JDMvW

<p><strong>Zenit S ( ?????-C )</strong></p> <p>An early “Leica” SLR<br /><br />1955-1961<br /><br />Kadlubek Kamera-Katalog Nr. KRA0500<br /><br />Type: PM3235. <br />“Very common version of Zenit-C with new standardized shutter sequence: 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/125s, 1/250s, 1/500s + B.”<br />( http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?568663372 )<br /><br />Mine is serial No. 599580xx (which is said to mean it’s from 1959)<br /><br />Industar-50 3.5/5cm Russian Tessar Lens for M39 Zenit N580633xx<br />Kadlubek Nr. RUS3460<br /><br />Since I had gone to the trouble to get a Zenit-M39 lens to adapt to my Start SLR ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00c7Ga ), the temptation to acquire an early Soviet Zenit camera, became, well, you know.<br /><br />I found both the lens and a Zenit-S (?????-C in Cyrillic). The camera is often called a Zenit-C, but the “C” here is “S” for synchronization. <br /><br />The early Zenits are especially interesting since they are very heavily based on the rangefinder Zorki camera, which itself is essentially identical to the earlier Leica rangefinders. <br /><br />I hardly need to go into vast detail on the camera in this regard, since it is so well covered in a number of posts.<br /><br />Among the most interesting of these is our own Rick Oleson’s essay at <br /> http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-9.html <br /><br />This might have been what Leitz would have done, had they decided to make their own SLR in 1955 or so. So the Zenit is kind of an “alternate history” camera, as Oleson points out.<br /><br /><br />Other discussions can be found at <br /><br /> http://www.sovietcams.com/index.php?568663372 <br /> http://www.eyescoffee.com/collectcamera/zenits/index.php <br /> http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Zenit-S <br /><br />Manuals are available at several sites, including<br /><br /> http://www.zenitcamera.com/mans/zenit-s/zenit-s-eng.html</p><div></div>

<p><strong>Chicago - A Center of Photography - 1940</strong><br /><br />Once upon a time, America had really two major cities. New York, of course, and then the “Second City”, Chicago.<br /><br />This was as true for cameras and photographic gear as for restaurants, museums, and other cultural establishments.<br /><br />For example, one of the classical photographic magazines, <em>Popular Photography</em>, had its original offices in Chicago, Illinois.</p><div></div>

<h1>Taxona - noch einmal</h1> <p><br /><br />It's not that I don't have a number of cameras that I haven't posted on before, but one thing or another has led me back to classics that I like.<br /><br />I had previously (2008) posted a brief account of the Taxona ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00R6tH ) but hadn't yet reached the present "form" of my reporting. Just the other day I posted this one in a "Someday" post here on CMC, and that was what stimulated me to go out with it this last weekend.<br /><br />So.<br />Here is the 1952-3 VEB Zeiss Ikon Taxona<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p><strong>Images from</strong><br /> <strong>Spiratone Minitel-M 500mm f/8 </strong><br /> <strong>Quantaray 500mm f/8 Mirror<br /></strong><br /> <em>Background</em><br /> <br />In another post recently ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00c1BM ), I had presented a Spiratone Mintel-M 500mm. I think this was the last incarnation of the rather long series of Spiratone mirror lenses starting with their import of a variety of the Soviet MTO 500mm Matsukov lens ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00bVwA ). <br /><br />Now, the Spiratone Minitel-M looks almost identical to the still-available new lenses from Korea variously sold as Quantaray and other import names -- I think Vivitar, Bower, Opteka, and Samyang are essentially the same lens. These sell new for USD 85-140 or so.<br /><br />The Spiratone Mintel-M is sold for about the same prices as the new ones.<br /><br /><em>So which should you get?</em> <br /><br />I thought it would be instructive to present a side-by-side comparison of the two. I posted a few days ago on another example of the Spiratone lens than the one used here and Gene M wanted to see images at ISO 200 of my infamous water tower test image. <br /><br />These are shot on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II body on a very solid tripod with a remote release, although I did not lock up the mirror. This is a test of how most people would use these lenses, after all. I did focus bracketing on these and chose the sharpest, so far as I could tell, although objectively there was little difference from one image to the next. I had lot of practice with manual focus years ago and haven't entirely lost the touch. The tripod head was a Manfrotto 393 'gimbal' head.<br /><br /><br />Here is the Spiratone Minitel-M showing the full sized image:</p><div></div>

<p>The other day I had tested a Canon T50 camera and had a spectacular failure (4 negatives on a roll of 24). So when I wanted to check out the Jupiter-8 lens so kindly sent to me by Kris Bochenek, I went back to an old favorite location where I had not shot for a long time.<br /> I decided to take the pictures with my whole "library" of LTM normal lenses:<br> <br /> Jupiter-8 5cm f/2 from Kris (Thanks so much).<br />Industar-61 52mm f/2.8 FED 4b<br />Industar-26M 5cm f/2.8 FED-2<br />Canon 50mm f/1.8 from Japan on eBay</p> <p><br /> I shot all of these on my 'new' Canon VL2 rangefinder, a camera I am coming to like more and more the more I use it.<br /> The location was a set of Illinois Central steam locomotive coaling towers that are actually quite famous, as a Google™ of "Illinois Central Coaling Towers Carbondale" will reveal.<br /><br />I had shot these a few years back as a part of a "Hopper in Carbondale" project (no pun intended).</p> <p> </p><div></div>

<p><strong>Shift and Swing Bellows</strong><br /><br /><br />Of course, I got here by a devious route. I try to pick up old Spiratone gear, and one item I kind of wanted was a bellows unit with shift and tilt that was called the Bellowsmat.</p><div></div>

