Praktica Appreciation Thread

onre · Nov 26, 2015

Thanks for the welcome.

Actually I do have a Helios-44, but it's attached to my Zenit-E and I use it all the time. I've thought of CZJ Tessar and Pancolar. We'll see...

I've put in a silver-oxide battery as recommended by GRHazelton and now the light metering seems to work. Thanks for the idea!

AgX · Dec 10, 2015

Two figures:

In Dresden between 1945 and 1990 about 10 million SLRs were made.

In the record year of the japanese industry 1980 about 7.5 million SLRs were made.

darthj · Dec 31, 2015

The Americans built zillions of Shermans, the Russians even more T-34s. With which German tank production couldn't keep up. But I still prefer to sit in a Tiger on the battlefield.

A last (miniature) camera for 2015. The Original Cosina CX-2, rebadged as Praktica CX-1 and Porst 135.

which comes with its own winder and flash

and then looks like this. The lens becomes visible by rotating the front panel. Very James-bondish.

2016 will bring something "special".

AgX · Dec 31, 2015

I assume the Praktica version was rebranded by Pentacon's west-german importer and had for the rest no link to the GDR.

I rank that camera under "Minox 35 successors". I never came it across in real life, thus am quite surprised by learning about that accessory winder.

cuthbert · Dec 31, 2015

darthj said:
The Americans built zillions of Shermans, the Russians even more T-34s. With which German tank production couldn't keep up. But I still prefer to sit in a Tiger on the battlefield.

OT. would you prefer to sit inside a tank that barely moves (I think the top speed of a Tiger was 6 km/h), gas thirsty, mechanically unreliable?

Most of the Tiger broke down in action, and in any case a smart American or Soviet tank commander would have called CAS...P-47s or Shturmoviks could easily take care of Tigers, Panthers and any other heavy tanks of the time.

The closest thing to a Tiger in the camera world is the Almaz 103, wonderful performance on paper, but completely unreliable.

darthj · Dec 31, 2015

I was only comparing tanks as an example of (Japanese) quantity versus (German) quality. While the Japanese won, flooding the market with their electronics I still prefer my Praktica.

Below, part of the last Praktica to arrive in 2015. No doubt somebody will immediately guess which one.

AgX · Dec 31, 2015

Obviously for the Praktica Power Drive ...

(You could also have ordered an Elgawa flash.)

darthj · Jan 1, 2016

I already have 2 different Elgawa / East-German flashes which connect to the mains instead of using batteries. Nothing special about those and not really Praktica.

Powerdrive ?

onre · Jan 1, 2016

There's also the battery powered inverter that can be used to take the Elgawa flash out with you, the BZG1.

AgX · Jan 1, 2016

That "Power Drive" was a joke.

So far I have come across mains-only on-camera electronic flashes from Japan, GDR and USSR.

darthj · Jan 1, 2016

I'm still trying to find out how exactly this camera works but If you mean a "winder" the "powerdrive" is no joke. Though this camera can run on batteries too.

AgX · Jan 1, 2016

I thought of an imaginary super motor drive that only would run on mains... Heroe of Labour

BMbikerider · Jan 1, 2016

Text deleted posted in error

BMbikerider · Jan 1, 2016

Sewin said:
The Praktica LLC, PLC3 etc use the discontinued V21 PX 4.5 volt batteries, although you can buy replacements from battery companies which are quite expensive at £9 or so a go.

What I did was make a cell holder from the barrel of an old felt tip, a spring and three LR44 cells taped together, cost less than £1. and it works.

I do like simple answer for a problem inflicted upon us by the manufacturers.

cliveh · Jan 1, 2016

I take my hat off to a Praktica appreciation thread that has run to 29 pages, But I'm not one of them.

darthj · Jan 2, 2016

Quote : I take my hat off to a Praktica appreciation thread that has run to 29 pages, But I'm not one of them.

You're not one of the 29 pages ???

Part 2 of the mystery camera : the remote control switch.

Sewin · Jan 2, 2016

Well,

I've no idea darthj we need more clues.

30 pages now

AgX · Jan 2, 2016

I'm clueless too. That remote switch is seemingly from another era than that Euro-plug, what I find puzzling.

That switch looks like intended for a slide projector (forward move and focusing).

Sewin · Jan 2, 2016

I thought it was for a slide projector too :confused: Or a remote for an auto winder, which I don't think it is.

darthj · Jan 2, 2016

This is the Transfo or "Netzteil" in German. I have censored its name/number because you would just google-cheat for it. It should be rather obvious by now that this camera is not very mobile, not to mention rather static. Oh, clue ...

AgX · Jan 2, 2016

Well, now it seems that switch and that plug belong to each other. Which does not make sense, so I guess they don't.

Censoring: I don't even know that remaining logo...

EDIT: I found out about the transformer manufacturer, but am still puzzled.

AgX · Jan 2, 2016

The original mains supply was adjustable from 6-12V. Yours is modified by setting the rheostat at 9V, taking off the knob and drilling out the the other two marks.
But that does not make us wiser either.

AgX · Jan 2, 2016

In the meantime some Pentacon interlude...

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTU5WDU5NA==/z/qxMAAOSwjVVVv8PK/$_57.jpg

AgX · Jan 2, 2016

Your outfit could be this:

http://www.derwesten.de/img/incoming/crop10611084/7023351914-cImg0273_543-w616-h225/76333650.jpg

AgX · Jan 2, 2016

AgX said:
That switch looks like intended for a slide projector (forward move and focusing).

It is indeed.
(Aspectomat J24b)

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