jason_lee17

<p>My Kine Exakta was also made before the war. A Biotar lens made before the war is pretty much a collector's item nowadays and therefore becomes quite expensive. I haven't seen that many around and most of them have issues due to their age. It will be great if I can get one for my Kine but I always think twice due to its price. I have tried the later Biotars made in East Germany. They are quite good at producing nice swirly backgrounds.<br> I am just wondering if I can somehow repair the Xenar with a compatible front element so that the lens can be used when it is not displayed on the shelf.</p>

<p>I have a Xenar 50mm f2.8 lens in Exakta mount. I noticed that the front element has a number of cleaning marks. The pictures I get are really soft wide open so I wish to have it replaced. I believe my lens was made before WW2 started so the exact same lens becomes hard to find. I am wondering if there are alternative Xenar lenses elements that I can use as a replacement, for example, the Retina-Xenar 50mm f2.8. Have the Xenar 50mm designed changed over the years?</p>

<p>Could anyone comment on the early Exaktar 5.4cm lens? I am referring to the brass uncoated version. After a little bit of research, I found that it is the same as the Meyer Primotar 5.4cm lens. Due to its outdated design the pictures might come out bearing an unique signature. It could be helpful if someone can post a few samples taken by the Exaktar/Primotar lens. Many thanks in advance.</p>

<p>Recently I am tempted to acquire a pre-war kine Exakta with an Anast Exaktar 5.4cm F3.5 lens. It is mainly for collection purpose however I would like to use the lens once in a while with an adapter to my Olympus E-M10. The listed price is $200. The camera is functional without too much cosmetic wear. The lens glass has minor cleaning marks.<br> If it is for collection purposes, is $200 a reasonable asking price? I seem to have trouble finding the price on a similar outfit traded in the past. Another question is how does this lens perform? I am quite sure it is not comparable to a modern lens in terms of specs, however in my opinion the older lenses sometimes produce distinct features that are preferable to some. Just wondering if anyone can comment on the Exaktar lens.</p>

Yes, I agree that it does not seem to be the most ergonomic design. I had to google on how the slow speed works, otherwise the knob on the right is a complete mystery. The quirky left handed construction is another feature that distinguishes itself from all other slr cameras I have seen.

Having used to the auto focus feature on modern digital cameras,focusing the lens on this camera is a pain even with the magnifier. It is interesting that this camera has a detachable backdoor. Wonder if there are enough interests out there on a digital back for this camera, though I doubt one ever exists.

<p>I recently dug up an old Exakta camera after house cleaning. After doing a bit of research I found that it is called a "Kine Exakta". Cosmetically it looks pretty nice after a bit of wiping and cleaning. The lens is marked Carl Zeiss Biotar 58mm f2. It is also in good condition. Aperture and focusing ring both turn without too much effort. The shutter seems to work after a bit of testing.<br> I have no use for old cameras like this so I am considering selling this camera on ebay but not really sure about its value. Does anyone have any ideas? If it is not worth much I probably shouldn't bother.<br> It is kind of interesting to read about the history on the entire Exakta line of cameras. The earlier models (like the one I have) look really beautiful. Too bad that the Japanese competitors eventually drove it out of the consumer market.</p>