Mystery Camera #11

[PGraham3]

I was searching for something that I needed for a lesson plan on Pinterest and I randomly came across this old photo with a neat camera that I'm unable to fully recognize. Any ideas?

 

[Huss]

Dunno but some really nice shots in your lomography album.

 

[reddesert]

It looks like an Exakta to me, but someone more experienced with them would have to confirm that and give an opinion on the lens.

As with your previous thread, it would be good to credit the image source and the photographer - on a photography forum we should be giving credits whenever possible. In this case the subject is well known and it's pretty easy to find with Google and reverse image search.

 

[AgX]

Release on top
the lens looks japanese
Leather straps
all black
oval label

What more hints do we need...

The oval label made me think of the Petri Penta, but release position and colour spoiled that.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Not Exakta -- lacks the tapered body ends. PC socket on the left end (showing between her fingers), otherwise very conventional post-1960 appearance. Looks like a deep flange-to-film, so perhaps an early PP (M42) mount?

 

[choiliefan]

Reminds me of a Petri as well.

 

[drmoss_ca]

Notice the burning cigarette in her right hand? Wonder if that was the approved grip for smoking photographers...

 

[Donald Qualls]

Actually, looking at it again, that might be a 6x6 SLR like a Pentacon. Clothing, hair, and watch seem to say early 1970s.

 

[AgX]

Well, from the design of the prism front and label it looks like the Kiev 60 indeed. But to me this one looks rather 35mm. Furthermore for the Kiev the location of the realease and of the lugs do not fit, nor the design of the lens.



Concerning size:
here a Kiev 60 (even taking perspective distorsion into account)
https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile....iev-60-prodcut-photos-4.jpg?w=697&h=465&ssl=1
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/...8e8_c4a77e6fbe1c47348b3264f72f1aae0a~mv2.webp

 

[macfred]

First look Kiev 60 - but what about the lens ?

 

[AgX]

Then you also could say Pentax 6x7... with apt realese location. But here still would be the issue of the lugs and as new issue the design of the mirrorbox... and still the lens woukld not fit.

Moreover, the camera in question is too small for MF.

 

[Ian Grant]

It look like it's an early Pentax AP or K, the lens has the semi auto early stop down mechanism similar to the Praktina's, these early Takmar standard lensesalso had the silver rings at the front

Also the curvedbit just above the name see here.

Ian

 

[Paul Howell]

I don't think it's a Petri, the name plate is too large, see below.

 

[AgX]

Ian, you beat me on this... I was just thinking of some "small 6x7", thus with this oval emblem.

I consider it by far the best bet so far and most likely the right one.

 

[choiliefan]

The cigarette is a Benson & Hedges.
"Baby's come a long long way..."

 

[Ian Grant]

I'm 99.9% sure it's an early Pentax, and the lens is an Auto Takumar.

Ian

 

[reddesert]

Here is a better, and attributed, version of the photograph: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/sophia-loren/zAEkTuC4hpDgsg

According to the LIFE photo library, and I imagine that they have the details correct, this picture of Sophia Loren on an LIRR platform was taken by Peter Stackpole in 1958.

One of the reasons I guessed Exakta is the arched nameplate on the front of the prism. The early Pentaxes named by Ian Grant also have this detail. I agree that the lens details such as the focusing ring look more Japanese than German. The size of the camera is clearly 35mm SLR and not medium format SLR. Some minor points: the circle on the end between her fingers is a strap rivet, not a PC outlet. In the "better version" I linked above, you can see an emblem on the front upper surface of the prism housing, which pretty much confirms Ian's conclusion that it's an early Asahi.

 

[Horatio]

I thought she looked familiar! That photo was made a year before I was born.

 

[BradS]

looks like a Pentax from the generation just prior to the Spotmatic to me. Very similar to the Pentax S1a that I had many years ago.

 

[AgX]

I did not even recognize here. I mean the Loren.

 

[Kino]

Praktica Super TL with name badge removed.

Notice that none of her fingers are resting where a traditional shutter release resides; on top of the camera, but her right hand does indicate the chance of a angled shutter release on the face of the camera body. At first I thought it was a Petri, but the pentaprism is simply not the correct shape.

 

[AgX]

You are too late to the game...

And she indeed has her index finger on the top. She holds her cigarette between index and middlefinger.

Most obvious discrepancy of the Praktica Super TL is its protruding prism front, which is not seen on the camera in question. Also it got no oval structure as label.

 

[BobD]

To me, it does look like one of the early Pentax SLRs but there is still something wrong about the nameplate on the prism front. The lettering doesn't match. Maybe it is a re-badged Pentax?

 

[AgX]

I cannot distinct a lettering at all.

 

[jwd722]

I would say 57/58 Pentax. Leather strap with rivet is bottom half of eveready case and her middle or possibly ring finger, besides deftly holding a cigarette, is operating the slow speed dial.