<p><strong>Some background first </strong><br />This is one of the those cameras that I have frequently referred to as basically unlikely to still work and impossible to find someone who can service.<br />The other day, I dug out this one to look at it in response to a post about unworkable cameras - a sort of Triste Camerique ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00bmk2 )<br /><br />I looked at it again, and tried to figure out what was wrong with it. As it was, it was clearly impossible to load film into it without exposing it. So I puttered and finally figured out that there had to be shutter leaves in the lens assembly (this was a unique Pentacon SLR with a leaf shutter, back to that later). They were not visible, but I thought - it doesn't work anyway and am I not the Lord Naphtha, King of the Mild Solvents, Spirit of the Petroleum Wastes?<br /><br />So I splashed (actually, carefully) a little naphtha (aka, more expensively, as Ronsonol) into the area immediately behind the lens, proper, mount and worked the camera a little - <br />LO! The edge of the shutter blades popped out a little. A few more drops of solvent and suddenly the shutter popped into place, covered with dirt and solvent. I carefully wiped it off, worked it some more, and it started to close consistently after triggering the shutter (see below). I continued to work it, cleaning it as I went, and then left it to dry overnight.<br /><br />Is, is , it alive? (Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad).<br> <br />YES, IT'S <em><strong>ALIVE</strong></em>, BWA-HA-HA.<br /><br />So what follows is a report about the Pentina and how it is supposed to work (the match-needle metering is, of course, deader than a doornail unless somebody knows of a meter magic similar to naphtha for the mechanical parts)'<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Pentina </strong><br />first models 1961<br /><br /><br />When it arrived, I looked up some details about the model and the like on Dr. Mike Otto's fantastic (to a DDR-camera enthusiast) web page ( http://www.praktica-collector.de/ ).<br /><br />My model is the one shown at http://www.praktica-collector.de/114_Pentina.htm .<br /><br />But it was clear that no shutter was working, in the lens or out of it. So I accepted the widespread (as far as DDR cameras go) stories about repairmen fleeing in terror when they saw someone bringing in one of these. <br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p><strong>Cameras in Movies, Part <em>n</em>+1</strong><br /> Over the years. Photo.net has seen a posts on cameras seen in movies.<br />For example, <br /><br />the Exakta in <em>Rear Window</em> ( multiple discussions at http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00VBtt , http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/009F9p etc)<br /><br />the camera used by <em>Alfie</em> in the eponymous film ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00JcwH ) <br /><br />the use of the Stereo Realist in the big bug movie <em>Them</em> ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00YCII ) <br /><br />the probable, as I now think, use of a Ricoh Mirai in the 1989 version of <em>Batman</em> ( http://www.photo.net/modern-film-cameras-forum/00Yk4S ).<br /><br />There may even have been a prior discussion of <em>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</em> ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075860/ ), but if so, it is lost in the long list of titles of close-up photos of tigers, flowers, and such.<br /><br />Any how, as the <em>Rear Window</em> list shows, topics never grow beyond the possibility of recall.<br /><br />Sooo, here are a few examples of cameras in the <em>CE3K</em> movie, in this case all pretty much in the Classic Manual mode, as would be expected of a 1977 movie.<br /><br />Not too far into the latest edit, comes the recovery of the lost steamer Cotopaxi in the Gobi Desert:<br /><br />As the UN party moves closer to the site, some men in a truck prepare their cameras, then a photographer in a helicopter shows one of the few cases in the movies of a Nikon "twist" or "shuffle" - the wrist twitch still noted in veteran Nikon photographers when they mount a lens:<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p><strong>Sun 85-210mm f/4.5 lens (Spiratone)</strong><br /><br />Kadlubek Nr SUN0441<br /><br /><br />It's surely no secret by now that I am a little interested in Spiratone gear.<br /><br />After I'd got too old to enjoy the Johnson Smith ads (X-ray glasses, remember) on the backs of comic books, and started to get more seriously into photography, the Spiratone ads with hundreds of gadgets and such were a treat with each issue of one of the photo magazines. Unlike Johnson Smith, things were usually very good, too.</p><div></div>

