Ihagee's Exa SLR, first introduced in 1952, was a compact version of the larger full-featured Exakta Varex VX. What made the baby Exakta so cool, was despite it's somewhat limited features, it was an affordable and durable camera that would accept all of the accessories such as lenses, viewfinders, extension tubes, etc. produced for the leading 35mm camera of its day.

The original Exa had a limited range of shutter speeds ranging from 1/25 sec to only 1/150 sec, plus B. The original Exa had a unique shutter speed lever, apparently mandated by a unique shutter system. The mirror is part of the shutter mechanism and does not return to the down position until you advance the film after an exposure. While this system has a remarkably silent shutter, the lack of mirror return can have a disorienting affect on the photographer who is accustomed to the momentary loss of image in the viewfinder in a traditional SLR.

Also disorienting to the first-time Exakta photographer is the placement of the shutter release button. It's located on the face of the camera and is positioned to be pressed by the photographer's left index finger. Initially this may seem illogical, as the majority of people are right-handed. However, this intentional design was intended for the photographer to steady the camera with his/her "strong" hand after composition and then release the shutter with his/her "weak" hand. Supposedly this results in less camera-shake.

PROS

• Inexpensive entry to broad line of Exa lenses and other accessories
• Compact and sturdy design
• Large variety of exceptional lenses available.
  
• Silent shutter
• Interchangeable pentaprism and waist-level viewfinder
• X/M Flash sync
• Camera body stamped "USSR Occupied" makes for an interesting conversation piece

CONS

• Limited shutter speed range
• Tiny film advance/rewind knobs
• No mirror return upon release of shutter
• Non-traditional placement of shutter release button. 

Nearly 20 different variants of the Exa were produced between 1952 and 1966 with the final model  being the Exakta 500. Today used Exas remain somewhat plentiful. If you are fortunate enough to acquire an Exa in decent condition, it's an excellent vintage camera to own because of the wide selection of high quality lenses that are available. It can be an excellent shooter and I highly recommend this camera for the budding camera collector.