A very popular East German system that originally consisted of two competing lines of 35mm film SLR cameras: the CONTAX developed by Mechanik Zeiss Ikon VEB Dresden and the PRAKTICA developed by VEB Kamera-Werkstätten Niedersedlitz. Both companies subsequently became part of VEB Pentacon Dresden. It is to these cameras that the world owes the appearance of the M42 screw mount, which became universal and was used for several decades by many major camera and lens manufacturers, including but not limited to companies such as Asahi (Pentax), Fuji Photo Film, Mamiya, Olympus, Ricoh, Rollei and Yashica.
A fairly wide range of lenses was produced for this system, and the main manufacturers were companies such as Meyer-Optik (Pentacon) and Carl Zeiss Jena. In addition to the M42 screw mount, many of these lenses were also available with the Exakta bayonet mount and Praktina breech-lock bayonet mount.
Most lenses had a fixed mount, but models such as Orestor 135/2.8, Pentacon 135/2.8, Orestegor 200/4, Pentacon 200/4, Orestegor 300/4, Pentacon 300/4, Orestegor 500/5.6, Pentacon 500/5.6 and Spiegelobjektiv 500/4 had to be used with an interchangeable adapter.
In the Western Bloc market, Carl Zeiss Jena lenses were sold under the name "aus Jena" (which means "from Jena"), since the right to sell lenses under the Carl Zeiss trademark in this market was granted by the court to the West German company Carl Zeiss, located in Oberkochen.
| Model | Shutter | Metering | Modes | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35mm film SLR cameras with the M42 mount (53) | ||||
| Praktica | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1949 |
| Contax S | M, 1/1000 | -- | M | 1949 |
| Contax D aka ConSol aka HEXACON aka Pentacon |
M, 1/1000 | -- | M | 1951 |
| Praktica FX aka Praktiflex FX |
M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1952 |
| Praktica III | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1955 |
| Contax E aka Pentacon E |
M, 1/1000 | Window | M | 1956 |
| Contax F aka Pentacon F |
M, 1/1000 | -- | M | 1956 |
| Contax FB aka Pentacon FB |
M, 1/1000 | Window | M | 1956 |
| Praktica FX 2 aka Praktica FX 3 |
M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1956 |
| Contax FBM aka Pentacon FBM |
M, 1/1000 | Window | M | 1958 |
| Contax FM aka Pentacon FM |
M, 1/1000 | -- | M | 1958 |
| Praktica IV (early) | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1959 |
| Praktica IV (late) | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1960 |
| Praktica IV B | M, 1/500 | Window | M | 1961 |
| Praktica IV M | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1961 |
| Praktica IV BM | M, 1/500 | Window | M | 1961 |
| Praktica IV F | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1963 |
| Praktica IV FB | M, 1/500 | Window | M | 1963 |
| Praktica nova | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1964 |
| Praktica V F | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1964 |
| Praktica nova B | M, 1/500 | Window | M | 1965 |
| Praktica mat | M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1965 |
| Praktica V FB | M, 1/500 | Window | M | 1965 |
| Praktica PL nova I | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1967 |
| Praktica PL nova IB | M, 1/500 | Window | M | 1967 |
| Praktica PL electronic | E, 1/500 | -- | M | 1967 |
| Pentaflex SL | M, 1/500 | -- | M | 1967 |
| Praktica super TL | M, 1/500 | TTL • WA | M | 1968 |
| Praktica L aka Praktica autoreflex S |
M, 1/1000 | -- | M | 1969 |
| Praktica LLC | M, 1/1000 | TTL • OA | M | 1969 |
| Praktica LTL aka Praktica autoreflex S-TL |
M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1970 |
| Praktica LB aka Praktica autoreflex SL |
M, 1/1000 | Window | M | 1972 |
| Praktica VLC | M, 1/1000 | TTL • OA | M | 1974 |
| Praktica LTL 3 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1975 |
| Praktica PLC 2 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • OA | M | 1975 |
| Praktica super TL 2 aka Praktica 1000 |
M, 1/500 | TTL • WA | M | 1975 |
| Praktica LTL 2 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1975 |
| Praktica L 2 | M, 1/1000 | -- | M | 1975 |
| Praktica LB 2 | M, 1/1000 | Window | M | 1976 |
| Praktica VLC 2 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • OA | M | 1976 |
| Praktica VLC 3 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • OA | M | 1976 |
| Praktica EE 2 | E, 1/1000 | TTL • OA | AM | 1977 |
| Praktica MTL 3 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1978 |
| Praktica PLC 3 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • OA | M | 1978 |
| Praktica DTL 2 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1978 |
| Praktica super TL 3 | M, 1/500 | TTL • WA | M | 1978 |
| Praktica DTL 3 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1979 |
| Praktica EE 3 | E, 1/1000 | TTL • OA | AM | 1979 |
| Praktica super TL1000 aka Praktica MTL 3 aka Praktica MTL 5 aka Praktica NOVA II aka Praktica PM 3 aka Praktica TL 3 |
M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1980 |
| Praktica super TL500 | M, 1/500 | TTL • WA | M | 1981 |
| Praktica MTL 5 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1983 |
| Praktica MTL 50 | M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1985 |
| Praktica MTL 5B aka Praktica MTL NOVA B aka Praktica TL 5B |
M, 1/1000 | TTL • WA | M | 1985 |
No dedicated lenses for architectural photography with perspective correction, professional macrophotography.
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