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<p><strong>Zoomar Sport-Reflectar 500mm f/5.6</strong><br />A sad story with a slightly not-so-sad ending<br /><br /><br />Kadlubek Nr. ZOM0110<br />(w/ interchangeable Nikon F mount)<br />dates: late 1950s to 1972? Variant ("20 inch") of it listed in Modern Photography's Lens list for 1961.<br />Serial Nr. 278-0380<br /><br />Length: 24cm long with hood collapsed, 30cm long with it deployed.<br />Diameter: 12+cm in diameter<br />Mass: 3.17 kg (7.0 lbs) ! ! !<br /><br /><strong>Introduction</strong><br /><br />I pride myself on being a user-collector, so I make a strong effort to get working equipment. Recently, a friend of mine has been clearing out his house, and he gave me the Miranda cameras I posted on a while back.<br /><br />But as he dug deeper, he came up with a interesting sounding lens -- a Zoomar Sport-Reflectar 500mm f/5.6. I looked it up on eBay for him and was surprised to see prices being asked for this lens in the $1,500 to $3,000 range. Of course, as anyone who frequents these dives knows, much can be asked but few are sold. There were a few sales in the hundreds of dollars though. I told him about that and suggested that he might want sell that one. He didn't want to bother, but asked me to take a look at the lens.<br /><br />When I did, it was very clear, or rather unclear, that the lens was badly "fungused", and would probably be worth very little. So it sat for some weeks, but Sunday morning at the coffee shop he asked what I would give him for the lens. <br /><br />Here was my dilemma. The lens was unlikely to be usable. On the other hand, I had recently bought an equally unusable Biotar in M40 mount, even posted on it. <br />Would a likely shelf-queen be an interesting addition to the piles of mirror lenses I've already accumulated (e.g., http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00RaKy )? After all, I also own some old East German cameras of which there can't be more than a few examples that are still working, anywhere in the world (Pentina, anyone?).<br /><br />So I made my friend an offer that was probably too much, but he made a higher counter offer. I told him, I'd have to think about it, but later on, he said, OK to my original suggestion. <br /><br />So now I am the owner of a Zoomar Sport-Refllectar 500mm f/5.6. Proud? Maybe.<br /><br /><strong>The Lens</strong><br /><br />Marc may have better luck than I did, but I couldn't locate any Kilfitt or Zoomar ads or reviews, and as noted above, the first mention of it I found was a 20" Zoomar Reflectar in a 1961 lens list. It has been speculated that production may have ceased in the early 1970s.<br /><br /><em>Modern Photography</em> September, 1961:</p> <blockquote> <p><br /><br />20-in. f/5.6 Reflectar. Zoomar, U.S.A. Mirror<br />optics, for single-lens reflexes, reflex housings,<br />$550, basic price. Fitting, cost of reflex<br />housing extra . Consult mfr.</p> </blockquote> <p><br /><br />There is a little information out there on this lens, for example:<br /><br />http://www.pentaconsix.com/zm500.htm <br />http://www.cameraquest.com/kilzoom.htm <br />http://www.kevincameras.com/gallery/v/modified_len/kilfitt/2780368/ <br /><br />http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kilfitt <br /><br />I got out some fungicide, and after cleaning off the powder from the deteriorated foam in the case and the external fungus, confirmed that, indeed, the interior of the lens was also "infected", at least the meniscus lens on the front, and perhaps on the mirror surfaces. The dial installed, built-in rear filters also are 'clouded', but the clear one is fairly clean. If the front-silvered mirrors are also affected (and I think they are), that would probably be it for this lens as a user, but I will wait to crack it open later. There are screws on the back that allow, I suppose, the filters in the dial to be changed or removed. The front bezel has notches for a spanner, though I don't have any that large (about 120mm across).<br /><br />In looking over current offerings of this lens on eBay, at least some of them seem to be in similar condition, so perhaps the really pricy ones are clean? <br /><br />So, after cleaning the exterior surfaces, metal and glass, I reassembled the Nikon mount that was with it (there was another mount of some kind that I can't identify - perhaps for use as a spotting scope?). I very briefly attached it to my Nikon F2, verified that it would focus to infinity, but also verified that optical quality was definitely compromised.<br /><br />Here is the lens on my Nikon F2:<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p><strong>Spiratone 300mm f/5.6 Mirror Mintel®-S</strong><br /><br />Kadlubeks Objectiv-Katalog does not list Spiratone lenses, but this may be the same lens as the Soligor SOL0350 300mm f/5.6 lens. <br />There were variants on the Minitel® form- a Mintel-T and this Mintel-S, at least.<br /><br />Most of the "house" brands tended to go with the same suppliers at any given time.<br /><br /><strong>Preface</strong><br /><br />Needless to say, this is yet another of my chain of posts on catadioptric (mirror) lenses and also on Spiratone gear.<br /><br />I had intended to do my 'new' Russian MTO 500mm f/8 lens, but that will need more effort than my flu-(w)racked body is capable of at this time (I am on the mend, though). Especially since the Russian lens will have to be done on a film body and with tripods and all.<br /><br /><br />However, it is over 70° F here today, and so I stepped outside my door and took some snap shots. This lens is definitely in the "Classic Manual" era, and it is the lens that is the issue. I shot these on a Canon 5D mkii "full-frame" body. The images are completely unedited as they came out off the CF card.<br /><br /><strong>Introduction</strong><br /><br />I had been bidding on the Spiratone (and a few other) 300mm catadioptric lenses for some time now. Never won. So I finally zeroed in on one and went all out. As has been the case before, this lens typically goes for more than most 500mm mirror lenses. However, this time I got one for only a little more than I paid for my Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f/8.<br /><br />Why was this one so sought after?<br /><br />•<strong>Collector demand</strong>?<br />I don't think that the 'critical mass' has yet been achieved in those trying to accumulate the Spiratone legacy, although that might be comforting to my heirs were it true.<br /><br />•<strong>Small Size</strong>?<br />Even the 500mm versions are relatively "hand-holding" lenses, but the '300' is even more compact and small (326 grams without adapter). I am sure that is part of the attraction.<br /><br />and the issue I was most interested in<br /><br />•<strong>Is it good enough that it is still wanted as a shooter</strong>?<br />You can judge for yourself below. There are other sample shots at places all over the internet, such as http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/8109623540/albums/spiratone-300mm-reflex-lens . A 1973 notice is in <em>Popular Mechanics</em> of November 1973 ( http://books.google.com/books?id=ldQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA198&lpg=PA198&dq=Spiratone+300mm&source=bl&ots=7RlVj1-IGY&sig=mjzY9EVdkVizJj0RcuXN3XM_iYw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4G1DUaXFNZbj4AOhwID4Cg&ved=0CPIBEOgBMBo#v=onepage&q=Spiratone%20300mm&f=false )<br /><br /><strong>The Lens</strong><br /><br />Here is an ad for the Mintel-S as offered by Spiratone in Modern Photography in December, 1983.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>Spiratone and Spiratone Colorflow™ polarizing filters<br /><br /><strong> Preface</strong><br /><br />I pondered where to post this, but I think the greatest interest in it as an historical discussion will probably be here on CMC although there would have been a number of other possible forums.<br /><br /><strong>Introduction</strong><br /><br />Some of you may have noticed that I comment frequently on the products of Spiratone, a New York City firm founded by Fred Spira in 1941 as a film development business in the bathroom of his parent's apartment in Manhattan ( http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/14/arts/14spira.html , also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Spira ).<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p><strong>The "Fool Shoot Camera"</strong><br /><br />The story is fairly simple. Autoexposure of cameras was already well underway. Only auto focus remained as the last achievement in making film cameras completely automatic. <br /><br />Or as Google Translation put it from a Chinese language article on the camera: "The fool shoot camera" (a translation of Jimmy Yen's page). <br /><br />Fool shoot indeed. This was what the old-timers characterized as the ultimate degeneration of photography. First it was dry plates, and then everything went to hell thereafter. <br /><br />"The Horror, the horror" (Colonel Kurtz).<br /><br />So an American company named Honeywell worked on the problem and came up with something called the Honeywell Visitronic autofocus system. Unlike some efforts to have autofocus by infrared or sound echoes ("active" systems), this system basically measure contrast in the light from the camera, which culminated in sharpest contrast at the point of optimum focus. (see "Electronic Focus for Cameras", by N. Stauffer and D. Wilwerding March, Scientific Honeyweller, Volume 3, No. 1 March 1982 - quoted in Camerapedia)<br />http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Konica_C35_AF. There is also an article about this from Popular Mechanics of May 1976 ( books.google.com/books?id=ReIDAAAAMBAJ )</p> <p><br />The Konica company was the first to use this principle (now pretty much universal) in late 1977. Another early adopter was the Minolta company, but unfortunately for them, without acknowledging the debt. According to one on-line article Leica invented the system -</p> <blockquote> <p>"However, the head honchos of the company believed that their customers knew how to focus and preferred focusing themselves, so they decided to sell the patent rights to Minolta." ( http://www.petapixel.com/2011/04/15/leica-first-invented-autofocus-but-didnt-see-its-value/ ).</p> </blockquote> <p>But, in fact, any confidence that they had covered themselves thereby was misplaced.</p> <blockquote> <p>(1991: Minolta's autofocus design was found to infringe on the patents of Honeywell, a U.S. corporation. After protracted litigation, in 1991 Minolta was ordered to pay Honeywell damages, penalties, trial costs, and other expenses in a final amount of $127.6-million<br> (source: NY Times - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minolta ).</p> </blockquote> <p>So here is the Konica C35 AF</p> <div></div>

