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05-16-2015, 08:05 AM   #3931
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I kinda like them too, where can I find this program?

Anyway, another one for this thread:



05-16-2015, 07:58 PM - 2 Likes   #3932
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Here's one from last winter. Don't remember if it was the Canon A-1 or the K1000. Definitely Ilford HP5 400.

05-17-2015, 05:37 AM - 1 Like   #3933
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QuoteOriginally posted by _Ben Quote
Here's one from last winter. Don't remember if it was the Canon A-1 or the K1000. Definitely Ilford HP5 400.
Lens?

However as promised here there the results and a quick review of the Praktica MTL50, the last of the long maligned line of DDR cheap SLRs that flooded the western market before and after the fall of the Western wall.

Few observations first:

1) the MTL50 is the last model of the L line, produced the second half of the 80s and at that time it was the entry level model of Pentacon (the more expensive cameras were the electronically controlled B series that already had AE shutter priority, some of them TTL flash, in short they were much more advanced than the humble MTL) so it is really representative of the best Praktica could offer in terms of features and quality. The came came with the similar maligned Pentacon 50 mm f1.8 and a case, it looks brand new and although it feels lightly built (especially the parts made of plastic) both camera and lenses performed very well.



2) The MTL's quick loader system might feel agricultural in comparison with Canon's QL or Pentax multineedle design BUT it gave 39 exposures (yes the number is correct, 39, I shot 0 AND 00) out of a roll of Ilford XP2. That was a pleasant surprise.

3) Unlike the K1000, the lightmeter in average center. It works with CdS cells, a little slower going down when you move subject but all the 39 exposures came out well. In this one I tried to get the shadows of the brick of this white house at sunset and it worked. Of course the darker areas of the picture are underexposed but it's the first time the details on a white house came out so defined:



I used a Pentax YG filter for this shot, the Pentacon is 49mm thread, I also use the standard Pentax square hood but I plan to buy the funky Pentacon one that looks soo real socialism.

4) This is my favourite shot of the roll:



I like Ducatis.

5) That's also another cool picture, I appreciate the sharpness of the Pentacon stopped down:



6) Talking about the cheap Pentacon, it focus at 33 cm so it might be helpful for certain indoor shots, for instance this one wide open at 1/125:



7) Problem: the Pentacon max closure is f16 and the Praktica max speed is 1/1000s, so in bright light with a 400ISO film you might have issues in very bright days:



8) Bokeh: I see some slight vignetting on the lower left corner of this shot but not on the upper right one. This silly pic has been taken at f 1.8, minimum distance and 1/30s:



The recoil of the shutter is remarkable and the Praktica requires a owner with firm hand to be tamed at slow speed.

9) Cartman at f1.8 and 1/125 and at f2.8 at 1/60:





10) Another good shot IMO:



In conclusion if someone tells you Praktica are just junk don't believe him.

P.S. Of course all these pics are unprocessed straight out Boots' minilab, so what you see is what effectively the camera and the lens can do. I'll post other pics in the DDR thread.

Last edited by Cuthbert; 05-17-2015 at 06:47 AM.
05-17-2015, 06:41 AM   #3934
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cuthbert Quote
Lens?
I'm leaning towards the K1000 with a M 1:2 50mm.

---------- Post added 05-17-15 at 09:00 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by _Ben Quote
I'm leaning towards the K1000 with a M 1:2 50mm.
Upon checking the frame numbers on the proof sheet, this was the Canon A-1 with FD 1:4.5 75-200 zoom with macro. I should keep better notes

05-17-2015, 06:20 PM - 2 Likes   #3935
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S- curve cut into a hillside, a hidden place in the city. SV with 105mm F2.8.


05-17-2015, 07:19 PM   #3936
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mr Bassie Quote
No it is a Lomography toy camera. I enjoy it even though it is decidedly loft. Here is another one from it.

Hope I'm not stinking up the thread too much with these, but I like them.


Sprocket Rocket?
05-18-2015, 10:47 AM - 2 Likes   #3937
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cuthbert Quote
the MTL50 is the last model of the L line, produced the second half of the 80s and at that time it was the entry level model of Pentacon (the more expensive cameras were the electronically controlled B series that already had AE shutter priority, some of them TTL flash, in short they were much more advanced than the humble MTL) so it is really representative of the best Praktica could offer in terms of features and quality. The came came with the similar maligned Pentacon 50 mm f1.8 and a case, it looks brand new and although it feels lightly built (especially the parts made of plastic) both camera and lenses performed very well.
Really nice review focused on user experience and backed up with some great shots - well done !! I really like that you got 39 exp out of this roll - pretty impressive, considering that the best I ever got was 38 exp with my Kiev which is having very thin gaps between the frames. I also like the shots, considering they were taken with their budget lens I have to say that what once was budget back in 70-80's , today would carry pretty hefty premium price tag indeed !

Looking at this Praktica , how simple and unrefined it is, yet how reliably can deliver 39 fine exposures , I have to say that today's photography market is really far from what it once was...

BTW I don't think I ever shot this XP2 film - it is C41 isn't it ? How does it compare to say HP5+ ? Or even better - how does it compare to that Kodak BW 400 Neopan film they once had ( not sure if they still have it ).
Also It is hard to tell from the shots linked due to small resolution , but how is grain and other aspects of it ??

