Category: Film Cameras

In a previous post (A Tale of Two Cameras), I said that I’d still like to find a working Praktica VLC series camera. A few months back, one was offered on the Facebook Praktica DDR cameras and lenses group. After the first interested party backed out, I went ahead and purchased the camera from Máté Salga.

I’d like to describe the differences between the various generations of the VLC, because I hadn’t seen anyone else do that.

Exacta RTL 1000

The VLC story begins in 1969, when a Pentacon designer named Herbert Scholtze was in charge of  developing a new dual Praktica/Exakta camera with an all new body, and several modern upgrades.  This new camera would eventually become the Praktica L-series and the Exakta RTL 1000. The RTL 1000 used the Exacta bayonet lens mount, but was otherwise all new from previous Exacta cameras. It’s a relatively modern camera for it’s time, with TTL metering with a special finder (similar to the Photomic prism finders of the Nikon F and F2) and a metal vertical traveling shutter with 1/125th second flash synchronization. The camera was built (by Pentacon) until 1973. Note that Exacta had shut down in 1970, and de-registered it’s trademark in early 1971.

Praktica VLC

In 1974, Praktica (Ralph Noack) rebuilt the RTL 1000 concept more closely around it’s L-series body. Gone was the Exacta bayonet lens mount in favor of the more standard M42 screw mount Praktica introduced (1949, Zeiss Contax S), popularized in the US by Pentax. The M42 screw mount was about as close to a standard lens mount as 35mm cameras have ever come. The VLC took the interchangeable viewfinders from the RTL 1000, with the possible exception of the TTL finder. The TTL finder was not needed with the VLC, as the VLC incorporated TTL metering in the body, thus allowing the meter be used with the other three available finders (Pentaprism, Waist Level, and Loupe). I’ve not heard of anyone trying to use the TTL finder from the RTL 1000 on a VLC series camera. I’m interested if anyone reading this knows.

The VLC is distinguished from later models by not having a plastic-tipped rewind lever. Cosmetically, the name Praktica is in a lighter weight font, and the VLC name is located on the mirror box below the make. The focus screens are interchangeable, with the standard screen having a microprism focusing aid. Unlike most (all?) other cameras with interchangeable viewfinders, the VLC’s screen stays with the viewfinder, and not the camera body.

Praktica introduced electrical contacts to transmit the lens aperture setting, which allowed light metering with the aperture remaining wide open. The  electrical connection transmits a variable resistance value to the camera’s metering circuit.

The camera is fully mechanical with the exception of the light metering circuit. Power was from a 4.5V PX21 battery inserted into the baseplate of the camera. These were mercury cells that have been long discontinued. Exell makes a PX21A alkaline battery, which is a direct replacement. My camera came with a standard 1.5V AA battery, which not only fit, but worked just fine! The circuit is a Wheatstone Bridge type, and is thus independent of the voltage applied.

Praktica VLC 2

In June, 1976, the VLC2 was introduced, replacing the VLC. The VLC2 introduced the plastic tip to the rewind crank, making it a bit more comfortable to use. Cosmetically, Praktica was now in a bolder font, and the model in bigger letters over the shutter button. The shutter speed dial changed from black to chrome plated. This model was discontinued in 1978.

Praktica VLC 3

The VLC3 was introduced in 1978. The covering was changed to a non-slip texture design, but the big news was a new focusing screen with a combination of a microprism and split image range-finder was now standard on the focus screens supplied with the VLC3. The shutter was supposed to be quieter, and + and – symbols added to the light meter indication in the viewfinder. Production ended in January 1981.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Máté Salga, not only for selling me my Praktica VLC, but for his help in determining the spotting features between the generations or “phases” of VLC construction. Thanks also go to the members of the Praktica DDR cameras and lenses Facebook group for continuing to be an inspiration to get and use Praktica cameras. The following web sites also proved helpful in my research for this article:

• Mike’s Praktica Collection by Dr. Mike Otto
• Collection Appareils by Sylvain Halgand
• MIKE ECKMAN DOT COM by Mike Eckman (great Exacta RTL 1000 history and information
• Camera Manual Library by Michael Butkus, Jr.
• Wikipeda Praktica entry
• Above photos by John Kratz, Máté Salga, Ian Mackechnie, and Máquinas de Outros Tempos. Copyright of photos remains with the photographers.

