PRAKTICA LLC User manual

Control Ports of the PRAKTICA LLC





 1  Knob for setting the shutter speeds
 2  Cocking lever for deloyed-oction releose
 3  Deloyed-oction releose knob
 4  Shutter releose
 5  Rewind knob
 6  Rewind cronk
 7  Accessory shoe
 B  Centre flosh contoct
 9  Exposure speed index
10  Film speed scoles
11  Film speed index
12 Ropid cocking lever
13  Exposure counter
14  Distonce setting ring
15 Diophrogm setting ring
16  Selector ring for outomotic exposure control
17 Symbols foi meosuring ot full operture or toking
     o pertu re

www.butkus.us





                                                n,n,,8;,.t<,,,T,i,,f1ft''                       ..--                     .#:'!ttar





Mike Butkus   Digitally                                          DN:ou=butkus.org,Date:cn=Mike2022.04.21signedButkus,email=mike@butkus.org,by00:26:50Mikeo=ButkusButkus-04'00'camera manuals,c=US

Bitte spenden Sie 2,50 Euro, um diese Website über E-Bay zu unterstützen ... www.PayPal.me/butkus

www.butkus.us
Control Pqrts of the PRAKTICA tLC





1B Rewind cotch
19  Cortridge chomber
20  Supporting piece
21  Morking point for inserting the film
22  Film tronsport sprocket
23  Wire brocket
24  Metol-blodefocol-ploneshutter
25  Oculor mount with fitting for occesories
26  Rewind releose knob
2/   Bottery comportment with PX 21 bottery
28  Tripod socket
29  Toke-up spool
30  Monuol stop down key
31  Depth-of-field scole

We . ore_ yerJ ^ pleosed thot you hove chosen the  high-quolity PRAKTICA LLC, ond we wish you every success in wo-rk-
ing with this modern reflex comero.
Before using your comero, however, we would request you to
reod these Instructions for Use very corefully. This wili help
you to ovoid errors or trouble coused by wrong hondling.
4

www.butkus.us
The PRAKTICA LLC is o minioture single-lens reflex comero
 for the 24x36 mm picture formot, lts novel type of steel-blode
 focol-plone shutter, which trovels ocross the shorter side of the
 frome, hos o ronge of speeds from 1 sec. to 1i1000 sec. ond B.
 It is synchronized for the use of flosh bulbs ond electronic
 flosh units. As o result of the ropidly moving steel curtoins, the
 electronic flosh con be synchronized ot 11125 sec. The centre
contoct in the occessory shoe mokes  it possible to connect
comero ond flosh unit without using o coble.
The pentoprism is firmly built in, ond the focusing system, due
to its Fresnel lens, reveols o finder imoge of moximum corner-
to-corner brightness, The microprism screen ond o  circulor
groundgloss oreo ossure quick ond perfect shorp focusing.
For use os interchongeoble lens systems, the well-known
PRAKTICA lenses ore ovoiloble. Up to o focol length of
180 mm they hove outomotic diophrogm control. ln connection
with the outomotic mechonism in the comero they function os
spring-diophrogm lenses, which meons thot the diophrogm
closes within the shortest time ond opens ogoin immediotely
ofter the shutter hos run down. Through the instont return
mirror the imoge is visibie procticolly oll the time, except for
the short moment of the exoosure.
The distinctive feoture of the PRAKTICA LLC is the novel type
of outomotic exposure control with through-the-lens  metering.
The method of light metering is portiolly integrol. The principol
metering point is concentroted within on oreo of opproximotely
20 mm in diometer in the centre of the viewfinder field. The
reodings ore thus true to reolity, since this oreo, for the
greoter mojority of objects, includes the detoils of uppermost
importonce to the picture, All subordinote ports of the object
outside of this section of the imoge ore photometricolly of less
volue ond connot influence the reoding.

M,etering is performed with the toking lens ot full operture,
which meons thot the viewfinder imog6 is olwoys ot its moxi-
mum brightness. In the PRAKTICA LLt the diophrogm volues
ore tronsferred from lens to comero electricolly, without requir-
ing ony mechonicol device. Also in connection with inter-
mediote rings odopted for electric tronsmission, this modern
method of light metering ot full operture con be employed.
 Dr.re to.the speciol type of bridge circuit, the reoding is not
offected by ony voriotion in voltoge of the power routc6.
But olso oll the PRAI(TlcA lenses without electric tronsmission
of the diophrogm volues moy be used thonks to the possibi-
lity of reodjusting the light meter for meosuring with the lens
ot toking operture.
The PRAKTICA LLC is olso equipped with o deloyed-oction
device.

