Exakta Pentaflex SL

The Pentaflex SL represents Exakta's entry into the increasingly competitive 35mm SLR market during the late 1960s. As one of the pioneering SLR manufacturers dating back to the 1930s, Exakta had established itself as an innovative but sometimes unconventional brand. The Pentaflex SL followed in this tradition, offering a fully mechanical SLR experience with Exakta's distinctive design language. With its production limited to just two years (1968-1970), the camera appeared at a transitional moment when manufacturers were rapidly adopting automatic exposure meters while maintaining full manual controls for enthusiasts. The Pentaflex SL likely featured a reliable cloth focal plane shutter with speeds ranging from bulb to 1/1000 second and accepted Exakta's proprietary bayonet mount lenses, continuing the company's tradition of lens system compatibility.

While not revolutionary in design or features, the Pentaflex SL served as Exakta's response to the growing popularity of Japanese SLRs from manufacturers like Canon, Nikon, and Minolta. During this period, European camera manufacturers struggled to compete with Japanese innovation and mass production efficiency. The Pentaflex SL maintained Exakta's characteristic robust mechanical construction but incorporated more user-friendly controls than some earlier models. Its production ended as Exakta faced increasing financial pressures that would eventually lead to the company's decline in the following decade. Today, the Pentaflex SL is remembered as a competent but unremarkable example of mid-range European SLR engineering during an era of significant technological change in photography.