Praktica Super TL, 1968, 35mm SLR

[@davidjenkins8009]

Nice to see a video on some less expensive cameras. Praktica were very reliable and very high quality cameras which do not receive the attention that they should. I really enjoyed your video. I do tend to be very critical of peoples videos, especially when errors are made. It was not really an error, but Pentacon did solve the M42 aperture data transfer problem rather cleverly. The problem was caused the the less than perfect registration of the lens due to the screw mount. The Praktica Electronic Coupling solved the problem brilliantly. Yes I know not relevant to the Super TL but just goes to show how innovative the East Germans where. Very good point about the light seals, a much better system that used by the so called quality Japanese manufacturers. I was shocked at the use of foam when looking at a Yashica when considering upgrading from my Praktica in the 1970's, I up graded to a Rollei SL35E which is quite interesting as it uses wool but only in a few areas, mainly using the depth of the rebate to create a light seal, light can only travel in straight lines (yes it gets reflected just incase so one does not understand basic physics). They did build some good stuff that side of the iron curtain. Nice that you mentioned the easy load system. It would have been nice if you had mentioned that the Pentacon lenses were of very high quality. I have a transparency of girl who was in the same class as me that I took all those years ago. It was taken on Orwo Chrome UT18, which was the East German film. This is a full length portrait. The film has grain the sized of golf balls. It was taken with 100mm Pentacon lens and you can, despite the grain, read the time on her watch. Pentacon Lenses were in fact the product of the renown Meyer Optik Gorlitz factory. All I can say is keep up the good work and encourage more people to try film photograph which is what you are doing.

[@hanapen7681]

Nice video..thanks.Bought Pentor Super TL with a 50mm 2.8 Jena lens today for 12.50 euros.I hope the light meter works.I had never heard of Pentor or Jena.I am a beginner but this is not my first camera :-)..And not the last either

[@paulmcgugan4994]

Hi, thanks for this. My late father bought a Super TL in 1971. I was 15 and it, and my dad, taught me a lot about photography that is still relevant to this day. My kid sister still has it somewhere and I still like the photographs I took with that 😮lovely sharp Pentacon 50mm 1.8 lens. I bought my own camera in 1979 buying my first Nikon (f) in 1981. Since when I’ve been a confirmed Nikon fanboy, with quite a few film and digital cameras in my collection. My current main squeeze is my Fujifilm x-pro2: a fabulous camera. I still have warm feeling for that old Practical.

[@Lumberjackk]

Loved your video man!! I have two superTL’s and a MTL5 as my main analog camera, I started with an LTL3 but it started having light leaks. Had two MTL3’s but they sadly broke. But so far the superTL and MTL5’s are going strong. The only thing I miss with the superTL is a split microprism, it would make focussing a lot easier, especially with wide lenses (35mm and lower) Sadly the light meters on my superTL’s have both kicked the bucket, so I resorted to using a TTartisan light meter that I’ve mounted in a cold shoe on the tripod mount. All in all I love their design and ruggedness

[@peterbennett4783]

Thanks very much. I Really enjoyed your presentation. You were showing my exact first model camera! Except I had the Helios 58mm lens among others. Was I lucky or not! kind regards Peter (Victoria, Australia)

[@alexcarrillo5510]

My first SLR in 1972 was a Praktica Nova 1B with a 50mm 2.8 Domiplan lens in which I use it during High School, to 2nd Semester at City College learning the Basics in Photography, Then later I move up to Nikon. But I kept the Nova 1b as it is in a display case along with my Dad's Contax IIa RF 35mm, as a memorial to my Dad that got me into Photography, and also the person that sold it to me that later wound up to be a Co-worker at the Camera shop in where I got it. That was 33 years working at AGI, and since then, being shooting with Nikons, and Canon's RF 35mm, and then later I acquired like my Dad's Contax but 2 models Contax I, and II with a 35mm 2.8, 50mm 2.0, and the 85mm 2.0. But that is not end of this story, later in reading the story of Zeiss, and Zeiss Jena that I also got a Pentacon FM, and also a Praktina FX, and IIa with all Zeiss vintage lenses. I am really appreciate in German Optics, and it's history. As for Leitz well that is another story - an expensive story, as Zeiss, KW, Pentacon, Meyer, Ihagee, Rollie, has history that is move valuable to the Leitz. I remember in seeing the 1971 Film: "LeMans" that during the film have seen ALOT of Prakticas appearing in the film...Thank You for your videos, Love them..😀👍🎞📷📸

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi Alex, thanks for sharing your history with us, and quite a history it is, sounds like your dad was a man of quality and it rubbed off on you, Praktica cameras are often joked about by camera snobs, but they worked great and were affordable, thanks also for your kind words, there are more Prakticas coming to the channel and I have just released an Exa video, have a great weekend, Graham

[@andrewwilkin1923]

Love these Praktica's. The later MTL3's and 5's are great. 1000th of a second top speed with vertically running metal shutters. Relatively cheap at the moment and a better choice for a beginners camera than the now over priced Pentax K1000.

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi Andrew, totally agree with you, the Pentax is so over priced, I like the shutter release being on the front, I find it much easier to use...

[@BriansPhotoShow]

Pentacon produced over half a million units of this model from 1968 to 1976 according to the online sources I found. That's a pretty successful run. I wonder how many of those were exported west of the Iron Curtain?

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi, major earner of foreign currency, plentiful here in the UK, a step up from the Zenit cameras, low prices make them a great buy....

