I've had a Praktica MTL3 for 30+ years, and it's a great camera, but there's no getting away from the fact that it's cumbersome, rather crudely made and has a mirror slap to wake the dead. I wouldn't recommend one as an alternative to a K1000 etc for the simple reason that both Chinon and Cosina made wonderful cameras in both M42 and PK mounts. A Chinon CE4 or CE5 is a bargain Pentax alternative. The Cosina CSR has an M42 mount, both spot and average metering, is similar in size to an Olympus OM and sells for a third of the price of a Canon or Pentax. Both companies also make great lenses. Despite having more expensive cameras, the Cosina CSR is my default M42 camera, so much so that I bought another in case my first one breaks.
@@mrstandfast2212 The Ricoh KR-10 is another underrated SLR with a Pentax mount. It usually comes with a free lens. 🙂 For Canon FD lenses, the T-70 is a good, cheap choice. It is noisy, but runs on rechargeable AA batteries. The Praktica MTL3 in this video is gorgeous, though!
I shoot with exactly the same camera as yours - Praktica MTL 5B with a Pentacon Auto f 1.8 50 mm lens. I like the placement of the shutter, which is more convinient than other cameras, as well as the PL system for easier loading of film. The other feature that I like is that it uses an LR 44 alkaline battery for the lightmeter, with the one in my camera working perfectly fine. Prakticas are overlooked and frowned upon by many people because they place them alonside with the crapier Soviet Zenits and thus they think that they are trash. The other reason is that some people just don't like the look of Prakticas.
Had a few over the years and still have a couple or three, never liked them. They leaked light, the seals failed on them and whilst the 1/1000th shutter speed had its uses, I found the Zenit camera brand to be a better camera, from the B to the EM anyway.
I have an MTL3 as my first SLR. It took some getting used to, but I absolutely love it! The heavy feel of it, the clicking of the dials and the clear 'slap' of the shutter is just something else. Indeed you won't be subtile with it, but with the shutter being made out of metal, it is actually quite robust. If the shutter functions, it'll likely last forever! No chance of burning holes in the shutter curtain for sure! Though I have heard that you need to use the self timer in a very specific way, otherwise you may lock the shutter up if you do it wrong. I don't know if this is true, but I've heard it repeated quite often.
I got so annoyed with people (youtubers) saying that the canon was the best option for a beginner. Why make a beginner spend 200 euro on a camera with film prices at an all time high. Love the praktica's, bodies are cheap, lenses are plentiful. Great video!
I recently bought a near perfect example of a Canon AE-1 Program on EBay for $130, including a case and a decent 28-70 zoom lens. The prices she is showing on the U.S. EBay site are all from resellers and camera shops.
What does she different? She also goes for clickbaits claiminig "the best budget camera" and giving no real review about ad/disadvantages of the Prakticas in the video. (She claims to do so, but in fact she does not.) More so, she states some things that are factually wrong.
Thanks, Els, for reviewing the Praktica ! I'm shooting Praktica cameras since 1980, around 40 years or so . And i'm still shoot them. They are comparable to a Pentax K1000 and they are very reliable . The light meter is very precise. I prefer light metering on the MTL cameras before similar cameras like Minolta SR-T or Canon FTb because of so precise results. For Praktica beginners i recommend all MTL 3 or MTL 5 cameras. Very nice viewfinder, even with glasses, split image focussing. Light meter works with standard batteries, LR44, or V625u or PX625a . You have the M42 mount and this means : wonderful lenses on your Praktica ! Takumar lenses, Pentacon lenses, Carl Zeiss Jena lenses, Meyer Görlitz lenses, some Helios lenses , some Fujinons, some Yashinons, some Tomioka made lenses and others. When you have learned on Prakticas, i recommend additional the PLC2 or PLC3, the DTL3, the VLC2 or VLC3. Furthermore there are the Mk.1 of the SuperTL or the Nova Ib, which where skillful and well made cameras of Dresden already in the 1960's.
My first 'proper' camera, that is an interchangeable SLR, was a Praktica MTL3, which I bought secondhand in 1983, but that was only because I couldn't afford an Olympus or Nikon, like some of my peers with higher paid jobs. It was surprisingly reliable, simple and competent - I recently digitised some of the negatives and couldn't fault the image quality; a lot of them were also taken with a cheap compatible flash, but have provided great memories. As I learnt more about photography in the following years and wanted better lenses, I eventually upgraded 3 years later. If I saw one in use today, it would bring a smile to me face in a happy, memorable way.
As an older person, I purchased a Pentax Spotmatic II as a new camera, it is funny to see descriptions change as technology changes. That camera weighed 622 grams and it was smaller and lighter than most other SLR's of that era. In its manual it called itself automatic even though by today's standards it is a manual camera. The Praktica camera operates very similar to the old Spotmatic.
Hello beautiful Els, great review on different budget film cameras. Seems like reviews today are not like they once were as its a lot of pay me and I'll give you a review going on. Loved your collection of shots as well as I think even Gregory enjoy them as well. Looking like your back to normal now as well as your beautiful glowing complexion with those beautiful eyes and lovely long hair is so beautiful in this clip. Keep safe and would love to see some Christmas shots of where you are as the season starts going as I bet your beautiful glowing beauty with those beautiful eyes will create some beautiful shots as you share your season with us and the beautiful place were you are and the many things of which you all do during the Christmas season. Bet you can even get Gregory to captures some great holiday shots of you two to cherish for the future that maybe even a album may come from it that with each new year you share together you can add to that memories of these times become more special with each moment you share with each other. Thanks for the great video once again and look forward to more of those you share with us. Be safe and have a Merry Christmas too as it will be here before we know it. ❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏
Don't know what you did with your MTL3, but because parts are interchangable across many models in the MTL range, and bodies are so cheap and they are mechanical, you can canabalise and repair almost any damage to any of these cameras. I've 'rescued' a few MTL's over the years by buying the parts or a 'broken' body, really easy to do. I still use an MTL5B that has been mine from new in the 1980's, it has never needed a repair, never missed a beat. The bottom plate took a knock some time in the 1990's, and left a dent, last year I had a spare bottom plate from another repair so I just swapped them. My own MTL5B is like new! Also the light seals never wear out, unlike other film cameras, because they are made of string!
