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Praktica BC-1
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Interesting Graham, I had no idea there were so many PB mount lenses, some of them must be very uncommon as I have never seen them!


Indeed. Some of the rarest are the vario-sonnars...(search ebay for vario-prakticar there are a few for sale).


PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hmm, they are all very expensive!

I wonder how they compare to the cheaper Sigma-made ones.

Interesting to compare the 35-70 Vario-Prakticar to the 35-70 Sigma Prakticar, see if the difference in IQ justifies the difference in price (a factor of 100x!!!)


PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Hmm, they are all very expensive!

I wonder how they compare to the cheaper Sigma-made ones.

Interesting to compare the 35-70 Vario-Prakticar to the 35-70 Sigma Prakticar, see if the difference in IQ justifies the difference in price (a factor of 100x!!!)


These are the Carl Zeiss Jena versions of the Contax lenses, they should be MILES better than the Sigma lenses Laughing Stan (trifox) has tried them Smile


PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Carl Zeiss PB lenses were produced for the Jenaflex weren't they?

The Jenaflex was Jena's answer to the Yashica-made Contaxes so I'm not surprised Jena put their best glass in PB mount for the Jenaflex.

PB Prakticas are ten a penny in the UK but hardly ever seen a Jenaflex.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 4:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
The Carl Zeiss PB lenses were produced for the Jenaflex weren't they?

The Jenaflex was Jena's answer to the Yashica-made Contaxes so I'm not surprised Jena put their best glass in PB mount for the Jenaflex.

PB Prakticas are ten a penny in the UK but hardly ever seen a Jenaflex.


The Jenaflex cameras are Praktica bodies rebranded Wink


PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I know, not really a direct competitor to a Contax but the best Jena could do in the 80s so it was an answer, just not one on the same level.

This is why I thought it strange to see so few Jenaflex bodies in the UK, maybe they were more expensive than the Prakticas so didnt sell well?

The late production Pentacons that are relabelled 'Carl Zeiss Jena P' were intended for the Jenaflex, you don't see many of those compared to how many Pentacons you see.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 5:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
As far as I'm aware, at some point all the Pentacon primes were renamed Carl Zeiss 'P'. Maybe this coincided with the release of the Jenaflex cameras?


PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, I think that happened in 1990 after reunification.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, the AM-1 is the only one I have seen.

I just bought a good condition B100 with the 2.4/50 pancake lens for less than 7ukp inc shipping. Not a fan of AE cameras but it is worth it for just the lens. The B100 can be my backup body to my BC1.






Last edited by iangreenhalgh1 on Tue Jun 14, 2011 7:52 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Graham,

I had two contacts at the time, one was an old friend repairer who worked for Zeiss/Pentacon who also ran his repair and retail shop, I sent him my 20/2.8 for repairs but one of his assistants put it in the wrong bin and it got sold instead Sad

I forgot to mention I have the Zeiss 55/2.8 Macro as well, which I found to be less good for distant work, but it could also be due to a repair I had to get done by another technician. The 80/1.8 is of course very potent. I do not have a B-mount Jena-built zoom, only a screw mount one: the Vario-Sonnar 80-200/4.

Jena-built lenses for the Praktica are not really Jena's version of the Oberkochen-designed lenses for Contax/Yashica. The nearest one would be the Vario-Sonnar 80-200/4, but if you compare the lens cross section you will see that they are totally different.

iangreenhalgh1,

Praktica (Pentacon) always use specialist lens manufacturers to supply lenses, after WWII, Hugo Meyer (Görlitz) and Carl Zeiss (Jena) became the main suppliers, with several secondary suppliers such as Sigma who re-mounted and re-branded their existing lenses. However, Hugo Meyer was acquired by Pentacon, and over the course of a few years the Meyer brand was replaced by the Pentacon brand on these Meyer-built lenses.

Of course this means the Jena-built lenses had always been part of the Praktica's original assortment of lenses, and definitely not introduced specifically for the Jenaflex. I have talked about this before, but allow me to reiterate. Carl Zeiss Jena acquired the Pentacon Groupin 1985, part of the deal was that Zeiss also acquired the rights to apply the "Carl Zeiss Jena" mark on products by the Pentacon Group, including Pentacon lenses built by Meyer in Görlitz. However these lenses were marked "Carl Zeiss Jena P". It is this deal which allowed some Praktica cameras to be re-badged as "Jenaflex". And that's definitely not post-reunification.


PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 7:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Praktica BC-1 Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Pretty shame I never touch any of them , it was too common to me Embarassed I trade one today in MINT shape, looks pretty excellent works well it has very screen handy infos in viewer, small.

What is your experience ?


Hi Attila,

I went out and bought myself a mint BC-1 today too, cost me the grand total of 6ukp. It is also working excellently, even the battery was still holding a good charge, I popped a roll of Kodacolor 200 in it and a Pentacon 1.8/50 on the front and ran out and took some pics as soon as it arrived today, will post scans of the shots as soon as I get the film developed.

My impressions so far - it's a beautiful camera, an absolute joy to use, the split screen focusing is fantastic and the viewfinder big and bright, the way it shows you the aperture via a little prism is very cool too.

It's quite small and light, slightly larger than my Pentax MG but slightly lighter, exactly the same overall size as my Olympus OM-10. I think it's a stunning looking camera, this is the camera I really wanted 20 years ago but couldn't afford so I'm delighted to have finally held and used one.