@? r
                                       www.butkus.us


                                                          For further detoils
                                                        pleose turn to poge:
           Opening the comero bqck                            10
               Pull out rewind knob (5) os for os it will go.

               Inserting the film                                    10
              Ploce film cortridge into cortridge chomber (19),
           push in rewind knob (5). Slont the beginning
             of the film ond push it from obove os for os it
              will go underneoth the supporting piece (20)
           ond over the tronsport sprocket (22).Bring the
            beginning of the film strip onto the core o-f the
            toke-up spool (29) ond to its green morking
              point (21).
          Wire brocket (23) of the toke-up spool must
              not stond upwords.
             Closing the comero bock                               12
  II
            Preporing for the exposure                           12
           Actuote ropid cocking lever (12) ond shutter
             releose (4) until exposure counter (13) stonds
ri          on number "1".
             Setting the film speed                                   14
                  Lift the knurled ring of speed setting knob (1)
          ond rotote it until the speed volue of the film
              in the comero stonds opposite the film speed
            index (1 1).
             Setting the exposure speed                              14
           Rotote speed setting knob (1) until the
            desired speed numerol stonds opposite the
           oronge-coloured triongle (9) on the cover
             plote of the comero.

For further detoils
                                                    pleose turn to poge:
           Setting the diophrogm numerol                     16
        Rotote diophrogm setting ring (15) on the r"l         lens mount to bring the desired diophrogm
        numerol ogoinst the red index mork.

         Automotic exposure control                        1g
       When using lenses permitting electric tronsmission of
          the diophrogm volues, set the selector ring  (16) to
          the [l  symbol  :  meosuring ot full operture. For lenses
          without electric tronsmission set the selector ring to
          the @ symbol  :  meosuring with the lens ot toking
            operture    !
           Preselect either the shutter speed or the  operture.
         Depress shutter releose (4)  titt you feel the pressure
           point. At the some time rotote either the diophrogm
           setting ring (15) or the speed setting knob (t)   till  the
          meter needle is centered in the circulor mork in the
           viewfinder field. ln connection with the toking operture
           of lenses with outomotic diophrogm control, the stop
        down key (30) hos to be depressed when meter reoding
             is token or the engoging kind selection lever of the
          50 mm f/1.8 Poncolor lens, which is designed for electric
          tronsmission of diophrogm volues, hos to be octuoted

         Focusing                                         25 FI I     downworts to the comero bottom.
 \      Rotote distonce setting ring (l'4) until the
      imoge in the microprism sireen or in tho
        groundgloss field oppeors perfectly shorp.
                                                                     t
              qnd cocking the shutter FTK   Releosing                      28 I      Depress shutter releose (4) to beyond the       pressure point. After the shutter hos run                     1f      down o signol oppeors in the left-hond side
       of the viewfinder. Swing cocking lever (12)
       oround os for os it will go ond relurn  it into iis           initiol position.
I

www.butkus.us


                                                         For further detoils
                                                       pleose turn to poge:
            Detoyed.oction reteqse                              30  GI
          Swing deloyed-oction cocking lever (21 up-
         words either before or ofter cocking the
            shuttel. Depress knob (3) to releose the
            deloyed-oction mechonism.
           Chonging the film                                  32
             After the lost exposure, depress rewind releose
         knob (26), swing out rewind cronk (6) ond
           turn it in direction of orrow to rewind the
             film. Open the comero bock ond remove the
              cortridge.


           Exchonging lenses                                  34 0

           Flosh exposures                                        36

           Exchonging the power source                       38 I EIoai
           Mointenonce of the comero                         40 rE                                                                                                                                                                                                                           .,|

             Accessories                                          42 E
         The Abridged lnstructions ore o short sum-
          mory of the most importont items. A detoiled
             description is given in the moin section on the
            following poges.

Pull rewind knob (5) upwords until you feel hord resistonce.
The comero bock is thus unlocked ond con be opened, The
exposure counter (13) will outomoticolly jump to zero position,



           t.