The Praktica LTL are also the same. Only very small cosmetical differences. They are a bit loud, because of the metall sheet shutter, but indeed very sturdy and reliable.
The Praktica L was my first SLR, acquired new in the early 1970’s, completely mechanical and no built-in meter. With it I gained a solid understanding of the basics of photography.
Here in Germany you find Prakticas quite regularly on fleamarkets. I have a huge, ever changing collection of 70-100 analouge cameras and I can tell that Prakticas are very reliable, sturdy and they survive long time of storage without serious problems. I am often totally astonished that even beaten up Prakticas from the bottom of a cardbord box covered in dust are still working fine. They may be not as sophisticated as many Nikon, Canon or Olympus cameras of the day, but they are simply built to work and last.
A MTL5B was my first camera. It was great. The simple meter was accurate enough to shoot transparency film. The results were fine with a 50mm M42 lens. Today, film is expensive but this is great way to keep costs down. I miss that simple life of photography
Regarding batteries: Models prior to the MTL 5 B needed Hg batteries, so just adapting the outer dimension of the battery is *not* enough (the light meter won't work properly, even though they might be adjustable to a certain degree)! There are adapters for cheap hearing aid batteries (which do have the right voltage), and those work fine in older models - but only last for around 6 months (zinc-air batteries); but you can get them for very cheap, so that's not a problem in itself. (Same goes with the Yashica Mat 124G, but there the light meter can be adjusted to work with modern batteries, so mine doesn't work with zinc-air batteries.)
I found an MTL-3 with a 50mm f/1.8, 35mm f/2.8 & 135mm f/2.8 a bag and accessories for $50. I did the light seals myself and bought a new leather skin for it. The camera works flawlessly.
I had one once, and recall it was convenient & simple to operate. To talk about it being loud or 'not so subtle' is really silly for those of us who lived in that era. that floating dial was quite handy. I bought an Olympus OM-1 film camera b/c there were a lot of lenses included. Alas, I can't get the camera to work, but I can use most of the lenses on my digital OM-1 with an adaptor. I sure wished the Olympus film would have worked tho...always appreciate your insights Els, keep up the great insights and keep your sights out for great views!
I had a Praktica MTL5 in 1984 It was very nice. Built like a tank and with care I could take pictures as good as my mates using canon and Nikon. Yes, it was slow to use. No auto anything, but it was a step up from y Halina 3000.
M42 cameras are usually great 35mm options, to start with and to keep. Underrated line with great cameras available. I have a mamiya MSX 1000, got it cheap since it needed some love. Practika is on my list for next brand to try out.
I had MTL3 since 1980 and I'm still shooting with it from time to time, when I'm not shooting with Minolta Alpha 9 - I still have full set of M42 lenses for it so it's a shame not to put them to good use. Still works as good as on a first day. Also, I use PX625 battery - same form factor as original mercury battery so no need for adapter. Also, as Prakticas have voltage correction circuit, the metering works just fine. Front slanted shutter is more ergonomic than the top one so I find it easier to use than Pentax Spotmatic series. I my opinion, MTL series are the best budget cameras to start learning film photography today.
Good video, well argued and explained. It was suggested by the UA-cam algo for the last few days. However, i finally clicked through when it came up on the newsfeed of my Pixel phone.
Thanks for a really good and useful video. I thought the Praktica was a great camera. I owned one from 1977 to 1981. I would have kept using it for much longer but it came off badly in a motorbike accident. My Praktica was a PLC2 , very much like the MTL but it could also use lenses with electric contacts to allow full aperture metering. I also borrowed a MTL3 for a while and I enjoyed both cameras. I mostly used the Pentacon 50mm f1.8 or the Pentacon 29mm f2.8. I largely shot Kodachrome slides, Kodacolour, or HP4 which I processed myself. I liked the front angled shutter button which I found much more comfortable to use than the usual top-mounted shutter release. I recently purchased an MTL5 and intend to get back into using film again alongside my digital cameras
My Praktica MTL3 is my daily use camera. It’s a little basic, but gets the job done and my Takumar lens makes up for it with its sharpness and beautiful rendering.
I don't have a Praktica, but I do have a Zenit 11 with a selenium meter which is quite nice. Shutter speeds are only up to 500 ISO, but that's enough for me. It's a M72 mount as well. Produced in the 1980's, it's not a terribly old model either. It's chunky and heavy, all metal, but is fun.
yeah, that is the camera I'm recommending everyone and own two of them myself. I also have a LB and LB2. I'm lucky to live in East Germany so here are plenty of Praktica cheap to get and also getting the best fitting Pentacon, Meyer-Optik and Carl Zeiss Jena lenses is quite easy. Zeiss Jena lenses are the best vintage lenses. Instead of the LR44 battery you could also use a SR44 battery which will last longer. And if you want to go medium format, then pick the big brother of the Praktica, the Pentacon six, which has its own series of Carl Zeiss Jena lenses.
I've had Praktica cameras since 1972, and I've been shooting with an MTL3 since 1985. Reliability can be a problem with these - check the film advance - but after all this time, if you find a working camera, it will likely keep working. The easy-to-find LR44 battery in the MTL5b is definitely a plus, but I've had good luck with modern 1.5v 625s in the MTL3.
