The Cameras of the GDR - 8 - The Praktica Story

Part eight of the documentary "The Cameras of the GDR and the Development of the SLR". To watch the entire documentary, here is a link to the playlist: • The Cameras of the GDR... .
In this particular video we continue our story with the development of the Praktica by Pentacon, and talk about Carl Zeiss, Zeiss Ikon, KW (Kamera Werk Niedersedlitz), Meyer Optik Gorlitz and Exakta were all really the samr Dresden company in East Germany. We show how Pentacon developed the Contax Rangefinder, the Contax S single lense reflex with pentaprism, and how this became the Pentacon camera as well as the company name. We also discuss the Praktiflex, Praktica, Praktina system camera and the various models of Praktica in the 60s 70s and 80's culmiating in the final model the Carl Zeiss Jena Jenaflex.
This is the first Praktika video, giving an overview and sharing some personal anecdotes and modern usage of the classic lenses for digital photography. The second video is more about the history and development of the Praktica camera.
The entire series follows the progress from the Origin in Jena, the Exakta and Praktiflex cameras, made in Dresden before WW2, through the development of the Contax S by Zeiss Ikon Jena and Dresden, and the Praktina in Dresden, how this became the Pentacon and later the Praktica of Kamera Werk Niedersedlitz (Dresden), or KW. How the various makers of lenses and cameras were consolidated at Dresden and Jena into one company, including the famous lens maker Meyer-Optik Gorlitz.
This and much more, including the movement of the intellectual property and machinery from the GDR (German Democratic Republic) to West Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Japan, with the involvement of the US Internationalists. It is an inter esting journey over 20 or so video parts, a Super Documentary, made during the winter of 2022/23 in Bromyard, UK.
Music by Lightnin' Papa Abe Ram and the Small Stones.
I hope you enjoy the videos.
Adam of Bremen-Krubally,
November 2022.

[@donaldlampert331]

Thanks, I love Praktica cameras, and have at least one of each Praktica models!

[@dirceunlopes7096]

Adoro estas câmeras analógicas, tenho várias, Miranda, Nikon e muitos acessórios!
Parabéns pelo excelente documentário!

[@MassimilianoGallieri]

Thanks for this documentary! I wanted to go back to film photography and I bought a newstock mtl3 praktica, it's perfect and it work great! I love the ddr story about it

[@saraofnorthwales]

If one is learning photography, it is necessary to do some film photography to understand everything. Developing and printing is nice. I did so much of it when I was a young man the thought of touching those terrible chemicals puts me right off now :) Don't let that put you off, however, there is nothing like watching a print come up in the developing tray. Amazing experience.

[@myshuvids]

PB mount
There were 7 models in the more modern and compact B-System
Production period: December 1979 to December 1988
Your Jenaflex AM-1 was produced from 1985 - 1987
The Jenaflex sucessor, the BM/S , then the BX20s were the last produced
I’m an avid Pentacon/Carl Ziess Jena collector and agree with most of your knowledge.
Interesting channel, on a complicated subject, cheers.

[@saraofnorthwales]

You are right, complicated. It took me months of research to get to the bottom of it. I only gave the overview, of course. The detail, like the BX20 and other specific models I left out to simplify it as much as possible. They seemed to have the same body style as the Jenaflex. Let me know if I am wrong there. Even so, it is a lot of videos to watch to get the full story.

[@WhoIsSerafin]

I won't ever do film again after 2002 but I do really enjoy listening to the history of all cameras.

[@welcomebackto505]

well done on 100 subs!

[@saraofnorthwales]

That's very kind of you

[@thomasmoje5926]

I'm curious about that camera sitting in front of the camera bag..bears a close resemblance to a Nikon F with a TN Photomic metering head.

[@saraofnorthwales]

That must be the Exakta RTL1000 - a really nice camera made in 1969, I think. It was to help Exakta users keep their really good lenses and have a modern body to use them on. It was, unfortunately, panned by the media as a fake Exakta, which it certainly was not, in my opinion. The Exakta company was absorbed into the company that made the RTL1000. I take my hat off to them. The camera is very collectible, can be picked up for about £50 - one needs the special lens really, that came with it, or an old Exakta mount lens will also do, yet not for the open aperture metering. I was lucky and managed to pick up both lens and body in the same Ebay timeframe yet from separate sellers - both at a good price. My favourite camera in the collection. A total classic industrial design.