Kine Exakta 1937?

<p>I bought this from Ebay [Netherlands] some weeks ago. It was not working at all. It was old and dusty, provided the challenge to see if could be restored.<br />I opened it changed the curtains and CLAed the sub-systems one by one. They started working; however, the gap between the curtains remained closed, thus not offering any exposure.<br />So, I sent it to Mr Yazdhani in Kamera Werke, Calcutta. He is an enthusiast about cameras from the 1930s.<br />He found that many of the joints were worn out and he managed to get it to work on the slow speeds and the fast ones up to 1/250sec. The 1/500 and 1/1000 second do not expose nay gaps between the curtains.<br />A very interesting camera with simple elegant engineering. <br />One of these days I might try adjusting the closing curtain gear by a noth or two to see if it will expose 1/500 and 1/1000 sec. Though I do not use those speeds, it is curiosity and “itchy fingers” as my late mother used to say.<br />I used a Domiplan lens and took some random pictures at various types of lighting. The film is ORWO UN 54 and the brew is home made, as usual.</p><div></div>

<p>The front plate has two parts, one takes only the logo. A bit flimsy compared to the later Exaktas. The back plate is not hinged and comes apart when you slide the catch on the side. The camera was worn out cosmetically. I managed to get some polish on it.</p><div></div>

<p>The screws on the knobs wind-on and slow speed had lost their chrome. They were rusted. I remembered my Grandfather used to have bunch of steel keys; he kept burnishing them with his fingers and they shone like stainless! I tried some fine grade emory on these screws and some rubbing compound. They seemed to shine enough to match the surrounding chrome. I have coated clear nail polish on them as preservative.</p><div></div>

<p>The old lens mount does not have outer flanges. Apparently some of the later Telephoto lenses need the outer flanges to keep them steady. I have not tried any, yet. The WL finder is a fixed item. One cannot use a Pentaprism in this except the old style Praktiflex add-on type. The WL finder also works as an exposure lock; one has to open the finder to operate the shutter. Similar arrange ments were followed in some of the early VX models too. Mr Yazdhani put in a shining glass mirror inside. So the image is quite bright.</p><div></div>

<p>Trying some OOF with the Domiplan, pictured against the evening Sun.</p><div></div>

<p>This gives out small flowers, full of fragrance in the cooler season. We had four of them in the garden People stole three of them. This is the residual.</p><div></div>

<p>This hsot is from the fringe area of the community. A lot of new construction is happening there. Hardware merchants are doing well. Ethnically, most hardware merchants come from Rajasthan.</p><div></div>

<p>G.K.Vale used to be a leading photographer in the Colonial era. Many elite portraits were made by them in Southern India. Today they sell only digital stuff. I walked in to check; the salesmen had no idea of films!</p><div></div>

<p>This lens gives surprisingly soft tones in low light. I tried this [above shot] in our atrium's diffused light from the glass roof.</p><div></div>

<p>We have not had good rains in the past year and a half. Many bore-wells in the area have dried out. Piped supply is till to come, fully. We are buying water in Tanker trucks. Thanks for viewing and your comments.</p>

<p>I have a (type 5) Kine Exacta (post-war export model) which also has some trouble with the two top speeds, mainly shutter drag. On 1/250 and slow it works fine. <br />But they're definitely finely engineered cameras from a company with a Dutch heritage ;)</p>

<p>Glad to see you got yours working (with a little help). </p>

 

<p>Good to see another of your resurrected cameras, and more scenes from your neck of the woods, thanks. I've got a later model Exacta VX 500 which I keep meaning to try out with the Pancolar lens now I've got it (the lens) working.</p>

<p>Very nice, and wonderful to bring back an old veteran. The pictures have a wonderful atmosphere to them.<br /> When they work (and the Exakta mount ones seem to more often than the M42 ones), the Domiplans have a nice effect.</p>

<p>The later, but earlier (if you follow me) Exas also lacked the exterior bayonet mount -- and I have never been successful in finding any adapter from the external (telephoto) mount to any modern digital (like EOS). I have tried because I was able some time ago to pick up some really nice Exakta telephotos for a pittance.</p>

<p>Occasionally on eBay, still, some of these turn up as "Jhagee" or even "Thugee" cameras depending on the form of the letter "I". ;)</p>

<p>An old soldier, indeed, and very rarely seen down in my part of the world. Despite it's poor original state, your efforts seem to have been worthwhile, and the basic quality of the design has probably been it's salvation. It's interesting to note how many design details carried through to later Exaktas. Good resolution and your usual interesting subject matter in the pics from the Domiplan, <strong>SP</strong>; thanks for posting.</p>

<p>SP you are the man!! You manage to get stuff up and running no matter what! Excellent. !! Too bad you don't have any before pics! Interesting that both you and Rick N. have a similar phoenemen ... itchy fingers eh !! Like you said who needs such speeds anyway! Your results are really nice .. I love that you use home breq!! so cool!!</p>

 

<p><strong>Rick N, </strong>I often think of Steenbergen's valiant efforts under adverse circumstances in Nazi Germany. Perhaps the industrial sector did not feel the adverse effects until the later War years. His inheritors did not seem to have had his pragmatism/dexterity in sustaining the company or its products. Thanks <strong>John; </strong>that Pancolar seems to have escaped the Western litigants about brand names in the marketing landscapes. Look forward to your pictures. <strong>JDM, </strong>I am discovering that the Domiplan is a versatile lens, optically. The way it renders soft texture and tones wide open to the way it sharpens in bright light and smaller apertures is probably what made it [makes it still] sell so widely, combined with its price. They could have done a better job on the mechanics, definitely. <strong>Rick D, </strong>1937 is probably the second year of its production in the Kine version. The basic design seems to have sustained right through. There are interesting changes in smaller things like the ratchet, return spring, the openable back frame, the slow speed governor, the shutter lock, etc. <strong>Chuck, </strong>thanks<strong>; </strong>these attempts at restoration make me feel young and active. Without these I would feel retarded! regards, sp.</p>

<p>Your lens is incorrect for this model, 1948 Kine exakta. Get a Zeiss 5cm F:2.8 small compact aluminium housing, Clean it easily, its ultra sharp,,,,, <a href="mailto:Don@eastwestphoto">Don@eastwestphoto</a></p>