A word of caution regarding Praktica M42 cameras - if you find one in good working condition, it will be nice! But many cameras you might find are more often than not going to have serious issues. Quality control was rather bad in the GDR. On the other hand - just try several times with really cheap offers, and you might get one really nice camera out of it for less than $100 (sometimes the lenses coming with the camera are worth the expense ;-)). My track record was not so good so far, but I now have an MTL 5 that seems to work just fine (and is in overall good condition). They generally do have a problem with long focal lengths (from around 180 mm and above), depending on the type of lens, due to the rather small mirror (part of the finder image is cut off or at least darkened).
My brother bought a quite amazing carl zeiss jena 50f2 lens (m42), that fits fine on this camera. We used it on our nikon bodys with a switch-lens m42to nikonF that probably steels some optics. These 50mm zeiss are cheap. There are 20mm pentacon lenses for m42. I was studying in (west) berlin from nov89 to 1995 and I still get mad at me looking back not to have bought some of these at this time not exspensive east german camera gear. Today, I give hundrets of euros for the amazing 180f2,8 6x6 zeiss lens. Heavy great stuff. Still love your Channel, Els! Have a nice x-mas and a happy healthy new year 2025! Andreas
I completely agree with you. I often come across the cameras in thrift stores and at flea markets. It is a gamble to buy them, but for a few euros you can have a camera with a lens. You can also buy the m42 lenses for a few euros. I am currently converting a pair. I remove the fake leather and put on it, for example, a nice red or another color. That really gives the camera a different look. Thanks for the video. I also thought I saw pictures out The Netherlands :-) Feedback
I completely agree with you. I often come across the cameras in thrift stores and at flea markets. It is a gamble to buy them, but for a few euros you can have a camera with a lens. You can also buy the m42 lenses for a few euros. I am currently converting a pair. I remove the fake leather and put on it, for example, a nice red or another color. That really gives the camera a different look. Thanks for the video. I also thought I saw pictures out The Netherlands :-)
I have the Praktica TL1000 and it's a fantastic camera. Got it for $40 a few years ago. The clockwork operation and lightstick meter nailed the exposure every time. It also just feels great in the hand - good weight and heft. The only bummer is that the glue attaching the wraparound grip material dissolved and I need to figure out the best way to re-attach it. This might be a problem others need to address based on the age of the camera and how it was stored. It came with a Mamiya 50mm that I was delighted to find is very sharp with lovely out-of-focus rendering. I have the K1000 and AE-1 and find them both fine but definitely overrated IMO. I also have a Canon A-1 with a shutter advance lever that has gotten stuck and needs repair. I miss using that camera and recommend it for those who have the cash because the Canon F mount has tons of great lenses.
Mooie super duidelijke video! Fraai toestel, daar zou ik zeker ook blij van worden. Op het moment doe ik 35mm digitaal en film op 4x5" Provia 100F, maar kan best eens een schuin oogje open houden voor zo'n mooie ❤ Praktica. Zou benieuwd zijn of er een M42 40mm prime lens is van sterke beeldkwaliteit. Groetjes!
@elsvanopstal Dat kan ik je zeker aanraden. Mijn mooiste/dierbaarste werk is op 4x5. Het is wel een kostbaar proces helaas (en een hoop gesjouw! 😲), daarom wijk ik ook wel even uit naar 35mm digitaal (Pentax) sinds dit jaar.
How right you are about the Pentax K1000 instead I bought a Pentax Spotamatic SP11 kit with a number of Takumar lenses, filters , extension tubes and other accessories for $100.00 I had to change the light Seals in the Spotamatic and I use a Minolta light meter as the light meter in the camera does not work
Believe it or not, I'm so old I sold these in a camera shop when they were new. The Chinon CS and CX / CXII are as good and can be bought for under £30!!!!
@@elsvanopstal I used to sell the CXII and they were very reliable. Avoid the later black Chinon cameras, they were good too but rely on electronic circuits which are getting a bit unreliable now.
Meine erste Kamera war eine Praktika, die auch immer noch funktioniert. Zwar keine MTL, aber sie ähneln sich ja stark. Und auch gute Objektive gibt es zu den Kameras - auch aus der DDR von Carl Zeiss Jena.
First of all, the photos from your practice are very nice. But it couldn't be otherwise. Praktika was very desirable and expensive in my country in the previous century. It's like a supplement from Western brands that were unavailable in Poland at that time. So there was Praktika or the much cheaper Zenit. both cameras were extremely popular for our fathers. Now, for a few months, I have had a beautiful Practical Super TL from 1969. The camera is in excellent condition. Complete. Full black case. Everything is fine. The wonderful charm of the 1960s and the smell of a leather case. Still present from those years. the camera itself is beautifully finished. Everything metal. The glass is Carl Zeiss 50mm Jena. These cameras were definitely better made than their younger brothers with metal shutters like your example. But every Practice. Older or younger technically is worth your attention. Especially today
My first real film cam was a Canon AE1, then a Nikon 301, then switched to Canon again, this time EOS 300. For a very small budget and if you are looking for a camera which makes life easy I can recommend the Nikon 301. This camera lives on AA Batteries, which are very easy to find. Get recharchable ones.
