Exakta EXA I User manual

Venmo @mike-butkus-camera  Ph. 2083
PayPal Name  Lynn@butkus.org      www.PayPal.me/lynnbutkus

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            The EXA I In usr
 lmporlont porls of the EXA



   I Lens
 2 Red locoting mork on the lens
 3 Diophrogm releose bution (on lense
    with oufomotic diophrogms)
 4 Lens operlure odjustmenf ring
 5 Focusing ring
 6 Depfh ol field scole
 7 Red locoting mork on the comero
   I  Flosh sod<ei
 9 Winding knob (which olso tensions th
     sh ulfer)

24 Gu)de ploteIr         10 Exposurc counlcr
                    ll  Releose buffon for rewinding the film   25 Film roller
                                            26 Rewind knob shoft           12 Findor Hood
                                              27 Chomber for the foke'uP sPool or
            l3 Finder Hood (front section)                                                                   cortridge
            l4 Shutler tpeed odiusfment ring                                              28 Toke-up spool
           15 Rewind knob                                            29 Film lronsport spro*el
            l6 Film speed indicolor                                              30 lmoge lrqme
            l7 Shutter releose button                                                  3l Film guider
           18 Lens boyonel colch                                              32 Removoble comero bock (with inter'
           19 Sofety cotdr for shutfer releose                                                     chongeoble plessure plote)
           20 Hinged focusing mognifier            33 Knurled ring for locking the bock
            2l Grip for hinged focusing mognifier          (see poge 3)
           22 Button for opening lhe Findsr Hood     34 Tripod bush
           23 Chomber for corlridge of unexposed   35 Pento Prism
                     film                             36 Eyepiece for Penio Prism

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fhe EXA | 24x"36 mm comerct      film ore both received through the toking
                                                      lens, lherefore,  if con be understood thot the
                                     imoge on fhe screen is free from ony po.
                                                rollox error. In shorf it meons fhot ony-
                                           lhing thot is focused ond con be seen on
 is now your properiy, ond we congrotulote   fhe ground.gloss screen will be recorded
you on the purchose ol this comero. lt will   on fhe film.
bring you o greof deol of pleosure for nol   But in ony cose moke sure thof you reod
only ii is simple to use but it is olso quick   the insfruction book fully before o||empt.
ond eosy to operote.  lt  is, therefore, o   ing to toke photogrophs. Provided thot the
comero thot is olwoys reody for use.       comero is operoted correctly you will ol-
You know, of course, thot fhe moin odvon-  woys loke successful phologrophs ond
loge ol the EXA I is thot if belongs fo   ovoid upsefling the comero mechonism.
fhe fomily of single-lens reflex comeros.     It is best to furn the opposite poges of
A smoll mirror is fifted inside fhe cqmero    this leoflet to the left so fhot fhe generol
whidr reflecfs the imoge from the lens on    illustrotions indicoting fhe vorious porls of
fo o  ground.gloss screen. The viewed   the comero con be referred to whilst reod-
imoge ond lhe imoge recorded on the   ing fhe instruction book.

Before looding o film into the EXA I moke  proctise using lhe comero wilh on old or
yourself thoroughly fomilior with the  perhops olreody exposed ond developed
comero. Prqctise operoling fhe shutler,  film.
removing ond replocing the bock, using And now we wish you every success wilh
the Finder Hood, finding the subiect, ond  your EXA l!
focusing. Hondle fhe comero os though  For ony queries concerning your comero
it were looded. Right ot the very end exer- we ore oi your disposol with our odvice
cise the film looding. lt is o good ideo to  ond experience.
                                      IHAGEE KA}IERAWERK AG . DRESDE]I A 16

