Praktica FX

<p><strong>Praktica FX </strong><br>

1952-54<br /><br />Hummel Nr. 125<br />Kadlubek Nr. KWE1520<br /><br />Meyer-Optik Primoplan 58mm f/1.9<br /><br />Zeiss Jena Pentaprism for the FX.<br /><br /><br />A very brief history to recap first. The Dresden company KW began before WWII and produced what is arguably one of the first five 35mm SLR cameras. Some people believe that it was the second such camera after the much more expensive Exakta Kine cameras of 1936. The first camera in this family, first sold to the public in 1939 or so, was the M40 mount Praktiflex. Many, of whom I am one, believe that this was the first 35mm single lens reflex with an "instant return mirror". (see some arguments at http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00Lver )<br /><br />After Soviet troops occupied Dresden, the KW works was very quickly put back into production making essentially the same camera as the pre-war Praktiflex. As it turns out, these mostly went to the USSR as a part of German war reparations. Unlike the Zeiss 35mm Contax production line, everything and the personnel were kept in Dresden. The later Praktiflex had the instant mirror feature removed, and that camera evolved directly into the first Praktica - now with the Contax S, M42 mount.<br /><br />The FX was a refinement and was much more carefully crafted, perhaps because they were no longer sending all of their production to the Soviet Union. <br /><br />Here are some variants on the Praktica FX. The one labeled "Praktiflex" is only a rebranding, perhaps because of conflicting trademark holders in the USA, but is otherwise the same camera. As in the example in the picture, however, it and the other FXs were often sold with West German lenses made in the East German M42 mount (later also adopted by Asahi Pentax).</p><div></div>

<p>This is one of the last posts about my Reiche Auswahl collection ( see the start at http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00YIlc , and for a listing of the other posts in the series look at http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00YMBP which has most of them linked to except for the Weltax at http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00YUPh ). This is the last post at least until I repair the few not yet reported on.<br /><br />The reason for putting this one off was pure inertia, since I had shot the camera (of which I have several) so many times in the past, even before I got more serious about old DDR cameras.<br /><br />Here is the Reiche Auswahl presentation of the Praktica FX:</p><div></div>

<p>I feel guilty about always depending on Winfried Buechsenschuetz who has so kindly provided translations for these, so here is my no-guarantees shot at a translation:</p>

<blockquote>

<p><br /><br />The radiant matte viewfinder of this single-lens reflex camera serves in combination with the swing-out magnifying lens to make exactly sharp images. Farther, there is fast, certain picture composition, especially for color, since this camera type has no viewfinder parallax problem. The coupling between film transport and shutter prevents double exposures.<br />The shutter works from one-half to one five-hundredth of a second, with Bulb and synchronized flash contacts. The interchangeable lens enables macro pictures through simple extension tubes. With the help of additional lenses--that go from 35mm-500mm in focal length--the camera becomes a universal tool.<br /><br />Praktica FX 24x36mm <br />- with Zeiss Tessar 1:2,8, f=50mm<br />- with Zeiss Biotar 1:2, f=58mm<br />- with Meyer-Primoplan 1:1,9 f=58mm<br />- a mountable Zeiss prism for eye-level and right side to right side viewfinder<br />- extension tubes (1 set = 3 tubes) for 1:1 macro .<br />- additional lenses are the same as those for the Contax D.</p>

</blockquote>

<p><br /><br />I hope I did all right, at least it's the best my very rusty German provides.<br /><br />Here is the actual rig I took out with me today.</p><div></div>

<p>As the illustration shows, the prism head sits way up above the camera, but although it makes the viewfinder a little darker, it is surprisingly adequate for focusing and composition. There is no automatic diaphragm on this camera, so it is necessary to stop down to take the picture, which does make it a little harder.<br /><br />Shooting proved to have its difficulties. This camera had been sitting with little use for a long while, and I neglected a critical step in the process -- with this older, nearly sixty year old camera, the shutter mechanism can get stiff. What I should have done was to have given the camera a good regime of shooting it at all shutter speeds until it loosened up. Since I neglected to do this, the shutter "capped" and dragged badly on the earlier pictures until the shutter did loosen up. In addition, after shooting a few scenes I noticed that I had not got the removable camera back fully into the slot on the right side, so I had to sacrifice part of the roll to open and reset the back. Such are the travails of street photography with old cameras, at least for me today. Then, my local developer gave me the dirtiest negatives back I've ever got from them. :(<br /><br />Anyway, my theme today was local eateries, and I encountered the window sticker on the left at the start - one of the few things that did go sort of right today. <br /><br />Even capped, it illustrates the theme. <br>