I can suggest cosina body based cameras like Nikon FM10 (which one i use), Yashica FX-3, Olympus OM2000 etc. Also You can take a look for cosina's original cameras like Cosina CT1 Super. I recommend Nikon FM10 'cause one of the last fully mechanical film SLR cameras and conditions are really good. You can find it on EBay for 100$ with standard kint lenses 35-70mm F3.5
Thanks for the tip! I have shot with a Cosina once. I loved working with it. Didn't love the results though. Will need to try another time with another lens. :)
I moved to Praktica MTL50 from Zenit ET and it is excellent camera. It has bright viewfinder, split-image viewfinder and use 4LR44, that still in production. But I recommend this model to my friend, and he has problems with film advance. But I think it could be problem of many models, but for such price it’s okay.
minolta srt are amazing and cheap af too, 2 months ago i bought a perfectly working minolta srt 200 with 4 lenses: 3 great ones, one questionable third party, which is still a win since it was all 50 dollars on ebay
Sorry for the spam, but you forgot to mention another Praktica camera, which is also great - Praktica MTL 50. It's basically the same as the MTL 5B, with the only differences being that the lightmeter in the MTL 50 is with LEDs, rather than a needle and also the fact that the MTL 50 uses a 6 volt PX 28 battery or a set of 4 LR 44 batteries. The Praktica MTL 5B and Praktica MTL 50 were the last M 42 screw mount lens cameras, that were manufactured in GDR before the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.
Thank you for your insight! I know of the MTL50 but I didn't include it in this video as I have never shot one before so I didn't really know how it compares. :)
I scored a great condition Canon FTB with 2 50mm Canon Fd lenses as well as two 3rd party 28mm lenes and a 135mm 3rd party lens at a local antique shop for 50 bucks!!!!!! Didn't need it because I am a Nikon guy but had to based on the price ,lol.
I am not interested in the camera...but almost bought it following your video had my wife not intervened. They are really cheap! Anyway, I like your videos more and more.
There are a lot of viable options still. Off brand cameras made by Cosina and Ricoh are great options..many of them manual cameras and made of metal. The Canon option which is best and affordable would be the Rebels which are nostly dependable and they have a multiple exposure option and most do not suffer from light leaks due to age...Film is expensive and if i use film i want the option that has the best chance for success.
I read somewhere that the old mercury batteries were 1.3V so if you use a 1.5V LR44 instead it gives inaccurate readings. I'm absolutely not an expert on that sort of thing but if anyone is thinking of doing this it's worth looking into.
I have recently bought a couple of the 1.35V batteries, WeinCell MRB625. I think when looked into this the meter is only 1/3 stop out using 1.5V. The meter isn’t that accurate anyway, you can never get the needle dead centre, just close.
I've been using Praktica L2 which is literally just a mechanical box for film exposure, a less sturdy Pentax K1000. And all Prakticas are the same, with minor differences. MTL 5B would be a perfect beginners all manual camera (it doesn't do anything for you), though I think it's a bit overpriced for its real worth, at least in Europe. I mean, it's still just a box - better than any Zenit, but still just a box. It doesn't have this sense of reliability which Pentax K1000 posseses.
Absolutely ridiculous the price of K 1000 now It is a great camera in itself however but it isn't that good obviously. The SMC lenses are fine optically but the aperture rings are awkward; even clumsy in the handling. The shutter is too loud. ( Well we can't have everything flawlessly perfect )
Don't forget an AE-1 gives you shutter speed priority also which is an semi auto setting that both the Praktica & the Pentax do not have. I also think the Canon FD lens quality is more superior than the Pentax of Praktica range.
Those prices are at the high end of the scale. Shop around and you can find these cheap Prakticas for £30 or less. Anything more and you're paying too much. Even the more popular SLRs you mentioned can be found for cheaper if you shop around (avoiding weekends and other peak times on eBay), sure they'll always be listings at inflated prices but you can still find cheap cameras at auction level.. not everyone lists cameras at inflated prices. You just have to be patient and keep looking. Most of my cameras were £30 or less. The most expensive was a fully serviced and tested Flexaret TLR which came in around £125 but a big chunk of that was postage from Slovakia, customs and import duty.
Yes I see them for a lot cheaper here in France too but it seems they are a bit more expensive in the US, so erring on the higher pricetag for safety. 🙂
The range is very confusing because there were no less than 27 L series cameras made between 1969 and 1989, and they all look very similar. Good luck to anyone trying to figure out the specifications of a particular model!
So schwer ist das nicht, je neuer sie sind, um so besser ist es natürlich und so groß sind zum Beispiel die Unterschiede der vorgestellten MTL ja auch nicht. Und ja, die Kameras funktionieren meist noch immer gut, wenn nur ein wenig acht gegeben wurde. Mechanik kann man auch reparieren, bei der Elektronik wird es meist schwieriger.
Don't be too worried about it they all take good photos on film by adjusting apperture and shutter speed and focus the lens with split image or freznal. The basic L had no light meter and I used a Weston Master 5 or Euromaster to get exposure. LB had a simple meter like a built in handheld meter. It used no battery and had a display on the top with a match needle like in the viewfinder here. The MTL series here used stop down metering so the viewfinder goes dark depending on apperture set when metering. Then there are the electric cameras like EE2 PLC2 ect. They meter at full apperture and the lens is electric coupled to the camera via contacts on the back of the lens and lens mount of camera. Problem is these cameraas used a battery you can no longer buy. You can get an adaptor to hold 3 button cells but thay are low current so don't last long. I am now experementing with a Saft LS 17500 at 3.6 Volts it's a bit below original 4.5 Volt and looks like it maybe needs a 1 stop adjustment.
I had MTl5B during their time, I cant say I would go back to one, or any other 35 MM camera after using a DLSR. The expense, inconvenience and poor image quality compared to modern digital photography just doesn't cut it for me. There is too much rose tinted nostalgia for film.
Nikon FM2n is both cheap (£250 but will hold its value) and great in your hands and it also gets you into a world of F mount nikkor lenses - that hasn’t changed since the ‘50s. That is a LOT of lenses so they are cheap AND good performers. FM2n is mechanically robust and the titanium shutter is indestructible! I’ve been shooting Nikon slr bodies for 40 years. Plus side fun with Fujinon, Pentax, Rollei medium formats and Leica, Voigtlander & Zeiss RFs.
Pretty sure the MTL5/3 are all plastic - they feel like metal because they're so heavy. Also every one I've come across usually have a jammed advance or mirror stuck up so buy carefully.
