Kine Exakta
Encyclopedia
The Kine Exakta was the first 35mm SLR
still camera. It was presented by Ihagee Kamerawerk Steenbergen GmbH
, Dresden at the Leipziger Frühjarmesse
in March 1936. The Exakta
name was already used by Ihagee on a roll film
SLR camera line since 1933, among these the Vest Pocket Exakt Model B from which the Kine Exakta inherited its general layout and appearance. The word Kine
(cine, cinema, movie film) never appeared on the camera itself, only in the instruction manuals and advertising to distinguish it from the roll film variants. Several of its features constitute the foundation for the majority of 35mm SLR cameras produced ever since, although at this stage in an infant state.
had been used in miniature cameras for more than two decades using the 24x36mm negative format
. The single lens reflex principle
is even older and widely used in cameras for the medium format plate and film material. However, several obstacles had to be overcome to device a useful miniature SLR camera apart from the fact that the film material itself seriously restricted the usefulness of the negative: It is impossible to determine sharp focus
on its ground glass
with the naked eye even with a large aperture lens. To overcome this, Ihagee substituted the traditional ground glass focusing screen with a Plano-convex magnifying glass with the flat side facing downwards and ground to form a focusing screen visible magnified in the finder. To further improve focusing accuracy, a small magnifying glass
could be swung into place for accurate focusing on a small part of the image. Also to improve focusing accuracy fast lenses
were needed, and right from the start Carl Zeiss, Jena provided a 1:2.8 f=5cm Tessar
soon to be followed by the Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 1:2 f=5cm for the Kine Exakta.
castings
, the outer body shell and the internal frame for the mirror box, the shutter mechanism
and the film transport. The latter is inserted into the shell from the top and secured by screws. A fixed finder hood and a separate loose back cover complete the general layout. The Exakta bayonet lens mount
was developed for this camera. The shutter is of the horizontal cloth focal plane type
providing exposure times from 12 seconds to 1/1000 second with bipolar flash synchronising contacts on the right-hand camera font.
The Kine Exakta controls are somewhat different from those found on most later 35mm SLR film cameras: The finder hood in its collapsed state automatically blocks the shutter release. The film is transported towards the left, leaving the exposed frames the other way round on the filmstrip. The wind-on lever on the left-hand top plate is operated by the left hand thumb and it requires a single 300-degree movement. It advances the film one frame, cocks the shutter, and increments the manual reset frame counter. The lift, turn and set shutter speed
dial on the left-hand top plate provides exposure times from 1/25 to 1/1000 second, plus B and Z (time). For double exposures, the shutter may be cocked again by turning the shutter speed dial itself. On the right-hand top plate sits a separately wound dual purpose dial, featuring long time exposure and delayed action shutter release
. It works at the shutter setting B and is only settable after the shutter is cocked. Slow speeds are selected by the lift, turn and set procedure against a small index dot. The long exposures times, without delay, are marked in black numerals all the way to 12 seconds, while slow speeds with delayed action are in red numerals to 6 seconds. This is the extent of self-timer release available. All functions are activated by the left-hand front located threaded shutter release button. A film-cutting device is located inside the camera. It enables a partially exposed film to be removed from the camera in daylight for processing provided the left-hand take-up spool was placed in a cassette
. A small milled knob at the base is unscrewed and pulled out to cut the film close to the unexposed film cassette.
The primary function of the collapsible finder hood is to shield the focusing screen
from outside stray light, but by lowering the hinged magnifying glass into the finder for critical focusing, it also becomes a direct vision frame finder. By looking into the rectangular opening at the back of the hood, it provides the field of view of a 50mm lens, a useful feature since the focusing screen image is laterally reversed which makes it less useful as an action finder. Pushing a small notch to the side at the lover right on the rear finder hood panel, flips the lowered magnifying glass up and away. The finder panels are stowed away one by one, sides first, and covered by the front lid, which is held down by a hook at the back. The hook is furnished with a release button to erect the hood. A small sector lever close to the shutter dial, with R and V engraved next to it in the top plate, controls the film transportation, R for rewind and V for advance, for Rückverts and Vorwerts in German. A knob on the left-hand edge of the body slides downwards to release the back, which is not hinged, only hooked onto the right-hand edge just before closing by a firm pressure on the left-hand back.
market as Exacta, spelled with a c (version 3). About a year later, a threaded hole was added at the right-hand front above the flashbulb synchronising contacts
for securing the flashgun
to the camera (version 4). After the 1939 to 1945 hostilities
production of the Exacta version slowly resumed, but with several minor changes to the camera body, among these are: The Ihagee logo no longer appear in relief on the rectangular back door leather patch. The carrying strap eyelets on either side of the top edge of the camera are inserted between two small protrusions and riveted in place. The right-hand shutter dial is milled without a groove along the middle of the edge.
