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Exakta Lens on a Modern Sony Camera

·442 words·3 mins
Jake Roggenbuck
Author
Jake Roggenbuck
Working at Capital One as a SWE Intern and Conducting Programming Language Research
Table of Contents

Introduction #

I had the crazy idea of attaching a vintage Exakta lens to my modern Sony a6400.

Vintage Exakta lens attached to a Sony a6400 camera

I first wanted to see how I could non-permanently yet securely attach something to the body of my camera. I figured there must be some sort of camera body cover, and sure enough I found a two pack on Amazon for $7. Sweet!

Before starting, I wanted to figure out spacing of the lens. I held the lens up to the camera without attaching it, and I found that the lens needed to be a centimeter or two away from the camera body. This meant I would need to make a spacer somehow.

With the camera body cover delivered, I got to work.

1. Cut a circle spacer out of wood #

I used a jigsaw to cut a circle out some scrap pine wood to act as a spacer.

The circle was drawn using the camera body cover as a template.

Drawing the circle spacer on scrap pine wood using the camera body cover as a template

2. Find the center #

I found the center of the circle by drawing many lines.

Finding the center of the wood circle by drawing many lines

3. Drill out a hole to let light through #

I drilled a hole in the spacer with a 1.5 inch paddle bit…

Drilling a 1.5 inch hole in the wood spacer with a paddle bit

And snap! It broke.

Wood spacer broken from drilling without a pilot hole

4. Drill a hole in the scrap wood first #

I learned from my mistake and started by drilling a 1.5 inch hole with the same bit in the scrap wood first.

I first found the center the same way.

Finding the center of a new piece of scrap wood

And then I drilled the hole.

Drilling the 1.5 inch hole in the scrap wood before cutting out the spacer

5. Cut out the spacer #

I cut out the spacer with the hole already drilled.

Cut out wood spacer with the hole already drilled

I also sanded down the spacer with two grits of sandpaper.

Sanded wood spacer ready to attach to the lens

6. Glue the space to the lens #

I used hot glue to glue the spacer to the lens of the Exakta.

Hot gluing the wood spacer to the Exakta lens Wood spacer glued to the Exakta lens

7. Find the center of the cover #

I found the center of the camera body cover using the many lines trick.

Finding the center of the camera body cover using the many-lines trick

8. Drill a pilot hole #

I drilled a pilot hole with a small bit to make the centering of the paddle bit easier.

Drilling a small pilot hole in the camera body cover

9. Drill a hole with a 1 inch paddle bit #

I drilled a hole in the camera body cover with a 1 inch paddle bit to allow light through.

One inch hole drilled through the camera body cover to let light through

And sanded down the edges with two different grits of sandpaper.

Camera body cover after sanding the drilled edges

I also washed the piece in the sink and dried it off with a towel.

10. I glued the cover to the spacer #

I used hot glue to attach the spacer to the camera body cover to complete the build.

Hot gluing the spacer to the camera body cover to complete the build

Done Building #

Finished Exakta lens mount on the Sony a6400 - front view Finished Exakta lens mount on the Sony a6400 - side view

Testing #

Testing the Exakta lens setup on the Sony a6400

Result #

Resulting photo taken with the Exakta lens mounted on the Sony a6400

Night Photos #

Nature Photos #

Gnome Photos #