equivalent of a 120mm Biometar on Strombucht. The Sonnar needs sending off to CLA for servicing; the Biometar is world-famous for its dodgy aperture construction.
[I shoot at home with a Kiev-60/SW and at work with a Hassi/colour.]
Best regards,
Franz
Urnes
Hi cp,
Just to be thorough. The problem with the film advance on the P-Six is simply that you mustn’t let the quick-release lever snap shut, otherwise the teeth on the gear will wear down over time and the film transport will naturally become inaccurate.
On the other hand, you can also have the P-Six tuned at Pentacon in Dresden. A brighter film advance dial, mirror pre-release and modification of the film transport similar to the Exakta (there are apparently some differences) are said to cost around €130.
Roman
Even though the P-Six’s light well is far more ingeniously designed and the camera feels more responsive to handle.
Franz,
the light well is actually the most useless part of the P6TL – it looks cool, but unfortunately it doesn’t block out ambient light at all (even on my mobile phone camera I can see more in bright sunlight than on a P6 with the original light well <_< ); the K60-LS is much better in that respect, but the best is the one from the Exakta 66, which I use on my P6 (fits like a glove).
mau
Unfortunately, the Kiev let me down a bit too soon, with a faulty shutter shortly after the warranty expired. The body was my first eBay sale (a bit of a DIY project). Guess where the prism ended up .-) . I’d got a Biometar from a friend, a former Praktika Six owner. Later on, a Sonar and a Flektakon found their way to me.
I bought the system because of the good and, above all, affordable lenses. My friend advised me against the Six, and I’d had my own experiences with the Kiev. I’d seen the Exakta 66 at a Photokina (back when there were still two German states).
Ultimately, this camera too developed problems with the film advance and the shutter shortly after the warranty expired. After many letters – not all of them pleasant – and two attempts at repair, the issue was resolved as a gesture of goodwill.
In conclusion, one shouldn’t be misled by the camera’s (Exakta 66) military-style appearance. It, too, requires careful handling.
My Graflex cameras are all, without exception, more robust.
To buy or not to buy? Only second-hand ones are available, so I’d want to have a look at them and try them out first.
If I had to choose between the three models in this range, I’d go for the Exakta again.
Back then, I would have preferred to buy something more robust, but that was all I could afford. Switching now would be a waste and unnecessary, as the camera does exactly what it’s supposed to: take pictures.
Gast
Hello Exakta/Kiev/Pentacon Six fans, in addition to my two Pentacon Six cameras and my K-88CM, I also owned an Exakta 66 (model 2) until recently, which I have since sold on.
In principle, the rubber-armoured body of the E-66 conceals nothing more than a slightly optimised P-6, in which a few ‘minor’ weaknesses of the original design have been eliminated (rear film feed, light shaft, focusing screen, viewfinder image size, aperture coupling with TTL prism, Model 3 with mirror pre-release) - The shutter and gear train are exactly the same as its predecessor, which is why the Exakta 66 has unfortunately inherited all its problems – including the film advance that is often too short, which is linked to the camera’s metering roller mechanism.
Due to the relatively small number produced, the E-66 is only available at completely inflated prices – in my opinion, it makes more sense to fit a P-6 in good working order with a new viewfinder screen and a mirror pre-release (Baierfoto has a good solution to offer here!) and invest the difference in lenses.
Best regards
Idefix
;)
Gast
...in which some of the 'minor' flaws in the original design have been ironed out (rear film feed, light shaft, focusing screen, viewfinder image size, etc.)
Does that mean the Exakta shows more in the viewfinder image, i.e. not just 52x52mm? Like the P6? How does it work with the Kiev?
The issue with the P6’s overlap can be easily managed by loading it using the Baier method. It’s become second nature to me. What bothers me most is the narrow viewfinder frame, which is reduced even further by the prism.
Gast
Hello,
I don’t have a Kiev 60 myself, but an 88; however, I’m always interested in these technical details. How exactly does adjusting the film advance work? Is there anything online about this?
Best regards,
Marwan
Gast
Hi Marwan, here’s a link to a guide on how to make a Kiev:
http://kievaholic.com/kiev60kalibration.html
Best wishes! ;)
cfb_de
Hi big brother,
and the great thing about Russ’s guide is: it works. However, the fiddly bits aren’t for people who’ve never taken a camera apart before. Just removing the top cover alone is likely to make a completely inexperienced DIYer’s repair job much more complicated.
It’s better to first pick up a faulty body for perhaps a fiver from an online electronics marketplace and practise on that first.
Normally, you can avoid overlaps in a different and simpler way: stick a thin streak of cardboard around the take-up spool. The winding becomes thicker, and the spacing is correct again. The K-60 comes factory-set for the generally thicker Russian films, so naturally it doesn’t work quite right with our modern, thin Western stuff.
Before I adjusted my K-60 for HP5, I practised on simpler designs (Russian Leica) first.
Best regards,
Franz
Gast
Hello,
Thanks for the reply – that was really quick. I’ve already had a bit of a tinker with a few cameras, and with Russian ones it’s sometimes absolutely essential to tighten the odd screw here and there. I’d be interested to know if there’s a similar site for the Kiev 88 as well. Mine has been doing the job perfectly for 13 years now with various films. But you never know.
Regards,
Marwan
Gast
Hi Marwan, unfortunately I don’t know of any such site for keen camera tinkerers for the Kiev 88, though that doesn’t mean there isn’t one out there - However, without the relevant experience, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend tinkering with this type of camera, as the K88’s design is nowhere near as ‘straightforward’ as that of a K60, making the risks involved in tinkering with it rather unpredictable! ;)
But of course, the same applies here: no risk, no fun...
Regards, BB (unfortunately neither related to nor related by marriage to Brigitte Bardot...)
Gast
Hi bb,
I’m actually more into Catherine Deneuve… to stick with interesting French women…
I have the Kiev repair manual in book form; unfortunately, it only contains illustrations of the parts and there are no photos. I’m aware that the Kiev is quite complicated in design compared to a Hasselblad, as the shutter and escapement are combined within the body; I’ve also adapted the odd third-party magazine before. I’m more interested in tips and tricks, with photos like those on the Kiev website, which I hadn’t come across until now.
Regards,
Marwan
RomanJRohleder
There are some DIY instructions for the K88 online, but I can’t find them at the moment.
The author is Steve Ash, a British camera restorer specialising in Contax and Ciev.
Somewhere around here:
http://www.sdash.plus.com
Roman, with a K88Six that’s been a bit temperamental since yesterday.
Gast
Hi Roman, thanks for the link – it’s very interesting. Unfortunately, it’s not for the 88, but I’m also interested in the Contax and the Kiev derivative. What sort of problems is your Kiev giving you???
Best regards,
Marwan
RomanJRohleder
Marwan,
Actually, Ash has hidden a guide on his site. It’s well hidden.
As for the temperamental Kiev – it seems to have calmed down.
See:
http://phototec.de/phorum/read.php?4,136079
