Special
Feature: Praktica LTL
There's
something about this camera that makes me want to use it all the time.
Praktica LTL
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Specifications:-
Camera type: TTL Metered Single Lens
Reflex
Lens Type: Standard fitment is either
Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar or Meyer Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm
Shutter Type: Focal Plane Horizontal
Blade Shutter
Speeds from 1 to 1/1000th sec. + B
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I
think it must be the rugged simplicity or maybe it's the freznel
focusing screen or could it be the Carl Zeiss lens? This is a question
that seems to have no answer. I have cameras with much more
sophisticated focusing and some with far superior lenses and if it's
just about simplicity I have dozens of those. I remember reading an
article on a website and the author said that Praktica went downhill
after the LTL and I think maybe he was right. It has the benefit of the
easy film load system and the metal blade shutter with an accurate speed
range from 1 to 1/1000th of a second and, if you're lucky you will find
one with the Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar lens. This model seems to be the
pinnacle of Praktica development after which financial considerations
meant that they started to cut corners in order to compete and although
I have 2 MTL's they just don't have the same feel. This is easy to load,
has very accurate focusing and every time you press the shutter it seems
to say "do it again, do it again" as if it just wants to be
used and this it does with such dependability.
There are some close up and macro shots on the
camera page but since then this camera has been out on a couple of
excursions. In fact after much consideration it was my camera of choice
for my Nephew's wedding because I needed a camera I could depend on
whatever the conditions. I did use it with a Makinon zoom lens for this
occasion because I needed the flexibility and there is never enough time
to change lenses when you get into the scrum for wedding photos. This
Makinon had proven itself to be pretty good on it's previous outing so I
was confident that it wouldn't let me down. The only drawback with it is
that although it would have been useful to have a polariser or UV filter
the outer lens thread is a whopping 72mm and I don't have anything that
big.
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I
won't bore you with loads of wedding pictures but just this one of the
happy event to show the focusing and metering capabilities of the LTL.
Bear in mind also that this is with a secondhand Makinon zoom lens of
unknown origin not the Carl Zeiss. This was a challenge for the metering
because the official wedding photographer insisted on taking these shots
under the shade of a tree on a bright day and, of course, he had pole
position. |
I know this is another picture
from the wedding but this is what I call a wedding car. |

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I was given a book on
walks in the Cotswolds for Christmas so I thought I'd try one out. This
leads out of Burford and across a few fields alongside the stream. Then
it turns across the stream and up to Fulbrook and back round to Burford.
It sounded easy enough but after the first leg along by the stream it
clouded over and looked decidedly threatening so we turned back.
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The next 2 shots below are from an
early morning trip to get some shots from the Ridgeway overlooking Avebury.
On the way there I had to cross over the river Kennett and this looked
like a good spot for a picture or two. When I got up onto the Ridgeway I
was a bit disappointed because although I could see Avebury in the
distance it was too far away to get any kind of meaningful sots so I
settled for a couple of simple pictures of the immediate area and went
home. |

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Meanwhile back in the garden with
that macro and just a couple of shots that weren't used in the main page.
The one on the left is a miniature rose approx 1 1/2" in diameter. As
for the strawberry I know the colour is not exact but it sure looks tasty. |

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To sum up the experience
of using this camera I would simply say it's great. An easy to use camera
with accurate focus and metering and total reliability. This, coupled with
the fact that it uses standard 42mm threaded lenses which are plentiful
and cheap, makes it probably the best value for money camera you could
hope to get your hands on. |
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