Praktica LTL User manual

Control Ports of the PRAKTICA LTL





     1 Knob for setting the shutter speeds
     2  Metering key
     3  Shutter releose
     4  Cocking lever for self-timer
     5  Self-timer releose button                                                      r
     6  Rewind knob
     7  Rewind cronk
     8  Accessory shoe
     9  Centre flosh contoct
    10 Exposure speed mork          1 1 Cocking l"ir",  ', "''' ^                                                                 {    12 Film speed scoles
    13 Film speed irrdicotor
    14 Exposure courrtor
    15 Morruol stop down key
    16 Distonce setting ring
    17 Diophrogrn setting ring
    18 Depth-of-field scole

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I
 '     Control Ports of the PRAKTICA LTtwww.butkus.us





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     19 Rewind cotch
  ,    20 Cortridge chomber
     21 Steel-blode focol-plone shutter
     22 Film tronsport sprocket
     23 Supporting piece,^ |   24 Toke-up spoolu    25 Morking point for film looding
    '    26 Wire brocket
     27 Oculor mount with fitting for occessories
     28 Rewind releose button
     29  Lid of bottery comPortment
     30 Tripod socket
         ln the text of the instruction booklet, the numbers of the control
   ,     ports ore printed in brockets (  ).
                                                                           3

!V_e o19_eltrernely pleosed thot you hove chosen the high-quolity
PRAKTICA LTL, ond we wish you every success in woiking with
this modern reflex comero.
Before using your comero, however, we would request you to
study these Instructions for Use corefully. This will help you to
ovoid trouble coused by wrong hondling of the equipment.
4

www.butkus.us                                                          reflex comero for     The PRAKTICA LTL is o minioture single-lens
      Ihe 24 mm x 36 mm picture formot, with outomotic exposure
       control ond internol light metering for which the shutter-speed,
      operture ond film-speed settings ore coupled. The meosuring
      system employed is portiolly integroted, the moin meosuring
       field, obout 20 mm in diometer, being orronged in the centre
       of the view-finder. The result is perfectly occurote metering since,
      with the vost mojority of subjects, the most importont detoils
      of the imoge ore locoted within this oreo. All the subordinote
      morginol sections ore photometricolly left oside ond connot
       influence the reoding.
      Metering is performed with the lens stopped down to toking
      operture by odjusting the diophrogm ring on the lens mount
      while depressing the metering key. By meons of this key the
       circuit is closed. All lenses hoving the internotionol PRAKTICA
       fitting M 42 x 1 moy be used. The outomotic mechonism in the
     comero couses the pressure diophrogm in the lens (APD) to
      operote os o spring diophrogm. This meons thot only during the
      octuol moment of exposure the diophrogm closes down to the
      volue obtoined by meons of the light meter.

     The novel type of steel-blode focol-plone shutter trovels ocross
      the shorter side of the frome ond hos o ronge of speeds from
      1 sec. to 1/1000 sec. lt is synchronized for the use of flosh bulbs
     ond electronic flosh units. As o result of the very ropidly moving
       steel curtoins, the electronic flosh con be synchronized of obout
       11125 sec. The centre flosh contoct mokes it possible to connect
     comero ond flosh unit without using o coble.

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The PRAKTIcA LTL con be supplied either with or without buirt-
in self-timer.

The pentoprism  is firmly built in, ond the focusing system, owing
to its Fresnel lens, reveols o finder imoge of moximum corner-
to-corner brightness, in which olso the meter needle ond the
reodiness indicotor ore visible.

Microprism screen ond groundgloss  circle ensure quick ond per-
fect shorp focusing. In combinotion with its wide ronge of oc-
cessories, the PRAKTICA LTL moy be employed for o greot
voriety of speciol photogrophic  octivities.

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                                                                                   ."","';;li:i
           Opening the comero bqck                    Pose to
                Pull rewind knob (6) upwords os for os it will go.

