Any Pentacon Six / Praktisix experts ?

[Peter_Jones]

I bought a Pentacon Six with a dodgy shutter - The amount of wear on the leatherette suggests plenty of use so it probably worked well for many years. It was worth the punt as I managed to do a partial CLA on the shutter mechanism, just need to run a film through to test the spacing now.

I am a bit puzzled by a few things, and think it's a Praktisix with a Pentacon front plate.

Here's why - no toothed roller to measure film wind, no knobs on the bottom, the baseplate is flat with ye olde worlde 50s style sprung reel holders, I can find no way of using 220 (no loss..) unless resetting the counter is the method (?)

Am I right in my suspicion ? (not fussed if it is a Praktisix, but nice to know what you've got)

 

[Spanik]

Checked both my P6TL's and they have the knobs on the bottom and a toothed roller. The tooths are very fine but you can feel them.

For using 220 you have to use a lever at the side of the transport lever to allow the counter to proceed. This little lever sits between the top of the body and the transport lever at the outside of the body. Fiddly stuff. Tried it once and didn't do it right. Lost a couple of frames due to bad spacing because of it.

The strongest suspicion you are correct are the missing knobs on the bottom. All P6's I have seen do have them. But I'm not an expert. Strange things happened in the DDR.

 

[Nokton48]

Somewhere in my studio I have a Praktisix I around, and I've owned four or five Pentacon Sixes, and Exakta 66's. I believe that you have probably have a Praktisix I.

There is an excellent Pentacon website, you should check it out.

http://www.pentaconsix.com/

Highly recommended reading there.

 

[MartinP]

For a lot of well illustrated information, you could try looking on www.pentaconsix.com. For any repairs or accessories try cupog on the obvious auction site. Good luck.

Edit: there was a simultaneous suggestion of the PentaconSix website!

 

[Peter_Jones]

Cheers guys 🙂

I'm already familiar with the mentioned website (some interesting lens tests on there too)

I'm now 99% sure I've got a Praktisix. Ran a film through yesterday, but the frame spacing is atrocious - the image left after the overlap is approx 645 it's that bad. Time to wrap a few spools with gaffer tape (worked for the Kiev...)

I'll keep my eye out for a working Pentacon Six TL or Kiev 88CM (I know they come with their own set of issues) with hopefully better spacing without messing with tape.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

Try checking the Camerapedia entry - seems to have some useful tips: http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Praktisix_&_Pentacon_six

 

[Kenj8246]

I'm awaiting arrival of a Pentacon Six m'self. You've doubtless seen the videos of how to load it to avoid spacing issues. The seller of the one I'm waiting for says there's a film in it that he's done the spacing test on; I'll be very interested to see that. Other than the spacing problems, what do you think of the camera? Thanks.

Kenny

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Peter,

Presumably you know the trick of returning the wind-on lever SLOWLY (rather than just letting it fly back). Between that and careful loading I have had no spacing problems with my TL.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Spanik]

I have send my P6TL bodies straight to CLA after I bought them without even bothering to run a film through them. After that I followed the instructions to keep the film tensioned and never to let the advance lever slap back. Always worked fine that way.

 

[veraikon]

. Ran a film through yesterday, but the frame spacing is atrocious - the image left after the overlap is approx 645 it's that bad. ...

Perhaps this may help (seulement en allemand) http://www.baierfoto.de/Transport.html

 

[Peter_Jones]

Other than the spacing problems, what do you think of the camera? Thanks.

Kenny

I actually like the camera (after fixing the shutter problem) and want it to do well. I already have a Kiev 60 (which had spacing issues - sorted with tape on the spool) and a couple of nice lenses, the Praktisix (cunningly disguised as a Pentacon) is much smoother in operation, and feels nicer in the hand. The viewfinder though is dimmer than a Kiev, but I will sort this when I solve the spacing problem. The negs although overlapping are perfectly exposed 🙂

I tried a Pentacon six TL a year or so ago with a view to buy, but the shutter stuck open at 1/125 (perfect spacing though...) and the seller wouldn't take my thus lower offer.

 

[Nokton48]

Rolf Dieter-Baier can fix the Praktisix I. Cupog on Ebay works on them, but if the curtains have pinholes............ In the UK Tom Page can replace curtains, etc

Rolf Dieter souped-up two of my Pentacon Sixes, after I had them CLA'ed and hot-rodded by Pentacon Dresden (converted to Exakta 66 film advance, etc). He actually likes the Praktisix, it is fundamentally different from the Pentacon Six. Later on I sold the whole lot of it and moved on.

 

[Spanik]

Mine were done by Fotoservice Peter Olbrich in Görlitz.

The viewfinder though is dimmer than a Kiev

Certainly with a prism on it.

 

[Kenj8246]

I hope to be able to speak intelligently about the Pentacon Six TL early next week. Mine shows to be 'inbound' from NY customs since 4/25/13. Getting antsy.

Kenny

 

[Nokton48]

Mine were done by Fotoservice Peter Olbrich in Görlitz.

Herr Olbrich rebuilt a 50mm F4 Flektogon of mine that was an absolute basket case. His work is truly excellent and a very good value for the money.

Highly recommended.

 

[kyonthinh]

If my memory is good, now the repairer is Frau Schoenerfelder.
You can find them here.
http://www.fotoservice-olbrich.de/

 

[Spanik]

Didn't know that. But from the site, it stayed in the family (Schönfelder, born Olbrich).

 

[Peter_Jones]

Well, trying to keep costs down, has anyone tried the "Red Window" method ?

I reckon the camera (with its now-working shutter) is worth persisting with...