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Removol ond replocenrenl
of the comercr bcrck
Turn the milled ring (33) in fhe bose of fhe
comero by meons of the thumb so thot fhe
two red dofs ore opposife one onolher.
Gripe fhe comero with borh honds, wiih
f he bock (32) focing upwords ond   f he
Finder Hood.(12) or the Pento Prism (35)
pointing lowords you. Press gently on the
comero bock (32) with both fhumbs to slide
it out from beneoth the chrome-ploted top
copping, until the red dol obove fhe film
gofe (30) becomes visible (fig. 1). Then lift
the bock (32) out of its guiding grooves.
To reploce the cqmero bock (32), check thot
lhe lwo red dofs on lhe milled ring (33)
ore opposite one onother; then fit the bock
from obove into ifs guiding grooves on
either side of the comero body, with the
upper edge of the bock in line with the
red dot (just os when removing the bocO.
Finolly push the cqmero bock right home, ond
lurn lhe milled ring (33) by 900 until the reddols ore no longer in line.                         Fie. 1   ffi

Opening cnd closing            phrogm releose button of the lens (3)
lhe Finder Hood                     whidr in turn operoles the shutter releose.
                                      With the shutfer releose sofefy cotdr (19)
To open the Finder Hood (12) press the   turned to the left (red dot visible) it is im-
button (22). To close the hood press lhe    possible lo releose the shutter. This pre-front (13) bodrwords until it locks. To roise   vents occidenfol releqse of lhe shutler dur-
the focusing mognifier (20) press lhe grip   ing storoge or while lhe comero is being
(21) upwords; to lower the mognifier press   corried obout.the grip downwords.
                                      Film lronsporl ond shulter-tensioning  isThere is more obout lhe use of the Finder                                          odrieved by turning the winding knob (9).Hood on poge 13. The imoge is only
visible on the ground-gloss screen  if the
shuller is lensioned. To tensiori lhe shutter    tig.2
see next porogloph.
Film lrcnsport and shuller
tensioning
ore coupled (no double exposures ond no
blonk lilm).
With the shutler releqse sofely cotdr (19)
roised (figure 2) it is possible lo releose
the shulter either by direcfly pressing the
shutter releose (71 or by pressing the diq-

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Alwoys furn this knob qfter operoting fhe  Operotion of lhe shullershufier cloctwise ond cs for as possible.
This is imporlont for the operofion of the
exposure counler ond for the full tronsporl
of the film. lr is impossible to turn the   Inslcnloneous exposufes: Turn the
knob (9) before the shutter hos been re-   shutler.speed ring (14) until the requiredleosed.                            speed is exoclly opposite the engroved
                                                    triongle (figure 3). lt is impossible to turn the
When you hove linished toking photo"   speed sefiing ring post l/175 or rtgrr lg.
grophs remember io sel fhe shufter releose   couse there is o slop limit on lhese vo.
sofety cotch (19) to the lelt.                   lues. The numbers on the shutfer speed
                                         ring signify froclions of q second, e.g.
                                     60: l/60 th second.  lt  is impossible to
Fig. 3                                            select shufier speeds belween those shown
                                  on ihe ring (14).
                                   The cqmerq con be "hond held" with oll
                                            four insfonloneous exposure limes. Longer
                                         exposures using the "B" selting ore pos-
                                                sible only with comero mounled on o  tri.
                                pod or supporled firmly. The tripod bush
                                               (34) is on the bose of the comerq.
                                    Time exposures  : Sel the sh ulterspeed ring
                                               (14) to "8". The shufier will open when the
                                              shutter releose (17) or the diophrqgm re.
                                        leose bufion (3) is pressed qnd it will re.