               Inserting the film                              Pose 1o
             Ploce film cortridge into chomber (20). Depress
            rewind knob (6). Push beginning of film from
           obove os for os it will go underneoth the sup-
            porting piece (23) locoted obove the film
              tronsport sprocket (22). Ploce leoding edge of
             the film on to core of toke-up spool (2+) ond up
              to green morking point (25).
            Wire brocket (261 on the toke-up spool must not
            stqnd upwords.
             Cfosing the comero bock                      Pose 12 I
            Preporing for the exposure                 Pose 12
            Actuote cocking lever (11) ond shutter releose
              (3) until exposure counter (14) stonds on num-
            ber  "'l ".
              Setting the film speed                        Poee 14
                Lift the milled ring of speed setting knob (1)
          ond rotote it until the speed volue of the film Ir            in the comero stonds opposite the film speed
             indicotor (13).
             Setting the exposure speed
            Rotote speed setting knob (1) until the desired
          speed numerol stonds opposite the oronge-
            coloured triongle (10) on the cover plote of the
            comero.

Deto iled
                                                          description


                                                                          16Setting the diophrogm                       Pose
Rotote diophrogm setting ring (17) on the lens
mount to bring the desired diophrogm numerol
ogoinst the relevont index mork.




                                                                          18Automotic exposure control                    Pose
Preselect either the exposure speed or the
diophrogm numerol. Depress metering key (2)
towords comero body os for os it will go. Rotote
either the diophrogm setting ring (17) or the
shutter-speed setting knob (1) till the meter
needle is centered in the circulor mork in the
view-finder field.


                                                                   23Focusing                                    Pose
Rotote distonce setting ring (16) until the imoge
in the microprism screen or in the groundgloss
circle oppeors perfectly shorp.



                                                                   26Refeosing ond cocking the shutter            Pose
Depress shutter releose (3) to beyond the pres-
sure point. After the shutter hos run down, o
signol oppeors in the left-hond side of the view-
finder oreo. Swing cocking lever (11) oround os
for os it will go ond move it bock ogoin.

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                                                                    Detoiled
                                                                    description
         serr-Timer                                                        :  Poge 28O       Swing cocking lever (4) for self-timer upwords
          either, before or ofter cocking the shutter De-
         press knob (5) to releose the self-timer mecho-
         nism.
       Chonging the film                            pose 3o
         After the lost exposure, d'epress rewind releose
       knob (28), swing out rewind cronk (7) ond turn
              it in direction of orrow to rewind the film. Open
        the comero bock ond remove the cortridqe.


        Exchonging lenses                             Poge 32o
        Flosh exposures                               Poge 34

        Exchonging the power source                  Poge 36

       Mointenonce of the comerq                   Poge 38Hoo
         AccessoriesE
       The Abridged Instructions ore o short summory
          of the most importont items. A detoiled descrip-
         tion is given in the moin section on the following
        poges,
                                                                      9'

Pull rewind knob (6) upword until you feel hord resistonce. The
 comero bock is unlocked ond con be opened. The exposure
 counter (1a) will outomoticqlly jump to zero position.





 All kinds of perforoted minioture film in the commerciolly
 ovoiloble, stondordized cortridges con be looded. In order to
 ovoid light incidence into the slit of the cortridge don't lood
 in direct sunlight, but in protection by the shodow of your own
 body.
 Insert the film cortridge in the empty cortridge comportment.
 Then depress completely the rewind knob by simultoneously
 moving  it to ond fro. This couses the rewind cotch to engoge the
 core of the cortridge.
 Push the leoding edge of the film, projecting from the slit of the
 cortridge, from obove underneoth the supporting piece (23)
orronged obove the film sprocket (22) ond to its stop. The
 leoding edge of the film strip must lie on the core of the toke-up
 spool (24) ond meet the green mork (25).
The wire brocket of the toke-up spool (24t must not be directing
upwords. lf this, however, should be the cose turn the spool ot
 its knurled flonge into o loterol position.
 lf the film tends to bend heovily, we odditionolly recommend to
turn the flonge to the left until one of the wire brockets (26)
comes into contoct with the threoding piece of the film.

10

Toke hold of the lotch side of the comero bock ond press it
firmly to the comero body. lt will lock outomoticolly.





