Praktica Appreciation Thread

[Agulliver]

Yeah I hear you with regard to time...I also own a MTL5 and the time involved in changing lenses is certainly more than with the PB mount or other similar bayonets.

Must dust off the MLT5 at some point

 

[AgX]

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."

With the exception og the Canon FD mount.

And the issue with most other bayonet mounts is not even abrasion, but the springs.

 

[Wes/HikePics]

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

Nope. Didn't say it did.

I was referring to all the other 3rd-party lenses back in those days.

But.....hmmm.....it might be fun to put my dad's old Domiplan on my E-PM1.

 

[AgX]

]BX20S] fits in my hands comfortably, has loads of available lenses from Prakticar (usually CZJ made), CZJ and Sigma as well as Tamron Adaptall lenses.

To avoid misunderstanding, "Practicar" was no manufacturer, but just a brand which Pentacon made up to designate all lenses they offered with the Pentacon-B mount, whether they were made by Meyer, Zeiss, IOR or a japanese manufacturer. At least one of the lenses actually made by Zeiss was just branded Practicar, the others Practicar Zeiss Jena.

Anyway, the B-mount cameras yield the chance to use Zeiss Jena lenses of more modern design than offered for the Praktica/M42 mount.

 

[M-88]

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.

It's not the glass that is problematic. It's time needed to change the lens and clunkiness of aperture stop-down mechanism. There's a reason why screw mount was replaced with bayo just like there's a reason why SLR surpassed rangefinders, except for certain brands which are defining social status much like Rolex in wrist watches.

Durability of M42 is academic in my opinion since any camera can die sooner than a bayonet wears out.

 

[AgX]

It's not the glass that is problematic. It's time needed to change the lens and clunkiness of aperture stop-down mechanism.

I agree on the changing time. But what clunkiness?
Such would only apply on the non true-automatic diaphragm lenses. For instance the all-manual preset early Helios lenses, the springloaded preset Meyer lenses or, more applicable, the Isco release-button connected diaphragm.

 

[M-88]

I agree on the changing time. But what clunkiness?
Such would only apply on the non true-automatic diaphragm lenses. For instance the all-manual preset early Helios lenses, the springloaded preset Meyer lenses or, more applicable, the Isco release-button connected diaphragm.

I mean automatic diaphragms which although have a small pin on the lens, still require a fairly large push-plate in camera body. Or at least that's what I've seen in Zenits and Spotmatics. Not sure how it is with Practika.

All manual apertures which need to be stopped down by hand are of course not related to this topic, being an inconvenience of their own.

 

[AgX]

The push plates typically are that large, or better, wide. Only smaller one I know is at the Pentacon F. The wider the plate, the more tolerance on deviation of the mount threads from the standard start position, resp. deviation of the pin location to that position.
But all these plates are inside the mirrorbox anyway, why bother?

 

[AgX]

To avoid misunderstanding, "Practicar" was no manufacturer, but just a brand which Pentacon made up to designate all lenses they offered with the Pentacon-B mount, whether they were made by Meyer, Zeiss, IOR or a japanese manufacturer. At least one of the lenses actually made by Zeiss was just branded Practicar, the others Practicar Zeiss Jena.

To make it even more complicated, some of those Practicar Zeiss Jena branded lenses were actually designed and made by Meyer.
(The Zeiss Jena combine took over the whole Pentacon combine and by that Meyer too.)

 

[M-88]

The push plates typically are that large, or better, wide. Only smaller one I know is at the Pentacon F. The wider the plate, the more tolerance on deviation of the mount threads from the standard start position, resp. deviation of the pin location to that position.
But all these plates are inside the mirrorbox anyway, why bother?

It doesn't feel terribly precise and requires more force to be applied on the pin, since it's distributed along the plate. gives me the impression of of lots of things going on inside the camera with all that slap.

 

[AgX]

It does not need to be precise.
In contrast to actuators as for max. aperture, preset aperture, shutter-priority aperture control.

And to circumvent the latter, Pentacon was the first to indroduce an electric mount.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

It doesn't feel terribly precise and requires more force to be applied on the pin, since it's distributed along the plate. gives me the impression of of lots of things going on inside the camera with all that slap.

