Praktica Appreciation Thread

[AgX]

I only see 4 capacitators outside that microchip. One might exchange all three, however one seems to be calibtrated.

 

[AgX]

The B-series is a bit complex; there are models with shutters that are controlled pure-mechanically, pure-electronically or that are controlled both ways.

Your model is controlled both ways. This means setting a shutter time will actuate the shutter-curtain delay by means of a clockworks. So there is a chance for repair...

The above is complete nonsense, please forget about it.

 

[AgX]

What makes me wonder is that the B-series has all exposure times (aside of 1/90) electronically controlled but for the self-release they used a clockwork. This makes no sense to me.

What am I overlooking? Is this somehow related to that 1/90sec?

 

[miha]

What makes me wonder is this warning on the B-series:

 

[AgX]

Must have been a mislead (bad translator) regulation by the importer, as Pentacon themselves only advise, and then even the "flash" setting.


The idea is that at the"A" setting long exposure times may come into existance which hamper fast transporting and thus loading.
But this advice applies on any similar cameras of any make ....

 

[foc]

The idea is that at the"A" setting long exposure times may come into existance which hamper fast transporting and thus loading.

If a camera owner had the lens cap on, then with the camera set to A, would result in a very long exposure.
As you say it affected other similar cameras if A was selected when loading with a lens cap on or in heavy shade and lens set to f22 and ASA set to 25 !!!

 

[AgX]

The idea is that at the"A" setting long exposure times may come into existance which hamper fast transporting and thus loading.

This was the explicite argumentation by Pentacon.

 

[miha]

Shutter on many cameras with the back door open don't follow the meter readings and shoot at a fraction of a second untill the door is shut. Nikon FG and FA come to mind (If I'm not mistaken - mine are broken for years so I can't check this).

 

[AgX]

Why do they behave like this?

 

[miha]

Not to slow down the film loading process when set to A.

 

[AgX]

I see. I just understood your wording the other way round, as the camera with open back just using longer shutter times.

None of my SLR's behave the described way, or maybe I just did not realize so, as a with an open back I typically set fixed times.

"my SLR, the unknown creature"

 

[miha]

Yes, by a fraction of a second I meant 1/125s or so.

 

[Subversive Mk II]

Reading this thread rekindled my interest in an LTL3 I have in a drawer. I only bought it for the lenses that came with it, about a decade ago. However, there's nothing wrong with it and it needs / deserves a film through it sometime.
My acquaintanceship with Prakticas goes back to the 70s when I was using a Nikkormat and a friend was using a Praktica (which might well have been an LTL model). Both of us were burning through a lot of film and neither camera gave the slightest bit of trouble. That kind of convinced me that the usual snobbery directed at the Prakticas was nothing more than that.
It will be good to drag it out of the drawer and re-acquaint it with its lenses Got a fridge full of film, so some of it will be going through this.

 

[MadlabsRobot]

My father passed away last year and while I hadn't had much contact with him during the last 20 years he had apparently become somewhat of an hoarder. This led to me finding his old Praktica Super TL under a bunch of junk in his garage, which evoked a lot of memories that I thought were long lost, so it became the first Praktica in my camera collection, rather than end up at the land fill as most of the trash he had saved over the years.

It looks to be in excellent condition with a near flawless exterior and accurate (as far as I can tell) timings, and while he only had a Meyer-optik görlitz lydith 3.5/30, an orestegor 4/200, and a domiplan 2.8/50 (that has a stuck aperture pin), I've added a bunch of interesting lenses to the mix.

And this is when I start noticing something odd. When using the meter key on the front of the camera body to close down the aperture to take a reading I get different results with different lenses in the sense of how far they actually close down. My Pentacon 1.8/50 will close down all the way to f16 when pressing the meter key while my super-takumar 1.8/55 only closes down to in between 5.6 and 8, eventhough the aperture is set to 16. Similarly the mamiya/sekor sx 1.4/55 closes down to 8, and the helios-44m-5 2/58 closes down to between 8 and 11, but when actually pushing the shutter release button they all close down correctly all the way to f16.

After looking a bit closer at the "arm" that pushes on the aperture pin I can see that it can't be pushed as far towards the lens when using the meter key as when triggering the shutter release, and when doing a closer inspection on the two other super TL I've acquired while buying lenses I see that they also have similar issues. Is this a known common issue with these cameras and does anyone know why it happens and how to fix it?

