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Post by heath on Jul 11, 2005 7:09:06 GMT -5
In the last 4 months I have won 2 Prakticas on eBay here in Australia. The first was a LB which I wanted just to replace my Yashica TL-Electro which has a damaged focusing screen and is near impossible to focus. The one I got had a few lenses in the kit and I got it for less than $50 AUD, including a case. Then about 2 months ago I bid on and won a MTL-5 body for the total sum, including postage of $20 AUD. The seller was so hard to make contact with I virtually wrote off the find and bid on and won a Fujica ST605-N which I got for $30 AUD. Then the seller of the MTL-5 contacted me and within a few days I had it in my hands. This body in in almost mint condition cosmetically and as it didn't have a battery, I wasn't sure if the meter would work. I had a battery of the correct size and voltage and guess what? The meter worked and is quite accurate. So now I have a pretty good M-42 mount SLR kit consisting of 3 body's and an assortment of lenses.
Heath
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Post by Just Plain Curt on Jul 11, 2005 22:40:19 GMT -5
Nice M42 collection (so far) but beware, like rangefinders, these can be addictive, lol. I know only too well, I have 61 so far.
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Post by John Parry on Aug 18, 2005 6:29:57 GMT -5
Highly addictive - I have 10 now, the latest being a BC3 (unusual here in UK). Some of the older mechanicals are developing wind on problems, but they are so reasonable that you just get another - I haven't had much luck with repairs. The MTL5 is a lovely machine - third last of the mechanical range. The 'Praktica' lenses are superb - the standard 1.8/50 is crystal clear and will focus down to 10 inches.
Good luck and good hunting.
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Post by heath on Sept 30, 2005 9:08:27 GMT -5
Nice M42 collection (so far) but beware, like rangefinders, these can be addictive, lol. I know only too well, I have 61 so far. Curt, you are right in saying that M-42 mount SLR's are addictive. I now have another 4 of them. All Zenits, a -B, a -TTL, a FS-12 and a FS-122. Plus I am looking at a very nice Pentax Spotmatic that is in a local Camera Dealer/Photographer's shop. Heath |
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Post by doubs43 on Oct 3, 2005 21:49:17 GMT -5
In the last 4 months I have won 2 Prakticas on eBay here in Australia. Heath Heath, you've done well with your pair of Praktica cameras. I have a few myself, the earliest being an FX3 and the newest an EE2. I have quite a few in between those models. While the Zenits are OK, IMO the Prakticas are better. If you do get a Spotmatic, you'll immediately see a huge difference between the smoothness of it and the Prakticas and Zenits. You'd find the same difference if you were to purchase a Ricoh Singlex TLS, a Fujica ST-701 or a Yashica TL Electro-X. Still, I like my Prakticas and a good one works very well. I have noticed that prices have recently gone up in the States for Prakticas, especially the MTL models. I do have an LLC on the way and I'm anxious to get it. Keep your eyes open for the Praktica LTL, LTL2 & LTL3 models. They are good cameras. Walker |
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mickeyobe
Lifetime Member
Resident President
Posts: 7,280
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Post by mickeyobe on Nov 16, 2005 15:39:54 GMT -5
I am feeling rather smug.
Two weeks ago I recieved a lovely Busch Pressman Model C 2-1/4" x 3-1/4". $16.50. An ebay purchase. With shipping and taxes it cost me $35.10 US.
I have had the flashgun for this camera for several years.
It had no lens or shutter and the lensboard was missing. Other than that it was in very good condition.
I just happened to have a lens mounted in a shutter that was suitable but no lensboard. I could not find one anywhere so I decided to make one. But I was unable to find a material - any material of the correct thickness until I found a 12" rigid vinyl floor tile in Home Depot that was just perfect. It was very easy to cut and file and drill and I have enough left over for several more lensboards or a very small, irregular floor.
Mickey
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Post by kamera on Nov 16, 2005 16:31:36 GMT -5
The neat thing about M42 lenses is that they can be used on a number of cameras without adapters, not just Pratikas.
About 4 years ago, I was in Detroit for a photography seminar and heard of a camera store that was going out of business, located about 30 miles north. I had time to spare, so went there. Darn...I could easily have spent an entire day there and lightened my wallet about $1000 except I did not have that much.
This store was dusty and just crowded with boxes stuffed with photographic equipment, and was manned by two men who appeared to be 100 years old. I did walk away with a Busch Pressman Model D with a Wollansak 135mm lens, flash and plates.
I, every once in awhile, put on an old hat from the 50's, stick a card in it that looks like a press pass and go out and just play I am a newspaper photographer. Uh...no...excuse me...I am halucinating again... ;D ;D
But that camera, made in Chicago, Illinois, USA, IS one of my prize possessions.
Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI
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Post by herron on Nov 17, 2005 11:02:41 GMT -5
About 4 years ago, I was in Detroit for a photography seminar and heard of a camera store that was going out of business, located about 30 miles north. I had time to spare, so went there. Darn...I could easily have spent an entire day there and lightened my wallet about $1000 except I did not have that much. Ron: Do you recall the name of the store? I was at a camera store close-out several years ago in this area, and now can't even remember the name of the store! We might have bumped elbows!  |
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PeterW
Lifetime Member
Member has Passed
Posts: 3,804
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Post by PeterW on Nov 17, 2005 12:23:17 GMT -5
Hi,
Prakticas and, in particular, Zenits are fetching very low prices here in the UK at the moment (though one or two dealers at camera fairs seem to think they're worth more).
