Exakta Finder Accessories

 

In order to close this section on Exakta Finders, there are a number of noteworthy and useful accessories to discuss.

Interchangeable Focusing Screens

The first and most useful finder accessory is the interchangeable focusing screen. Interchangeable screens work hand in hand with the interchangeable finders. If there is a type of photography you want to pursue, chances are good that either Ihagee or another manufacturer at some point in time, made a focusing screen to fit your application.

The standard screen on the early Kine-Exakta, Kine-Exakta II and the early Varexes (Vx's) was a plain ground glass screen. Eventually, this gave way to the split image rangefinder screen and finally in its evolution to the split image screen surrounded by a microprism circle.

These weren't the only screens. Screens could be had in clear or ground glass with engraved cross-hairs, ground glass with reticulated clear center screen circles, ground glass with cross ruled parallel and perpendicular lines, fresnel lens screens with rangefinder center-spots or with microprism spots. There were even graduated screens that could help you in determining exposure increases in macrophotography. The list goes on and on. Even "Bright" screens were offered. I remember getting my first bright screen from Seymours on West 31st Street in NYC many years ago and being absolutely amazed. It was as if someone had turned on the lights!!

 

Interchangeable screens were also available for the Exakta RTL 1000 and the Exakta REAL. They are different in size and are NOT interchangeable with the Exakta Varex or Exa cameras with interchangeable screens. In addition they are held in the finder in a different manner and in the Exakta Real, they are not held in the Real finders at all but are installed into the Real body.

 

Eyepiece Magnifiers (Einstellfernrohr)

A number of eyepiece magnifiers exist that attach to the eyepieces of the prism finders. Ihagee, Carl Zeiss Jena, Pentacon and others at one time or another had them available. Most models offered adjustable diopters. When not in use, they folded up and out of the way.

Here are photos of two examples:

 
 

Right Angle Finder (Winkelsucher)

The Angle Finder displayed on the Right was manufactured by Pentacon. It will fit the Exakta Varex Prisms as well as the Exakta RTL and some of the Praktica series cameras. The tube can be rotated for varying diopter strengths.  
 

Eyecups (Augenmuschel)

Just about every camera accessory manufacturer on the planet, has at one time or another, produced eyecups for the popular cameras of the day. The purpose of an eyecup is to prevent extraneous light from entering the viewfinder when trying to compose an image on the camera.

I've tried several and still find myself preferring the Ihagee. It is of robust construction and fits snugly over the prism eyepiece. It can be rotated so whether you view with your right or your left eye, the rubber eyepiece can be rotated for a comfortable fit.

  

 

Finder Cases

Ihagee manufactured cases for their finders for many years. Most fit both prisms and hooded finders interchangeably. They were made of fine leathers and afford excellent protection for the finder when not in use.

The larger case displayed fits the Ihagee Cell Prism while the smaller one is for the hooded and normal prism finders.

  
 

Finder-Mounted Accessory Shoe (Blitzschuh)

As is the case with the eyecups, there are many different prism mounted accessory shoes on the market. Some are abominations; others like the Ihagee are well made. There is a problem however, in that some people try to mount an extra heavy flash unit on the shoe stressing the shoe itself and sometimes even causing damage to the prism as well.  
 

Fischer Hood for Kine-Exakta

ln order to better facilitate focusing in bright or dim light, an accessory hood for the Kine-Exakta was manufactured by Fischer. It slipped over the opened waist level finder. Rather uncommon.    
 

An Interesting Finder from Novoflex, the Double Viewfinder

Not actually a finder accessory but a unique separate finder that mounts to the bottom of the Exakta via the tripod socket, the Novoflex Double Viewfinder is quite unusual. Two separate viewing finders are employed, one that gives a field of view for a normal 50mm lens and one for a 135mm telephoto. The unit is quite light in weight and what I like about it most is that when attached to the camera, there is a large surface area upon which it is easy to then mount a flash bracket, etc. This accessory is rather uncommon.

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