Corrispondenza
Lo scambio di corrispondenza (o di fax, prima di Internet) è una caratteristica di tutte le collezioni. Non traduco le lettere (e ne riporto solo poche) per non appesantire questo mio intervento. Devo ringraziareprima di tutti Jim Anderson per la sua frase che troverete nella sua lettera, Klaus Rademaker per le sue precise risposte ai miei quesiti, Peter Longden, Editore di Exakta Times, per la sua disponibilità, Fred Warner per il suo entusiasmo, Gary e Karoline Cullen per essere venuti a trovarmi, Bruce Pick perchè quando vi vende una macchina ve la descrive attentamente e poi desidera sapere se siete soddisfatti, Dave & Julie Todd per la loro simpatia.....


Woodford
Jessop Classic Photographica
67 Great Russell Street
London WC1
(opposite British Museum)
Telephone 44-171-831-3640
Fax N° 44-171-831-3956


6/12/91

Dear Maurizio,

I have a very nice item to offer to you. As follows: VP marked "Ihagee" on waist level finder and on the front above the lens. Also with (the drawing of the "sun" trade mark) next to Ihagee. Ser N° 413.561. No sync. Working condition.
The lens is a 7,5cm/F4,5 and puls-out and twist: focusing is at the very front element.
This very early model is quite rare. Because we made a mistake with your last order, I can offer this to you for a special price of £150 + £10 P&P, total £160. Please let me know if you are interested.
Best Regards.

Dave

Falchenberg
Stein Falchenberg
Teamwork
41-42 Foley Street
London W1P 7LD


7 October 1994

Dear Maurizio,

Thank you for your forms and pictures. You should be very pleased to have got one of the rare and little known Ihagee Jr. cameras. I have known of these cameras for many years as will be clear from my notes to Aguila /Rouah's Book. Do you have a copy?, if not let me know and I will post you one.

Most if not all that has been written in modern times have ignored this camera, but interestingly it is illustrated as the Iunior in Gerhart Isert prewar (Standard) Exakta book. Even Hummel in his new book refers only to Exakta Jr.

Anyway it is quite clear that the original model was called Ihagee Jr, and I have a group of 4 serial numbers between 413522 and 561, a small initial batch of perhaps at most 50 cameras. Then one at 418888 and surprisingly a sole Exakta JR AT 419059, and then the first batch of Exakta Jr from 429362 to 430270, say 1000 cameras. It may be significant that the sole early Exakta Jr which appears to be of the same batch as the last Ihagee Jr was in USA. Perhaps the US importer insisted on the camera being Exaktas?

Regarding your Jr with plate back, it is certainly the only one I have heard of. It has been normal to refer to cameras with plate back as model C. It turns out that this concept is wrong. Hummel asked me last winter if I had ever seen any reference to factory literature referring to Model C. After much searching it became clear that it was essentially an English language term, seemly created in 1937 by UK importer. It is now clear that plate backs could be fitted on any camera, being an option more like a lens, although one would have thought not on Jr, as it would seem impossible to adjust the spacing, I notice that you don't show a ring. Therefore presumably the infinity focus is correct with the plate back, but the camera may not be used roll film as this requires the spacer.

The camera fits into a batch of Jr, perhaps a little more than 100. As your camera seems to have the pin back catch, perhaps you could supply the details as in the form?

Best Regards

Stein




Rademaker
Klaus Rademaker
Duisburg, Germany


17.6.95

just today, I received the current issue of the Camera Shopper: I saw your ad and when reading it, I decided to send you my current list........



21.6.95

.. yes it is always nice to meet the members of the Circle. I think, we have missed that day, when you were visiting the Photographica ......


5.7.95

... I know that fake Night Exakta from Portobello Road.....
You are right with that crazy prices at Pied Bull Yard. But it is always nice just to have a look and wonder, how much our collections at home might be worth..
There is only one thing left... There existed a collection of fotos from the cameras (Ihagee) of the Museum in Dresden. 68 fotos, in a file, each foto with following information: Hummel number, Camera modell, camera number, lens, lens number. .....


3.8.95

..... I think your VP B no. 412148 was modernized: I also have a quite lot of VPs which show features they should not have, for example a B with lever Vacublitz sockets, locking lever on the right side and a number lower than yours: 408356. I am quite sure, it is a modernized one. But I will never know, as it is working great and has a nice mirror inside (which might be changed sometimes in the past). Otherwise, I would have to repair it and when doing so, I would have to repair it and when doing so, I would have removed the mirror to find the date when the camera was built. Under the mirror (when still having the original mirror) the day, month and year of production is often on! Like you, I also got a junior. But mine was more expensive... it is the first Exakta Jr version with Knob wind.
Within ten days or so, I will get my Ihagee Jr...! Will tell you about.
.......................
I think you have some very nice VPs! Of course the Ihagee Jr is great. But also the Jr "C" is very interesting. Never heard about another one.
Your Exakta without number. That is the 4th one I know right now. I have another one, little focusing ring, focussing scale, chrome, Victar (!) lens and also with the strange dial for the fast speeds (1/400 instead of the 1/600s). Mine was a born Exakta Jr! Would be interesting to know whether yours is also a genuine Jr? The other 2 are in the Museum in Dresden. Soon you will have the photos.
Your Night with that strange engraving: I think everything, which have no idea. What about a question in the Exakta Times .......


21.8.95

Last week I got my Ihagee Ir. no. 413632, lens Ihagee Anstigmat, 1:4,5 F-7,5cm, no. 611174, meter. I am glad to have it, but to my pity it was modernized in the past. It is now lever wind, but sometime, I will find a A or B with knob wind for spares to bring it back to its original standards.........


25.8.95

strange number is 1/200s. Same strange range of speed on mine without number. ............


10.10.95

...It (Exakta VX500) is not without any number, but has the engraved number: 0000069. Means, that this camera is from the pre-regular production, the zero production line. Contrary to the regular VX500s, it has also the Ihagee Dresden engraving on its right side top. And of course no flash symbol. ...



Warner
Fred Warner
Toronto Ontario
Canada


20 October 1995

Dear Maurizio,
I just received Exakta Times no. 20 with the photographs of your rare Ihagee Jr. I had never heard of such an item! ..... of course, Richard Hummel says there was no official Model C, just a plate back option for Model A and B, and the "C" designation was created by Exakta distributors who wanted more models to sell.
... my very best wishes to you, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours truly,

Fred Warner


Cullen
Gary Cullen
Box 1035
Delta BC
CANADA V4M 3T2


April 3 1996

Dear Maurizio,

...Here is the "2in1" ring for the 66. It is not worth a lot of money, so if you find some small thing of interest for me sometime I will be happy !
Enclosed also are some photos from my collection. I have been collecting Ihagee on+off for 20 years or more (I am 42 so I started young !). Thank you for the friendly comment on my Examat article in ET. I also enjoied your writing,
I am working on a special hologram for the 60th anniversary of the Kine Exakta, I will send information soon...

Gary

Anderson
James M. Anderson
Mayals Swansea
England


1 June 1995

Dear Maurizio,

I'm sending the camera at once without waiting for your cheque to arrive... ...I was Chairman of the Exakta Circle for 3 years and I know that anyone who enjoys Exaktas must be thoroughly trustworthy !

Jim