You would compare this camera to a Spotmatic, not the later Canon and Pentaxes you mentioned. Spotmatics were good from the start - these Prakticas were never good. For parts and repair there is no comparison. If you want to give advice you need to know what you are talking about. If anything - the lens is intersting - not good - just interesting.
Praktica's were cheap and unreliable in 1984. They can't be better 40 years later. Get a nice Japanese SLR. Don't overpay for Canon - the FD-mount cameras were nothing special. Canon only took off in the plastic autofocus era. If you want good manual/semi-manual SLRs then look to Pentax, Nikon or Minolta
Have you ever shot with a Praktica camera? What was your experience? Have a great weekend! Els
I've had a Praktica MTL3 for 30+ years, and it's a great camera, but there's no getting away from the fact that it's cumbersome, rather crudely made and has a mirror slap to wake the dead. I wouldn't recommend one as an alternative to a K1000 etc for the simple reason that both Chinon and Cosina made wonderful cameras in both M42 and PK mounts. A Chinon CE4 or CE5 is a bargain Pentax alternative. The Cosina CSR has an M42 mount, both spot and average metering, is similar in size to an Olympus OM and sells for a third of the price of a Canon or Pentax. Both companies also make great lenses. Despite having more expensive cameras, the Cosina CSR is my default M42 camera, so much so that I bought another in case my first one breaks.
@@mrstandfast2212 The Ricoh KR-10 is another underrated SLR with a Pentax mount. It usually comes with a free lens. 🙂 For Canon FD lenses, the T-70 is a good, cheap choice. It is noisy, but runs on rechargeable AA batteries. The Praktica MTL3 in this video is gorgeous, though!
I shoot with exactly the same camera as yours - Praktica MTL 5B with a Pentacon Auto f 1.8 50 mm lens. I like the placement of the shutter, which is more convinient than other cameras, as well as the PL system for easier loading of film. The other feature that I like is that it uses an LR 44 alkaline battery for the lightmeter, with the one in my camera working perfectly fine. Prakticas are overlooked and frowned upon by many people because they place them alonside with the crapier Soviet Zenits and thus they think that they are trash. The other reason is that some people just don't like the look of Prakticas.
Had a few over the years and still have a couple or three, never liked them. They leaked light, the seals failed on them and whilst the 1/1000th shutter speed had its uses, I found the Zenit camera brand to be a better camera, from the B to the EM anyway.
I have an MTL3 as my first SLR. It took some getting used to, but I absolutely love it! The heavy feel of it, the clicking of the dials and the clear 'slap' of the shutter is just something else. Indeed you won't be subtile with it, but with the shutter being made out of metal, it is actually quite robust.
If the shutter functions, it'll likely last forever! No chance of burning holes in the shutter curtain for sure!
Though I have heard that you need to use the self timer in a very specific way, otherwise you may lock the shutter up if you do it wrong. I don't know if this is true, but I've heard it repeated quite often.
I got so annoyed with people (youtubers) saying that the canon was the best option for a beginner. Why make a beginner spend 200 euro on a camera with film prices at an all time high. Love the praktica's, bodies are cheap, lenses are plentiful. Great video!
I recently bought a near perfect example of a Canon AE-1 Program on EBay for $130, including a case and a decent 28-70 zoom lens. The prices she is showing on the U.S. EBay site are all from resellers and camera shops.
What does she different? She also goes for clickbaits claiminig "the best budget camera" and giving no real review about ad/disadvantages of the Prakticas in the video. (She claims to do so, but in fact she does not.) More so, she states some things that are factually wrong.
Thanks, Els, for reviewing the Praktica !
I'm shooting Praktica cameras since 1980, around 40 years or so .
And i'm still shoot them.
They are comparable to a Pentax K1000 and they are very reliable .
The light meter is very precise. I prefer light metering on the MTL cameras before similar cameras like Minolta SR-T or Canon FTb because of so precise results.
For Praktica beginners i recommend all MTL 3 or MTL 5 cameras.
Very nice viewfinder, even with glasses, split image focussing.
Light meter works with standard batteries, LR44, or V625u or PX625a .
You have the M42 mount and this means : wonderful lenses on your Praktica ! Takumar lenses, Pentacon lenses, Carl Zeiss Jena lenses, Meyer Görlitz lenses, some Helios lenses , some Fujinons, some Yashinons, some Tomioka made lenses and others.
When you have learned on Prakticas, i recommend additional the PLC2 or PLC3, the DTL3, the VLC2 or VLC3.
Furthermore there are the Mk.1 of the SuperTL or the Nova Ib, which where skillful and well made cameras of Dresden already in the 1960's.
My first 'proper' camera, that is an interchangeable SLR, was a Praktica MTL3, which I bought secondhand in 1983, but that was only because I couldn't afford an Olympus or Nikon, like some of my peers with higher paid jobs. It was surprisingly reliable, simple and competent - I recently digitised some of the negatives and couldn't fault the image quality; a lot of them were also taken with a cheap compatible flash, but have provided great memories. As I learnt more about photography in the following years and wanted better lenses, I eventually upgraded 3 years later. If I saw one in use today, it would bring a smile to me face in a happy, memorable way.
Nice to hear that! 🙂
As an older person, I purchased a Pentax Spotmatic II as a new camera, it is funny to see descriptions change as technology changes. That camera weighed 622 grams and it was smaller and lighter than most other SLR's of that era. In its manual it called itself automatic even though by today's standards it is a manual camera. The Praktica camera operates very similar to the old Spotmatic.
