Praktica Appreciation Thread

[chuck3565]

Revue was the brand for photo products sold by west-german mail-order department store Quelle. Yes, during the last year of GDR one manual-only B-model (BMC) was sold under this brand. And vbefore 10 models from non-B series.

Praktica models can fill a whole collectors life...

Foto Quelle also had retail stores. I bought a Revue-Flex camera at one in Amsterdam in the mid 80s.

 

[AgX]

Seemingly the importer or the Ministry of Export never really paid good money for advertizing.
Otherwise they would have got such like this:
http://www.philcameras.be/collection/images/pubs_annees/pub1966/Mamiya-Sekot-TL--pub-1966-us-850.jpg

 

[Theo Sulphate]

The Mamiya TL was the first real "Spotmatic" - its meter was a spot-only meter. The DTL models had spot and averaging.

 

[Alan Johnson]

"Rare" is not a word usually associated with 50mm lenses for Praktica M42 but I think I may have found one.
It appears to be a Domiplan from about the middle of the zebra stripe production run, it is numbered 4243xxx.I think that would make it about mid 70s
But it is marked "Prakticar", well before the use of the name on the "B" series lenses.

 

[AgX]

Görlitz time-machine

 

[mpirie]

"Rare" is not a word usually associated with 50mm lenses for Praktica M42 but I think I may have found one.
It appears to be a Domiplan from about the middle of the zebra stripe production run, it is numbered 4243xxx.I think that would make it about mid 70s
But it is marked "Prakticar", well before the use of the name on the "B" series lenses.
View attachment 212117

Wow, that takes me back about 40 years to when i was the proud owner of a Praktica LTL3 with the 50/2.8 Domiplan.

I look at my camera cupboard now and think how things have changed!!

Mike

 

[removedacct3]

I have a soft spot for the Praktica BX20s. Never had one, never held one ... nevertheless I find it an intriguing camera. Especially with the 35, 50 and 85 Carl Zeiss lenses in Praktica B mount.

 

[AgX]

The L-model that never was :

 

[Helios 1984]

The L-model that never was :

Here's the inside.

 

[Helios 1984]

Here's another one from the same guy.

 

[AgX]

He simplified things by making the winder integral part of the camera. Its base now lacks a tripod mount. Using the original body-mount necessitates a custom made stud with milled top.



At about 5 million L-models sold, there should have been a market for Pentacon to sell at least some winders profitable. Hindsight argueing...

 

[Agulliver]

I have a soft spot for the Praktica BX20s. Never had one, never held one ... nevertheless I find it an intriguing camera. Especially with the 35, 50 and 85 Carl Zeiss lenses in Praktica B mount.

I am lucky enough to have two BX20S bodies. I got some admiring and inquisitive looks on Monday evening when I was taking photos with one at London Winter Wonderland...using the CZJ Flektogon 20mm f2.8

There are some fine lenses in the Praktica B mount. And I am eyeing up an adapter ring which allows them to be used on NIkon bodies too.

 

[AgX]

At about 5 million L-models sold, there should have been a market for Pentacon to sell at least some winders profitable. Hindsight argueing...

Any idea why there never was?
Was there really no market? Did one expect people buying an economical camera not to spent money on such accessory?
When it became obvious in the mid 70s that at least at some higher priced cameras there was a market for a winder, the L series was long time designed and manufactured. Maybe there was lacking thrive to redesign for a winder coupling, though other design changes were implemented well, as with the VLC.

For the Canon A-series, manufactured in similar numbers there were even several winders made by other manufacturers.

 

[AgX]

Just found it, should wait until October 7th, but likely will have forgotten by then...

 

[vlasta]

^--- My first camera, but with zebra Pancolar

Regarding winders - perhaps conservative manufacturing politics.

 

[darthj]

The Pentacon Super. A few years ago I offered myself one for my birthday. I don't want to remember how much it cost.

 

[AgX]

I guess you did not start saving on the motordrive and bulk-back...

By the way, the Pentacon Super is anything but a Praktica.

 

[AgX]

In this thread
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...lem-with-one-piece.164434/page-2#post-2145570
we discuss the

Information transfer from lens to body for TTL-open.aperture metering


There are two ways: with one or two indicators.

The Electric Mount of the Praktica L-series applies a 3-poles coupling what to my understanding equivalates a 2-indicator design.
However for the features of the Electric-Mount cameras a 1-indicator thus 2-poles would be sufficient.

Thus why 3 poles? What am I overlooking?

 

[PGraham3]

I recently landed a super-clean barely-used non-metered Praktica VF. It was a camera that I was keen on finding in good shape and shooting for a few years. And apparently only about 8700 were prouced, which is pretty cool. Now in the process of getting a good lens for it. Pretty cool camera and excited to try it out.
Anyone else have one of these and can share the serial number?
My VF serial number: 805667
I’m curious to ascertain how the serial numbers are sequenced for the VF. Thanks!
-Paul

 

[Johnhartmac]

I've a soft spot for these cameras and own and use a few.

The history is interesting, I find the ergonomics good and they can and do produce good results.

I know feelings are very split on the Praktica range.

And don't forget the predecessors and offsprings like the very good Jenaflex.

Also Revue, Porst etc.

How about posting your results from your Praktica, good and bad experiences,stories etc.

Good cameras, bad cameras, experiences with lenses etc.

Hints and tips would also be good.

It's OK Praktica owners, the skeleton can now come out of the cupboard.

Well, I love these cameras. Beautiful to look at. I bought a mil 5
For pound! The lens was faulty, but I had a spare. It's in very good condition, and takes great pics.

 

[AgX]

Did we ever had it about about this camera?
A modified 1st generation L-type with Exakta mount.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Did we ever had it about about this camera?
A modified 1st generation L-type with Exakta mount.

View attachment 216861

Also known as Pratkica VLC.

 

[AgX]

It indeed evolved into the VLC, but in its Exakta-mount version it got in addition a release next to the mount. Both got exchangable finders, though the Exakta-mount versionn got a TTL-finder, whereas the VLC got the TTL-feature already located within the mirrorbox.

Was the VLC the first camera with such feature?

 

[Deleted member 88956]

It indeed evolved into the VLC, but in its Exakta-mount version it got in addition a release next to the mount. Both got exchangable finders, though the Exakta-mount versionn got a TTL-finder, whereas the VLC got the TTL-feature already located within the mirrorbox.

Was the VLC the first camera with such feature?

VLC also has release next to mount, just like all Prakticas. Finders are interchangeable. I'm not sure Exakta ivolved into anything, rather produced side by side with Praktica, clearly at same plant, with minor differences to differentiate.

 

[AgX]

But the Exakta-mount model had two releases at the front, one next to the mount, to enable automatic-diaphragm operation with such lenses that got an add-on release at their barrel, via that to operate the body release.