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
still camera. It was presented by Ihagee Kamerawerk Steenbergen GmbH
Ihagee
Ihagee was a camera manufacturer based in Dresden, Germany. Its best-known product was the Exakta single-lens reflex camera.-History:Johan Steenbergen, a Dutchman, founded a camera company called Industrie- und Handelsgesellschaft in Dresden in 1912. The name was shortened to Ihagee...
, Dresden at the Leipziger Frühjarmesse
Leipzig Trade Fair
The Leipzig Trade Fair was a major fair for trade across Central Europe for nearly a millennium. After the Second World War, its location happened to lie within the borders of East Germany, whereupon it became one of the most important trade fairs of Comecon and was traditionally a meeting place...
in March 1936. The Exakta
Exakta
The Exakta is a pioneer brand camera produced by the Ihagee Kamerawerk in Dresden, Germany, founded as the Industrie und Handels-Gesellschaft mbH, in 1912.- Characteristics :Highlights of Exakta cameras include:...
name was already used by Ihagee on a roll film
Roll film
Rollfilm or roll film is any type of spool-wound photographic film protected from white light exposure by a paper backing, as opposed to film which is protected from exposure and wound forward in a cartridge. Confusingly, roll film was originally often referred to as "cartridge" film because of its...
SLR camera line since 1933, among these the Vest Pocket Exakt Model B from which the Kine Exakta inherited its general layout and appearance. The word Kine
Kinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
(cine, cinema, movie film) never appeared on the camera itself, only in the instruction manuals and advertising to distinguish it from the roll film variants. Several of its features constitute the foundation for the majority of 35mm SLR cameras produced ever since, although at this stage in an infant state.
History
The perforated 35mm motion picture film35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
had been used in miniature cameras for more than two decades using the 24x36mm negative format
135 film
The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
. The single lens reflex principle
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
is even older and widely used in cameras for the medium format plate and film material. However, several obstacles had to be overcome to device a useful miniature SLR camera apart from the fact that the film material itself seriously restricted the usefulness of the negative: It is impossible to determine sharp focus
Focus (optics)
In geometrical optics, a focus, also called an image point, is the point where light rays originating from a point on the object converge. Although the focus is conceptually a point, physically the focus has a spatial extent, called the blur circle. This non-ideal focusing may be caused by...
on its ground glass
Ground glass
Ground glass is glass whose surface has been ground to produce a flat but rough finish.Ground glass surfaces have many applications, ranging from mere ornamentation on windows and table glassware to scientific uses in optics and laboratory glassware....
with the naked eye even with a large aperture lens. To overcome this, Ihagee substituted the traditional ground glass focusing screen with a Plano-convex magnifying glass with the flat side facing downwards and ground to form a focusing screen visible magnified in the finder. To further improve focusing accuracy, a small magnifying glass
Magnifying glass
A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is used to produce a magnified image of an object. The lens is usually mounted in a frame with a handle ....
could be swung into place for accurate focusing on a small part of the image. Also to improve focusing accuracy fast lenses
Lens speed
Lens speed refers to the maximum aperture diameter, or minimum f-number, of a photographic lens. A lens with a larger maximum aperture is a fast lens because it delivers more light intensity to the focal plane, allowing a faster shutter speed...
were needed, and right from the start Carl Zeiss, Jena provided a 1:2.8 f=5cm Tessar
Tessar
The Tessar is a famous photographic lens design conceived by physicist Paul Rudolph in 1902 while he worked at the Zeiss optical company and patented by Zeiss; the lens type is usually known as the Zeiss Tessar....
soon to be followed by the Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar 1:2 f=5cm for the Kine Exakta.
The Camera
The Kine Exakta is made of two major aluminium alloyAluminium alloy
Aluminium alloys are alloys in which aluminium is the predominant metal. The typical alloying elements are copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon and zinc. There are two principal classifications, namely casting alloys and wrought alloys, both of which are further subdivided into the categories...
castings
Casting
In metalworking, casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
, the outer body shell and the internal frame for the mirror box, the shutter mechanism
Focal-plane shutter
In camera design, a focal-plane shutter is a type of photographic shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor.-Two-curtain shutters:...
and the film transport. The latter is inserted into the shell from the top and secured by screws. A fixed finder hood and a separate loose back cover complete the general layout. The Exakta bayonet lens mount
Lens mount
A lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is confined to cameras where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the single lens reflex type or any movie camera of 16 mm or higher gauge...
was developed for this camera. The shutter is of the horizontal cloth focal plane type
Focal-plane shutter
In camera design, a focal-plane shutter is a type of photographic shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor.-Two-curtain shutters:...
providing exposure times from 12 seconds to 1/1000 second with bipolar flash synchronising contacts on the right-hand camera font.
