Praktica Appreciation Thread

[Huss]

Interesting, but I do not get what that SLR-ikon (to name it this way) is hinting at at all at that billboard.
(Slow on the uptake again...)

Reading the sign "Visitor savings, our gift to out of town guests.."

So - tourists! And tourists take pics. And cool tourists take pics with film cameras. So ad uses film camera as it makes it cool! Not sure why they thought a Praktica is cool though...

 

[markjwyatt]

...Not sure why they thought a Praktica is cool though...

Maybe they are smart?

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Well, maybe they think it's cool because it doesn't look like a cell phone.

 

[markjwyatt]

Well, maybe they think it's cool because it doesn't look like a cell phone.

Hey! I have a great idea for a cell phone- make it look like a camera. Every hipster will want one (and it takes digital pictures to boot)!

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Maybe they are smart?

How many actually have a clue this is a photo of a Praktica, name plate is wiped off.

 

[markjwyatt]

How many actually have a clue this is a photo of a Praktica, name plate is wiped off.

Tongue in cheek, but I meant the advertisers (the ones who wiped the name plate).

 

[Sewin]

That we have 26 Photrio pages discussing the Praktica shows that the camera indeed has respect.

 

[pentaxpete]

I have now done Video about my 3 lens MTL5 outfit and show 'tips' on controls, correct way to use the delayed action and film loading -- you can see it here :




I also have a Video on my OTHER Prakticas -- you may be interested to see :

 

[Huss]

Maybe they are smart?

No, seriously, why could it be?

 

[AgX]

It runs on 4.5V. Do not expect it to run 1.5V

The original battery was Type PX21. Thus there is a easy to obtain 3V alternative. Or you DIY-stack 1.5V cells.


(Size 21 is so rare over here that in my battery collection I so far just got 1 sample.)

 

[GRHazelton]

I've read on flickr and a couple of other sites that due to the camera having a Whetston Bridge circuit, one can use a standard AA battery instead of the original cell. I'm going to take a look at a VLC3 tommorrow and l'd like to test the meter to see if it works at all.

Ummm....Not quite. The Praktica LTL, and to the best of my knowledge other cameras using a needle to be aligned with a central target, like the Pentax Spotmatic F, use a bridge circuit, which is relatively immune to REASONABLE voltage differences. Thus the original mercury cell of the LTL and many others, with a voltage of 1.37 volts can be replaced by a silver oxide cell at 1.5 volts with no effect on accuracy. The bridge circuit indicates by centering the needle equal voltages in each half of the circuit, one half set via the ASA or ISO setting,and the meter cell, the other half by either or both the aperture or shutter setting. I think that to check whether a camera uses a bridge circuit just remove the cell. If the needle then rests on the "target" it is then a bridge circuit. When the needle is centered there is no voltage difference between each half of the bridge. So if there is no cell present there cannot be any voltage. I suspect that there are limits to the voltage the circuitry can utilize.
Here is a wiki about the Wheatstone bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatstone_bridge I imagine that the circuitry in the LTL is derived from this.

 

[chuck3565]

Yes, l've found a suitable replacement cell for my LTL3 (a PX625) and it works just fine. This ''trick'' with the AA battery seemed too good to be true to me, but then again l did read about that on a couple of different forums.
Be that as it may, the only important thing to me would be that the meter reacts at all, which would mean that it is alive, and would possibly be accurate once l place an adequate battery inside.

It will react with an AA cell but it won't work properly.

 

[AgX]

As indicated above, DIY-mount either a Lithium CR123 cell or 3 alkaline button-cells.

 

[Sewin]

This is what I did for an LLC. (See early post 5 for picture)

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.

 

[AgX]

(Size 21 is so rare over here that in my battery collection I so far just got 1 sample.)

I got no idea where I got that sample from, but with the number of early metering L-family samples around, one should expect that battery to show up often in in the West of Germany. Strange.

