Camera Collection: lhagee Exa 1a

Like the EXA 500 this camera was produced by lhagee (later VEB Pentacon) in Dresden between 1964 and 1977. 

More infos:

• http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Exa_1a
• Manual: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/exa/exa_1a/exa_ia.htm
• Flickr Group: https://www.flickr.com/groups/exa/

Camera Collection: Praktica LTL3

Another rock solid metal camera, the Praktica LTL3 produced by VEB Pentacon between in Dresden between 1975 and 1978. I bought this for 25,- Euro's and it comes with this fantastic old-fashion Stasi look-alike observation bag. Plus 3 bw Agfa films for the Chinese market (from the mid 80's) with a DM (Deutsche Mark, defunct currency before 2001) price tag on it.

Praktica LTL3 with manual and accessories leaflet

Action Bag

Open Action Bag

Agfa XR100i China

References:

• http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Praktica_LTL_3mera-wiki.org/wiki/Praktica_LTL_3
• Manual: http://www.cameramanuals.org/praktica_pdf/praktica_ltl3.pdf
• http://www.praktica-collector.de/189_Praktica_LTL3.htm
• https://www.flickr.com/groups/praktica-ltl/

How to take picture - A basic guide from the 60's

This little leaflet (by DEWAG* in 1965) came with the original box the EXA500 was packed in. It is a basic guide how to take pictures by the camera maker explaining the basics of photography available at the 1960's in the former GDR (DDR). It is called 'erinnerungen sind eine kamera wert' ('memories are worth a camera') and written in rather old-fashion style.
Here the scanned version, hopefully not infringing any IP of a defunc company in history, this is meant for educational purpose and to keep camera history.

(*) DEWAG - Deutsche Werbe- und Anzeigengesellschaft, the governmental advertising agency, not the german company that operates under this name today. (Wikipedia)

Camera Collection: EXA 500

My latest addition to my camera collection. The EXA 500 was build in the former German Democratic Republic (DDR, aka East Germany) from 1968 to 1969. About 100.000 were built. The export version of the same camera was called EXAKTA 500, it got is name from the additional shutterspeed of 1/500, it is using a focal plane shutter. Solid metal handicraft work by lhagee founded back in 1921. The company was taken over by the government owned company VEB Pentacon. More in-deep info at the links in the reference section.

Unfortunately the model I bought does not work any more.

lhagee EX 500

References:

• https://www.cameraquest.com/exa500.htm
• http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Exa_500
• http://www.dresdner-kameras.de/ihagee_exakta/exa/exa.html
• http://www.ihagee.org/
• http://johns-old-cameras.blogspot.ro/2013/06/exa-500.html
• http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentacon and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentacon