Exaktar lenses

[wilwahabri]

I need some assistance here.

I recently purchased an Exakta TL1000. This was marketed in the 70's by Ihagee West, the West German remainder of what was Ihagee after being split up following on from WWII.
The camera itself is a rebadged Petri FT1000, made in Japan, which has little information available apart from a user manual. The lenses have even less information. I have a 50mm f1.4 Exaktar marked made in Japan and I think it was probably made by Sun or Sankor, I also have an Auto Exaktar 35mm f2.8 and an auto Exaktar 135mm f2.8, both marked made in Korea and possibly made by Samyang.
Has anyone heard of the Exaktar lenses and is able to throw a little light on their provenance?

Exakta TL 1000 with 35mm f2.8 Auto Exaktar

Exakta TL 1000 with 50mm f1.4 Exaktar

Exakta TL 1000 with 135mm f2.8 Auto Exaktar

 

[Paul Howell]

If it is a rebranded Petri body then the lens is likely a rebranded Petri 35 2.8. If the camera is a rebranded Petri FT 1000 with M42 mount, well the camera is not much, I have one, not all that well built. Many Petri FT 1000 were sold under various brands, here in the U.S the now almost defunct discount department store K mart sold it under their house brand Focal. On the other hand the lens, Petri lens are quite good. I have Petri 35 2.8 in Petri breech mount, sharp, as sharp as my Pentax M42 35 3.5. For that matter all of my Petri lens are pretty good, I would rate my Petri 300mm 5.6 as good as my modern Minolta 300mm. All the lens you show were made by Petri in the same focal lengths and speeds. Petri, had a strange line up of lens, the fastest was the 50 1/4, another sharp lens with good contrast, they did not make a 100, widest I've seen is the 28mm 2.8 and longest I've seen for sale is the 400 6.3. I've seen Petri's U.S catalog with listed a 800 as well. Likely lens marketed as Exacta came from different suppliers, Korea, could be good glass. I have a Viviatra 300 5.6 made in Korea with a Miranda EE mount, it's a fine performer.