 

[ph]

I have not checked, but the little flap that activates the stopdown pin might not be placed in exactly the same position in the practika as in the pentax

p.

 

[GRHazelton]

I have a Practika LTL bought new many years ago. I discovered that the semi-circular actuator for stopping the lens down didn't move forward quite enough to stop the lens down fully. A little experimentation and some card stock blackened with IIRC, magic marker, and the problem was solved.
The camera, despite heavy use and having been set aside for perhaps 30 years, still seems to work. It needs new cells for the meter, and the lenses need CLAs, but the shutter sounds accurate; low speeds good. A rugged, if somewhat "agricultural" in character camera. Not the refined fit and finish of a Pentax Spotmatic, but okay.

 

[MadlabsRobot]

I have a Practika LTL bought new many years ago. I discovered that the semi-circular actuator for stopping the lens down didn't move forward quite enough to stop the lens down fully. A little experimentation and some card stock blackened with IIRC, magic marker, and the problem was solved.
The camera, despite heavy use and having been set aside for perhaps 30 years, still seems to work. It needs new cells for the meter, and the lenses need CLAs, but the shutter sounds accurate; low speeds good. A rugged, if somewhat "agricultural" in character camera. Not the refined fit and finish of a Pentax Spotmatic, but okay.

Sounds like exactly the same issue. I guess that they didn't leave the factory like that and maybe that many actuations over years led to something in the mechanism deforming.
How did you attach the card stock, just glued it on? I was thinking about trying to build up the actuator with something (seems easier than opening it up and try to alter the mechanism inside) but I'm somewhat worried that it will come off and get stuck in the shutter or some other part of the mechanism.

 

[GRHazelton]

Sounds like exactly the same issue. I guess that they didn't leave the factory like that and maybe that many actuations over years led to something in the mechanism deforming.
How did you attach the card stock, just glued it on? I was thinking about trying to build up the actuator with something (seems easier than opening it up and try to alter the mechanism inside) but I'm somewhat worried that it will come off and get stuck in the shutter or some other part of the mechanism.

The camera was essentially new when I discovered the problem. IIRC I used a contact cement or some such, but that was many years ago.

 

[GRHazelton]

The camera was essentially new when I discovered the problem. IIRC I used a contact cement or some such, but that was many years ago.

A general observation on the Praktica LTL: It has, IMHO, the BEST implementation of stop-down metering, far better than, for example the clumsy slide switch of the Spotmatics prior to the Spotmatic F. The LTL's stop down key is just above the angled shutter release on the front panel, the right index finger actuates either quickly and easily.

 

[MadlabsRobot]

Since I've noticed the same issue on at least two other super tl it might have been designed that way. Different lenses from different manufacturers might have different travel in the aperture pin meaning the body would only be compatible with certain lenses, hence why the pentacon works as intended while other manufacturers don't?
I have an LTL as well and agree on that implementation of the stop-down metering being very comfortable to work with, unfortunately some previous owner seem to have tried to do some surgery on the body and messed something up in the winding lever, and managed to get sand everywhere...

 

[markjwyatt]

I do know that the M42 receptacle differs between cameras also. for instance, I have an M42-DKL adapter, allowing me to put my Schneider-Kreuznach DKL lenses (Retina) on nM42 cameras. With the Prakticas (LTL3, MTL5) and Fujicas (ST605N and ST 705W) the adapter screws on completely, and I get infinity focus. With Spotmatics (and Zeiss Icarex 35S), it does not screw on completely, and not really usable. For Spotmatics at least, there is a wall in the mirror assembly that travels very close to the edge of the threads close to the end of the threads also. Just by feel this is what blocks it. The aperture pin mechanism seems to have full travel with the adapter on (though it is not needed with the adapter).

 

[MadlabsRobot]

I solved the issue for now by placing a small piece of one side of self adhesive velcro on the backside of the actuator. Seems to stick well while being possible to remove without too much force, gives a bit of elasticity to the contact between the actuator and the "arm" that pushes on it from behind but the thickness is perfect after trimming down the strands of the velcro a bit. Now all my lenses work great with the stop down button ;-)

 

[chuck3565]

I finally got around to repairing the Praktica BM. The problem was that the carrier for the leaf switches off of the shutter speed cam had cracked. I glued it using Gorilla super glue and realigned the switch assembly (This adjustment is touchy) and it works as good as new.