Praktica LLC

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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:

1969 PRAKTICA LLC, the world’s first single-lens reflex camera with TTL metering at an open aperture with electrical aperture simulation and aperture value transmission as the basis of automatic exposure, steel blade focal plane shutter, shoe mount for flash unit.”

Next to it comes the Praktica L:

“like model LLC, but without exposure metering.”

 Then, the Praktica LTL:

“like model L, but with TTL internal metering at working aperture as the basis for automatic exposure”

 Go figure.

The Praktica LLC on my desk is an odd creature. It measures with full aperture and automatically steps down for the curtain. For that, there are mighty contacts on the lens base, still using an M42 mount, and further required a matching ‘Electric’ lens. Pentacon tried to punch above their weight, as I did not see this feature in any later model so it could have been dropped on the following models. In the classic Praktica models, a user-operated lever pushed a pin at the lens base to step down. Here they added a servo motor within the lens will do it. Sure, other makers used this feature, but not at the Praktica class and cost point.

A large battery, the elusive PX 21, a 4.5v unit, is used to enable this. I haven’t seen one; I assume the size of an AA battery.

The body I have is a thrift store model that has seen better days, so I decided against spending $10 + shipping for a battery. I have tinkered with an adapter of a tube, a spring, brass screws, nuts, and three LR44 batteries. The meter did not wake up. So regrettably, this body goes to the donors’ shelf.

 

List number 11
Brand KW
Model Praktica LLC
Manual Butkus
Value
Format 35mm
Introduced 1969
AKA Porst Reflex CX 8
Country DDR
Qty made 177,000
Initial price
Currency
Type Compact SLR
Body material Metal
Mode Manual
Weight 575 gr,  Body only
Class average weight 610 gr,  Body only
ASA range 12-1600
Kit lens 1.8/50
Lens make Pencolar Electric
Filter size 49 mm
Lens mount Thread
Mount size M42x1
Aperture
shutter Focal plane vertical metal
shutter make
Light meter TTL, trigger activated
Winder Lever
Lock Yes, on trigger
Speeds B, 1-1000
Mirror Auto return
Viewer
DOF preview Yes
Exposure lock No
Exposure compensation No
Shoe Hot
External sync No
Sync speed 30, 125
Timer Yes, mechanical
Battery PX21
Battery style Long, sized like an AA
Battery voltage 4.5
Integral flash None
Other
More Matt’s
Retro film camera

 

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