 

[Wes/HikePics]

My father was a camera salesman and worked for GAF in the late 60s and early 70s. He was around all the big name brands. A German customer started coming to the store who shot Exakta and Praktica. My father became good friends with him and soon bought a Praktica TL 2 body with Domiplan 50mm. He was fascinated by the simple design, rugged build and super easy screw mount. He picked up a few other lenses and gear along the way, and talked a few folks into the brand as well, claiming "big brands are for big money people". He always wanted a PLC 2 but never got one.

When I was getting into photography, of course I would listen and hang on to every word my father said. After crawling over the ads in the back pages of a Popular Photography I purchased my first SLR, a Praktica Super TL 1000 with 50mm. I shot it through the end of high school, college and after. I even held a position as head staff photographer for a local auto enthusiast magazine with it. A few years later I bought a Minolta X-700 and traded the Praktica gear to KEH for a lens. HOWEVER... I still have my dad's TL2 and Domiplan in very good condition with his original Coastar bag. And I am soon getting another Super TL 1000 body. Those were incredible days back then!

 

[Agulliver]

On Wednesday I did the London Parkland Walk from Finsbury Park to Highgate armed with two Praktica BX20S bodies....one loaded with Fomapan 100 and the other with Kodak Color Plus film. Had a lovely time and came across two teenagers shooting on a Nikon film camera. To me, the BX20S is the perfect film camera. Fits in my hands comfortably, has loads of available lenses from Prakticar (usually CZJ made), CZJ and Sigma as well as Tamron Adaptall lenses.

 

[AgX]

I have an opportunity to get either of two Pentacon 200/4 lenses, one of which is the preset version with 15 aperture blades, and the other one is the newer electric version with 6 blades. Which one should l buy? The electric one has an advantage in a sense that l can meter with it wide open, unlike the preset. Does the preset version have any advantages image quality-wise over the electric, since the consensus on various forums is that the preset version is the way to go? The price difference is about $10, electric being the cheaper one ($30).

To my understanding the optics are the same (Meyer Orestegor).
The electric version is more versatile as it yields open-aperture TTL-metering, automatic diaphragm as well as stop-down, the preset version might have nicer bokeh.

 

[M-88]

super easy screw mount

I find this statement disturbing.

There are tons of reasons for which screw mounts are obsolete.

 

[Helios 1984]

There are tons of reasons for which screw mounts are obsolete.

Here my counter-argument.

 

[AgX]

To my understanding the optics are the same (Meyer Orestegor).

But I cannot exclude a re-design over time at Meyer. For instance at Zeiss Jena designs were re-done for versions with the B-mount.

 

[Wes/HikePics]

I find this statement disturbing.

What we found "disturbing" was that the Nikon/Canon/Olympus/Pentax versions of the same lens was between 20% to 50% MORE than the screw mount version! I shot hundreds of B&W rolls for publication and my 50mm Pentacon was beautifully tack sharp with nice contrast.

 

[Agulliver]

I never had any problems with M42 screw mount lenses but I do prefer bayonet/breach mounts.

What are the supposed problems with screw mounts? Does the thread get damaged over time?

 

[AgX]

What we found "disturbing" was that the Nikon/Canon/Olympus/Pentax versions of the same lens was between 20% to 50% MORE than the screw mount version! I shot hundreds of B&W rolls for publication and my 50mm Pentacon was beautifully tack sharp with nice contrast.

First time I read that Pentacon produced a lens in Nikon/Canon/Olympus/Pentax versions .

 

[GRHazelton]

I never had any problems with M42 screw mount lenses but I do prefer bayonet/breach mounts.

What are the supposed problems with screw mounts? Does the thread get damaged over time?

The only problem I ever had wth the M42 mounts on my LTL or my Spotmatic F was the time involved in changing lenses! I've read that screw mounts are virtually immune to wear, since the register distance is established by the seating of the lens to the body, unlike bayonet mounts, in which the sliding friction on the lugs could, over time (a LONG time) cause "slop."