Hello beautiful Els, great review on different budget film cameras. Seems like reviews today are not like they once were as its a lot of pay me and I'll give you a review going on. Loved your collection of shots as well as I think even Gregory enjoy them as well. Looking like your back to normal now as well as your beautiful glowing complexion with those beautiful eyes and lovely long hair is so beautiful in this clip. Keep safe and would love to see some Christmas shots of where you are as the season starts going as I bet your beautiful glowing beauty with those beautiful eyes will create some beautiful shots as you share your season with us and the beautiful place were you are and the many things of which you all do during the Christmas season. Bet you can even get Gregory to captures some great holiday shots of you two to cherish for the future that maybe even a album may come from it that with each new year you share together you can add to that memories of these times become more special with each moment you share with each other. Thanks for the great video once again and look forward to more of those you share with us. Be safe and have a Merry Christmas too as it will be here before we know it. ❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏
Don't know what you did with your MTL3, but because parts are interchangable across many models in the MTL range, and bodies are so cheap and they are mechanical, you can canabalise and repair almost any damage to any of these cameras. I've 'rescued' a few MTL's over the years by buying the parts or a 'broken' body, really easy to do. I still use an MTL5B that has been mine from new in the 1980's, it has never needed a repair, never missed a beat. The bottom plate took a knock some time in the 1990's, and left a dent, last year I had a spare bottom plate from another repair so I just swapped them. My own MTL5B is like new! Also the light seals never wear out, unlike other film cameras, because they are made of string!
I've had my eye on an MTL 3 for a while now, I think you may have convinced me 😁
The Praktica LTL are also the same. Only very small cosmetical differences. They are a bit loud, because of the metall sheet shutter, but indeed very sturdy and reliable.
The Praktica L was my first SLR, acquired new in the early 1970’s, completely mechanical and no built-in meter. With it I gained a solid understanding of the basics of photography.
Yes it’s great for learning!
I am a Peaktica Lover and i found your video and i really like it.❤
Here in Germany you find Prakticas quite regularly on fleamarkets. I have a huge, ever changing collection of 70-100 analouge cameras and I can tell that Prakticas are very reliable, sturdy and they survive long time of storage without serious problems. I am often totally astonished that even beaten up Prakticas from the bottom of a cardbord box covered in dust are still working fine. They may be not as sophisticated as many Nikon, Canon or Olympus cameras of the day, but they are simply built to work and last.
A MTL5B was my first camera. It was great. The simple meter was accurate enough to shoot transparency film. The results were fine with a 50mm M42 lens. Today, film is expensive but this is great way to keep costs down. I miss that simple life of photography
It is not too late to get back to it (even a little bit). :)
@elsvanopstal Maybe. Subscribed
for b/w you can get Fomapan film quiet inexpensive. And they also sell the chemicals pretty cheap so self-developing saves a lot of money.
Regarding batteries: Models prior to the MTL 5 B needed Hg batteries, so just adapting the outer dimension of the battery is *not* enough (the light meter won't work properly, even though they might be adjustable to a certain degree)! There are adapters for cheap hearing aid batteries (which do have the right voltage), and those work fine in older models - but only last for around 6 months (zinc-air batteries); but you can get them for very cheap, so that's not a problem in itself. (Same goes with the Yashica Mat 124G, but there the light meter can be adjusted to work with modern batteries, so mine doesn't work with zinc-air batteries.)
I found an MTL-3 with a 50mm f/1.8, 35mm f/2.8 & 135mm f/2.8 a bag and accessories for $50. I did the light seals myself and bought a new leather skin for it. The camera works flawlessly.
I had one once, and recall it was convenient & simple to operate. To talk about it being loud or 'not so subtle' is really silly for those of us who lived in that era. that floating dial was quite handy. I bought an Olympus OM-1 film camera b/c there were a lot of lenses included. Alas, I can't get the camera to work, but I can use most of the lenses on my digital OM-1 with an adaptor. I sure wished the Olympus film would have worked tho...always appreciate your insights Els, keep up the great insights and keep your sights out for great views!
Thank you very much, and will do! :)
I had a Praktica MTL5 in 1984 It was very nice. Built like a tank and with care I could take pictures as good as my mates using canon and Nikon. Yes, it was slow to use. No auto anything, but it was a step up from y Halina 3000.
Classy informative video. Subscribed.
Thank you! :)
Nice video. About a very underrated camera, in my opinion. Love Practicas
M42 cameras are usually great 35mm options, to start with and to keep. Underrated line with great cameras available. I have a mamiya MSX 1000, got it cheap since it needed some love. Practika is on my list for next brand to try out.
Great info Els
I had MTL3 since 1980 and I'm still shooting with it from time to time, when I'm not shooting with Minolta Alpha 9 - I still have full set of M42 lenses for it so it's a shame not to put them to good use. Still works as good as on a first day. Also, I use PX625 battery - same form factor as original mercury battery so no need for adapter. Also, as Prakticas have voltage correction circuit, the metering works just fine. Front slanted shutter is more ergonomic than the top one so I find it easier to use than Pentax Spotmatic series.
I my opinion, MTL series are the best budget cameras to start learning film photography today.
Thank you for your input! :)
Good video, well argued and explained. It was suggested by the UA-cam algo for the last few days. However, i finally clicked through when it came up on the newsfeed of my Pixel phone.
Thanks for a really good and useful video. I thought the Praktica was a great camera. I owned one from 1977 to 1981. I would have kept using it for much longer but it came off badly in a motorbike accident. My Praktica was a PLC2 , very much like the MTL but it could also use lenses with electric contacts to allow full aperture metering. I also borrowed a MTL3 for a while and I enjoyed both cameras. I mostly used the Pentacon 50mm f1.8 or the Pentacon 29mm f2.8. I largely shot Kodachrome slides, Kodacolour, or HP4 which I processed myself. I liked the front angled shutter button which I found much more comfortable to use than the usual top-mounted shutter release. I recently purchased an MTL5 and intend to get back into using film again alongside my digital cameras
The Praktica TL and MTL cameras are all similar. I own a few. My favorite is a Super TL1000. It had a CLA at some point and still works like a charm.