<p>CanoScan 9000F vs. CanoScan FS 4000US<br /><br />In a recent query about how the CanoScan 9000F flatbed film scanner compared to other scanners, the OP (Al N. at http://www.photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00b9Qj ) asked for comparisons and actual examples. I started to answer, but the answer grew into what would have been a annexation of the original post, so I decided to do a new post, instead.<br /><br />All I personally have to compare the 9000F with in terms of film scanners is my ancient CanoScan FS4000US which I operate on an equally ancient 400 Mhz PowerPC G4 (the infamous and rare Yikes! machine using a super SCSI interface and VueScan software. The speed of the scanner is fine, but the SCSI interface is rather slow. I have detailed my scanning adventures before at http://www.photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00arR1 .<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p><strong>Canon A-1 - a "professional camera" in the A series.</strong><br /><br />April 1978<br> FD mount<br> Kadlubek Nr.CAN0650 <br /><br />w/ FD 28mm f/2.8<br /><br />The eBay ad was fairly explicit-<br /><br /></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>Canon A-1 SLR Film Camera w/ Canon FD 28mm 1:2.8 Lens & Case Parts/Repair</strong><br /><br />This Canon A-1 SLR film camera is in good, used cosmetic condition. It shows scuffs/scratches/dust/dirt due to normal use and storage. The lens is clear and free from scratches but does not zoom smoothly. The film chamber door is difficult to open. It is being sold as-is for parts/repair as we were unable to fully test it due to lack of batteries. Please not that the camera/lens may need additional repair that we are unaware of.<br /><br /></p> </blockquote> <p>Emboldened by a history of success in reanimating old East German cameras, especially Exaktas, I put in a low bid on this, and found out that the other 6 bidders were even more cheapskates that I was. I suspected that a prime lens would not, in any case. "zoom smoothly" but suspected rightly that the focus was scratchy.<br /><br />Well, I won for the price of around two pizzas ($27). I figured that even a non-functioning one that looked nice would be a good shelf queen and that if the lens was salvageable it lone would be a nice wide angle for my other FD-mount cameras (AE-1 Program, T70, T80, T90).<br /><br /><br />When it came, the obvious first flaw was that the lens bezel was broken, but there was no other sign of any damage, except that turning the focus ring felt like there was a pint of sand in the lens grooves. I tried blowing out the lens with a 'rocket' blower from the back, shook it vigorously, blew in air from the front, worked it, and either got the grit out, or pulverized it into lubricant because the lens became smoother, the more I worked it. <br /><br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p><strong>The state of the art in 1st and 2nd generation autofocus SLRs</strong><br /><br /><strong>WARNING: Heavy Musing Ahead! If taken internally may cause nausea, headaches, and rashes.</strong><br /> <br />I'm a bachelor, my kid is off to school, and my pets have died. This pretty much defines <em>freedom</em> - as Janis said in "Bobby McGee" (well Kris, but Janis said it better).<br /><br />Looking back, I am somewhat nonplussed to find that I have got to this stage. It was just one lens to start with. Then ...<br /><br />Well, anyhow, although my heart may still belong to my beloved DDR cameras (from the "workers' and peasants' state"), I had got interested first of all in the history of EOS Canon cameras. That led to a long chain of reports on the Canon forum and later on Modern Film Cameras. At the very end I have listed links to these 'reports' and the early AF cameras more generally for anyone crazy enough to be interested in the series. I admire our colleague Eric Skopec who has actually published a book on his work with the Canon FD cameras (search for, but a link to Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Manual-Focus-SLRs-Collectors/dp/1463674686 ), but I confess I follow the idea of Ecclesiastes 12:12<br /><br /></p> <blockquote> <p>"And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh."</p> </blockquote> <p><br />I spent my life in the "publish or perish" environment, and am still working on some professional projects, so I'm keeping my camera work strictly for fun, spiced up with the occasional flame war here on Photo.net. Even more than in academe, the heat of the argument is generally inversely proportional to the actual importance of the subject. ;)<br /><br />So where are we? "We" assuming that there is anyone still with me on this one.<br /><br />I have now looked at a lot of old autofocus cameras and the manual cameras that preceded them. I may not have the expertise of Herbert Keppler who was able to say:</p> <blockquote> <p><br />"I am not shilling for autofocus camera makers. I'm simply stating my conclusions after having used most manual-focusing cameras for many years on an almost limitless number of subjects. And I've now tried every different AF SLR system with almost every sort of autofocus lens." (Popular Photography 1988-12).</p> </blockquote> <p><br />Still if you look at my history of posts here, I think you have to admit I <em>should</em> have some basis for judgment. So what follows here is a short and opinionated discussion (perhaps the actual discussion, unlike the introduction, will be fairly short - you can always hope).</p><div></div>