moin open os long os eilher bufion is held    (ln  or os olreody s?oted into the dio.
depressed. However, for very long expo'   phrogm releose bufton (3) on ihe lens.
sures  il is convenienl to be oble to leovefhe comero with the shutter open. Set the      ll is most importonl lhot the comerq should
shuiler speed ring (14) to "B", open the   be firmly supported during time exposures.
shutter by pressing the shutler releose but.                                   The ideol woy, of course, is with o tripod,                            releose                                    button             diophrogm           fheton    (17) or                                                                                                            suffice.                                                                 sometimes                                                                               will                                                  foble or                                                           woll                                         but                                  o                                        by                             cotch (19)               set       then               the sofef(3) ond                                                                          speed                                                    possible                                                                        shulfer                                                        the                                                      fo                                                             olter                                                              It islurning  it to the lelt. The shutter will now                                          before or ofter fensioning fhe shutter.remoin open until the so{ety colch is roi-
sed. This method of time exposure  is ideol   Morketoble oufomotic releoses con be
for very prolonged exposures. When the   ottoched to fhe coble releose or screwed
comero is fitted with o Domiplon |  2.8    into fhe shutfer releoses (17 or 3).
50 mm lens it  is impossible to use the
melhod given obove becouse ofter the
sofety cotch is sei fhe diophrogm re-opens.  Operotion of lhe lensFor prolonged exposures with this lens ii
is odvisoble lo use q coble releose whidr   To remove the lens (1) press the boyonet
incorporoles o locking device. For further   cotdr (18) towords fhe lens. Turn the lens
informotion see poge 10. "B" ond  'tTr'    counler-clockwise  (figure 4) until the red
seftings ore mosl imporfonf for night ond   dofs (2 ond 7) ore opposite eoch ofher,
indoor photogrophy.                      rhen liff oul the lens. To reploce the lens
When moking lime exposures  il is o good    reverse lhe sequence of operotions.  Inserl
ideo to use o coble releose porticulorly   the lens, moking sure thol the red dofs
on the "B" selting. The coble releose will   ore odjocent. Turn fhe lens clockwise os
screw into either the shulfer releose bullon    for os the slop.

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There ore speciol lenser ovoiloble but  Depth of field: The lens focuses] mosr
there ore some reslrictions when using   rhorply those ports of the subiect whidr
 long focol length lenses. For furfher de-   ore exoclly the dislonce ot whidr the lens
 loils see pqge 31.                                  ir focured. However, lhis optimum rhorp.
 Focusing is ochieved by furning the focus.     Fls. 4ing ring (5) whidr is morked in either
 melres or feel. Inspect the imoge on the
ground-gloss screen of Finder Hood or
Penlo Prism ond iurn the focusing ring (5)
 until the subject oppeors to be shorp. The
dislonce of the subject con be oscertoined
by noting the disfonce shown on the red
scole. These disfonces qre nreosured from
the bock of the comero to the subject.
Set the diophrogm with fhe lens operture
odjuslment ring  (.l.r. A low number, for
exompfe I 2.8, I 4, meons thqt the dio.
phrogm is set for o wide opening which
in lurn meons thol o fost shuffer speed
will probobly be used. Buf o high number,
for exomple f 16, t 22, indicotes thot fhe
diophrogm is set fo o smo!l opening whidr
necessifofes the use of o slower shuiler
speed. However, o smoll operlure gives on,
improved depfh of field.                                  '