After the problems I encountered with the Zenit 3m, I was still left with a taste for Russian lenses. I decided an M42 screw mount SLR (a.k.a. Pentax Screw Mount, or Praktica/Pentax Screw Mount) would be the best way forward. But what camera to get? Another, more modern Zenit? A Japanese camera?

Well, I had some ideas about the features I wanted. First and foremost, I really wanted to have a camera with a split image rangefinder, rather than the microprism focusing aid that was so common on M42 SLRs of the day. This eliminated many, many cameras. I also wanted to have a camera with a working TTL light meter that didn’t use the discontinued Mercury cell batteries. That eliminated many more cameras, although some that originally used mercury cell batteries could work on more conventional (and legal) silver oxide or Alkaline batteries.

The first camera that really got me excited was the Praktica VLC2 I found on eBay. Made in East Germany, Prakticas are probably the best camera that was available behind the Iron Curtain. Some were imported into the west, with the brand having some popularity in England. I believe Cambridge Camera imported some to the US market under their Cambron brand name. Rare to find Prakticas that aren’t listed “As-Is/For Parts Only,” this one was listed in fully working condition, with a 7 day return period. Well, that’s  a little short, but since it had been tested, and the eBay seller was willing to stand behind his product…

This camera had the advantage of having 3 available viewfinders, with 2 included in the kit. The pentaprism finder shown, plus a waist level finder. This is rarified stuff! On Nikon’s line, we only have this on the top tier pro level cameras, like my F2 Photomic, F4 and F5 (as well as the original Nikon F, F3, and the F6). The VLC series (original, VLC2, and VLC3) also shared full-aperture metering with Praktica’s PLC series (that was nearly identical, with the exception of a fixed pentaprism finder). The focus screens were also interchangeable.

Alas, problems quickly surfaced in the form of a stuck film winder. I found some information on-line about how to unstick the film transport mechanism (has to do with encouraging a lever in the mirror box), but the whole film transport, shutter winding, and mirror mechanism was acting very unreliably. Sometimes the mirror and second shutter curtain would stick. I’ve had the 1/1000th second shutter speed act like Bulb mode. Sometimes it take 2 or 3 strokes of the rewind lever (and 2-3 frames of film to be wasted) to return the mirror and cock the shutter. So off it goes back to Canada.

While the Praktica was on it’s way from Canada, this camera showed up on eBay. Fujifilm is the other film company, and like Kodak, it too produced film cameras. Kodak gave you the Plastic Fantastic Instamatic, while Fujifilm had a complete line of very serious cameras, including some wonderful medium format cameras.

The ST801 was among the last of the M42 mount SLRs that it produced. This sat one tier below the top of  the line, the ST901. The ST801 is a fully manual camera (although, with open aperture metering), while the ST901 only offered Aperture Priority Auto Exposure. I think the ST801 will prove to be the better tool when used with non-Fujinon lenses, such as the Russian (Zeiss copies) lenses I want to try out. Oh, and the ST801 used LEDs in the viewfinder to display the light metering, rather than the more common needle (as on the Praktica)

The Praktica transmits information on the aperture the lens is set to via three electrical contacts on the back of the lens mount. The Fujica has a very similar system to Nikon’s Aperture Indexing (AI) system, where a tang on the body surrounding the lens mount engages with a notch on the aperture ring on  the lens. Obviously, the systems aren’t interchangeable, but the one thing common to all M42 system cameras is they support stop down metering – where the metering is done with the lens stopped down to the taking aperture, usually via a depth of field preview lever or button.