Not sure what you mean. Te set up is pretty much the same on all makes of screw mount lenses, none feel imprecise to me, nor is there any slack in operation or reliability. Forces? If there is nothing wrong with body or lens, these elements move with miniscule force.

 

[M-88]

Not sure what you mean. Te set up is pretty much the same on all makes of screw mount lenses, none feel imprecise to me, nor is there any slack in operation or reliability. Forces? If there is nothing wrong with body or lens, these elements move with miniscule force.

You should probably try Zenit camera then, to feel the difference anyway, it all feels different than bayonets to me.

 

[GRHazelton]

Not sure what you mean. Te set up is pretty much the same on all makes of screw mount lenses, none feel imprecise to me, nor is there any slack in operation or reliability. Forces? If there is nothing wrong with body or lens, these elements move with miniscule force.

When I got my Praktica LTL I discovered that the meter key wouldn't stop the lens all the way down. I adhered a little card stock, colored black, to the stop down plate. Problem solved. While full aperture metering is nicer than stop down, the LTL has certainly the most convenient of all. Right index finger to meter and shoot, just a tiny movement from the meter key to the shutter. Excellent ergonomics, much better that the Pentax Spotmatics, with the exception of the Spotmatic L.

 

[AgX]

Not sure what you mean. Te set up is pretty much the same on all makes of screw mount lenses, none feel imprecise to me, nor is there any slack in operation or reliability.

With one model there even is a adjust mechanism for the position of that plate in frontal direction, even to be set without tool. I wondered on the idea behind it. I'm not sure which model that was, likely samples from the Praktica Nova series.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

You should probably try Zenit camera then, to feel the difference anyway, it all feels different than bayonets to me.

Perhaps, I've only shot pre-select Helios on Zenit.

 

[ant!]

Not sure if this was posted already in the thread, here's a documentary about Pentacon, the maker of the Praktika (German only though, but of course you could switch on the auto-generated subtitles):

 

[cuthbert]

Oh...the good old Praktica forum.

Many good memories.

 

[Sewin]

Oh...the good old Praktica forum.

Many good memories. View attachment 224449

Hi cuthbert,still around then. Yes, it's still running.

 

[Wes/HikePics]

I just picked up a Super TL1000 with 50mm Domiplan, OEM fitted case, and some sort of Hanimex kit that includes a 135/2.8, 2x converter, X140 flash and a set of close-up filters. The flash has corrosion and the 135mm has some fungus spots on the back elements. I have seen some fairly sharp images from the 135mm, although when I pulled the built-in lens hood out the ENTIRE inside of the lens came out!! I had also gotten an Alpex 135/2.8 earlier.

The camera body and 50mm are in great condition. There isn't any discoloration on the top plate, the seals still look good and the hot shoe isn't all wobbly loose. Clean glass and smooth focus on the 50mm. It is going to be a delight to shoot the very first SLR I owned back in the day.

In case no one has seen this here is a link to a nice M42 lens database: https://www.kentfaith.com/mount_28

 

[AgX]

There isn't any discoloration on the top plate.

All L-models have chromed plastic top covers. They will not discolour. Maybe you refer to possible corrosion, were the copper underlayer will produce coppersalts, visable as dots of green salts.

 

[Sewin]

Hi AgX The basic L is available in all black.

 

[AgX]

You are right, even several L-models. They even show up with photos in listings. However I never ever came them across, unless rebranded. Thus seemingly I completely expelled them from my memory...

Likely the black versions are just varnished. The Canon A models in black (originally Praktica copies with their chrome finish) were still copper galvanized under the varnish to protect their digital processor against electrical fields.

 

[Sewin]

The odd L pops up over here in black on fleabay, I'm on the lookout for a good one.

 

[Wes/HikePics]

All L-models have chromed plastic top covers. They will not discolour. Maybe you refer to possible corrosion, were the copper underlayer will produce coppersalts, visable as dots of green salts.

OK, that makes sense. Thanks for the information.