The Kine Exakta controls are somewhat different from those found on most later 35mm SLR film cameras: The finder hood in its collapsed state automatically blocks the shutter release. The film is transported towards the left, leaving the exposed frames the other way round on the filmstrip. The wind-on lever on the left-hand top plate is operated by the left hand thumb and it requires a single 300-degree movement. It advances the film one frame, cocks the shutter, and increments the manual reset frame counter. The lift, turn and set shutter speed
Shutter speed
In photography, shutter speed is a common term used to discuss exposure time, the effective length of time a camera's shutter is open....
dial on the left-hand top plate provides exposure times from 1/25 to 1/1000 second, plus B and Z (time). For double exposures, the shutter may be cocked again by turning the shutter speed dial itself. On the right-hand top plate sits a separately wound dual purpose dial, featuring long time exposure and delayed action shutter release
Self timer
A self timer is a device on a camera that gives a delay between pressing the shutter release and the shutter's firing. It is most commonly used to let photographers to take a photo of themselves , hence the name....
. It works at the shutter setting B and is only settable after the shutter is cocked. Slow speeds are selected by the lift, turn and set procedure against a small index dot. The long exposures times, without delay, are marked in black numerals all the way to 12 seconds, while slow speeds with delayed action are in red numerals to 6 seconds. This is the extent of self-timer release available. All functions are activated by the left-hand front located threaded shutter release button. A film-cutting device is located inside the camera. It enables a partially exposed film to be removed from the camera in daylight for processing provided the left-hand take-up spool was placed in a cassette
135 film
The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
. A small milled knob at the base is unscrewed and pulled out to cut the film close to the unexposed film cassette.
The primary function of the collapsible finder hood is to shield the focusing screen
Focusing screen
A focusing screen is a flat translucent material, usually ground glass, found in a system camera that allows the user of the camera to preview the framed image in a viewfinder. Often, focusing screens are available in variants with different etched markings for various purposes...
from outside stray light, but by lowering the hinged magnifying glass into the finder for critical focusing, it also becomes a direct vision frame finder. By looking into the rectangular opening at the back of the hood, it provides the field of view of a 50mm lens, a useful feature since the focusing screen image is laterally reversed which makes it less useful as an action finder. Pushing a small notch to the side at the lover right on the rear finder hood panel, flips the lowered magnifying glass up and away. The finder panels are stowed away one by one, sides first, and covered by the front lid, which is held down by a hook at the back. The hook is furnished with a release button to erect the hood. A small sector lever close to the shutter dial, with R and V engraved next to it in the top plate, controls the film transportation, R for rewind and V for advance, for Rückverts and Vorwerts in German. A knob on the left-hand edge of the body slides downwards to release the back, which is not hinged, only hooked onto the right-hand edge just before closing by a firm pressure on the left-hand back.
Variations
Only a few significant changes were made to the original Kine Exakt (version 1) during its production run until it was replaced by the model II in 1948: Within a few month the circular focusing loupe, visible on top of the collapsed finder hood, was substituted for a rectangular one covering about 50% of the ground glass image (version 2). This version also appeared on the North AmericanNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
market as Exacta, spelled with a c (version 3). About a year later, a threaded hole was added at the right-hand front above the flashbulb synchronising contacts
Flash synchronization
In a camera, flash synchronization is defined as the firing of a photographic flash coinciding with the shutter admitting light to photographic film or electronic image sensor. It is often shortened to flash sync or flash synch....
for securing the flashgun
Flash (photography)
A flash is a device used in photography producing a flash of artificial light at a color temperature of about 5500 K to help illuminate a scene. A major purpose of a flash is to illuminate a dark scene. Other uses are capturing quickly moving objects or changing the quality of light...
to the camera (version 4). After the 1939 to 1945 hostilities
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
production of the Exacta version slowly resumed, but with several minor changes to the camera body, among these are: The Ihagee logo no longer appear in relief on the rectangular back door leather patch. The carrying strap eyelets on either side of the top edge of the camera are inserted between two small protrusions and riveted in place. The right-hand shutter dial is milled without a groove along the middle of the edge.