I have an MTL 3 and it is brilliant.
Yes I think the MTL3 is secretly still my favorite 🤫
I own a German Exakta VX500, which was purely bought as a collector. It came with a zoom lense. I think I’ll have to try it out!
MTL3 was my first proper camera. Great cameras for beginners!
It is! Thanks for your input!
I never had a praktica camera, it seems like it is worth trying one, thanks for sharing.
I've shot with a MTL5 for many years, they always work.
My Praktica MTL3 is my daily use camera. It’s a little basic, but gets the job done and my Takumar lens makes up for it with its sharpness and beautiful rendering.
I don't have a Praktica, but I do have a Zenit 11 with a selenium meter which is quite nice. Shutter speeds are only up to 500 ISO, but that's enough for me. It's a M72 mount as well. Produced in the 1980's, it's not a terribly old model either. It's chunky and heavy, all metal, but is fun.
yeah, that is the camera I'm recommending everyone and own two of them myself. I also have a LB and LB2. I'm lucky to live in East Germany so here are plenty of Praktica cheap to get and also getting the best fitting Pentacon, Meyer-Optik and Carl Zeiss Jena lenses is quite easy. Zeiss Jena lenses are the best vintage lenses.
Instead of the LR44 battery you could also use a SR44 battery which will last longer.
And if you want to go medium format, then pick the big brother of the Praktica, the Pentacon six, which has its own series of Carl Zeiss Jena lenses.
Thanks for the advice! The Pentacon is on my wishlist!
I learned on a Canon tlb and loved it. My current slr is a minotla maximum 7000. Getting back into photography so wish me luck.
Good luck! 🙂
I've had Praktica cameras since 1972, and I've been shooting with an MTL3 since 1985. Reliability can be a problem with these - check the film advance - but after all this time, if you find a working camera, it will likely keep working. The easy-to-find LR44 battery in the MTL5b is definitely a plus, but I've had good luck with modern 1.5v 625s in the MTL3.
A word of caution regarding Praktica M42 cameras - if you find one in good working condition, it will be nice! But many cameras you might find are more often than not going to have serious issues. Quality control was rather bad in the GDR. On the other hand - just try several times with really cheap offers, and you might get one really nice camera out of it for less than $100 (sometimes the lenses coming with the camera are worth the expense ;-)). My track record was not so good so far, but I now have an MTL 5 that seems to work just fine (and is in overall good condition). They generally do have a problem with long focal lengths (from around 180 mm and above), depending on the type of lens, due to the rather small mirror (part of the finder image is cut off or at least darkened).
My brother bought a quite amazing carl zeiss jena 50f2 lens (m42), that fits fine on this camera. We used it on our nikon bodys with a switch-lens m42to nikonF that probably steels some optics. These 50mm zeiss are cheap. There are 20mm pentacon lenses for m42. I was studying in (west) berlin from nov89 to 1995 and I still get mad at me looking back not to have bought some of these at this time not exspensive east german camera gear. Today, I give hundrets of euros for the amazing 180f2,8 6x6 zeiss lens. Heavy great stuff. Still love your Channel, Els! Have a nice x-mas and a happy healthy new year 2025! Andreas
Thank you! Hope you had a nice Christmas and wishing you all the best for 2025! :)
I completely agree with you. I often come across the cameras in thrift stores and at flea markets. It is a gamble to buy them, but for a few euros you can have a camera with a lens. You can also buy the m42 lenses for a few euros. I am currently converting a pair. I remove the fake leather and put on it, for example, a nice red or another color. That really gives the camera a different look. Thanks for the video. I also thought I saw pictures out The Netherlands :-)
Feedback
Sorry 2 times
I completely agree with you. I often come across the cameras in thrift stores and at flea markets. It is a gamble to buy them, but for a few euros you can have a camera with a lens. You can also buy the m42 lenses for a few euros. I am currently converting a pair. I remove the fake leather and put on it, for example, a nice red or another color. That really gives the camera a different look. Thanks for the video. I also thought I saw pictures out The Netherlands :-)
Yes you are right: I was in Breda for a day during springtime! :)
I have the Praktica TL1000 and it's a fantastic camera. Got it for $40 a few years ago. The clockwork operation and lightstick meter nailed the exposure every time. It also just feels great in the hand - good weight and heft. The only bummer is that the glue attaching the wraparound grip material dissolved and I need to figure out the best way to re-attach it. This might be a problem others need to address based on the age of the camera and how it was stored. It came with a Mamiya 50mm that I was delighted to find is very sharp with lovely out-of-focus rendering. I have the K1000 and AE-1 and find them both fine but definitely overrated IMO. I also have a Canon A-1 with a shutter advance lever that has gotten stuck and needs repair. I miss using that camera and recommend it for those who have the cash because the Canon F mount has tons of great lenses.
Mooie super duidelijke video! Fraai toestel, daar zou ik zeker ook blij van worden. Op het moment doe ik 35mm digitaal en film op 4x5" Provia 100F, maar kan best eens een schuin oogje open houden voor zo'n mooie ❤ Praktica. Zou benieuwd zijn of er een M42 40mm prime lens is van sterke beeldkwaliteit. Groetjes!
Dankjewel! Oh waw 4x5, dat komt er hier hopelijk ook nog wel eens van. En uittesten zou ik zeggen. 🙂
@elsvanopstal Dat kan ik je zeker aanraden. Mijn mooiste/dierbaarste werk is op 4x5. Het is wel een kostbaar proces helaas (en een hoop gesjouw! 😲), daarom wijk ik ook wel even uit naar 35mm digitaal (Pentax) sinds dit jaar.
