Photographica Pages

An online guide to collectable cameras and related stuff

Ihagee Vest Pocket Exakta C

When the Vest Pocket Exaktas were introduced, many professionals and serious amateurs and preferred the stable qualities of the always flat glass plate over film. Also, a greater variety of emulsion was still available on glass at that time as opposed to film.

In 1935 Ihagee introduced the Exakta C, which has a removable panel in the back which can be replaced with a special plateholder. Because the plateholder sits further back than film normally would, you have two different options for focusing. You could focus using a ground glass screen in the back, remove the glass, load the plate and shoot, or you could place a spacer ring between the lens and the camera, remove the lens, remove the ring, replace the lens and shoot. Both ways were a bit cumbersome.

The spacer ring was 5.5mm thick, and has the serial number of the camera engraved upon it. Finding a complete set with the matching numbers can be difficult.

A French catalog states that the Model B could be adapted with the plate back, and other literature suggests the Night Exakta with the Biotar lens could be adapted as well.

The Exakta C was available in three versions:

Version 1, 1935

Identical to the Exakta B of 1935, it had the two pin flash synch on the front..

Version 2, 1937

A third, threaded pin was added to the flash synch. For securing purposes.

Version 3, 1934

The last version was finished in chrome, and oddly enough lacks the slow speeds below 1/25.

Version 4, 1935

Vacublitz flash sockets added to the front of the camera.

Version 5, 1939

The top plates, front plate, and finder hood finished in matte chrome.