She is graceful, but also bombastic, but that is part of the real lady. The Exakta Varex VX is glitter, the former East German bling bling camera from 1956. At the same time ingeniously built and with a real optical viewfinder. Jimmy Stewart used it in the classic “Rear Window” movie by Alfred Hitchcock and also the Invasion ’68 in Prague was legendary captured by it.
Continue reading “The East German Queen: Exakta Varex VX”Like a Volkswagen: Voigtlander Vitomatic
Imagine Germany by the end of the fifties. The economy is growing rapidly, people can afford more luxury than before. They can spend money on vacations and go to the Alps with their Volkswagen. The camera comes along and which one fits best with the average family? Meet the popular Vitomatic from Voigtlander.
Continue reading “Like a Volkswagen: Voigtlander Vitomatic”Leica Summitar 2/50
They were considered the best lenses from the first half of the last century. The summarit, summarex, summar, summitar, elmarit, elmar …. unforgettable names for lenses that each guaranteed the impeccable quality of its makers Ernst Leitz and Max Berek. Today we review a summitar F2 / 50 mm that will look out of place on a modern digital camera, but with an adapter surpasses many modern lens in terms of sharpness and color rendering.
Continue reading “Leica Summitar 2/50”Leica III is a feeling
There is no other camera that is as fascinating and inspiring as the vintage Leica from the forties and fifties of the past century. Without this camera, photography would not have become what it is today. No wonder that this masterpiece by Ernst Leitz and Oscar Barnack is still the most beloved old-timer from the analogue era.

Pentacon Carl Zeiss Jena lenses: the Sonnar 2.8/180

Using lenses on a big Pentacon SIX medium format means the lenses come huge as well. The most legendary lens is the Sonnar 2.8/180mm, based upon it’s original design for the 1936 Olympics. Over the years, the lens got updated many times and finally got scaled up to the 6×6 medium format coverage. The lens is crisp sharp from wide open and easily covers up to 6×9 and that is noticeable as you hold a lot of glass in your hands. 1350 grams is the total weight. A body builder.
Continue reading “Pentacon Carl Zeiss Jena lenses: the Sonnar 2.8/180”Pentacon Carl Zeiss Jena lenses: the Flektogon
A camera cannot perform without quality glass in front of it. For the Pentacon SIX there are a number of dedicated (medium format) lenses, with as well known frontrunner the indisputable high quality Flektogon from Carl Zeiss Jena.
Continue reading “Pentacon Carl Zeiss Jena lenses: the Flektogon”PentaconSIX: the East-German legend
The Pentacon SIX is one of the most legendary medium format classics. There are numerous websites dedicated to this East German cult camera. And with reason: even in 2020, the results are comparable with those of a 48 MP digital reflex camera. For less than Euro 200 you can be in possession of one the remaining ones with some search on ebay. Built as a solid tank, the camera has no charm with its no-nonsense look, but I fell in love instantly with this chubby lady that performs as one of the best and constitutes the ideal entrance in the 6×6 medium format range.
Continue reading “PentaconSIX: the East-German legend”