Germany 1933 – Compact – 127 film – Rare.
Ihagee was a German camera manufacturer based in Dresden. Its most famous production is a range of single-lens reflex cameras marketed under the Exakta brand.
The Exakta is a striking camera, immediately recognizable for its distinct trapezoidal shape that makes it more compact, smaller and ergonomic than most cameras of the times. It was nonetheless quite heavy and had a build that some compare to that of a (German) tank.
But what makes the Exakta truly unique is its incredible innovation track record : First single-lens reflex camera (SLR) for 127 roll film in 1933 (and first SLR on 35 mm in close competition with the Soviet Gomz “Sport” in 1936). The Exakta is also the first camera with a lever film winder (and not a knob) and with a first built-in flash socket, activated by the shutter. The name “Exakta” itself was advertised as the claim of not having made any design errors.
An Exakta was used by James Stewart’s character, a professional photographer, to spy on his possibly murderous neighbor in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window.
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Exakta B – 32/99”