Any type of perforoted 35 mm film in commerciolly ovoiloble
stondord cortridges moy be used. The cortridges contoin film
lengths for 36, 20 or 12 exposures in the 24x36 mm formot. To
moke sure thot no light enters the slit of the cortridge the film
should not be looded in direct sunlight. The shode ol your own
body will suffice,
By hoving pulled out the rewind knob (5) to open the comero
bock you hove withdrown the rewind cotch (18) from the cor-
tridge chomber (19), so thot you con now ploce the cortridge
into the cortridge chomber,
Push the rewind knob, with slight bockword ond forword
movements, right bock into the comero. The rewind cotch will
engoge in the core of the cortridge.
Push the beginning of the film projecting out of the cortridge
slit from obove os for os it will go underneoth the supporting
piece (23) orronged obove the tronsport sprocket (22). The be-
ginning of the film strip must now lie on the core of the toke-
up spool (29) ond meet the green morking point (25).
The wire brocket (23) of the toke-up spool must not stond
upwords. Should this hoppen to be the cose the knurled flonge
of the spool hos to be turned to bring the brocket wires to their
loterol position.

10

the cqmero

 Press the comero bock firmly on to the comero body. lt locks
 outomoticolly.


OFEE3F-'
The ropid wind lever (t2) hos on idle stroke of obout 15o, so
thot it con be moved from its rest position into thot of reodiness
for oction, ond con thus be eosily grosped - o greot odvontoge especiolly in seriol shots.
Swing the cocking lever oround os for os it will go, return
 it, ond depress shutter releose knob (4). Repeot these
operotions ond then cock the shutter once more, The outo-
motic exposure counter (13) now stonds on number u 1"  .
Speciol setting of the exposure counter is not necessory since
 it storts working outomoticolly when the comero bock is closed.
To ovoid inodvertent tripping, the shutter releose (4) is pro-
vided with o locking device. The releose mechonism is locked
when the red dots on the knob ond on the outer rinq meet.
The mechonism is unlocked by rototion of the knob through 90'.





12

HF"-*'ffii
To set the film speed volue for the outomotic exposure control,
the knurled ring of the speed setting knob (1) hos to be lifted
ond rototed until the speed volue of the film looded (DlN or
ASA) stonds opposite the white index (1i). When lowered, the
knurled ring clicks in ot the selected film speed numerol.





The metol-blode focol-plone shutter con be set for exposure
speeds rongig from 1 sec. to 1/1000 sec.
When set on "B" the shutter remoins open os long os the
releose knob (4) is being depressed. For exposures of o longer
durotion o coble releose with locking device should be used,
which con be screwed into the threod in the body releose
knob. Regording exposure speeds in connection with   f losh
units pleose refer to Section O.
The oronge-coloured numerols on the shutter-speed  setting
knob (1) stond for slow speed exposures   f rom 1 sec. to
1/15 sec. which require the use of o tripod. The white numerols
indicote the volues for instontoneous shots from 1/30 sec. to
t/t000 sec.
The exposure speeds ore set by rototing knob (1) until the
desired numerol coincides with the oronge-coloured  triongle
(9) on the cover plote of the comero. Pleose note thot the
knurled ring of the setting knob must not be lifted up since this
would olter the film speed setting ond couse the outomotic
exposure system in the PRAKTICA LLC to give incorrect results.
The exposure speeds con be set either before or ofter the
shutter hos been cocked. The setting knob clicks in ot every
numerol, Intermediote volues ore not odjustoble.


14

On the lenses with outomotic pressure diophrogm (APD) only
the desired operture numerol on the diophrogm setting ring (15)
hos to be brought to meet the oppropriote index on the lens
mount. The diophrogm thus remoins fully open ot first ond
closes down to the preselected volue when the shutter releose
is depressed.
The outomotic diophrogm control mechonism in the PRAKTICA
LLC couses the pressure diophrogm to function os on outomotic
spring diophrogm. Regordless of the speed wlth which the
shutter releose (q) is depressed, the diphrogm will spring to the
preselected volue ond then open ogoirr immediotely ofter the
shutter hos run down.
For checking the depth of field in the viewfinder imoge, most
lenses con 6e stopped down, before the exposure is mode, to
the preselected volue or to the volue determined by the
exposure meter by meons of o monuolly operoble key (30)
on the lens mount.
The 50 mm f/1.8 Poncolor lens with electric tronsmission of
diophrogm volues hos o kind selection lever opposite the lens
mount insteod of the stop down key. With the lever in the upper
position the diophrogm operotes os on outomotic spring
diophrogm whereos in its lower position, depressed towords the        -bottom,comero        the outomotic diophrogm control mechonism
is disengoged. The diophrogm octs os o click stop ond closes
occording to the volue preset on the diophrogm ring.