On the right, is the door of the local Indian restaurant. Rather nice food. If MacDonalds goes to Bangalaru, then here is India in southern Illinois.<br />These are both taken with the Primoplan 58mm f/1.9.</p><div></div>

<p>Here is the local Chicago-style hot dogs, of course the owners are Chinese, but the hotdogs are the real thing.<br>

This was taken with the A. Schacht Travenon lens 135mm f/4.5</p><div></div>

<p>The Jewel of India not only has a fairly elegant sit-down restaurant, but also a drive-through take out place down the street on the other side. This was taken with the Schneider-Kreuznach Curtagon 35mm f/2.8</p><div></div>

<p>Over in the next town, here is the 17th Street Bar and Grill - the World BBQ Champion for many years. Now with restaurants in NYC and Las Vegas as well as this home place in Murphysboro, IL. It is truly very fine BBQ.<br /> As you can see, by this stage the shutter was finally beginning to work close to right. From here on all Meyer-Optik Primoplan 58mm f/1.9.</p><div></div>

<p>Finally, at the end of the roll, the shutter is working pretty close to the way it is supposed to. Here is a memorial train.<br>

Carbondale was founded as a midway station on the then new Illinois Central line, now Canadian National, but they still stop east-west traffic many times a day.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>That's it folks.</p>

<p>excellent as always.</p>

<p>but you know ONE " oh heck" cancells out 1,000 attaboys or "excellents"<br>

a friend has two similar old wl cameras but he cannot find them.<br>

he gace me the 2 sensorexes and the yashica Lynx 1000<br>

and the worlds lowest res kodak digicam.</p>

<p>Interesting camera and history. Every time I use an old camera I haven't used for a while I<br>

manage to screw up something and if I'm lucky it's a few frames and not the whole roll.<br>

I like the IC photo. They used to be a customer of mine way back when and I spent many a<br>

day on Michigan Avenue.</p>

<p>Nice old cameras and lenses. The Travenon seems a bit low in contrast, but the other two deliver very nice images.</p>

<p>I'm always fascinated by the look of those old bare-aluminum lens barrels -- practically all of my SLR lenses are black except for my black-and-chrome pre-AI Nikons. I've come to the conclusion that the aesthetics of SLR lenses have been going downhill since at least the late 1960s. Lenses used to look like little works of art, but modern AF lenses mostly just look functional.</p>

<p>Excellent, as usual, <strong>JDM</strong>. The Praktica FX probably got me serious about photography; I was a spotty 13 year-old just beginning college when I joined the Camera Club, proudly toting my 120 roll-film Ensign Ful-Vue. The teacher, a Mr.Bandsmer, was newly-arrived from Holland with a Praktica FX, and were were all very impressed by this exotic piece of machinery. Suddenly, I had a burning ambition to own one...The rest is history, as they say.</p>

<p>That's a very nice collection you have pictured, and the photographs and the little Primoplan performs particularly well. My copy of the Travenon performs really well, and I'm surprised to see that yours seems a trifle soft. Thanks for another interesting and informative post.</p>

<p>Here's my Praktiflex FX:<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3667682074_0ea36d8b0c.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="385" /></p>

<p>I got this off of ebay a few years ago for 99 cents, believe it or not. Works perfectly. I had another one that I paid $15 for earlier, but the curtain had pinholes.<br>

They are common and cheap.<br>

Here's a photo I took a few years ago with mine:<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2530778924_0c8a54cb3e_z.jpg?zz=1" alt="" width="640" height="421" /></p>

<p>(with a tessar I think, the Isco lens it came with was permanently fogged by some substance on the front element that wouldn't clear off).</p>

 

<p>One of my FXs came with a Westar too (on the right in the first picture). It's still good optically, although it lost its filter ring somewhere along the line. Like the Travenon and the Curtagon, it's another of the Wessie lenses often sold with the bodies here in the USA and maybe in West Germany.</p>

<p>Not, of course, in the East.</p>

<p>Here is an ad for the Zeiss prism. The one on my camera was for western export and has the "made in USSR occupied zone" stamp on it and no Zeiss name.<br>

On the right is the Primoplan lens construction. It is not a "Meyer Biotar" in design, despite the similarity in specifications.</p><div></div>

@JDM: Thanks for the support. Your translation is mostly correct, and sometimes TOO correct as you translated word by word. Maybe this translation of the first phrase is more understandable:

 

"The shining bright ground glass, together with the folding loupe in the waist level finder, is used for precise focussing."