The cocking lever (11) hos on idle stroke of obout 150 ond con
be moved from its rest position into reodiness for oction,  lt con
                                                                      seriolbe eosily grosped - o greot odvontoge, especiolly in shots.
Swing the cocking lever oround os for os it will go, move it bock
ogoin, ond depress shutter releose knob (3). Repeot these
operotions ond then cock the shutter once more. The outomotic
exposure counter (14) now stonds on number "1". Speciol setting
of the exposure counter is not necessory since it storts working
outomoticolly when the comero bock is closed.





12

For the use of 'the outomotic exposure control the film speed
volue hos to be set. This is done by lifting the milled ring of
shutter-speed setting knob (1) ond rototing it until the speed
volue of the film in the comero (DlN or ASA) on scole (12)
 stonds opposite the white indicotor (13). When lowered, the
 milled ring clicks in next to the selected film speed numerol.



  r     )efftng tne exposu]e                     speeo                       fl                                       '':' e-.-*-

The steel-btode focot-plone shutter con be set for exposure
 speeds ronging from 1 sec. to 1/1000 sec. When set on "B", the
 shutter remoins open os long os the shutter releose (3) 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. For exposure speeds in
connection with flosh units pleose refer to Section 0.
The slow speed exposures from 1 sec. to 1/15 sec. ore morked
on the scole of the shutter-speed setting knob (1) by oronge-
coloured numerols. For exposures to be mode ot these speeds,
o tripod is required. The volues for instontoneous shots from
 1/30 sec. to 1/1000 sec. ore morked in white.
The exposure speeds ore set by rototing knob (1) until the
desired numerol coincides with the oronge-coloured  triongle
on the cover plote of the comero. Pleose note thot, when
 setting the exposure speeds, the milled ring of the setting knob
must not be lifted since this would olter the film speed setting
ond couse the outomotic exposure system in the PRAKTICA LTL
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

When using lenses with outomotic pressure diophrogm (APD),
the desired operture numerol on the diophrogm setting ring (17)
 simply hos to be brought to meet the revelont index mork on
the lens mount. The diophrogm remoins fully open, only when
 releosing the shutter it closes down to the preselected volue.
The outomotic diophrogm mechonism in the PRAKTICA LTL
couses the pressure diophrogm to function os on outomotic
spring diophrogm. Regordless of the speed with which the
shutter releose (3) is depressed, the diophrogm will spring to
the preselected volue ond then open ogoin immediotely ofter
the shutter hos run down.
 For checking the depth of field olreody in the view-finder imoge,
most lenses con be stopped down, before the exposure is mode,
 to the preselected volue or to the volue determined by the light
 meter, by octuotion of o monuolly operoble key (15) on the lens
mount. ln the PRAKTICA LTL, this moy be very conveniently
ochieved olso by meons of the metering key (2).





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                                                                                                                                                                    ;"1

The outomotic exposure control system in the PRAKTICA LTL
offers two possibilities for meosuring the exposure time:
1, you preselect the shutter speed ond odjust the diophrogm
   numerol on the lens mount,
2. you preselect the diophrogm numerol ond odjust the shutter
    speed.
The first method is opplied if, for instonce, movement of the
object requires o certoin exposure speed, whereos the second
method will preferobly be opplied  if o specific operture hos to
be preselected to ochieve the necessory depth of field'





                              illi11?_,1,

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Metering with preselected shutter speed
Preselect shutter speed by meons of knob (1). Press metering
key (2) obove the shutter releose towords the comero body os
foi os'it will go, while ot the some time rototing diophrogm
setting ring (17) on the lens mount till the meter needle visible
in thJ vieil-finder is centered in the circulor mork. The dio-
phrogm of the lens opens or closes in occordonce with the
odjuJtment of the diophrogm setting ring. ln lenses with outo-
moiic pressure diophrogm  it opens ofter metering, when pressure
on the metering key reloxes, ond closes down outomoticolly to
the meosured vtlue when the exposure is mode.





      I Resting position of the needle
    2 Needle centered in circulqr mork                                             "19

Metering with preselected diophrogm stop
  Preselect diophrogm numerol in occordonce with exposure con-
  ditions by rototing diophrogm setting ring (17) on iens mount.
 Depress metering key os described oboue, while ot the some
  time. odjusting shutter-speed setting knob (1) till the meter
 needle is centered. The shutter speeds must be set to the click
  stops. Intermediote volues connot be set. Should the meter
 needle not be occurotely centered, fine odjustment hos to be
 1nodg by.meons of the diophrogm setting ring on the lens mount.
 The diophrogm ring con be set to intermediote vorues between
 the click stops.





