Equipment - Medium Format

Re: Exakta 66 - seventeen years old?

Stacey wrote:

> steven.sawyer@banet.net wrote:
>
> > I know the Exakta 66 was introduced in the 1980s. My question is this:
> > is the camera now over seventeen years old and wouldn't that mean that
> > any patents applying to the Exakta 66 would now be expired? My question
> > primarily relates to the Schneider-only linkage from the lens to the
> > prism which is absent in all CZJ and Arsat lenses but could also relate
> > to other Exakta 66 improvements. Couldn't Arsenal, in typical "Soviet
> > era" fashion blatently copy this system (but now legally)?
> >
>
> They copied anything they wanted illegally so why would they have stopped
> here? They have no interest in making them compatable with the exakta 66.

The Exakta 66 was the only substantial innovation in the P6 family of
cameras. The mechanism on a Kiev 60 may be different than a Pentacon 6, but
other than improved reliability, there was little functional improvement.
I can't predict the future, but I would think that it would behoove Arsenal to
make some improvements to their line. I read somewhere that Praktica is
making a P6 digital body, is this true?

 

Article References :

Re: Exakta 66 - seventeen years old?
Exakta 66 - seventeen years old?
 

See Also : Re: Big time beginner questions

On Sat, 9 Sep 2006 04:22:34 +0100, "Bandicoot"
<"insert_handle_here"@techemail.com> wrote:

[---]

>Many of those Schneider lenses were also made for the Exakta66, which shares
>its mount (and most of its other parts) with the Pentacon 6 and the Kiev 60.

[---]

>These are very old fashioned bodies, no metering unless you get the meter
>prism, and with a range of reliability issues. But if you want to try those
>great Schneider lenses on a 6x6 body without taking a Saturday job(!), they
>could be worth a look.

Agreed. Personally, I'd recommend the Kiev 60, as although the
Pentacon 6 is a nicer looking camera, and more compact, it is
horrendously unreliable.