AKA camera

[jpbob100]

While visiting my local thrift shop, I came across a very unusual camera. It was an AKA rangefinder camera, made in West Germany. It's built like a tank and weighs almost as much. It has a Schneider-Kruzenach(not sure of the spelling) F2 50mm Xenon lens. The unusual thing is that the rangefinder is attached to the lens not the camera. The lens is a bayonet mount and the rangefinder comes up out of the top of the lens and curves back so that the rangefinder itself sits on top of the body. It says AKA Rex on the camera body. It appears to be in excellent cosmetic condition. The winder wouldn't wind and the shutter button would not depress and I couldn't even figure out how to get the back off. I didn't have a lot of time to look at it at the time so it might be that I just missed something. They want $75 for it(down from $99). I seriously considered taking the chance but didn't think I really needed what could have turned out to be a very expensive but very pretty door stop. Can't find much on the web about AKA cameras and nothing about this particular model. Is anyone familiar with it?

 

[sevo]

The manufacturer has a not entirely obvious Camerapedia entry:
http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Apparate_&_Kamerabau

The camera was not that rare - the serials of all AkArex models span a range of 16.000, and at least nowadays the III (which you have) makes up the majority of those that turn up on German camera fairs.

AKA built quite a few uncoupled or fixed lens rangefinders. This one was their only marketed attempt at a coupled one with interchangeable lens - but as they failed to contract and develop lenses beyond two (by other sources three - but it is hard to tell whether the two 3.5'es were different in anything but the name and finder) different 50mm lenses and one quite rare 90mm, the cute (or clumsy) lens/finder change mechanism in practice almost always remained unused. The mechanic quality of mine is rather sub-standard, and AKA had another top model in a more sleek and modern fixed-lens rangefinder with built-in exposure meter - so there were quite a few factors which contributed to its failure.

 

[t6un]

What if one can adopt this lens to Olympus E-P1, thus converting it to holy grail, aka digital rangefinder?

 

[Spider67]

I have an Akarette. The two little windows are not the RF but two VF's for the two lenses.

 

[tvagi]

take a look at this link
http://www.ukcamera.com/classic_cameras/aka1.htm
and this one
http://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Apparat-&-Kamerabau/

 

[t6un]

I found an image of f/3,5 lens in similar mount at fleabay. looks like it does have a clearance to be put on almost any mirrorless body that does have a shutter. On Leica I would call this contraption a "Visofinder"🙂