I've received today a Praktica Super TL1000. The camera is super cleaned, the light meter seems to be working and overrall was pretty fine. Shot at all speeds and everything was ok. Then I shot sideways at 1000th and a problem rose up. The clip that holds the mirror broke, making the mirror standing up and causing partial viewfinder blockage and everything out of focus.
I have a MTL3 that is the same structure and uses the same mirror.
Since the series are extent, didn't knew there was a repair manual for them.
It must be the one at this post - (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
In 1990 a reader of Popular Photography complaints that cameras not or only rarely advertized on are virtually inexistent in the editorial part. Although they are offered to their readers in the listings of dealers showing up in that magazine, and amongst others he hints at Prakticas and Exaktas.
Here is the answer by that magazine:
As another reader complaints about this statement and refers to the qualities of his Prakticas, the magazine replies:
Regarding the editorials on Popular Photography, I, for one, would be very happy if I could still buy an all-mechanical film SLR with reliable light meter, even if it didn't rival any of the plasticky stuff produced by the Japanese during last decades. Every time someone goes all out on extolling the virtues of a Canon AE-1, for example, I just have to wonder if said person has ever opened one up and seen what it's made of.