The first camera with pentaprism was Contax S of 1949 by Zeiss Ikon, Dresden. This developed into Contax D with automatic diaphragm actuation, although officially the first model to have this was Contax F. There were indeed cameras called Pentacon in the fifties but these were similar to the East German Contax SLRs - first Pentacon was the same as Contax D. There were also names like Hexacon and Consul and Ritacon and probably other names as well. Curiously it is not easy to find cameras made after the formation of Pentacon with the name Pentacon - they all seem to be Prakticas. The SLR with optical viewfinder was Praktina IIa. The information above is based on McKeowns Price Guide to Antique & Classic Cameras, edition 1995-1996. All the best! Raimo Personal photography homepage at http://www.uusikaupunki.fi/~raikorho
-----Alkuperäinen viesti----- Lähettäjä: T Rittenhouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Vastaanottaja: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Päivä: 20. heinäkuuta 2003 17:01 Aihe: Re: Pentax is a Zeiss name? was Re: Cosima makes a new Spotmatic >I recall Pentacon from long before 1964. In fact I do believe Pentacon was >the camera that actually was a contraction of Pentaprism and Contax. I >remember them as having both a pentaprism and an optical viewfinder >(possibly why the combined names). I believe they were the first SLR with a >Pentaprism. I also seem to recall that they had a bayonet lensmount similar >to the Contax. I think they were part of Zeiss before WWII, but were >separated in the split up of Germany after the war. As I recall the Pentacon >was more expensive than the Praktica. > >I do not doubt that several of the East German companies were combined in >the 1960's. > >Ciao, >Graywolf >http://pages.prodigy.net/graywolfphoto > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Raimo Korhonen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 2:40 AM >Subject: Vs: Pentax is a Zeiss name? was Re: Cosima makes a new Spotmatic > > >> Praktica was originally made by Kamera Werkstatten at first in Dresden, >then in Niedersedlitz (wherever that may be) - Pentacon was formed later in >1964 by joining together several (five?) East German state-owned camera >manufacturers, from 1959 under the name of VEB Kamera und Kinowerke Dresden. >The Praktica factory seems to exist at Niedersedlitz and belongs to the >former owners, the Noble family - they make Noblex panoramic cameras. >> All the best! >> Raimo >> Personal photography homepage at http://www.uusikaupunki.fi/~raikorho >> >> -----Alkuperäinen viesti----- >> Lähettäjä: frank theriault <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Vastaanottaja: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Päivä: 20. heinäkuuta 2003 2:34 >> Aihe: Re: Pentax is a Zeiss name? was Re: Cosima makes a new Spotmatic >> >> >> >I wonder if there's some confusion between Pentax and Pentacon (who made >> >Praktica). Maybe because they were the last two manufacturers who used >> >m42 or something. >> > >> >Anyway, I believe that Pentacon is "PENTAprism" and "CONtax" joined >> >together. Makes sense, as they're both German companies. >> > >> >But, I've never heard that the name Pentax was a Contax trademark. >> > >> >cheers, >> >frank >> > >> >Albano Garcia wrote: >> > >> >> Is this true? >> >> "Even the "Pentax" name was originally a Zeiss Ikon >> >> VEB trademark until bought by Asahi. It was >> >> originally derived from "PENTaprism" and "contAX." >> >> from the cited below website >> >> Regards >> >> >> >> Albano >> >> >> >> --- Keith Whaley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> > Dario, >> >> > >> >> > I went to the site you show below, and found the >> >> > Deckel mount, that will >> >> > allow my M-42 Pentax bodies to use my lovely Retina >> >> > II/IIIS lenses! I've >> >> > been hesistating selling them, simply because they >> >> > were so perfect, but >> >> > the nearly brand new Retina Reflex III has a >> >> > disabled shutter (what eise >> >> > is new, huh?) >> >> > Now, with the Deckel adapter, I could use all of my >> >> > Retina Reflex >> >> > lenses! Excellent! >> >> > >> >> > But, do I want to spend $250 for that privilege? >> >> > That's one steep adapter! >> >> > >> >> > Nah, I think maybe I'll sell the lenses... and the >> >> > camera. >> >> > >> >> > keith whaley >> >> > >> >> > Dario Bonazza 2 wrote: >> >> > > >> >> > > Of course, I'm also expecting high-quality screw >> >> > mount lenses, to be added >> >> > > to that bunch of Takumars and C.Z. Jena glass here >> >> > and there... >> >> > > Bye, >> >> > > Dario >> >> > > >> >> > > ----- Original Message ----- >> >> > > From: "Dario Bonazza 2" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> > > Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 7:05 PM >> >> > > Subject: Cosima makes a new Spotmatic >> >> > > >> >> > > > Not sure if anybody alse already pointed it out >> >> > here on the list... >> >> > > > >> >> > > > So, at long last, they did it. The SLR which >> >> > became a rangefinder has >> >> > > turned >> >> > > > back into a SLR. Now it's just like an original >> >> > Spotmatic, including the >> >> > > > M42 screw mount, the stop-down swich on left >> >> > side of the mirror box and >> >> > > > the optional accessory shoe. See the new >> >> > Voigtlaender Bessaflex at: >> >> > > > >> >> > > > http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtFlexTM.htm >> >> > > > >> >> > > > Bye, >> >> > > > >> >> > > > Dario Bonazza >> >> > > > www.dariobonazza.com >> >> > > > >> >> > >> >> >> >> ===== >> >> Albano Garcia >> >> "El Pibe Asahi" >> >> >> >> __________________________________ >> >> Do you Yahoo!? >> >> SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! >> >> http://sbc.yahoo.com >> > >> >-- >> >"I don't believe in God, but I do believe in pi" - Henri Cartier-Bresson >> > >> > >> > >> >> > >
