Since starting my collection, I have always liked the look of Ihagee cameras. In fact, I have nine of them, eight working. Oddly I have never shot with one until now. Which one did I pick? The Varex IIa.
Despite some quirks, this camera is a joy to use and is perhaps the prettiest in the entire Exakta line. The waist level viewfinder is bright and clear, and the controls laid out logically, once you get past the less-than-traditional location of the shutter release.
This particular camera is paired with the excellent Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar f2 50mm lens.
| Make | Ihagee |
|---|---|
| Model | Exakta Varex IIa |
| Year | 1956 – 1958 |
| Format | 35mm |
| Shutter | Ihagee focal-plane |
| Speed | B, T, 1/25 to 1/1000 |
| Lens | Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar |
| f2 50mm | |
| Focus | 0.5m – ∞ |
| Aperture | f2 to 22 |
| Light Meter | n/a |
| Rangefinder | n/a |
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Example shots – Fuji 100 (pardon the horrible focus and composition)