ness slowly folls off in front of ond be'   the operture set ot f  ll, then the depfh
hind the focused distonce. But lhere is o   of field reoches from just over 15 feel to
zone in which everything is occepfobly    infinify Gee figure 5).
shorp. This zone is known os lhe "deplh   With fhe focus ring sef lo 15 feet ond
of field". The EXA I hos o depth of field   lhe opedure set ot f 8, then lhe depth of
scole whidr indicotes the limits of    f he   field reoches from opproximoiely l0  feet
zone of occeptoble rhorpness. On eilher   to 50 feel (see figure 6).
side of fhe red focusing index is engroved   With the fosus ring sel lo obout 6 feei
lhe sequence of operiure numbers. Note  ond lhe operlure sef ot  f 5.6, then fhe
the operture to which the diophrogm hos   depfh of field reoches from obout 5 feef
been set. Now with this operture number   to 8 feet (see figure 7).
in nrind, see whof distonces ore indicoled   The lenses ore fitfed with one of fhree
opposite the operfure number on eifher   operlure syslems -   click stops, pre-sei or
side of the red index mork. Anylhing fhot   oulomotic. When focusing olwoys sef ihe
lies befween fhese disfonces will be within   diophrogm ot ifs widesf operture (bright
lhe zone of occepfoble shorpness. lt will   imoge on the ground-gloss screen) ond
be seen fhot the smqller fhe operlure    only shut down fhe diophrogm just before
number the more will be occeptobly shorp   moking on exposure. There is no need to
ond thot if fhe operture number to lhe   move lhe comero from fhe toking position
 right of the index mork is opposile infinity   wifh ony of lhese sysfems.
 ( @), lhen the deplh of field will extend to
 inf in ify.                                   Gfick rfops ol fhe lenei |  | 2.8 50 mm
                                         lenr (figure 5)
Here ore lhree exomples:              As ihe lens operlure scole is lurned o
With the focus ring sel fo o  (infinity) ond   series of clicks ore oudible. Eoch click
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represents one stop on the scole ond  Use of fhe pre-sel diophrogrn of fhetokes ploce os the nurnbers poss fhe index    Merifcrr f 2.9 50 mm lens (figure 6)
mork, When shutting down fhe lens merely    Press bock the knurled ring behind fhe lens
count lhe number of clicks unfil the desi-   operlure ring towords fhe comero body
red operfure is set. lt con be seen, there-   ond turn  f he lens operture odjustment ring
fore,   f hot  il  is u n necesso ry   f o move lhe    unfil lhe required f-number is opposite
comero from the loking posifion.           fhe red dot. Let the knurled ring spring

Fiq,5                                                      Fis.6





                                      1et'
                                                fn
                                           :i*,-'"1"

tri'i
                                                          Fully oulomcfic diophrogrn of fhe lens
                                              Dorniplon f 2.8 50 mm (Figure 7)
                                        The outomotic diophrogm is olwoys fully                                                  'r,j                                            open to focus ond lo view the reflex imoge.
                                                           Pre-sef the required operlure by turning
                                               the lens operlure odjusfment ring (of the
                                                          very fronl); lhe f-number must be opposite
                                               lhe red indicotor friongle. Intermediole
                                                     volues belween two f-numbers con olso be
                                                           selecled. By pressing the diophrogm releo-
                                       se buflon (3) it is oulomoticolly slopped
                                         down. When lhe shutfer is releosed the
                                            dicphrogm outomolicolly re-opens to the
                                                    widesl operfure. Do not releose the pres-
                                                  sure on lhe bulton until the shufter hos
                                               completed its cycle of operotion. lf time
                                                  exposures ore necessory when using this
                                                            lens fit o coble releose which incorporoles
           Fig.7i Wifl-l:                      o locking device. Sel the shutter speed
         bock to its originol posilion. To focus: open    ring to "8". press the coble releose ond
         the diophrogm fully ond only lusf before    lock it in the depressed position. In lhis
          releosing the shutter furn fhe lens oper-  woy pressule is moinloined on the dio-
          lure ring os for os possible without moving   phrogm releose bullon during lhe expo-
        lhe comero from fhe loking posifion. The   sure period without lhe necessify of hoving
         operlure ring will slop ot lhe pre-selected   to hold fhe releose by hond. lt is olso on
            o perlure.                            odded sofeguord ogoinst comero shoke,
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To check the depth of field while focusing.   the mount with the releose butlon in fo-
 depress fhe diophrogm releose until lhe   words the comero ond lurn  it counler-
diophrogm shuts down to the selected    clod<wise. Once this operotion hos been
operture ond no fr.rrlher.                     corried out it is possible to olter lhe oper.
                                           lure selling by turning the lens operlure
Fully aufonafic  diophragm  of  the   odjusfment ring (just in front ol the body).leno T f 2.8 50 mm lens (figure 8)                                                              Fie. 8
Focusing is corried out by furning the fronf
ring (focusing ring).
There ore, however, two methods of con-
trolling the lens operlure: either outo-
mqiic or mqnuol.
Sefling for outomotic: So thot the dio-
phrogm moy be operoted oufomoticolly  il
musf be correclly sef. With its mounl fhe
releose bufion (3) of the lens musl pro-
ject obout holf on inch to the reqr. To
bring the ring info the outomofic position
press the mounl wilh lhe releose button
lowords lhe comero body ond furn it clock-
wise (looking ot the comerq from the fronf).
The mount ond releose button then spring
into ihe outomolic position.
Setting for monuol: To ref urn the dio-
phrogm control fo monuol operotion press

