Category: KW

Pentacon / KW Praktica L I thought I was done with the East German Praktica SLR models till I landed this on my desk, came together with another camera. The Praktica L is the first model of the Praktica L series, with the main change to the previous lot being the vertical metal shutter instead of the horizontal cloth. The...

Pentacon / KW Praktica LLC Yet another Praktica from the late 1960s. It seems that the Pencaon comrade CEO  gathered the secretariat for a naming meeting and pulled letters from a hat, this time LLC. I am sure that the Praktica naming convention was a conspiracy to confuse the West. Looking at a list of Prakticas, I find this quote:...

Pentacon Praktica LB 2 Together with the TTL SLR models, Pentacon kept selling a cheaper model in the Praktica lineup. The LB and the LB 2 that are almost identical. Here are dead simple cameras, typical Praktica build and looks, but with an external Selenium meter. First set the film speed – a ring around the rewind key turned by...

KW / Pentacon Praktica Super TL Some camera models keep me puzzled, whereas there are few information sources to chew upon, printed or online. The Praktica Super TL is a sterling example. Made by Pentacon in 1968, it has a tiny Pentacon symbol at the bottom; perhaps they knew there was nothing here to brag about. The camera seems to...

KW / Pentacon Praktica MTL 3, MTL 5 Another two models in the hardly different models list. The MTL 3 was introduced in 1978, with no preceding MTL 1 or 2. The model outsold all Praktica models, with about 865,000 made under Praktica MTL 3 and several other rebrands; see below. After that came the MTL 5, an identical camera...

KW Praktica LTL 3 A  late 1970 model of the ever-popular Praktica cameras, now by Pentacon.  Here is a well-built, solid metal camera with a fast vertical metal shutter that gave the Japanese a run for their money. The unit I have buzzes and hums as it should, although being 48 years old. Considering that East German’s quality control followed...

Praktica family model list The Praktica cameras, made by KW and later amalgamated within Pentacon, were made for over for 30 years.  Cameras were grouped into several distinct generations, as listed below, where the models were much similar within each generation. The naming convention is beyond me, as it kept going back and forth with little relevance to the model...