The Fujica seems to operate flawlessly. There may be some issues with the light seals (40 year old foam usually does have issues), so I will replace the foam seals before loading with film.

This is a later version of the camera, and in the optional black body. Earlier versions of the camera (even in black) had individual chrome letters affixed to the front of the pentaprism finder, instead of the usual (as on this camera) engraved name filled with white paint. Some may like the chrome lettering. I think it’s a bit gaudy, but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker.

Price for the Praktica was about $100 plus shipping from Canada. Price for the Fujica was a mere $50 plus shipping within the US.

I’d still like to find a working Praktica VLC series camera. With the interchangeable finders, it’s about the most sophisticated M42 mount SLR I know of, and I like the ergonomics of the front mounted shutter button. If you know of one, “make me an offer I can’t refuse, and I won’t.”

This photo was taken shortly before the start of The Great Race here in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s actually one of the best photos that came out of the Zenit 3m.

Besides the horrific light leak, there were only 13 relatively properly exposed frames on the 36 exposure roll. Several frames were overlapped, and all this occurred in the middle of the roll. The beginning and end of the roll were not exposed. So there are some shutter problems, and some film transport issues.

A gentleman with a Nikon FE walked up to me to congratulate me on being the only other film camera user in the crowd. He said he was too cheap to go digital. As long as he could still get film developed, he’d be shooting film. God bless him – I wonder if he realizes that the places he takes his film digitize to a very low resolution. Like 4 Megapixels. Now, you don’t need a lot, even for an 8×10. I have a very nice 8×10 hanging in my livingroom, from my Olympus C2100UZ (the famous “UZi”), which is only a 2 Megapixel camera.

I wouldn’t have any problem replacing the light seals on this Zenit, but the other problems are show stoppers. Cheaper to buy another Zenit off of eBay that to fix this one. However, I don’t think I’m going to playing Russian Roulette trying to find a workable camera.

But I do like the idea of trying some of the Russian lenses, like the Helios 44 family 58mm f/2 lens. However, Nikon cameras have a lens mounting flange to film plane distance that’s too long for most Russian lenses (typically M42 screw mount) that prohibit focusing at infinity without some sort of intermediate lens (that ruins the optical characteristics). So I’m in persuit of a more modern camera with an M42 (a.k.a. Pentax/Praktica screw mount) lens mount.

Stay tuned!

Nikon D300, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, 1/60 sec. f/4 at ISO 200 w/ pop-up flashA short while ago, I bought this 50 year old veteran of the Former Soviet Union (FSU). This is a Zenit 3M. Since it had markings on the top to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, I thought it would make a nice conversation piece. But, I had to go try it out. Right now, it has it a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 film in it.

The camera is very simple. Zenit basically took an old, pre-WWII Leica II rangefinder camera, deleted the rangefinder focusing mechanism, and put a small mirror box and pentaprism on it to make it a Single Lens Reflex. Other simplifications were made, such as elimination of the slow shutter speeds (longer than 1/30th of a second). This isn’t really a problem for a camera of the day. You wouldn’t want to hand-hold a camera at shutter speeds less than 1/30th of a second, anyway.

The film advance has been updated from a knob to a ratcheting lever, and the film back opens on a hinge, unlike the Leica II this camera is based on.

I have to say, in short, I really like this camera, quirks and all. Quirks? Yes. There is no focusing aid in the ground glass viewfinder, and the mirror doesn’t automatically return after the exposure. The astute reader will notice I’ve added a larger shutter release button. The shutter button is a bit stiff, and has some knurling on top that makes it rather uncomfortable.

Did I mention how small this camera is? Let’s compare it to my Nikon F5 – another film camera that is similar in size to many professional DSLRs:

The F5 also happens to be loaded with film. This time, Fujicolor Superia ISO 200 film.  Yes sir! They still make 35mm film!