And some older shots for the thread, Kodak TMax 400, Pentax ME Super , which died not long after that roll was shot - apparently something electrical related so meter became dead.

Attached Images
   

Last edited by manntax; 05-18-2015 at 12:08 PM.
05-18-2015, 11:08 AM   #3938
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Kodak T-Max 400
05-18-2015, 12:38 PM   #3939
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I'm coming out of my film-funk... took my No 2 Brownie box camera for its 90th birthday walk, Holga/Fomapan 400 in D76.





I did take my P645 with Portra on the walk as well... let's see if it can beat this old lady.
05-18-2015, 02:04 PM - 3 Likes   #3940
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Really getting into my film/b+w/home-developing photography now - my digital cameras are collecting dust... oops!

Went to the local Chiltern Hills car show again this year, took just the Pentax MX, SMC 50mm 1.4, and one roll of Ilford HP5+.

A few attached.
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05-18-2015, 02:26 PM   #3941
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QuoteOriginally posted by clicksworth Quote
S- curve cut into a hillside, a hidden place in the city. SV with 105mm F2.8.

I like the perspective and the curve. A nice departure from "tracks converging in the distance." The light on top of the rails is also nice. I love me some trains, train tracks are second best.
05-18-2015, 02:51 PM - 1 Like   #3942
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QuoteOriginally posted by manntax Quote
Really nice review focused on user experience and backed up with some great shots - well done !! I really like that you got 39 exp out of this roll - pretty impressive, considering that the best I ever got was 38 exp with my Kiev which is having very thin gaps between the frames. I also like the shots, considering they were taken with their budget lens I have to say that what once was budget back in 70-80's , today would carry pretty hefty premium price tag indeed !

Looking at this Praktica , how simple and unrefined it is, yet how reliably can deliver 39 fine exposures , I have to say that today's photography market is really far from what it once was...

BTW I don't think I ever shot this XP2 film - it is C41 isn't it ? How does it compare to say HP5+ ? Or even better - how does it compare to that Kodak BW 400 Neopan film they once had ( not sure if they still have it ).
Also It is hard to tell from the shots linked due to small resolution , but how is grain and other aspects of it ??

And some older shots for the thread, Kodak TMax 400, Pentax ME Super , which died not long after that roll was shot - apparently something electrical related so meter became dead.
To be honest, the MTL50 is not unrefined, it feels cheaply built, but it has some features that are at least interesting and well thought, like the quickloader, the kind of arrow inside the viewfinder that informs you when you have advanced the film and you're ready to shoot (indeed a great feature! I couldn't believed it was so handy), the position of the stop down lever and shutter release. Older and more expensive models also had the interesting "electric" open aperture metering, a quite smart way to circumvent the main problem of the M42 lenses, stopping down.

If you are in the UK and you want something more refined, I suggest to look for the BC1 and BX20, these models are equivalent to the ME Super (aperture priority, leds etc... the BX20 also has TTL flash), they come out cheap, about 20 pounds and some of them are brand new.

The grain is basically invisible as you can see, here there are other shots I've taken with it:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/250453-east-german-lens-club-9.html

Unfortunately the scans are relatively small but I'm pretty surprised by the performance of the Pentacon Nifty Fifty, on the net it is described as the poor man's Praktica lens (while the Pancolar is quite appreciated) and they say it's soft wide open and even at f4 or so.

For the film, XP2 is far from ideal, without filter looks pretty washed out, with a yellow or YG filter it takes a strange cast and becomes quite contrasty. When BW400CN was available that was my first choice, now I take XP2 for test films because it's cheap and readily available. Neopan 400 C-41 can be procured on ebay, it's not cheap and very contrasty, I find it difficult to use but it's better than XP2. Unfortunately I can't process real B&W so the rare times I use it I send it to Ilfordlab, they are good but not cheap.

Some examples of films I have experience with:



I think I didn't publish this one: MTL50, Pentacon, XP2 and a Pentax Y2 filter.



K2DMD, K50 mm f1.4, Neopan C-41, no filter. Notice how contrasty it is, the highlights on the upper left corner are completely overexposed and the jacket of the painter looks almost black but if I recall correctly it was medium blue. Still a good film.



K1000, K55 mm f2.0, HP5+, no filter: notice the grain. If I want to have grain Neopan is my choice.



Nikon FM, Nikkor 50 mm f1.4, BW400CN, no filter: this was my thing...I loved this film, the finest grain I've ever seen,beautiful pallette of greys, could manage a lot of overexposure.



Canon F-1N, FDn 50mm f1.2, Delta 400, no filter: my favourite true B&W: fine grain, cooler grays than BW400CN, if developed correctly it gives good results.

I also have some shots of T-Max and Kentmere, somewhere, not here at the moment.

Last edited by Cuthbert; 05-18-2015 at 02:56 PM.
05-18-2015, 03:02 PM - 2 Likes   #3943
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first roll with my new Pentax 6x7
i've always wanted this camera and finally i got one!!
and i can say this camera it's a beast!

Pentax 6x7
105 2.4
Neopan 400







05-19-2015, 06:57 PM - 1 Like   #3944
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A living historian at the Pensacola Village.

Canon A-1 FD 75-200mm f4.5, Ilford HP5 400 ISO, Epson V600
05-20-2015, 10:58 PM - 4 Likes   #3945
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