A Parade of Prakticas

[John Farrell]

Praktica cameras originated in the Praktiflex line, announced in 1939 by Kamera-Werkstätten AG (KW) who were based in Niedersedlitz, near Dresden. These were single lens reflex cameras, with waist level viewfinders, a mirror which was lifted by pressure on the release button and returned when the pressure was relaxed, and a cloth focal plane shutter. The lens had an M40 screw mount, with a shorter flange to film distance than the later M42 mount.
The cameras were manufactured during the early war years, and were reportedly popular.

When the Soviets took over Eastern Germany, they required war reparations, and this included cameras. Niedersedlitz had not been bombed, and the Praktiflex was put back in production. The camera below is from 1946.

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The occupation authorities were not happy with the number of Praktiflexes being produced, or with the unreliability of the cameras, so they drafted in Zeiss Icon engineer, Siegfried Böhm, to make improvements. He modified the mirror drive, so it would only return when the camera was wound, and shifted the release button to the front of the camera. The camera below incorporates these modifications, and is from around 1947. Most of these cameras had the M40 lens mount, but some later units were M42.

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In 1949, Böhm introduced a new model, with a wider range of shutter speeds, a neater waist level finder, M42 lens mount, and eventually flash synchronisation. This was the first model Praktica. Later variants were called Praktica FX. The one below is from 1952.

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[John Farrell]

In 1956 a new Praktica model came along - it was called the FX2. This had a modified, simple to erect waist level viewfinder. An accessory prism was available, which fitted in the viewfinder and allowed eye level viewing. Many FX2s had an internal linkage, to stop down automatic diaphragm lenses. An export model was also produced - the FX3.
The FX3 below is fitted with the eye level prism.

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[John Farrell]

The company producing Prakticas was turned into a VEB (state owned enterprise) in 1953. In 1959, a number of camera producing businesses, including KW, were amalgamated into VEB Camera und Kinowerk Dresden, which became VEB Pentacon Dresden, in 1964.

In 1959, the Praktica IV was released. This was an eye level SLR, with both a wind knob (on top) and a rapid wind lever on the bottom. The mirror returned when the camera was wound. There were a number of models, including one with a selenium light meter. In 1965, the model V had an instant return mirror. 


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[John Farrell]

The Praktica Nova arrived in December 1964, and was in production until 1969. This was an eye level SLR with an instant return mirror, top mounted wind lever, and inclined release button. The camera still had the dual, rotating, shutter speed setting knobs. There were a number of models, some with light meters. 

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The Nova range was replaced by the PL Nova, which was produced from April 1967, and into the 1970s. This has Praktica's quick load (PL) system, and a non rotating shutter speed dial, with all speeds in one range. I have none of these in my collection...

[John Farrell]

Pentacon released the most successful Praktica models - the L series, in December 1969, and more than 4,800,000 were made in the following 20 years. 

The most unusual L series camera was not a Praktica, but an Exakta - the RTL1000. This had the L series shutter, and a modified L body.


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The first Praktica models were the L (no meter) and the LLC (the first camera using electric transmission of diaphragm information to allow full open TTL metering). These were followed by the LB (selenium meter) and LTL (stopped down TTL metering).
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[John Farrell]

The models multiplied over the years - LED exposure indication, electronically controlled shutters, delayed action or not, no 1/1000 sec speed. The VLC range had full open metering and interchangeable viewfinders and focus screens - the same finders and screens as the RTL1000. There were also cosmetic changes over the years - different leatherettes, for instance.

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The L series was followed by the B series - with bayonet mount lenses, and heavy use of electronics. 

[nickr]

Dec 16, 2022 2:20:10 GMT John Farrell said:

The VLC range had full open metering and interchangeable viewfinders and focus screens - the same finders and screens as the RTL1000.

For the most part, yes. The biggest difference between the RTL 1000 and the VLCs apart from lens mount is that the meter cell is built in to the body of the Prakticas, but is in a specific finder for the RTL. So all 3 Praktica finder types will fit the Exakta, but the metered finder won't fit the VLCs. And of course you can meter with all 3 finders (WLF, standard prism, and magnifying chimney-type) on the VLCs.

[gray1720]

Very nice indeed, John! The MTL3 is my only experience of Praktica ownership - that front-mounted shutter release is very odd if you've never used one before, but it's very stable once your finger finds it.

[nickr]

I don't have any really old models, but I've had a IV F (with Fresnal screen) for many years, and it's a very solid beastie that's very obviously a 1950s German camera - sit it next to any West German cameras of the era and you will see just how similar it is.

I don't have any Novas, either - but that's because of their (IMHO well-deserved) reputation for fragility. When I first got into photography and camera collecting, I wanted a Nova, Super TL or better still a Prakticamat as I rather liked the look of them, but I never saw one that was in perfect condition - many of them literally had things missing or hanging off, or had dodgy shutters. And that's not changed a lot over the years. They're obviously products of a Soviet-dominated country.

L series Prakticas, though, are remarkably solid. Sure, there are broken ones, but it's very easy to buy fully working ones for very little money. There are few luxuries, but what there is works and works well. I've somewhere north of 40 L series models covering just about everything except any DTLs, models never imported to the UK - that many because I've bought a few job lots merely to get one particular body or lens.

B series - I've a fair few of these. I remember when the B200 was launched, there was a massive deal made on it in Amateur Photographer - there had been a paid junket to Dresden, which must have been fascinating for the journalist concerned, so there was an enormous review, plus lots of other dedicated pages. And the B200 was pretty much up-to-date at launch - problem for Praktica was that in 5 years or so, the market was going to go where they couldn't.

[John Farrell]

Pentacon bought their electronics for their later cameras from Japanese companies, and they were working on autofocus models when reunification arrived.

[Deleted]

John needs to add both a Praktisix and Pentacon Six TL, to the collection..

[John Farrell]

Dec 18, 2022 8:30:27 GMT @simon1970 said:

John needs to add both a Praktisix and Pentacon Six TL, to the collection..

Neither of them appear for sale very often, here. Just to simplify things, too, I stick to 35mm film.

[geoffr]

My first interchangeable lens camera was a Praktica LTL, it was very solid and robust, more so than the OM1 that replaced it.

[zx9]

My first SLR was a Praktica Super TL with a 2.8 Tessar 50mm at the time my dad had one with a 1.8 Pancolor (?) which he used for years. I don't remember either camera having problems and I am sure many of the hundreds of slides I scanned recently would have been taken on one or other of those cameras.

[gray1720]

Bugger!

It seems that the aperture on the lens on my MTL3 (an un-named Pentacon 1.8/50, the same as John's camera above) has decided not to function, leaving me wide open as it were. The camera unbuggering list is meant to be shortening, not lengthening!