Praktica Appreciation Thread
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What was the idea behind substituting the winding lever by a knob?
Even with imagining the camera horizontal on a tripod I can't see the benefit. Or is it more comfortable to turn a knob instead when the camera is at waist-level? I guess I have to give it a try.
Even with imagining the camera horizontal on a tripod I can't see the benefit. Or is it more comfortable to turn a knob instead when the camera is at waist-level? I guess I have to give it a try.
Not sure,
Perhaps our police were clumsy
It might have been a modification to save pressing the rewind button on the base as the camera would have been mounted on a tripod.
The other thing, if you look at Mikes Praktica collection pages it doesn't look as if the viewfinder has been modified like other half frame cameras.
So the camera may have been used in portrait mode?
Perhaps our police were clumsy
It might have been a modification to save pressing the rewind button on the base as the camera would have been mounted on a tripod.
The other thing, if you look at Mikes Praktica collection pages it doesn't look as if the viewfinder has been modified like other half frame cameras.
So the camera may have been used in portrait mode?
Praktica L2 Half frame.
These show up sometimes, but are pricey on ebay. Modified L2 for UK Police half frame / mugshot camera.
Exposure fixed at 1/125 for flash.
Strange, that out of all cameras available the UK police picked Praktica.
Combine "limited budget" with "cooperative company". That's how the Saint ended up with a Volvo P1800.
Other westen police agencies did the same. And GDR Stasi bought Robot cameras.
My first proper camera was a Praktica MTL 5B I bought back in 1990. Cost me £50 and worked like a dream. Ended up giving it to my best mate who got years of service from it too.
In recent years I've amassed a few dozen working cameras to shoot and blog about, and bought an MTL 50 that was a steal at £25. Worked like a dream for a few years - needed a minor repair to the ISO/film speed dial but is otherwise in full working order. A great camera to shoot with.
I reviewed it for my blog if anyone fancies checking it out...
Dead Link Removed
Cheers
S
In recent years I've amassed a few dozen working cameras to shoot and blog about, and bought an MTL 50 that was a steal at £25. Worked like a dream for a few years - needed a minor repair to the ISO/film speed dial but is otherwise in full working order. A great camera to shoot with.
I reviewed it for my blog if anyone fancies checking it out...
Dead Link Removed
Cheers
S
I have a Praktica FX2 and I like it, sounds well, it is big and seems solid, have an interesting waist level viewfinder.
Hi,
The MTL50 is a good camera, nice and solid, but it's the one Praktica (up to now
)that I never really got on with.No problems with the mechanics or ergonomics, I just prefer a match needle instead of the LEDs.
Guess I'm just old fashioned, the best of the mechanical Prakticas I'd say would be the L2, but as I've said previously I'm currently enjoyng my B series cameras. They do have LED's but to indicate shutter speed.
Prakticas in a new tv feature (in German)
(One mistake though. They state that in the 70s the last major west-german camera manufacturer closed.
Actually the last major one to close was Agfa in the 80s (though with a portfolio a bit different from that of Pentacon).)
(One mistake though. They state that in the 70s the last major west-german camera manufacturer closed.
Actually the last major one to close was Agfa in the 80s (though with a portfolio a bit different from that of Pentacon).)
A digital camera on an analog camera forum, what a sacrilege. Yet we must appreciate every Praktica, even if they are digital and/or made in China. As they are probably the last Praktica's we'll ever see, now (2015) that Pentacon has closed down its camera department.
I choose this particular model (Luxmedia 18-Z36C) for its full 1080hd filming capacity. Oddly enough but somehow it still feels like a Praktica.
I choose this particular model (Luxmedia 18-Z36C) for its full 1080hd filming capacity. Oddly enough but somehow it still feels like a Praktica.
Attachments
I am continuously amazed with the performance of my BMS with the 50/1.8 .
https://goo.gl/photos/4CDwVLjejueyHARR6
https://goo.gl/photos/4CDwVLjejueyHARR6
The GDR microchip production:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBtwwupx8Hs
(Interesting are the many very young technicians and engineers depicted here. A phychologist was part of the staff to sort out personal stress hampering faultless production)
GDR microchip industry was likely the most modern and best financed industry at the end of the GDR. A fortune was spent in trying to produce massmarket storage- and processor-chips against further advanced world-market competitors, instead of product-propriatary small batch chips, as for instance for the camera industry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBtwwupx8Hs
(Interesting are the many very young technicians and engineers depicted here. A phychologist was part of the staff to sort out personal stress hampering faultless production)
GDR microchip industry was likely the most modern and best financed industry at the end of the GDR. A fortune was spent in trying to produce massmarket storage- and processor-chips against further advanced world-market competitors, instead of product-propriatary small batch chips, as for instance for the camera industry.
The originally market the GDR aimed for was the USSR. The ban on sales to the COMECON states originated in the USA.
The USSR market collapsed before the GDR did so themselves.
A few of the problems GDR economy had to face.
In contrast to the camera- and film-industry the GDR microelectronics industry however survived.
Typically not with the old manufacturers but with western companies investing there.
The USSR market collapsed before the GDR did so themselves.
A few of the problems GDR economy had to face.
In contrast to the camera- and film-industry the GDR microelectronics industry however survived.
Typically not with the old manufacturers but with western companies investing there.
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Bought a very nice Praktica LTL last summer, basically near mint condition. It came with a Vivitar 28 mm f/2,8, which I've found rather useful. The LTL feels very solid and I use it as my "better" M42 body - better, as in "the one that has more than five shutter speeds". I've thought of getting a substitute for the battery to get the light meter to work. I like the ergonomics a lot and to my eye the body has a certain "professional" look.
I need a proper DDR normal lens for it, though.
I need a proper DDR normal lens for it, though.
LTL uses a bridge circuit, I think.
While the LTL uses a mercury cell, I believe it uses a bridge circuit for the meter. Since centering the needle on the circle sets the exposure this, IIRC, indicates that the CdS cell and the meter needle indicate a balance in the resistance of the CdS cell and the meter movement, so the absolute voltage of the battery is not very important. Try a silver-oxide of the proper size, and do watch polarity!
While the LTL uses a mercury cell, I believe it uses a bridge circuit for the meter. Since centering the needle on the circle sets the exposure this, IIRC, indicates that the CdS cell and the meter needle indicate a balance in the resistance of the CdS cell and the meter movement, so the absolute voltage of the battery is not very important. Try a silver-oxide of the proper size, and do watch polarity!
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