 

Actually, "strahlend" has many meanings, it means "radiating" or "transmitting rays" as well as "very bright". There was a joke about german companies building nuclear power plants, some people said that they will birng us "eine strahlende Zukunft" which means "a very bright future" as well as "a future full of radiation". After some accidents in (non german) nuclear stations you can judge yourself which version is closer to the truth...

<p>That is a truly impressive outfit, pure elegance. I do love the prism you have there. I have a prism for my FX3, but it sits much lower down, and the FX3 was the first SLR that I owned so fond memories there. How do you like the Primoplan compared to the Biotar?</p>

<p>Once again JDM you've posted a great academic/historic study of a fascinating old camera. Not only that, I find this information quite "praktical".</p>

<p>Very nice series <strong>JDM</strong>. I suppose that the Primoplan was a Meyer parallel to the Jena Biotar. I have been looking for one for a long time. But this and the Helioplan seem to be very expensive, now. The colours and rendering of all the lenses are beautiful. Even the capping kind of emphasizes the perspective. If you had not mentioned it I would not have noticed the same. Thanks for a most enjoyable series. sp.</p>

<p>I've got a Praktica FX. Sadly the shutter curtains are damaged. I've had a lot of success with Compur shutters but have never really delved into focal plane types. I plan to make the FX my first endeavour, as Praktica's neat removable film rail plate means shutter access is as good as it gets, so I will tackle the curtain replacement myself one of these days. It's an interesting and good looking camera. Thanks for sharing the images.</p>

<p>A surprising number of the old shutters still work (if one troubles to exercise them first) quite well after all these years.<br /> It is not clear to me, but the RA listing almost looks like the Primoplan was the premium lens for this camera. I prefer the Biotar, but as the pictures (as much as you can see of them) above show, the Primoplan is a nice crisp lens. When I looked up the diagram for it, I was surprised how different the underlying design was.<br /> Not least, thanks again Winfried. I suppose 'literalism' is a sin for the unpracticed translator. Nice story about the "strahlende Zukunft". ;)</p>

<p>Here is the much more handsome prism attachment for the Praktica FX2. Maybe one of these days.</p>

<p>Thanks all. I enjoy doing these. I will be doing more, if not directly related to the Reiche Auswahl catalog. At least until I wear out or Josh kicks me off the site, whichever comes first. :)</p><div></div>

<p>Very nice post JDM, I like the photos from the curtagon, very pleasing color and good surroundings. I love the GDR stuff too, they are unique, and were "firsts" in quite a few things. As you know, Matanle loved them too. One little observation, the curtain on your camera needs a re-lubing and retensioning as it is capping, right side, darker than left; this is pretty common on early Praktica collections once they go unused for long periods of time. My original Praktiflex (1939-1940)had a curtain bounce issue, but it has been corrected now :-) by Panorama camera in Manhattan. It is loaded but the weather has not been cooperating :-(. As I wait Irene out, all I can do is look at it and admire its classic look.</p><div></div>

<p>AH, it looks like you and SP already spoke of the capping, pardon for repeating the same :-).</p>

<p>The early Asahi/Heiland Pentaxes also shared the same shutter problem; it was SP who traced it back to the the causes in a post some time back. I find usually just a good round of exercise, sometimes with the tiniest bit of cleaning of the shutter channel does the job. I just wasn't thinking very clearly on the day I did this.</p>

<p>That's a nice early Praktiflex. I have an early post-war Praktiflex that is essentially the same except all chrome. Ihave both the Victar and the Tessar in M40. Just bought what is supposed to be a M40 Biotar from Sofia.</p>

<p>I haven't made much effort to go pre-war, except that I could not resist getting a Pilot Super.</p>