I shot the full roll in automatic mode to test how accurate the camera's metering is, can't wait to get the negatives back and see how they look, like a kid shooting his first films all over again!

Thanks Attila for inspiring me, I would never have been running around with an old Praktica loaded with film if I hadn't discovered your wonderful forum!






P.S. does your BC-1 have a warning written on the back not to load the film unless the shutter dial is in the 'B' position?


PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 7:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1,

Your example is a later version of the camera, the metal rewind assembly was changed to a plastic one as used in the second-chassis models (BX-series), with appropriate changes made to the top plate assembly.

While I can live happily with either type I prefer the older version: easier to set exposure bias, and rewinding feels like it has a bit more leverage due to the different rewind cranks.


PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Your very welcome Ian! Look forward your shoots!


PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm excited to see the shots Attila, thanks again for the inspiration!

Seele wrote:
iangreenhalgh1,

Your example is a later version of the camera, the metal rewind assembly was changed to a plastic one as used in the second-chassis models (BX-series), with appropriate changes made to the top plate assembly.

While I can live happily with either type I prefer the older version: easier to set exposure bias, and rewinding feels like it has a bit more leverage due to the different rewind cranks.


Hi Seele, yes, this camera is mostly plastic, feels very light, the Pentax is one of the smaller and lighter 35mm SLRs around yet is heavier than the Praktica due to being metal bodied.

I have a B100 as well and it is quite a bit heavier, not shot with that one yet, will do so later this week.

With the price of Praktica bodies, I could collect them all quite easily.

Are there any PB models you would recommend? I want a B200 as the B100 is AE only, the BX20 looks interesting too. A Jenaflex AM-1 is on the shopping list when I see a good one cheap...

I know a lot of people won't agree with me, but I liked the feel of the earlier 'grenade' style covering on the B100 and the later M42 Prakticas, made the cameras easy to keep a firm grip on and was very durable, much more so than leatherette.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 7:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1,

From what I know, the B200 is said to be better, the electronics were supplied by NEC of Japan, but from the BC1 onwards they're German-built. However I do not really think they make any functional difference, except the BC-1 has a simple flash dedication which, when the flashgun is charged up, it switches off the camera's metering system, sets the shutter to its mechanical default speed of 1/90s, and lights up the "flash ready" indicator in the viewfinder.

The second chassis BX-series is a complete re-design with a totally new shutter and full plastic cladding on the outside, and has full OTF TTL flash metering using the Olympus system. It is very nice to use, but I have never been totally at ease with the stop-down lever: instead of a separate sliding lever it is integral to the D/A lever, you push it the other way to stop down. The battery chamber cover is also somewhat weak so i have to use a length of tape to secure it to the baseboard. Otherwise it is a camera I can use unreservedly. The last model, the BX20S has added DX-coding but the body shape is very much an acquired taste.

Regarding body covering material: the change from "checkerboard" to smooth finish occured around 1981 but there are lots of samples made during this transitional period with both types.

Hope this is of some interest.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Seele, that is of help.

I know what you mean about the BX20, I remember seeing them when they were new and thinking it looked a funny shape.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 11:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Today I had time to take out BC-1 , I was amazed , small, handy , great camera. Last time I used Nikon FA (which is forever my favorite one.) Leica R-3 and Contax RTS , both LEICA and Contax not impressed me, but Practica BC-1 impressed me very well . I got a 35-70mm lens from Ian as a gift , MANY THANKS! Today I did try it out + an 50mm f1.4 Carl Zeiss Jena lens. Film was Fuji Sensia 100 , roll is not finished yet.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cool, how did the lens feel in use?

I am a bit upset that the roll of film I shot through my BC1 was ruined because the old developer I used didn;t work at all so I need to shoot some more.

I was also impressed with the BC1, the handling is so nice, it's so small and light and everything is so simple to work out, oh how I wish i had been able to afford one of these cameras 20 years ago!

Tomorrow I hope to finish off the second roll of film I put in the BC1 and will try again but with some D-76 developer this time.

Really looking forward to seeing your shots Attila, particularly from that 50/1.4!


PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I did put on 35-70mm after 50mm wider angle was impressive Smile, nice very compact lens.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hurry up and finish the roll Attila. I want to see what you get with this camera. You guys have me interested in getting one now. Although every one I see listed is in the UK.

What do you use for a battery and is it available?


PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
It works with 4 small alkaline batteries similar than LR-44 , seek exact info in Google. Even if you need to pay overseas shipping worth to take it if works well, many of them non working already, so buy it with care. Lens line is excellent , buy primes. Only one or two zoom made by Jena others are okay but nothing special Japanese ones.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Schnauzer wrote:
Hurry up and finish the roll Attila. I want to see what you get with this camera. You guys have me interested in getting one now. Although every one I see listed is in the UK.

What do you use for a battery and is it available?


It uses a short, fat battery that is still available, I forget the code now. The batteries last for years.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks.

I need this like another hole in the head but I bid on one.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Help to identify lenses by Koji.

http://www.pbase.com/kkawakami/mylens_prakticars


PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The battery code is PX28, also known as 544, 4LR44, which is four pretty standard button cells stacked together, with spacers at the ends, enclosed in a steel jacket. It is still widely available.

You can improvise by rolling four such button cells in a paper tube and then add a bit of metal as spacer, if you so wish. I found that Duracell brand PX28 can be disassembled and the cells inside replaced. There is also an adapter which takes four cells with built-in spacer available.
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