At 18:37 10.2.2001 -0000, you wrote:
>When I first got into photography in the early 70s I used "Practica" cameras
>from East Germany. My first one was an "L2" - 42mm screw mount, no meter,
>and completely mechanical 1 to 1/1000 sec shutter and very nice Carl Zeiss
>Jena F1.8 50mm and 135mm f3.5. I know it's not Pentax "except the mount"
>but I believe there is some connection. If you could find one I bet they
>change hands for very small amounts nowadays. I did at the time however
>lust after the more expensive TTL technology then being offered by Pentax
>and others.
>Regards
>Peter
It's interesing how the North [but not as north as Canadians, so maybe
Central, but not as low as Texans] Americans get everything the wrong way
around :-) !
M42 (aka "Pentax screwmount") was NOT invented by Pentax. M42 was invented
by Zeiss Ikon, first used by Zeiss Ikon Dresden (the East German part of
Zeiss) in their first SLR with built-in pentaprism in the world, the Contax
S in 1949. At the same time (or slightly later in 1949), KW produced
Praktica camera with M42 mount too. These two companies merged in 1959 into
VEB Pentacon (= PENTAprism CONtax). Pentacon continued to make Praktica
cameras until 1990 (in the 80s, they changed into a bayonet mount)
Your Praktica L2 was a budget version without TTL metering, made from
1975. First Praktica to use TTL metering was Praktica MAT, introduced in
1965, just a little later than Spotmatic.
Prakticas are nice, simple, rugged (somewhat. Shutter is rugged, steel.
Rest of camera is less, although I have had dropped & cracked Prakticas
stop metering but still their shutter was all speeds spot on). They are the
K-1000 of European camera world - simple cameras great for begginers,
cheap. Most photographers started on them, here. They are capable cameras,
if a bit ugly (only the L series, though). And had excellent Carl Zeiss
Jena lenses usable on them.
But I would rather get a nice spotmatic for my M42 lenses, now (well, or a
Praktica IV B. One of nicest cameras, and a mechanical wonder inside,
appealing to people like me), because Spotmatics are just better
ergonomicaly and quieter and better viewfinders and last longer, except
maybe the cloth shutter. BTW, what's the usual Spotmatic's synch speed?
Praktica had 1/125 ;) What Spotmatic should I look for with that X speed?
AFAIK even the early K bodies had 1/60 max synch. Even KX :)
Frantisek (as you can see, Praktica fan in a way :)
-
This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe,
go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to
visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
