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Praktica Appreciation Thread

I assume I'm a lucky bastard because my Prakticas work just fine...few shots I just received with Ektar, those with the VLC3 and the Pancolar:







These are taken with a normal Pentacon and Bx20:







 


BUMP

(To my understanding the B-series uses a similar system to guide the light to the sensor. Am I right?)
 
AgX said:
BUMP

(To my understanding the B-series uses a similar system to guide the light to the sensor. Am I right?)
Click to expand...

Here there is a cutaway of the VLC2:



This is a cutaway of the BX20 that shows its TTL system (alike the one of the Pentax LX):



I can't find a cutaway of the B series but I am sure it's different...so no, the VLC system is unique.
 
That is what you see when looking at our own VLCs.
But not visible is the guiding within the mirror assembly.
 
BX20 seems not so bad. I meant that TTL-OTF implementation.
 
baachitraka said:
BX20 seems not so bad. I meant that TTL-OTF implementation.
Click to expand...

It's a nicely designed camera with a lot of features, a sort of cheap version of the Pentax LX, a pity for the outer shell made of plastic that seems taken from a dashboard of a car of the 80s (good grip, though) and the advance lever very unpleasant to operate as they introduced a more powerful winder so they reinforced the steel geartrain (same sensation as the F-1N on the matter).

P.S. It appears AGX is right, the B has the lightmeter positioned like the VLC at the side of the mirror, while the BX is more conventional:

http://t.hacquard.free.fr/site1/eclates_en.html

In both cases you see underneath the skin they are well designed camera, with decent building quality equal to a 80s amateur pro Japanese camera.
 
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Received the Prakticar 50mm f1.4 First variant with thorium glass..few snapshot to show the qualities of the lens:









 
More Pancolar 50mm f1.4 p0rn:

Little chromed naked lady watches two old guys talking about cars:



50s nostalgia:



Triumph TR2 mirror:



TR8:



Waffles:



Blue, yellow and white:



Same Sprite as before, but different camera, lens and less good composition:



BC3, Prakticar 50mm f1.4, P-C Filter, Gold 200.
 
New Praktica lenses:



The Sonnar 200mm f2.8 doesn't need an intro as it's the scion of the Olympia Sonnar, this one is more mysterious:



Anybody have it?
 
It appears I'm the only active prakticant on the board, however these are some shots taken with the Sonnar.







razor sharp wide open.
 
Is the Praktica Nova IB PL worth buying? Need a m42 replacement since my MTL3 is going to repair's and I found this camera completly new with the meter reacting to light and such.
 
Dinis Figueira said:
Is the Praktica Nova IB PL worth buying? Need a m42 replacement since my MTL3 is going to repair's and I found this camera completly new with the meter reacting to light and such.
Click to expand...

It looks like an old model from the 60s, if you are using as a shooter I would recommend a PLC3 or a VLC3 with working lightmeter.
 
cuthbert said:
It looks like an old model from the 60s, if you are using as a shooter I would recommend a PLC3 or a VLC3 with working lightmeter.
Click to expand...

The VLC I get it. You can have both the waist level finder and a normal viewfinder.
But why the PLC?
 
Dinis Figueira said:
The VLC I get it. You can have both the waist level finder and a normal viewfinder.
But why the PLC?
Click to expand...

Because these were the "expensive" Praktica Ls and they offer open metering with Pentacon and CZJ electric lenses as previously discussed.

I missed few shots with my MTL50 because of the dark viewfinder when I step down for metering.
 
cuthbert said:
Because these were the "expensive" Praktica Ls and they offer open metering with Pentacon and CZJ electric lenses as previously discussed.

I missed few shots with my MTL50 because of the dark viewfinder when I step down for metering.
Click to expand...

Gotta check on them to see if I can get one before the start of the month. If not, gonna buy the NOVA...
 
Couple of things to be aware of with the Nova, the viewfinder is dim and they have a cloth shutter.
 
Sewin said:
Couple of things to be aware of with the Nova, the viewfinder is dim and they have a cloth shutter.
Click to expand...

The one I'm looking at, is almost mint both In cosmectic and mechanic.
The cloth shutter is completly new.

EDIT*: So, I finally understood what you meant by dim. How dark is it compared to a MTL3?
Since my MTL3 was a little dark and the mud/fungus on the viewfinder would make it worse.
 
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I assume Pentacon used this principle at the VLC mirror, to laterally reflect light to the sensor, that Canon later used on the screens of their New F-1:

Canon sketch

 
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The Canon New F1's do use a beam splitter in the focusing screens, but the light metering S.P.C cell isn't in the prism housing it's in the front left hand side of the body because Canon consider it gives more accurate exposures in that position.
 
After using my new Praktica, which was fun, the only thing I mostly got was the idea that I have to get another one. This one has light sealing problems and the winding mechanism is pretty rought.
But still produced some nice photos, since it was my first roll without any kind of light meter.

Any ideas on the next Praktica?

The photos:
https://flic.kr/s/aHskEZ4XPt
 

I like the BC series; the 1, 3 , X etc. The electronics are sturdier than the BX models and the standard 50mm 1.8 lens is very sharp. One major flaw of the BX series is that the movable battery terminal is connected with a thin wire which flexes and falls off or, as the wire strands break, the increased resistance causes eratic operation. The BC series has a more durable flexable ribbon cable attached to the contact.
 
But how can a stranded wire break that is only moved once a year at most?


(Anyway, petite stranded wires break at a soldering point, just were the solder ends and the isolated strands begin. The whole wire has to be long enough, or the isoltion a bit too short to yield sufficient flexibility. It is the isolation that introduces too much stiffness.)
 
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But the BC series use a different lens mount and I prefer to stick to the m42 for now.
 
I prefer rather bright to very bright focus screens. MTL5B's screen is not that bright.

Are there any prakticas which have bright screens?
 
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