<p><strong>T80 - Canon's First Autofocus SLR</strong><br />1985 <br />Kadlubek Nr. CAN0970<br /><br />Canon AC 50mm f/1.8 (FD(n)mount w/ AF motor)<br /><br />Canon AC 50mm f/1.8 4/6 1985 FD(n) - AC variant Kadlubek Nr. CAO4010<br />Canon AC 70-200mm F/4.5 8/11 1985 FD(n) - AC variant Kadlubek Nr. CAO4030<br /><br />There was a third lens that I do not have, the AC 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5<br /><br /><strong>INTRODUCTION</strong><br /><br />Not every step forward is a success. <br />Sometimes you have to fall so you can learn to get back up (according to Batman's father, anyway).<br /><br />So it is 1985. Point and Shoot 35mm AF cameras are popping out all over the place, having come on the scene in the late 70s. It became clear to all the major marques that this was a step that had to be taken in their more "professional" cameras. Wikipedia has more on these times at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autofocus . The early versions were mostly in-lens focus motors of various kinds that resulted in lenses with huge bulges -- what I call "goiter" lenses.<br /><br />I have already reported on a number of the more developed early AF cameras:</p> <table width="644" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><colgroup><col width="65" /> <col width="246" /> <col width="41" /> <col width="292" /> </colgroup> <tbody> <tr> <td width="65" height="15"> </td> <td width="246">Minolta Maxxum 7000</td> <td width="41">1985</td> <td width="292"><a href="../modern-film-cameras-forum/00YGy4">http://www.photo.net/modern-film-cameras-forum/00YGy4</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15"> </td> <td>Canon EOS 650</td> <td>1986</td> <td><a href="../canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00Vlot">http://www.photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00Vlot</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15"> </td> <td>Canon EOS 620</td> <td>1986</td> <td><a href="../canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00Vv2v">http://www.photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00Vv2v</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15"> </td> <td>Nikon N2020 (F-501 outside North America)</td> <td>1986</td> <td><a href="../modern-film-cameras-forum/00aezw">http://www.photo.net/modern-film-cameras-forum/00aezw</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15"> </td> <td>Yashica 230-F</td> <td>1987</td> <td><a href="../modern-film-cameras-forum/00axyS">http://www.photo.net/modern-film-cameras-forum/00axyS</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15"> </td> <td>Pentax SF-1 (SFX outside USA)</td> <td>1987</td> <td><a href="../modern-film-cameras-forum/00aqKC">http://www.photo.net/modern-film-cameras-forum/00aqKC</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15"> </td> <td>Canon EOS 630</td> <td>1989</td> <td><a href="../modern-film-cameras-forum/00YFVd">http://www.photo.net/modern-film-cameras-forum/00YFVd</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15"> </td> <td>Nikon N8008s AF (F-801s outside North America)</td> <td>1991</td> <td><a href="../modern-film-cameras-forum/00abnh">http://www.photo.net/modern-film-cameras-forum/00abnh</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="15"> </td> <td>Nikon F80D (N80QD in USA)</td> <td>2000</td> <td> <p><a href="../modern-film-cameras-forum/00al2w">http://www.photo.net/modern-film-cameras-forum/00al2w</a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

<p><strong>Start</strong> [Ctapt]<br />USSR SLR Camera <br />1958-64 <br />Kadlubek KRA0250<br /><br />Lens: Start Bayonet-mount Helios-44 58mm f/2 (the Russian copy of the East German Biotar 58mm f/2 lens)<br /><br />Soviet SLR camera from KMZ in Krasnagorsk, maker of the Zorkis and Zenits<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p><strong>Olympus OM-System S Zuiko Auto-Zoom 100-200mm f/5 lens</strong><br /><br />Another inexplicable miss for <em>Kadlubeks Objektiv-Katalog</em>, which does not list it. <br /><br />It's another of those 'can't pass up a bargain' stories.<br> On another thread somebody asked for recommendations for lenses for an Olympus OM-1 series body. I made some suggestions but got curious what the lenses I had bought last year were going for now, so over to the KEH site. There it was. A BGN 100-200mm f/5 lens for only $31. Since that was only a "two-pizza" buy, I thought what the heck, and besides I was curious about the BGN rating. <br /><br /><br> Well, it came in only a couple of days (I'm not all that far from GA, where KEH seems to be located) and when I opened it up, it looked close to "new, old stock' in appearance to me. If this one is any indication, KEH really is very. very conservative in their ratings. It was clean, the white lettering un-besmudged, and everything worked smoothly. By the way, Zuiko 瑞光 seems to mean 'auspicious light', and this one lives up to the name.<br /><br /><br> There are good discussions of the lens at the Mir site ( http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/zuiko/htmls/100200mm.htm ) and pictures of its results at other sites like ( http://www.photosig.com/go/photos/browse;jsessionid=aRb7Fgd2Aik4EElkm3?id=36694 ).<br /><br /><br />This was another 'bargain' lens for Olympus. It was introduced sometime in 1981-2 -- B&H in their ad of March 1982 list it as 'new' with a call for price. By June of 1982 they listed its price as $169, less than half the price of the 85-250mm f/5 (at $389).</p><div></div>

<p><strong>Rapid Omega 100</strong><br />1975<br> Kadlubek Nr. KON1760<br> <strong>Introduction</strong><br> I keep trying to get more into medium format. <br />First, I got a Pentacon 6TL and a full set of lenses. <br />Then a Weltaflex 6x6 TLR.<br /> I even shot a bunch of 120 film 6x6 East German box cameras and folding cameras. <br />Somehow, while I had fun shooting all those cameras, and appreciated the greater clarity and detail of a larger negative, it never really 'clicked' for me somehow. <br /><br />But somewhere or other, recently, I saw what are generically known as "Koni-Omegas." Despite having exaggerated opening bids on occasion, some people did seem to be getting various versions of this line for reasonable prices. I also suspect that there is a general downturn in film camera prices, at least judging from some of the bargains I've got lately.<br /><br />So after several failures (a nice Koni-Omega with the wide-angle lens, was one), I put in a "holding" bid for one Rapid Omega 100 -- one of the last of the breed. I meant to come back with a more serious bid later, but got tied up away from computer and, too late, realized that the auction was over. I went on line to see what it had gone for, and to my astonishment found that I had actually won it, I think for less than anyone else has recently paid for one. <br /><br />One reason it may have gone unbid on, was that it came with the 220 film back, rather than the 120 back. <br /><br />There are older posts here on the Omegas such as http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00623G , http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00Qaws , and http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00QYTG?start=0 to give only the ones close to the top of a search.<br /><br />This camera evolved out of the Simmon Bros. Combat Camera PH-501/PF Signal Corps Combat Camera of 1944 - 1945, built in the United States during WWII as a combat camera ( http://www.peterlanczak.de/simmon_combatcamera1.htm ). Peter Lanczak seems to have pretty well "cornered the market" on this camera series - his detailed site shows all the variants and development, starting from http://www.peterlanczak.de/koni_overview.htm. The camera began as another of those Allied efforts to make up for the inability to acquire German cameras during WWII. <br /><br />Here are some of the stages in development. The 1954 model is a commercial model, available directly to the public.</p><div></div>