I've got 10 Prakticas at the moment, A Nova I, Nova Ib, LTL, MTL 5, MTL 5B, Super TL1000, Super TL 2, VF, VLC and a BCA. The best standard lenses IMO are the Zeiss and Pentacon, though the cheaper option of the Domiplan isn't at all bad. Least is the cheapest option, the Meritar, not a lens I'm at all fond of. But it doesn't matter a lot because you can pick up good M42 lenses quite cheaply. At the moment I'm running the MTL 5B with a Russian Helios 44-M-4, a beautiful lens which cost me £2. The VLC at the moment is giving a spot of trouble with a sticky shutter on slow speeds, but it really just needs a CLA. All the others work fine.
I agree that they're not quite in the same class as Pentax, Yashica, Fujica and so on on for smoothness but they're genrally good rugged cameras.
I also agree that Zenits are a little more agricultural in feel, often in the shutter release button on auto diaphragm models which, on quite a few, has a jerky action.
This, however, is just a matter of not taking enough care at the factory. The adjustment for making them smoother is quite simple, though you have to take the top off the camera, and preferably the pentaprism as well, to get at the screws easily. Not really difficult, though.
I posted some notes with pictures about it in the Zenit Collectors Group forum about a year ago, and if anybody would like to see them I'll dig the pictures out and post them here in the Work Bench section.
Peter
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Post by Just Plain Curt on Nov 18, 2005 7:26:16 GMT -5
Hi Peter,
I'd like to see your notes posted to the Work Bench section if you wouldn't mind. Between all the on line forums, eBay etc. I have been guilty of missing many Yahoo forums in the past.
Wow, seems like you've got the collecting world by the tail there. I've seen oodles of Prakticas and Zenits go for peanuts there compared to buying in North America. Don't know if folks are all going camera crazy here, but lately I see more cameras being sold for 3 and 4 times what I paid for mine as recently as 6 months ago. Guess my only solution is going on every forum and attempting mass hypnosis. Watch the watch, you are getting sleepy. You will all stop bidding on old cameras as they are evil and will delete your bank accounts. LOL.
Maybe it's just a trend and will slow down but I also notice waaaay more re-sellers buying up every decent lot or group of cameras. Personally I shop Ebay for me and it drives me crazy seeing the same dozen plus dealers buy every lot I want at the last second. I guess I can always bid on their items only to pay three times as much. Spiteful devil that I am, I keep a list of buyers I see outbid me often.
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Post by doubs43 on Nov 23, 2005 13:38:46 GMT -5
Just before leaving for a week's vacation about 15 days ago, I received a nice package in the mail. The camera is a Praktica LTL-3 and the advance is as smooth as any Praktica I own. I already owned two LTL-3 Prakticas so why did I buy this one? It certainly wasn't for the 135mm f/2.8 Hanimar lens on the body. There was a second lens though........ a 200mm f/4 Super-Multi-Coated Takumar in absolutely mint condition! It included the original case for it. So, for $57 I got a perfect working Praktica LTL-3 body and a Pentax Takumar lens easily worth the total amount I paid.
For those of you who haven't been following Takumar lenses on ebay, the quantity available is going down and the prices are going up. IMO, the digital crowd are using them on their cameras and collectors are snapping up the nicer pieces. There also seems to be more competition for these lenses from non-USA buyers. The days of cheap Takumar lenses may be coming to an end.
Walker
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Post by kamera on Nov 23, 2005 14:01:45 GMT -5
Walker,
Yeah...tell me about it. Know exactly what you are speaking about. I have tried several times to get a Takumar 28mm, 35mm and 200mm. Near the end of the auctions the bids just went sky high, and I quit.
The other day though I was able to snag on Ebay what should be a nice 35/3.5 Takumar. And today, went for a chance and got a Hannimax 90-230/4.5 lens and a Soliger 400/6.3 lens. All for very reasonable prices.
A little leery about the Hannimax and Soliger but will see how they perform when they get here.
Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI
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Post by doubs43 on Nov 24, 2005 2:21:29 GMT -5
Walker, Yeah...tell me about it. Know exactly what you are speaking about. I have tried several times to get a Takumar 28mm, 35mm and 200mm. Near the end of the auctions the bids just went sky high, and I quit. The other day though I was able to snag on Ebay what should be a nice 35/3.5 Takumar. And today, went for a chance and got a Hannimax 90-230/4.5 lens and a Soliger 400/6.3 lens. All for very reasonable prices. A little leery about the Hannimax and Soliger but will see how they perform when they get here. Ron Head Kalamazoo, MI Hi Ron, I'm not sure about the Hannimax - or zooms in general - but the Soligor 400mm should do well. Optically, the Vivitar and Soligor lenses will normally perform better than their prices would indicate. I have a Vivitar 500mm lens that is quite good, even when used with a doubler. Walker |
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Post by heath on Nov 25, 2005 4:40:39 GMT -5
I have a Soligor 105mm f2.8 that is a nice little lens. And I mean little. This is a preset lens for those who are unfamiliar with this particular lens.
Ron, is it a Hannimax or a Hanimex lens? I know Hanimex was a major distributor of the Praktica line of cameras in North America and Australia. They also re-badged lenses with their name (badge engineering) to sell alongside their Praktica line of cameras.
Heath
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Post by kamera on Nov 25, 2005 18:44:26 GMT -5
Heath,
Yes, I mispelled the word. The 90-230 zoom lens is a Hanimex!!
Ron Head
Kalamazoo, MI
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