Photographica Pages

An online guide to collectable cameras and related stuff

Ihagee Exakta Real

The division of Germany after the war isolated the original shareholders and heirs to Johan Steenbergen from Ihagee. lawsuits were filed over the ownership of the trademarks. In 1959 Ihagee Kamerawerk AG was founded in Frankfurt. In 1962 the name was changed to Ihagee-Exakta Photo AG, Munich. The company relocated once more, this time to Berlin.

The Exakta Real was first shown at Photokina in 1963. Production did not begin until 1966, and was stopped the next year. Serial numbers run from about 001 to 2500, making it the lowest production model of 35mm Exakta produced.

The Exakta Real shared little with the East German models. The bayonet was widened from 38mm to 46mm. Older lenses could be mounted with the use of an adapter. Two shutter releases were provided on the front of the camera, one for the older automatic lenses. The new lenses had internal diaphragm coupling. Shutter speeds were 1/1000 to 2 seconds. It came finished in chrome or black. The camera lacked a built in exposure meter, although a metered prism was announced yet never marketed.

A selection of lenses were offered for the Exakta Real.

Schneider

28/4 Curtagon

35/2.8 Curtagon

50/1.9 Xenon

50/2.8 Xenar

135/3.5 Tele-Xenar

80-240/4 Zoom Tele-Variogon

Schacht

35/2.8 Travegon

50/1.8 Travelon

50/2.8 Travenar

50/2.8 Travenar Macro

90/2.8 Travenar

135/3.5 Travenar

200/4 Tele-Travelon

In addition a waist level finder, bellows, extension tubes, a microscope adapter and 2X and 3X Schacht teleconverters were marketed.

The failure of the Exakta Real in the marketplace was likely due to the high cost in comparison with the Japanese models. The Exakta was more expensive than the Nikon Nikkormat FT, and within 10% of the cost of the Asahi Pentax Spotmatic (with comparable normal lenses). Both the Pentax and the Nikon had built in meters, where the Exakta did not. And both the Pentax and the Nikon were brands with good reputations, and a good following. The Exakta name had suffered a decade long slide in the marketplace, and was no longer associated with state of the art photo equipment.