Praktica Appreciation Thread

MattKing · Apr 5, 2022

AgX said:
Is this the explanation why Prakticas were amongst the most produced SLR's worldwide?

I truly think there must have been production that was intended for low cost export, because I've come to learn that our experience with Praktica wasn't the same as the experience in other parts of the world.

AgX · Apr 5, 2022

Do you mean "two quality standards" at manufacturing?

MattKing · Apr 5, 2022

AgX said:
Do you mean "two quality standards" at manufacturing?

Different quality standards for different models, when the cameras designed for export actually differ from the models destined for different markets.

AgX · Apr 5, 2022

All Praktica models were desinged for the export.
How could those millons of SLR's be sold at the local market? German camera industry from the start was export orientated.

benjiboy · Apr 5, 2022

AgX said:
Is this the explanation why Prakticas were amongst the most produced SLR's worldwide.
Popularity is no recommendation.

AgX · Apr 5, 2022

You did not get my point... As you referred to more cameras being returned than being sold, this might have added somehow to production volume... A lame joke of mine.

And on some markets the Prakticas had hardly competition. Those mostly weird designed west-german SLR's? And japanese SLR's long time did not appear on some markets.

benjiboy · Apr 5, 2022

AgX said:
You did not get my point... As you referred to more cameras being returned than being sold, this might have added somehow to production volume... A lame joke of mine.

And on some markets the Prakticas had hardly competition. Those mostly weird designed west-german SLR's? And japanese SLR's long time did not appear on some markets.

The remark about getting more cameras than we sold was also a joke between my staff and I because dishonest customers used to bring faulty cameras back claiming they had bought them from us when they belonged to their friends and family.

GRHazelton · Apr 5, 2022

I have a Praktica LTL, which I haven't used in MANY years - perhaps thirty! -, since I went to Pentax and the mighty LX. I unearthed it recently and the shutter sounded correct, at least to the ear. The slow speeds sounded good. My 50mm f1.8 "kit" lens needs a CLA, since the auto diaphragm is sticky. That lens, BTW, is quite sharp, easily capable of 11 x 14 enlargements, and focusing down to about18 inches is really nice! What other SLRs can do this, and why not?
I haven't tried the meter, but I imagine its fine. This is a camera heavily used, bounced off the sidewalk at least once! It has, IMHO, the best implementation of stop-down metering in a 42mm SLR that there is, excluding the Spotmatic F which is of course full aperture metering.
While the LTL is not the best in fit and finish, and the viewfinder could be brighter, for a rugged workhorse camera, capable of taking abuse and continuing to work, and work well, it is a winner.

AgX · Apr 5, 2022

GRHazelton said:
My 50mm f1.8 "kit" lens ...and focusing down to about18 inches is really nice! What other SLRs can do this, and why not?

That extreme extension is found at most CZJ and Meyer standard lenses from the Pentacon era. And unique.
I can only assume why other lens manufacturers did not offer such: they may thought such too much for the image quality. But then they offered for their lenses extension rings etc. ...
Maybe barrel length was another issue to reject such extension.

GRHazelton · Apr 5, 2022

AgX said:
That extreme extension is found at most CZJ and Meyer standard lenses from the Pentacon era. And unique.
I can only assume why other lens manufacturers did not offer such: they may thought such too much for the image quality. But then they offered for their lenses extension rings etc. ...
Maybe barrel length was another issue to reject such extension.

Point taken. But it was so nice to be able to shoot reasonable close up shots without a lot of prep and lugging extra gear. And since of my close up shots were flowers, etc., where curvature of field made little difference if such had occured, it was of no concern to me. Shooting stamps, etc., would have been a differemt matter. I did have a set of tubes, and used them with a tripod for really close work. I still have the tubes and they work just fine on my Spotmatic F....without open aperture metering, of course.

AgX · Apr 6, 2022

Exactly and this is why I typically hint at this feature when speaking of these lenses. Compared to the Canon FD 1.8 lens these german lenses yield a factor-2 gain on scale!

