What camera is this?

Keith

Keith

The best camera is one that still works!
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I was watching an episode of the excellent British TV series from a few years ago 'Life On Mars' and can't identify this camera ... which means nothing because I'm an absolute bunny at this sort of thing.

Whatever it is it doesn't seem like something a reporter would be using in 1973 (when the series is set) to me?


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It's a Pentacon 6 with a WL finder. 120 roll film @ 6x6 cm. they weren't known for being very good. I think it was also sold under the name Prakrica 66.
 
Right, a Pentacon. I believe the vintage is correct, but it's rather an unusual choice for reportage, I would say.
 
Oh, dunno. It had Zeiss lenses available for it and as such could be a cheaper alternative to a Hasselblad.

And, the WL finder on the P6 can also be folded down so you get a frame finder. Combined with sufficient aperture for depth of view that could be a pretty quick to use camera I'd say.
 
I think it was also sold under the name of Exakta 66. They came with East German Zeiss glass. The glass was probably ok but the bodies were delicate and prone to mechanical problems. There was no instant return mirror and the camera had to be wound to bring the shutter down to view and focus. I've only seen one and don't think they were very popular in the US.
 
What made me curious was a previous scene where the guy is walking towards the main characters supposedly shooting them ... with the camera up to his eye!

Then I noticed it looked to be an MF beastie with a WLF ... not to mention they're playing the sound of an SLR with a motordrive as he's taking pics! :D


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They were also used by the German police at one stage and I hear they're pretty common to find in second hand stores in southern Germany. I had a go with a friend's, I was very impressed by the viewfinder, very easy to focus.
 
Don't all cameras make SLR sounds? Perhaps there's something wrong with my cameras?!
 
I've heard they still use the F100 shutter/winder sound in the movies. Keith, if you like the 'Life on Mars' series you must watch the recent "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier and Spy" movie featuring Gary Oldman.
 
I loved the original BBC "Life on Mars" series, but not so much the US version, especially with its horrible, nonsensical ending.
 
x-ray said:
I think it was also sold under the name of Exakta 66. They came with East German Zeiss glass. The glass was probably ok but the bodies were delicate and prone to mechanical problems. There was no instant return mirror and the camera had to be wound to bring the shutter down to view and focus. I've only seen one and don't think they were very popular in the US.
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The Exaktas came later - late '80s, as an updated version of the Pentacon/Practica. They had a metered interchangable prisms, rubberized bodies, same lens mount though.
 
kbg32 said:
The Exaktas came later - late '80s, as an updated version of the Pentacon/Practica. They had a metered interchangable prisms, rubberized bodies, same lens mount though.
Click to expand...

It is regarded much higher than the contemporary Pentacon 6 incarnation (where shoddy quality control and decaying machinery meant that the majority were inoperable right out of factory) - while Pentacon based, the body went through West German adjustment, final assembly and quality control, and Exakta sold a set of West German Schneider lenses along with it.
 
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