                                                                                                               11

The operlure seifing will remoin closed   releosed the diophrogm oufomoticolly
regordless of shufler operolion (impodont   opens to fhe widest operlure of the lens.
for long exposures). The operlure conlrol     It is importont nof lo releose fhe dio-
is confinuously vorioble so thol operlure   phrogm releose builon (3) unlil the shuiler
seltingr befween those morked on fhe scole   hos completed its cycle of operotion.  ll  is
con be used if  necessqry. The selting  o good ideo fo use monuol operotion of
required is merely sel ogoinst lhe red in-   the diophrogm when long lime exposures
dex mork.                            ore involved. A coble releose con be
The diophrogm releose bufon con be od-   screwed inio lhe diophrogm releose button.
justed to moke sure thof il operoles the  To check the depth of field while focus-
shuller releose correclly. Adjusiment is by   ing, buth with lhe diophrogm releose sel
meons of o screw on the boifom of the   on oulomofic, press the diophrogm releo-
diophrogm reJeose whidr con be odjusfed   se bufton (3) uniil lhe diophrogm closes
wilh o screwdriver os necessory.             to the ple-selected f-number. Do nol press
When using the ouiomotic diophrogm de-   ony further or the shuller will be releosed.
vice the diophrogm is ot fhe widest oper-   Focusing for. infro-red photogrcphy
ture for crificol focusing ond composition       lf the comero is looded with infro-red film
of the piclure. The diophrogm is closed   lhe focusing procedure is o little different
when the diophrogm releose bufton (3) is   from normol. Firsf of  oll focus on the
pressed. The exposing operture ol which    ground-gloss screen in the normol woy. Note
the picture is loken must be sel on lhe   the distonce indicofed opposite fhe red
operfure setting ring before focusing. The   index mork. Turn the focusing ring until
pressure opplied to lhe diophrogm releose   the indicoted distonce is opposife the
bufion (3) closes firsl lhe diophrogm fo   smoll red dot which is on lhe right or left
fhe pre-selecfed operlure, ond fhen ope-   of the red index mork. By this meons lhe
rotes lhe shutter. When lhe pressure  is   imoge produced by fhe infro-red light  is
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 crificolly focused. lt is necessory lo re-od.
 just ihe focusing ring becouse lhe infro-
 red light produces o shorp imoge behind
 the film plone when the focus is correcf
 for whife lighr. The sliqht odjustment of
the focus thus brings fhe infro-red imoge
 inlo criticol focus ond, fherefore, renders
o shorp negotive on the infro.red film.

Operotion of fhe Finder Hood
A bright, upright ond mognified imoge
oppeors on lhe ground.gloss screen visible
in the Finder Hood (12) of the EXA l.   lt
focilitotes composition ond focusing, os
well os enobling fhe depth of field to be
determined when the exposing operture  is
sef. Normolly the piclure is composed by
using the mognifying ground-gloss screen
ond lhen focused criticolly with the help
of the hinged focusing mognifier (20). The
mognifier is in fhe focusing position when
ihe Finder Hood is opened, bul  it con
be locked in the rest position wif h   f he
grip (21), see olso poge 4.