In general I find min. focusing distance overlooked in lens reviews.

miha · Apr 6, 2022

GRHazelton said:
focusing down to about18 inches is really nice! .

That would be 14 inches, correct? Since down to 18 inches most 50mm lenses can do.

AgX · Apr 6, 2022

Many lenses only could be focussed down to 60cm.

Those GDR lenses could be focussed down to 33cm.

miha · Apr 6, 2022

Most go down to 45 cm (=18 inch), not merely 60 cm.

AgX · Apr 6, 2022

Then you got lenses very different from mine.
I look at the average what was available in those days, and not a few high-end 1.4 lenses. And at this average standard lenses 60cm is the norm. And as said even one most poular Canon 1.8 double Gauss only went to 60cm.

miha · Apr 6, 2022

This is correct. I'm deducting only from the lenses I have (or had), therefore Nikkor AI 50 mm f/1,8 - down to 45 cm, Canon FD 50 mm f/1.4 - down to 45 cm, Leica R 50 mm f/2.0 down to 50 mm, however the focusing ring goes past the mark. Minolta AF 50mm f/1,7 down to 45 cm, Yashinon 50 mm f/1,4 down to only 60 cm.

AgX · Apr 6, 2022

We should not overlook that in those days SRL's still had standard lenses from Germany and Asia, that were of the Tessar, even Cooke type.
I got an Asian Tessar-type lens with even just front element focusing! It goes down to 90cm.

The most produced dubble-Gauss lens, the Helios, started with 55cm, and it its last version had 50cm.

miha · Apr 6, 2022

The Helios (also Biotar) has focal length of 58 mm which also impairs minimum focus distance.

AgX · Apr 6, 2022

You got your optics wrong. The shorter the focusing distance, the longer the lens extension. Beyond the focal length.

miha · Apr 6, 2022

I'm not sure I follow. In general, the longer the focal length (of a non-macro dedicated lens), the longer the minimum focal distance. And vice versa.

e.g. a standard 50 mm lens focuses down to 45 cm, a 200 mm lens down to 150 cm (I'm generalising of course).

AgX · Apr 6, 2022

I stand corrected. Now I see what you mean. But it is rather a matter of scale.
However the focal length, though together with the usable angle of view or coverage, basically sets the image scale.

But as lenses can be designed for different image scales at same focal length, what you say is an approximation.

(The early Symmars (their name already indicates this) were even marketed as universal lenses. For use at infinity or small scale at noon and for macro work at the studio at the evening.)

miha · Apr 6, 2022

AgX said:
(The early Symmars (their name already indicates this) were even marketed as universal lenses. For use at infinity or small scale at noon and for macro work at the studio at the evening.)

This is an interesting piece of data. Even today's APO Symmar LF lenses (well, sadly discontinued) were promoted as universal lenses that can do everything well. Here is the link, orginal one doen't exist any more: https://www.arca-swiss-magasin.com/contents/fr/large_format_apo_symmar-l.pdf (sorry for drifting away from the original theme)

sp1r1t · Jun 16, 2022

Hi! I just bought a Praktica BC1 and I love this camera, but unfortunately the shutter selector is not working. If I change the shutter speed I see that the indicator leds showing the correct value, but the shutter always shots at the same speed (maybe 1/1000?). Any idea how I can fix it?

AgX · Jun 17, 2022

The B-series is a bit complex; there are models with shutters that are controlled pure-mechanically, pure-electronically or that are controlled both ways.

Your model is controlled both ways. This means setting a shutter time will actuate the shutter-curtain delay by means of a clockworks. So there is a chance for repair...

chuck3565 · Jun 22, 2022

Here are the disassembly instructions. http://www.rileyelf.free-online.co.uk/Praktica/ I have a BM with the same problem. I need a cataract operation so my repair won't be attempted until next year. My guess is a timing resistor or capacitor has opened. Six months ago, the camera didn't work properly until the battery had been in the camera for 15 minutes; now it has totally failed.

Praktica Appreciation Thread

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