<p>Canon EOS 3 - the last EOS history report (for now)<br /><br />This camera was introduced in November, 1998, and was sold into 2007. Together with the EOS Iv, the EOS 3 is the last of the <em>professional</em> 35mm film cameras for Canon.<br /><br />This is, it is safe to say, a much beloved camera. User reviews are extremely pleased with the camera in nearly every aspect of its function. It was the last of the Canon EOS cameras to have the ecf (eye-controlled focus) feature. Even without using the ecf, setting and using the focus system is easy and accurate. Frankly, it works almost like the digital EOS cameras of later introduction-- a phrase that should be kept in mind as its features in general are discussed.<br /><br /><br />In Canon's own words:<br /><br /></p> <blockquote> <p>A sturdy and modern, full-featured SLR for professionals and advanced amateurs alike, the EOS-3 incorporates a host of technological advances that raise the bar for peformance in a high quality 35mm SLR. These features include a 45-point autofocus system, Canon's amazing Eye-Controlled AF, predictive AF up to 7 frames per second (with optional Power Drive Booster PB-E2 and NP-E2 battery pack), E-TTL auto flash, 18 custom functions, compatibility with Canon's full range of autofocus lenses and Speedlites, and much more. These capabilities are incorporated into a rugged body with easily accessible controls for quick and easy execution of camera operations. Almost instinctual, the EOS-3 will help to ensure that you never miss a shot again.<br /><br /></p> </blockquote> <p>This camera is in Canon's support list at <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer/eos_slr_camera_systems/eos_35mm_slr_cameras/eos_3#ServiceAndSupport">link</a>.<br /> <br /><br />Philip Greenspun's (Photo.net pioneer) review is here at <a href="../equipment/canon/eos3">link</a> and another P.net related discussion of the camera is to be found at <a href="../canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00O4g8">link</a> and a link there to <a href="http://lilserenity.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/first-impressions-canon-eos-3/">external review</a>.</p> <p><br />The camera is fairly large, measuring 161x119.2x70.8 mm Its mass without the battery is 780g.<br />It is also, and this is important, weather sealed. <br /><br />BUT A PLASTIC BODY, OMG, the sky is falling!<br /><br /></p> <blockquote> <p>Hybrid Fiberglass Reinforced Polycarbonate and Metal Body • According to the Canon EOS Technical Overview (CT2-1114-001), the EOS 3 body is..."constructed of glass-fiber reinforced polycarbonate with aluminum inserts around the aperture area with exterior panels of rigid engineering plastic." (<a href="http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/canon_eos3.htm">source</a>)<br /><br /></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>SPECIFICATIONS</strong>: (based on the Canon site linked above)<br />Type: Eye-level pentaprism<br />Picture Coverage is 97 percent vertically and horizontally, almost like the EOS 1 (near 100%). Magnification is 0.72x<br />Frame advance includes One-shot and AI-servo, just as on modern dSLRs. Film advance speed depends on which batteries and power packs are used. The regular 6v lithium battery runs film through at 4.3 fps; but with power packs the speed goes up to 7 fps. This is very respectable indeed -- 6-7 seconds to burn up a 36-exposure roll of film!<br /><br />Shutter Speeds: 30 sec to 1/8000 sec in 1/3-stops, X-sync at 1/200 sec. <br />To my astonishment, my wire-remote trigger (RS-80N3 Remote Switch clone) for my 20D and 5D works just fine with the EOS 3. I discover that this remote works for EOS-1V/1VHS, EOS-3, EOS-D2000, D30, D60, 1D, 1Ds, EOS-1D Mark II,III, EOS-1Ds Mark II,III, EOS-10D, 20D, 30D,40D, 50D, 5D, but you-all knew that already, right?<br /><br />FOCUS<br />Focusing, as noted, can be controlled by the eye-controlled focus system (ecf) . There are 45 focusing points in the default mode.<br />Focusing Point Selection can be automatic selection where the focusing point is camera-selected, so far as I can tell, pretty much like modern digital EOS cameras. Of course, the focusing point can also be manually-selected.<br /><br />A feature missed in the early reviews was the lack of an autofocus light without attaching a flash. The AF focus works in the range from EV 0-18 at ISO 100.<br /><br /><br /><br />EXPOSURE<br />Metering Modes TTL maximum aperture metering with a 21-zone silicon photocell. ISO Film Speed Range: ISO 6-6400.<br /><br />1. Evaluative metering (linkable to any point)<br />2. Partial metering (approx. 8.5% of viewfinder at center)<br />3. Center spot metering (approx. 2.4% of viewfinder at center)<br />4. Spot metering (linked to focusing point at approx. 2.4% of viewfinder)<br />During continuous shooting with metering modes 3 & 4, the first shot is metered and the meter reading is locked (AE lock) for subsequent shots in the same burst.<br />5. Multi-spot metering (Max. 8 multi-spot metering entries)<br />6. Center-weighted averaging metering<br /><br />Exposure Modes <br />1. Program AE (shiftable)<br />2. Shutter speed-priority AE ( in 1/3,1/2 or full stops, safety shift enable with Custom Function)<br />3. Aperture-priority AE (in 1/3,1/2 or full stops, safety shift enabled with Custom Function)<br />4. Depth-of-field AE<br />5. E-TTL program flash AE (high-speed sync, FE lock, and wireless control enabled with 550EX)<br />6.A-TTL program flash AE<br />7. TTL program flash AE<br />8. Manual<br />9. Bulb<br /><br /><br /><br />OPERATING SYSTEM (as we call it these days)<br />Controls include the Quick Control Dial (QCD) like those on the EOS 1 and on higher-end digital camera models. This is the large rear thumb wheel to adjust exposure compensation, aperture, etc depending on the mode chosen, There are mode, drive, ISO, etc., buttons to the left of the prism on the top of the camera, used together with the other controls to set speed, and so forth. Having these, instead of a dial as on the XXD dSLRs, may partly reflect the fairly high-level of weather-sealing here.<br /><br /><strong>CONCLUSION</strong><br />It's all been said, I think. This is a remarkable and much beloved camera. <br /><br /><br />As one history of the camera put it:</p> <blockquote> <p>The EOS 3 signaled the end of the film era and, along with the 1V, is among the top two film cameras made by Canon. Many of its features such as AF and flash metering lived on in the early 1D series. The durable build means it will outlive most Elan and film Rebels, so it's a smart choice for your last film camera purchase." (<a href="http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/canon_eos3.htm">source</a>)<br /><br /></p> </blockquote> <p>Without quibbling over terms like "end of the film era," this EOS 3 is a still viable component of a Canon EOS kit that includes film shooting or backup. This is why it sells for half again more than many older EOS film cameras that are also still viable, like the ESO 10s or the EOS 1. It even often goes higher than a EOS 1N, but usually about half to a third of what a (still-current) EOS 1v goes for. Of course, lenses, power packs, and other accessories radically affect prices and make it a little difficult to compare.<br /><br />Although the camera is shown in the illustration below with the EF 35mm f/2 lens, I actually shot this one with the EF 24-105mm IS L f/4 lens. Actually, this somewhat degrades the AF system which works better with f/2.8 or faster lenses.<br /><br /></p> <p> </p><div></div>