 I
 I      r;*il,t-.' ,
        ,,,*,,':.i**,v.,   'i.ao:                *ir",,,

16

The newly devised outomotic exposure system in the PRAK-
TICA LLC mokes it possible, by meons of the electric trons-
mission of the diophrogm volues, to toke the meter reodings
with the photogrophic lens ot full operture, so thot the view-
finder imoge remoins of its moximum brightness. The lenses
orronged for metering ot full operture ore recognizoble by
three resilient contoct pins visible ot the reor end of the
borrels, which join the contoct poths on the comero.
But it is olso possible to use the well-known lenses of the
PRAKTICA fomily without outomotic diophrogm control. In this
cose, metering is performed with the lens stopped down to
toking operture. The finder imoge will thus be somewhot dorker,
occording to the operture selected, or determined by the ex-
posure meter.





  WWW.BUTKUS.US



        Contoct poths Swing mechonism    Contoct pins
                            for outomotic exposure control

18

www.butkus.us





Whether your lens is ot full operture or stopped down, you hove,
in either cose, two methods of metering from which to choose:
o) You preselect the shutter speed ond odjust the operture to
   centre the meter needle, or
b) You preselect o certoin operture ond odjust the shutter
   speed to centre the meter needle.
The first method is opplied, €.9., if movement of the object
requires o certoin exposure speed, whereos the second method
will be preferred  if o specific operture hos to be preselected
to ochieve the necessory depth of field.





                                                                 19

Metering qt full operture with shutter speed presetected
Set the index of selector (16) which, os o knurled ring, encircles
the rewind knob, to coincide with the O symbol, PGselect the
exposure speed by octuoting knob (t). Depress shutter releose
 (4) till you feel the pressure point ond rotote diophrogm setting
ring (15) on the lerrs mount till the meter needle visible in the
viewfinder field is centred in the circulor mork.
 lf on the rototion of the diophrogm setting ring or the exposure
speed setting knob the meter needle deflects no more, reploce
the power source (pleose cp. section P).





20

www.butkus.us


      Metering ot full operture with diophrogm stop preselected
      Set selector ring (16) to the El symbol. Move the diophrogm
       setting ring (15) on the lens mount to o stop correspondig to the
      toking conditions. Depress shutter releose (4) till you feel the
      pressure point ond rotote the exposure-speed  setting knob (1)
            till the meter needle is centred in the circulor mork, The exposure
      speed knob must olwoys be set to click-stops ond not to inter-
      mediote volues. Should this not bring the meter needle precisely
      to the centre of the circulor mork, the diophrogm ring hos to
      be moved for fine odjustment. The diophrogm ring con be set to
      intermediote volues between the click-stops.





t
$

Metering of toking operture with shutter speed preselected
This method is employed in connection with lenses not permit-
ting electric tronsmission of the diophrogm volues. Move selec-
tor ring (16) to tha El symbol. Preselect the shutter speed
odjust the diophrogm ring to centre the meter needle os descri-
bed obove. On lenses with outomotic pressure diophrogm the
stop down key (30) on the lens mount hos to be depressed
while the meter reoding is token.
The 50 mm f/1.8 Poncolor without electric trosmission of the
diophrogm volues is provided with o kind selection lever by
which you con chonge over from outomotic diophrogm control
to monuol operoting (pleose cp. section G). For meter reoding
this lever must be in its lowermost position so thot the diophrogm
octs os click stop. As soon os the lever is returned into its upper
position, metering is performed outomoticolly ogoin.

www.butkus.us


     Metering ot toking operture with pre-set diophragm;\
    T9 9" employed with lenses not permittirrg electiic tronsmission     of the. diophrogm volues, Selector ring (-16) stonds on the @
     symbol. Preselect operture on diophrogm ring of lens mount
  I   ond odjust shutter speed setting knob to centie meter needle.
t    foy ottention to click-stops ond fine odjustrnent by meons of
    diophrogm ring. Here, too, the shuttei releose'hos to be     octuoted up to the perceptible pressure point.
       lf lenses without outomotic. diophrogm,  i.e. renses with pre-set
    or ploin diophrogm, ore being used for metering ot toking
     operture, the lens remoins stopped down until th-e shutter ii     releosed.  lt is, therefore, odvisoble to focus with the lens wide
    open before toking the meter reoding,
    owing to the construction of their borrels, some of the older
     types of lenses protrude so for into the interior of the comero
    body os to impede the functioning of the swing mechonism
     for the outomotic diophrogm. Thus, mirror ond s6'utter connot
     work. These lenses connot be used in the PRAKTICA LLC. They
    ore recognizoble by the.structure of their borrels, os moy be
    seen from the illustrotion below.





    not usoble                      usoble

                                                                23