Industrial

Praktica, Pentacon company product, was the best 35 mm SLR camera available in
Poland, in Foto-Optyka shops, in the 70s and 80s, after withdrawing Exacta from
production in 1974! Word available was written symbolically. Availability of Praktica,
especially in the 80s, was meaning that cameras weren t available in normal trade. To
have such a camera one had to ask friends to buy it in German Democratic Republic.
People who hadn t such possibilities had to be overcharged buying this camera on the
markets or consignment stores. In Foto-Optyka shops some additional equipment was
sometimes available, e.g. lenses, bellows, internal rings etc. In the 70s and 80s two kinds
of Praktica cameras were produced. One kind: models with lenses mounted with M42x1
thread and with lamellar metal shutter (L group) and the second kind: with lens mount and
electronic shutter (B group). It s maybe worth to remind here that Praktica cameras were
very innovative for photographic technology. Pentacon company was first in the world
which introduced electric elements in lenses (so called electric simulator of shutter in
lenses of electric type); in Praktica B company used unusually wide range of shutter
opening time (up to 40 seconds i.e. more than in nowadays AF SLR cameras) and in
Praktica B 200 company introduced photosensitive element (gallium arsenical phosphate)
as second company in the world (gallium arsenical phosphate is more sensitive than
nowadays used silicon elements). There are still many people in the whole world who are
taking photos with such cameras. When I started to be interested in photography in 1985
I also wanted to have such a camera. But at that time it was impossible to buy it so I had
to be satisfied with Zenit 12xp. In 1987 I managed to buy Praktica BC 1. Since that time I
still have had this camera in my equipment. I take photos with this camera mainly during
my sightseeing trips, on color negative materials. Now I would like to share with others
some remarks concerning this equipment. Some chosen bodies of L series will be
described here, for example: Praktica EE 3, VLC 3, PLC 3, DTL 3, MTL 5B, MTL 50, MTL
3, LTL 3, LB 2, L 2 and bodies of B series, for example: Praktica B 200, B 100, BC 1,
BCA, BMS, BM, BCC, BCS, BX 20, BX 10 i BX 20s. In addition, I will describe most of
system lenses with thread and with lens mount originating from the 70s, 80s and 90s,
made by such companies like: PENTACON, Carl Zeiss Jena and Samyang. Attention!
Russian (Soviet) lenses with M42x1 thread will be described in ZENIT section. I will also
present interchangeable viewfinders, focusing screens and whole assortment for macro
and microphotography, reproductions, slides copying etc. Equipment description will be
related to the assortment from the 70s and 80s. Previous cameras will be only mentioned.
I made such decision because of my personal contact with these cameras and because of
my conviction that it is still possible to take good photos on colorful materials and have
great results with these cameras and lenses!