<p>The L series is a very high quality camera of rugged construction, following the nadir of DDR camera quality in the nova and IV series*. Old meters, of course are less likely to still be working, but with a bridge circuit, the L series will work fine with alkaline 625 batteries with no worry about matching voltages or weakening charge. These also have a very ingenious and capable auto-load system.</p> <blockquote> <p><br />"The important novelty of this generation was the Praktica EE2, introduced at the Photokina 1976 and on the Photo World '77 (Birmingham) as a camera with "fully electronic, full aperture TTL metering SLR" or "camera-computer". This camera was a combination of an stepless electronic time control between 1 sec and 1/1000s and electronic aperture simulation. These camera was used in the space on board of Salut 6 in September 1978 by Bykowsky (USSR) and Jähn (GDR)." (<a href="Mike Otto (http:/www.praktica-collector.de/Praktica_L_2nd_generation.html">Mike Otto (http://www.praktica-collector.de/Praktica_L_2nd_generation.html</a></p> </blockquote> <p>This one is the basic model with no meter at all (Hummel Nr. 192, Kadlubek Nr. KWE 1600) (<a href="http://www.praktica-collector.de/192_Praktica_L2.htm">http://www.praktica-collector.de/192_Praktica_L2.htm</a>). In production from December 1975 to January 1980 with 161,240 cameras produced. This is very much a rival to this day to the screw-mount Pentaxes as a beginner film camera, and with its extremely rugged vertical metal shutter, it is likely to still be operating perfectly--perhaps, if right out of the closet, with a little exercise first.<br /><br />I tried it with a "full" outfit of the time: A Pentacon auto 50mm f/1.8, an older-than-L Meyer Lydith 30mm f/3.5 stop-down lens, and a contemporary Pentacon auto 135mm f/2.8. When it was made, the Lydith was an "ultrawide" since wide-angle designs were still struggling to fit the rear of the lens into mirror clearance.<br /><br /><br> The film was appropriately enough an Indian rebranding of exactly the film to shoot in an old Praktica - the old ORWO NP22 rebranded in India as Nova SilverPlus (ISO 125) [thanks again to Subbarayan Pressana for making this possible.] ORWO was the old Agfa plant in the DDR and a major supplier of film to the Second World.<br> <br />I processed it in D-76 for 8 minutes with Photographers' Formulary Archival Fixer (no stop bath needed). Of course it's always a little hard to show the results when the images are necessarily scanned in, but this time the film produced rich tones with good shadow and highlight detail.<br /><br /><br /> </p><div></div>

