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Can a Miranda take Praktica lenses?
QMy daughter has been using my old Praktica LTL film SLR for black & white photography as part of her A/S Level photography course. Unfortunately it’s playing up and I was wondering whether a Miranda Sensorex EE-2 that I’ve seen advertised locally would be a suitable replacement. From a completely personal point of view I think it’s rather cool that the viewfinder can be removed so you can use the focusing screen as a waist-level viewfinder. I have had a quick look at it, but have not yet committed, and although it has a bayonet mount for its 50mm f/1.8 standard lens, I can see a screw thread as well. Does this mean that my 42mm lenses for the Praktica will work on the Miranda? Mark Leonard
AMiranda is an interesting anecdote in Japanese camera history. It produced one of the very earliest 35mm SLR cameras with a pentaprism viewfinder, and all but its very last model featured removable finders. Its earlier SLRs also had the shutter button located on the front of the body rather than on the topplate, rather like your Praktica. Unusually, Miranda’s bayonet mount (four claws rather than the usual three and reversed, too) also incorporated a screw thread. This was almost certainly in order to enable owners to use a wider range of lenses than Miranda could supply. The screw thread has a 44mm diameter but 42mm adapters are available, as are many other lens adapters. Unfortunately, Miranda failed to match its individuality and innovation with production robustness and reliability. Just remember to check the camera over thoroughly before deciding to purchase it.