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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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