Tuesday 23 January 2007

Metered prisms - Travemat, Examat, Ihagee

Here a collection of the three major metered prisms made for the Exakta/Exa cameras:
First is the Travemat, manufactured by A Schacht in Ulm starting in 1966. This particular specimen, serial number 423189, represents A&R’s version 2 and is in excellent condition. It was powered by a single PX-13 (PX 625) mercury cell (not included), giving a voltage of 1.35V. Since mercury cells are no longer made, the zinc oxide Weincell MRB-625 should work.
Second is the Examat, first introduced a couple of years later by Harwix in West Berlin. This specimen, serial number 14718, is in good condition; the major flaws are that the paint is pitted on the back and sides, there is a chip off the back edge, and the view-window shows extensive cleaning marks. The battery (not included) setup was the same as the Travemat, so the MRB-625 again should work.
Third is the Ihagee cell prism/viewfinder. This used a selenium cell meter; all operations were manual—once a reading was determined with the meter, the operator had to make the appropriate lens settings. This example, serial number 160194 is in very good cosmetic condition with two exceptions—first, the cell cover has a tendency to fall off and will require some delicate work to get it to stay; second, the small leatherette patches are loosening at the edges so they should all be removed, cleaned, and reglued.
Due to the age of these metered prisms, and that I have not tested any of them, they are offered “as-is” for display.

Sold for US$ 199,95



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