<p>Praktina FX (FX-A Version C) with C.Z. Jena Biotar 58mm f/2.0<br /> <br /> Hummel Nr. 109, Kadlubek KWE 2070<br /> <br /> <br /> This is a highly significant model originally built from 1953 by VEB Kamera-Werke Niedersedlitz, and after 1959 by VEB Kamera- und Kinowerke Dresden. This became in many ways the core of the VEB Pentacon of later years. In many ways this is the first "System camera" that was designed from the start as a system. The Exakta had system features, but "just growed" rather than having been intelligently designed as a system from the start. I think it likely that a Japanese maker of rangefinder copies of the pre-war Contax known as Nippon Kogaku took a good look at the Praktina when designing their new Nikon F system camera introduced in 1959. True to form for situations where the DDR industry had a claim to priority, this is rarely acknowledged (see such histories as <a href="http://www.cameraquest.com/fhistory.htm">link</a> , for example, but not to pick on that one especially). <br /> <br /> Production of the FX model was from 1953 to 1958. The fully automatic diaphragm IIA was made from 1958 to 1960. All models continued to be sold at heavily discounted prices for some time afterwards.<br /> <br /> <br /> It had interchangeable viewfinder elements (including the ability to choose different field lenses) with a removable pentaprism, a waist level finder, and even a stereo finder to work together with a "Stereotach"-like splitter on the front of the camera so you could see the image in 3D in the finder. The mirror was not an instant-return type, but for sports use and the like, an optical non-focusing viewfinder was provided with a field roughly equivalent to a 50mm lens. It had a 17m cassette for 'bulk' film, especially for use with an electric (12v) motor for film advance. A spring powered motor was also available (rather like the Robot cameras). There are only three major variants (Praktina, Praktina FX, and Praktina IIA), but there are something like a total of 8 minor variants depending on the number of flash sockets, certain labels, and so on) (Dr. Mike Otto's site on Praktica (<a href="http://www.praktica-collector.de/">link</a> ), also includes these cousins and a break-down of the variants can be seen at <a href="http://www.praktica-collector.de/Praktina.htm">link</a> ).<br /> <br /> One of my examples of the FX has the premium normal lens for the camera, the Carl Zeiss Jena (in export, C.Z. Jena) Biotar 58mm f/2.0. Herbert Keppler of Modern and Popular Photography presented in one of his later columns a comparison of this lens to the current Nikon offerings at http://keppler.popphoto.com/blog/2007/04/inside_straight.html with surprising results. It is, quite simply, one of the all-time classic lenses, often copied, but rarely excelled. My other FX has the less expensive normal lens, the C.J Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 (lately used by SP in his series on Bangalore and other old DDR cameras and lenses). The pictures below were all shot with the Biotar. A full range of lenses from fairly wide angle (for the time) to 1000mm lenses were available in the distinctive Praktina bayonet mount. It's a bayonet and twist collar combination. The same kind of mount in a larger size was also used for 6x6cm cameras like the Pentacon 6 and some models of Kiev. The mount superficially looks like the Canonflex and Canon FL lenses also introduced in 1959. By the end of the series many of these were available in fully automatic diaphragms for the Praktina IIA.<br /> <br /> The pictures below first show the model FX Praktina with the Biotar and the page from the <em>Reiche Auswahl</em> 1956 DDR catalog for their own citizens.<br /> <br /> The film canister is a roll of Fuji ProPlus 100 color negative film, which I understand to have been made in India. Certainly the canister has only the minimun information on it in Roman characters. Sincere thanks to Subbarayan Prasanna for allowing me to try this out. It's a nice film.</p><div></div>

<p>Marc asked for <a href="../classic-cameras-forum/00VHpr">this</a> , and this is the best I can do off the cuff. Perhaps later I can do something more. Any suggestions are welcome.<br /> Since I am generally not a "completionist", my own collection of Prakticas and their relatives in the DDR SLR area is in fact an attempt to have a "representative" collection -- one or two from each generation/model family. These are not necessarily significant to someone outside the Praktica world as such. What follows is quick and dirty. I'll do a another post later if I can get to it. A much more detailed account of models and so on may be found at Dr. Mike Otto's wonderful site (<a href="http://www.praktica-collector.de/">link</a> )</p> <p>Of course we have already discussed the early stuff a little. The Ur model is the Praktiflex of 1939. It is the "first instant return mirror" according to some of us, anyhow. This model was produced for war reparations after the end of WWII, but some did make it into the USA though outlets in NYC like Abe Cohen and Peerless, which had offered Dresden cameras as late as 1941. Even Dr. Mike Otto does not have the first model with Gothic lettering. The shutter release/mirror button is on top of the camera.<br /> The second generation of Praktiflex no longer had the mirror return and the shutter release was moved to the front, where most SLR cameras today have it. Production started in 1947. All the early Praktiflexes have a M40x1 mount. A very few Praktiflexes at the end were made with M42x1 mounts but given the waste-not strategies of the KW, these may not actually precede the Praktica M42x1 mount, so whether they are actual prototypes or just clearing out the old parts bin, is uncertain.</p> <p>There is a later Praktiflex FX that has nothing to do with Praktiflex per se, merely being a reversion to the name for export reasons in the USA. It is simply a rebadged Praktica FX.<br /> 1949 saw the introduction on the Praktica (and as above) of the "Universal" M42x1 mount. later called the Pentax mount (there's a pattern here, by the way that goes back to the Asahiflex, but that's another story).<br /> The next landmark is the Contax S of 1949, arguably the first pentaprism camera (designs at Zeiss went back before the end of the war). It is essentially a Contax body with a prism, and one of the classiest SLR designs ever in my opinion. It was out of what remained in Dresden of Zeiss Ikon, not KW, of course.<br /> The next big step was the introduction in 1952 of the Praktina. Many argue that this was the first camera <em>designed</em> as a "system" camera for 35mm. It had a full set of Zeiss and other lenses in a breech lock mount, motor drives, interchangeable finders, and so on. Of course, some of these features were available on the Ihagee Exaktas, but that was something that had "just growed" rather than being designed from scratch to be a system.<br /> The Praktica IV and V came in 1959. They are the first Prakticas with built in pentaprisms.<br /> The Praktica nova (lower case) was a much modernized and more advanced camera (1964), but there were problems in production, at least, and this probably represents the nadir of KW camera production. A more developed model aimed at export markets, the Praktica PL nova marked a partially new family of Prakticas. One of these, the Praktica PL electronic "was the first SLR with an electronically adjustable shutter speed. Using a electronic circuit with different resistors were used for the adjustment of the shutter speed," according to Dr. Mike.<br /> An effort, I think the last in all of Europe, to respond to Japanese expansion in the market was the ill-fated Pentacon Super of 1968. It was a very nice camera, but simply could not compete with Canon and Nikon, and was fairly costly, even with socialist production. As I can testify, finding one today involves some serious cash outlay.<br /> 1969 was the year that the still growing VEB Pentacon had a rebirth with the Praktica L series. Altogether there were four generations of L cameras, the last of which were also the last M42 Prakticas. These had a new vertically moving metal shutter. Most of them are still working, in my personal experience, although the same cannot be said for their built-in TTL meters. Lenses (called Electric") were made with electric contacts for wide-open metering starting with the LLC in 1969. Some kind of a first, anyhow. Some of the best of the Ls were the VLC models (based on the Exakta RTL 1000, with removable pentaprism and all).<br /> In 1979, a new bayonet mount (Praktica B) was introduced, but production of the L line also continued up to the end of the DDR.</p> <p>The last Praktica SLR was the BX20S produced after the fall of the wall in 1989. A very nice little camera, that "coulda' been a contender" in a different world. Remember Canon EOS was introduced in 1987.</p>