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Using lenses without qutomqtic diophrogm control
 In cose lenses without outomotic pressure diophrogm ore being
used, the lens will remoin stopped down till the shutter  is
releosed. To ochieve precise definition it 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 inside of the comero
body, os to impede the functioning of the outomotic diophrogm,
the mirror, ond the shutter. The metering key (2) connot be
octuoted either. By no meons use force, so os not to couse
domoge to the comero  !
Lenses with borrels of this kind (see illustrotion below) connot
be used in the PRAKTICA LTL.





Not to be used                     fo be used

Working rqnge of the outomotic exposure control system
The following toble shows within which ronge of shutter speeds
the outomotic system works in connection with the vorious film
speed settings. Outside of this ronge the metering system is
disconnected. The meter needle then moves to its resting posi-
tion below the circulor mork.





Film speed                                 Exposure speed
DIN            ASA
12                     12              1 sec. to 11125 sec.
15                   25              1 sec. to 11250 sec.
18                   50             1 sec. to 1/500 sec.
21                   100             1 sec. to 111000 sec.
24                  200                1f2 sec. to 111000 sec.
27                 400               114 sec. to 1/1000 sec.
30                  800               1/8 sec. to 1/1000 sec.
33                           1 600               1/15 sec. to 111000 sec.

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li

      The prism view-finder of the PRAKTICA LTL is fitted with o
        Fresnel lens, in the centre of which ore orronged two focusing
        systems:
        - the microprism screen right in the middle ond
        - the circulor ground-gloss oreo surrounding  it.      To ochieve utm-ost defi-nition, focusing is preferobly performed
        with the lens of full operture. In lenses with outomotic pressure
       diophrogm (APD) this tokes ploce in ony cose if the metering
       key is not being depressed.
           lf lenses without outomotic diophrogm ore being employed,
       focusing is performed, os olreody stoted in Section H, with the
        lens stonding on the smollest diophrogm numerol (ot full oper-
        ture) before the meter reoding is token.





              5ignol  lmoge-         Microprism Ground'  Circulor Meter                      brightening    screen   gloss    mork    needle
                      Fresnel lens                   circle

                                                                23

Focusing on the micropriim screen
 The imoge in the microprism screen is in correct focus os soon
 os it oppeors cleor ond free from fuzziness. lt is out of focus  if
 it looks fuzzy ond shows screen elements. The microprism screen
 is preferred for focusing  if the subject to be photogrophed  is
 quite still or only slightly moving.


 Focusing on the circulqr ground-gloss oreq
 The ground-gloss oreo is used for focusing if there is more move-
 ment in the scene. Also, it is often most oppropriote in ultro-
 close-ups ond in photomicrogrophy.
 The Fresnel section of the view-finder is not meont to be used
in focusing.
The depth of field is determined by meons of the depth-of-field
 scole (18) orronged on the right ond left of the indicotor on
the lens mount.
 While the comero-to-subject distonce figure stonds opposite the
mork, the limits of the ronge of definition con be reod from the
distonce scole obove the numerols on the depth-of-field scole,
which lotter ore equivolent to the diophrogm numerols. As on
exomple, the illustrotion shows o zone of shorpness from 2 to
5 m (7 ft. to 16 ft.) for o distonce setting of 3 m (10 ft.) ond on
f/B operture,
Depress the metering key (2), or the monuol stop down key (15)
provided on most of the lenses, ond you will olso be oble to
judge the depth of definition in the finder imoge.
Persons with defective eyesight moy work without their spectocles
on by hoving o corrective lens corresponjing to their long-
distonce glossed fitted into the eye cup which is then ottoched
to the oculor mount (see Section "Accessories").
For infro-red exposures the focusing point hos to be slightly
modified. By rototion of distonce setting ring (16) the distonce
reoding which, ofter focusing, stonds next to the indicotor, hos
to be moved to meet the red dot (infro-red mork). Thus, the
imoge produced by the infro-red roys is brought into correct
position in relotion to the film.