Universa Edixa Prismaflex
I take it Universa was some sort of a store or mail order branding. I've seen it applied to all sorts of German cameras, but this is the first Wirgin SLR I've seen it on.
The Prismaflex was Wirgin's answer to the east German Praktica Nova. Both cameras sold in the same price bracket, and were actually quite cheap even compared to Japanese SLRs. Although also relatively primitive compared to them. For instance the Prismaflex has limited shutter speeds 1/30 to 1/500, a rewind knob instead of a crank, and the exposure counter has to be reset manually each time film is loaded.
In the 1950s the Edixa Reflex cameras were on the cutting edge of SLR technology - lever wind, interchangeable view finders and focus screens, automatic diaphragm operation, built in light meters and self timers...Edixa adopted the instant return mirror in 1960, years before most other German companies, and hot on the heels of Japanese companies.
But by the mid 1960s, Wirgin had fallen behind, and indeed from 1965 onwards there were no major innovations other than to adopt TTL metering which had been available from Japanese companies since 1963.
Wirgin went bankrupt in 1968, and the company was reorganized. Most of the camera models were dropped in favor of producing just two basic types. There were the Prismaflex LTL, and Prismat LTL - the difference being in the number of shutter speeds, both models featuring TTL metering. Then there was the venerable Model D, Edixa's Exakta beater, a fully manual camera with interchangeable viewfinders, shutter speeds from 9 seconds to 1/1000 and a self timer.
Although all of these were old fashioned by this point, they remained competitively priced, and there seem to be a lot of Prismat LTLs still around so they must have sold fairly well.
The end finally came in 1971 when the above models were terminated (apparently) and the ahead of its time Edixa Electronica TL was introduced. The Electronica TL should have been revolutionary with its electronic light metering and electronically controlled shutter, but it was rushed onto the market and proved to be an unreliable bomb. The Japanese got it right several years later, but in the meantime Edixa went under for good.
Universa Edixa Prismaflex
I take it Universa was some sort of a store or mail order branding. I've seen it applied to all sorts of German cameras, but this is the first Wirgin SLR I've seen it on.
The Prismaflex was Wirgin's answer to the east German Praktica Nova. Both cameras sold in the same price bracket, and were actually quite cheap even compared to Japanese SLRs. Although also relatively primitive compared to them. For instance the Prismaflex has limited shutter speeds 1/30 to 1/500, a rewind knob instead of a crank, and the exposure counter has to be reset manually each time film is loaded.
In the 1950s the Edixa Reflex cameras were on the cutting edge of SLR technology - lever wind, interchangeable view finders and focus screens, automatic diaphragm operation, built in light meters and self timers...Edixa adopted the instant return mirror in 1960, years before most other German companies, and hot on the heels of Japanese companies.
But by the mid 1960s, Wirgin had fallen behind, and indeed from 1965 onwards there were no major innovations other than to adopt TTL metering which had been available from Japanese companies since 1963.
Wirgin went bankrupt in 1968, and the company was reorganized. Most of the camera models were dropped in favor of producing just two basic types. There were the Prismaflex LTL, and Prismat LTL - the difference being in the number of shutter speeds, both models featuring TTL metering. Then there was the venerable Model D, Edixa's Exakta beater, a fully manual camera with interchangeable viewfinders, shutter speeds from 9 seconds to 1/1000 and a self timer.
Although all of these were old fashioned by this point, they remained competitively priced, and there seem to be a lot of Prismat LTLs still around so they must have sold fairly well.
The end finally came in 1971 when the above models were terminated (apparently) and the ahead of its time Edixa Electronica TL was introduced. The Electronica TL should have been revolutionary with its electronic light metering and electronically controlled shutter, but it was rushed onto the market and proved to be an unreliable bomb. The Japanese got it right several years later, but in the meantime Edixa went under for good.