Praktina FX
John Wade discovers a 35mm SLR that was way ahead of its time
The Praktina FX with eye-level pentaprism viewfinder, clockwork motordrive and 450-exposure film back LAUNCHED 1953 PRICE AT LAUNCH £100-120 GUIDE PRICE NOW £40-70 The Japanese Nikon F, launched in 1959, is often thought to be the first 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) purpose-built as part of a system of dedicated lenses and accessories. Not so. The German Praktina FX (not to be confused with the Praktica) pre- dated the Nikon by six years.
Here we have a solidly built 35mm SLR with a focal plane shutter offering 1–1/1,000sec, set by a ring around the film advance knob. Side by side with the usual reflex viewfinder the Praktina also unusually incorporates a direct vision viewfinder.
The camera reviewed here sports a 50mm f/2.8 Tessar standard lens. Other lenses were made for the camera by Carl Zeiss, Meyer- Optik, Angénieux, Isco, Kilfitt, Schneider, Steinheil and more. Focal lengths range from 24mm wideangle to 1,000mm super telephoto, plus an EnnaWerk 85-250mm Tele-Zoom that was rare in the 1950s. They all use the breach lock mounting system, later taken up by Canon.
Accessories include four interchangeable viewfinders, replaceable focusing screens, clockwork and electric motor drives, a lever wind that fits to the base to replace the top-mounted wind knob and a huge film back for 17 metres of film to shoot 450 exposures. For close-up photography, there are manual and automatically coupled extension rings and a range of extension bellows.
A stereo attachment comprises a beam splitter that adapts the standard lens to shoot a stereo pair on a standard 35mm frame, plus a special viewfinder with binocular-like eyepieces.
The FX was upgraded in 1958 with the introduction of the improved and slightly better specified Praktina IIA – still a year ahead of the Nikon F.
What’s good Solidly built, top- quality lenses, large range of accessories.
What’s bad Lenses made for the Praktina IIA do not mount correctly on the FX.