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Fis.9Fis.9                             Fis.10                                   Fis. 11
In the normol woy the EXA I is held of   wonfs to remoin unobserved (figure lD.
chesi or shoulder height (figure 9). Figu-   The Pento Prism, however, enobles you fo
res 10 ond 11 show the posilion of the   foke verlicol photogrophs stonding in o
comero when using the focusing mogni-   normol posilion ond the visible imoge  is
f ier.  For verf icol shots with ihe Finder   noi only upright buf loferolly correct os
Hood fhe phologropher slonds ot  right   well (see next porogroph).  ll is possible
ongles to fhe subject (figure 11). This is   to focus the imoge while holding fhe
porticulorly useful when the photogropher   comerq with the Finder Hood obove the

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 tis.12                                  Fis. l3                                 Fig.11
heod (ligure l3), Holding the comero in   To reploce the Finder Hood insert it verti-
fhis woy is odmiroble for toking photo-   colly ond press ir down until  if  cli*s
grophs over wolls, crowds, etc. The EXA  I   home. On no occounl use force  !is o versolile comero. The Finder Hood
con be removed so thol if desired                                          -  os   People who weor specfocles should weorolreody menfioned  o Penfo Prism (36)   their reoding glosses io focus when the
con be fitted. Before removing the Finder   Finder Hood is fifted io fhe comero.Hood (12) it should be closed. Then lifr ir.
                                                                                       l5

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Fig. l5                                 Fig. l6                               Fis.17


                                         Prism is fitted to, ond removed from, lheUse ol lhe Penla Prism                                    comero in exoctly the some woy os the
The Penfo Prism (35) is on importonl ottqdl-    Finder Hood. For both verticol ond hori-
menl for the EXA I ond  it  is supplied   zontol piclures lhe imoge is upright ondseporolely os on occessory.  lt is porlicu-    loterolly correcl. This is porliculorly impor-
lorly uselul for sport ond olher fosl-mov'    tont when toking piclures of fost moving
ing subjecfs.                                  subiecls, becouse ony movemenl ocross
Once lhe Pento Prism is fitled the comero   lhe screen is in the some direction os in
is olwoys held ol eye level. The Penfo     reolify. This simplifies smooth ponning of

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        the comero wifh very fosi moving sub.   Inlercheinging fhe ground-gioss
            jects sudr os motor rocing.                mcAnilier qnd use of lhe splif-imoge
  I       When rhe EXA I is fitted with the Penfo   rongefinder (dirfance mefer)
         Prism (35) hold the cqmero in lhe right
I        hond ond focus with the fhumb ond fore-
I          finger. Use the lefi hond lo give odditio-         nol suppori. Releose the shutfer wifh fhe
            feft forefinger (figures 15 ond 16D. How.
          eyer, it is possible fo invert lhe comero
       when toking horizoniol piclures. In this
        cose the comero bock is pressed firmly   The mognifying ground-gloss screen of the
         ogoinst lhe foreheod lo help eliminote   focusing ossemblies of the EXA I con be
        comero shoke (figure 17).                      liffed out. Before liffing oul the ground-
                                                    gloss screen from the Finder Hood, moke
         People who weor specfocles should toke   sure fhot the focusing mognifier (20) is
          their long dislonce glosses lo focus when   in the resl position ond thot the Finder
        the Pento Prism is fitted to lhe comerq.     Hood is closed.
        The rubber eyepiece (36) is highly recom-   Remove the focusing ossembly from the
       mended ond is qn qlmost indispensoble   comero. Grip the long sides of the ground.
          occessory.  lt is fitted to the eyepiece of   gloss screen ond lift it oul of the ossembly.
        the Penlo Prism ond excludes exlroneous   To reploce lhe screen, grip the long sides
         sidelight. The rubber eyepiece con be   os before ond press it home belween lhe
           litted with o correction lens by on opli-   clomping springs of the focusing ossembly.
         cion so thot the comero con be focused  Do not louch the surfoce of ground.gloss
          without the need for spectocles.                screen.

                                                                                                    t7