Exakta and soviets

Hi everybody,

I recently acquired a first generation MTO 500 (slim, with silver ring) in Exakta mount (1959) :

(photo from seller)
I thought it was simply a later modification of the mount, but I found on ebay another examplar of early MTO (1957), with exact same mount :

(photo from seller on ebay)
Exist also MTO 350 and MTO 1000 from this generation, you can see them here :

(photo from Zenitcamera : http://www.zenitcamera.com/archive/history/camera-birth.html#r6 )

So it looks like it was factory made (even if 2 exemplar is not enough to be sure 100% about it, still 2 rare lens with same mount...).

So, my question is, why exakta mount? Some other lenses with exakta mount are known, like Tair-11 or Jupiter-9 (visible wiki catalog of this site).
Was it simply for export? Or any reason? I have never read about a possible project of soviet camera using exakta mount...
All thoses lenses looks to be made before 60's.

Regards,
Pierre

Hi Pierre,
my KMZ Jupiter-9 s/n 55xxxxx with Exakta mount you see in catalog, it looks also to be factory made.
My opinion, that these lenses have being made in 50th for DDR-export (East Germany). I don't have any documents about it, but this version seems to me plausible. Soviet Union exported much photo equipment to "Socialist" Europe, so it could be some order for DDR-Cameras.

Regards, Alexander

there is a tale that Nikita kruschev was aman fascinated in cameras and he ordered a manufacture of Exakta in Soviet land and Robot that we already have seen.
In my article three Leningrad Generations a Landmark of na Era
http://ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=50&ParentID=49&ContentID=1589&Item=Three+Leningrad+Generations%3A+A+Landmark+of+an+Era+by+Luiz+Paracampo
One will find a text of Oleg Tumazov relating about several cameras made in the post war era and among the the EXA later put um production in Germany.
I am preparing an article of the Soviet Cameras born in Russia and made in Germany by the German technician prisioners who later retuned to their country .
The Exakta camera, besides all, was much appreciated in Russia where they built an hibrid M39/Exekta mount Zenit 3M.
Regards
LP

Thanks for your answers!

Exakta only made the camera, they never made any lenses causing the part of their succes. You could always sell a lens in Exakta mount because of the demand for it untill M42 became more popular.

The mount could be used by any optical manufacturer. Not only Zeiss Jena and Meyer Optik, but Old Delft, Schneider Kreuznach and many others too.

What puzzles me is the fact that the MTO 500 Covers the release button of the Exakta when mounted. Making the release button inaccessible.

I have quite some Exakta mount lenses from a wide range of manufacturers. on most of these lenses one can still reach the release lever with a finger. and if it's a big lens, a swiss knife always helps...

you are right, milo, the MTO 500 is a big lens. so it will be a challenge to release it.

www.a7camera.com www.120folder.com www.instantphoto.eu

Good morning;

There is also here a sample of the Ihagee EXA with a stamp on the bottom reading, I think, Made in USSR Occupied Germany.

And, as indicated by others, yes, the MTO 500mm mirror lens would indeed completely block the access to the shutter release button. Also, in looking at the photograph provided by the seller of the lens on e-Bay, there seems to be some sort of an extension to go onto the lens mount. Would that move the lens forward enough to provide shutter access, and also would the lens still be able to focus to infinity? I have an MTO 500mm catadioptric lens here, but it does not have an Exakta mount, so I cannot really check the actual clearance.

I have been watching, but I have not yet found an M42 lens to Exakta body mount adapter for either the Ihagee EXA or the VX 1000. Or possibly a T mount or T2 mount adapter for Exakta. I would like to find at least one of those, so that I could adapt other lenses to those bodies and increase their capabilities. Finding proprietary Exakta mount lenses by any maker is not easy either here in the US of A.

Enjoy; Ralph, Lattй Land, Washington

Perhaps some people have never used MTO lenses or felt its possibilities.
I remember na article of Ken Heyman at 1963 Popular Photo who bought one at GUM nd I became fascinated! I orederd one at the old Russian importer in Rio de Janeiro and astonishing protraits and Picture of flowers were made in Ektachome! I prepaired a M39-42x075 ring to use the lens togther Exaktas and Praktina cвmeras and no modification in lenses were done.
All those lenses originally focus beyond infinity and so extension tubes have minimum influence when mounted.
This is true with modern MTO and Rubin lenses
The mirror design also modifies performance of lenses and due their large focal lenghts again, any extension tube is irrelevant to their focusing range.

Specially the 500mm and the 350mm are extraordinary close-up/macro devices although not regarded as so.

LP

About the possibility to use it on Exakta : Remember that it's not the usual MTO, the one with big rear. This one is slim :

I don't have it yet at home, but I tested my MTOM (which is also slim) on my Start (which should be close to exakta in terms of construction, as far as I know), and it's ok to release the shutter button. I also tested the MOM-1 (which is basicaly a variant or prototyp of MTO, with same shape, not slim), it's impossible to access the shutter button.

About the quality of MTO's at close up, I totaly confirm. Few days ago I did some flower shots with MOM-1 on A7.

the round ring bokeh is simply great! and is the trademark of those lenses.
Regards
LP

Absolutely beautiful!
Thanks, Pierre.

Jacques.