This is my second Mamiya – my other is the Mamiya Korvette. The Korvette was a fixed lens SLR similar to the Zeiss Ikon Contaflex and Voigtlander Bessomatic. This 500 DTL is a more ‘standard’ SLR with an M42 (Praktica, Pentax) lens mount. Top plate layout is as you would expect: film advance, frame counter, … More Mamiya/Sekor 500DTL

This is a heavy fixed lens SLR from Japan. It has a leaf shutter in the lens rather than the focal plane shutter most SLR cameras have. This uses the same system as used by Zeiss Ikon with their Contaflex cameras and Voigtlander with their Bessamatic cameras. In the case of the German cameras, they … More Mamiya Korvette (aka Family)

This is my second electronic Praktica – the other is the BC1. It has minimal controls – essentially the aperture – making it a very easy camera to use. lens:  Prakticar MC focal length:  50 mm apertures:  f/2.4 to f/16 focus range: 0.45 m lens fitting: Praktica bayonet shutter: metal focal plane speeds: 1 second … More Praktica B100 electronic

This is an amazing title camera. It was introduced by Cosina in 1979/80 and, amazingly, is still available new (rebadged as a Nikon FM10) in 2017. In those years, (nearly 40!), that the Cosina CT1 has been produced, it has been sold in the slightly updated form of the CT1 Super as the Nikon FM10, … More Cosina CT1

This camera dates from 1987 and was not very successful commercially. It is at the transition from the ‘standard’ manual SLR camera that was usual at the time to the later fully automatic cameras that were usual by the end of the 1980s. Unfortunately for Yashica, their approach to automation was a developmental dead-end – … More Yashica 230-AF SLR camera

As I have mentioned elsewhere in this blog, Cosina have an undeservedly poor reputation. In fact, in addition to their own designs made under their Owen name, they make cameras for the big-name camera companies. The event Zeiss Ikon rangefinder was made by Cosina as are many Carl Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses. Cosina CSM This … More Cosina CSM

This was one of my better buys from Ebay. I have two BC1 bodies, a Prakticar 50mm lens and two straps for £5.00. With one camera, the internal meter agrees with my hand-held Ikophot light meter. The other is six stops or so out. It is quite possible that this is down to dirt on … More Praktica BC1 electronic

This Pentaflex SL is a cut-down version  of the Praktica Nova camera. It is missing the slow shutter speeds – this camera only goes down to 1/30 seconds which is slower than I ever go to so the even slower speeds are no loss. It is also missing the light meter. As the camera is … More Pentaflex SL from Pentacon