[@SizzleCorndog]

They were apparently pretty prolific according to my dad who had one when he was younger until his apartment got robbed and one of the things they took was his Praktica. Real tragedy because it means that he doesn't have it now for me to steal but they're pretty cheap on ebay if you dont have a crazy lens on it and in decent condition too

[@user-ve3gh5xg9q]

Iron curtain is now on the west 😱🤫

[@eliasgreakerahlstrand9465]

Hi, i recently got one of these. I've pressed the shutter up to 36 without any film in it and the exposure counter is now stuck on 36. How do i reset the exposure counter?

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi, open the back, it should reset the counter 😃

[@eliasgreakerahlstrand9465]

@@thephotographersbag i've tried that, but nothing is really happening. Maybe the counter is broken in someway? Is there anything more that i can try? Thanks for the quick answer!

[@eliasgreakerahlstrand9465]

@@thephotographersbag i now managed to get the meter to 0, but by rolling the transport sprocket back. Maybe not the correct way, but it worked.

[@thephotographersbag]

@@eliasgreakerahlstrand9465 Hi, it does sound like it got an issue, there is a mechanical lever that resets it, with the back open look for a lever that should pop out when the back is opened, they are usually along the top just to the right of the viewfinder, bad light sealing could be making it stick 👍

[@thephotographersbag]

Ok, thanks for the tip, noted....

[@charleymannes1993]

Hello! I recently found my great grandfathers Pratika Super TL camera. It has film in it but I when I put my eye up to look through it I’d pitch black. I do have it cocked and ready to take a photo but I still do not know why I cannot see through the eye lens. Do you know why this is?

[@JimmyR2023]

Hi, I started with a film SLR and am currently in Germany and would like to get back into film photography. Do you have any suggestions, where I could buy one of these old GDR cameras - platforms or websites etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi, ideally a used camera dealer with a shop where you can test the camera out and although it may cost a bit more, it should come with a warranty, here in the UK these type of shops have almost become extinct, due to the likes of eBay etc I don't know the German market however I would have thought these cameras should be plentiful there, I wish you well in your hunt, simple rugged and reliable cameras...

[@JimmyR2023]

@@thephotographersbag thanks for your quick response and insights.

[@dannavandaal]

I would like to know how to do double exposure on the praktika super TL?

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi, the camera has a feature that prevents taking double exposures, a workaround is to take the first shot, then press the rewind button as though you were going to remove the film, then the shutter should be able to be reconciled again and the second shot taken, I have not tried this myself and it may not be predictable in outcome, but it is a fairly common method used, please let me know how you get on, the results can be very interesting 😃

[@dannavandaal]

@@thephotographersbag thanks! Will try and let you know the outcome

[@markmueller5508]

My first 35mm was the Cavalier STL, which is identical to this one, but was “re-branded” for sale in the USA. It was fitted with a Meyer Optik from Gorlitz f1.8 50 mm, designed by Dr. Paul Rudolph. The only difference is the name badge on the pentaprism, with the Pentacon logo stamped on the body. It still looks and works fine. I believe I bought it around 1971.

[@ianhand5006]

I've got a few BX20's somewhere in my loft. I think there are a few Pentax Spotmatics too.

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi, that does not suprise me, good in their day but things move on, nice memories though ..

[@jonathand435]

I have a Nova, which looks very similar. Most of my Prakticas have jammed shutters, sadly. Slowly figuring them out.

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi, the shutters are a known weak spot, such a shame, can be fixed with care, good luck in your endeavours....

[@SizzleCorndog]

Just picked up a Praktica with its original lens and all that for $50, any advice for someone who’s basically just starting out other than swap the batteries?

[@iainmc9859]

You learn something new every day; or in truth you just get reminded of something which you'd forgotten! The shutter curtain moving at the same time but the gap between the curtains being larger for longer exposure settings. Trying to get my head around it but would this mean that if you have the aperture and shutter speed 'misaligned' for the required exposure could you get a shadow on one side of the exposed frame or is this only possible with a single variable speed shutter curtain that's become 'sticky'. It happens to me occasionally, particularly at faster shutter speeds, and I wondered if one type of shutter or the other can exclusively cause this? Hope that's clear ...... the sort of shadow that you get by exceeding the flash synch but without using a flash. Big fan of Prakticas and Pentacon lenses, although they're not for the pixel peeking sharpness junkies.

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi, interesting situation, sounds lovely like a sticking first curtain that then moves when the second curtain meets it and they both complete their travel, leaf shutters can get sticky but the effect is different, I shall give it further thought .....

[@Goat.Herder]

I have this camera and even though it's a cheapo I like to go back to basics with a simple mechanical cameral. They are weighty, sound nice and it's refreshing to not rely on anything digital or have 300 options to look at! That said, I'd like to find something the same weight and size as my OMD10

[@thephotographersbag]

Hi, I too like the simple tough mechanical cameras, plastic ones are lighter but more fragile, thanks for sharing....

[@mikepxg6406]

Give up smoking then you can afford a Leica.😊

[@davidjenkins8009]

Who would want a Leica, really overrated. The R series SLR's are just posh Minolta's. Yes the Leica SL2 is very nice but very expensive. Praktica's are really nice cameras much under rated and perfect for the beginner to taste film photography. Also, if you get mugged, you loose £50 whereas if you lose a Leica, your bank manager will be sending you a red letter.

[@mikepxg6406]

@@davidjenkins8009 The key is SMOKING not he value of a Leica....Smoking is far more overrated.