@@hz7984 Kan ik in komen! Toch lijkt het me idd wel echt de moeite waard. :)
@elsvanopstal 🙂!
Great video! 😊👍🏻
Thank you! 😊
I had an MTL3. Not a bad camera but went on to an OM1 in 1979.
How right you are about the Pentax K1000 instead I bought a Pentax Spotamatic SP11 kit with a number of Takumar lenses, filters , extension tubes and other accessories for $100.00 I had to change the light Seals in the Spotamatic and I use a Minolta light meter as the light meter in the camera does not work
Believe it or not, I'm so old I sold these in a camera shop when they were new. The Chinon CS and CX / CXII are as good and can be bought for under £30!!!!
👍👍 I got one of those Chinon CX. Nice camera.
Thanks for the tip! :) Will check them out!
@@elsvanopstal I used to sell the CXII and they were very reliable. Avoid the later black Chinon cameras, they were good too but rely on electronic circuits which are getting a bit unreliable now.
Meine erste Kamera war eine Praktika, die auch immer noch funktioniert. Zwar keine MTL, aber sie ähneln sich ja stark. Und auch gute Objektive gibt es zu den Kameras - auch aus der DDR von Carl Zeiss Jena.
First of all, the photos from your practice are very nice. But it couldn't be otherwise.
Praktika was very desirable and expensive in my country in the previous century. It's like a supplement from Western brands that were unavailable in Poland at that time. So there was Praktika or the much cheaper Zenit. both cameras were extremely popular for our fathers. Now, for a few months, I have had a beautiful Practical Super TL from 1969. The camera is in excellent condition. Complete. Full black case. Everything is fine. The wonderful charm of the 1960s and the smell of a leather case. Still present from those years. the camera itself is beautifully finished. Everything metal. The glass is Carl Zeiss 50mm Jena. These cameras were definitely better made than their younger brothers with metal shutters like your example. But every Practice. Older or younger technically is worth your attention. Especially today
Thanks for sharing! :) Sounds like a great camera.
My first real film cam was a Canon AE1, then a Nikon 301, then switched to Canon again, this time EOS 300.
For a very small budget and if you are looking for a camera which makes life easy I can recommend the Nikon 301. This camera lives on AA Batteries, which are very easy to find. Get recharchable ones.
Thanks for the tip! :)
I can suggest cosina body based cameras like Nikon FM10 (which one i use), Yashica FX-3, Olympus OM2000 etc. Also You can take a look for cosina's original cameras like Cosina CT1 Super. I recommend Nikon FM10 'cause one of the last fully mechanical film SLR cameras and conditions are really good. You can find it on EBay for 100$ with standard kint lenses 35-70mm F3.5
Thanks for the tip! I have shot with a Cosina once. I loved working with it. Didn't love the results though. Will need to try another time with another lens. :)
I moved to Praktica MTL50 from Zenit ET and it is excellent camera. It has bright viewfinder, split-image viewfinder and use 4LR44, that still in production. But I recommend this model to my friend, and he has problems with film advance. But I think it could be problem of many models, but for such price it’s okay.
Oh, a shame he got a faulty one. I guess this is always a possibility. Luckily they are cheap to replace. 🙂
minolta srt are amazing and cheap af too, 2 months ago i bought a perfectly working minolta srt 200 with 4 lenses: 3 great ones, one questionable third party, which is still a win since it was all 50 dollars on ebay
I would like to hear about that "salt accident" ;p
Shhh... ;p
Sorry for the spam, but you forgot to mention another Praktica camera, which is also great - Praktica MTL 50. It's basically the same as the MTL 5B, with the only differences being that the lightmeter in the MTL 50 is with LEDs, rather than a needle and also the fact that the MTL 50 uses a 6 volt PX 28 battery or a set of 4 LR 44 batteries. The Praktica MTL 5B and Praktica MTL 50 were the last M 42 screw mount lens cameras, that were manufactured in GDR before the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.
Thank you for your insight! I know of the MTL50 but I didn't include it in this video as I have never shot one before so I didn't really know how it compares. :)
This was super helpful, thorough, and filmed in a pleasing and approachable manner. Thank you!
Thank you for watching (and commenting)! 😄
I scored a great condition Canon FTB with 2 50mm Canon Fd lenses as well as two 3rd party 28mm lenes and a 135mm 3rd party lens at a local antique shop for 50 bucks!!!!!! Didn't need it because I am a Nikon guy but had to based on the price ,lol.
Hehe cool!
I am not interested in the camera...but almost bought it following your video had my wife not intervened. They are really cheap!
Anyway, I like your videos more and more.
Haha! And happy to hear that! 😊
There are a lot of viable options still. Off brand cameras made by Cosina and Ricoh are great options..many of them manual cameras and made of metal. The Canon option which is best and affordable would be the Rebels which are nostly dependable and they have a multiple exposure option and most do not suffer from light leaks due to age...Film is expensive and if i use film i want the option that has the best chance for success.
I read somewhere that the old mercury batteries were 1.3V so if you use a 1.5V LR44 instead it gives inaccurate readings. I'm absolutely not an expert on that sort of thing but if anyone is thinking of doing this it's worth looking into.
Yes I read that too but the difference is apparently very minor. 🙂
I have recently bought a couple of the 1.35V batteries, WeinCell MRB625. I think when looked into this the meter is only 1/3 stop out using 1.5V. The meter isn’t that accurate anyway, you can never get the needle dead centre, just close.
The Prakticas are not sensitive for the voltage because of the built-in bridge circuit; it will not make any difference.
le guardie sul muro di Berlino utilizzavano Praktica mtl3
Maybe I should get one so I can finally have a film camera I can use my Helios 44-2 on
Yes! Do it! 😉
I forgot to say, even the canon eos 300 should deserve some love. EF-mount, cheap body. Sure, not a mechanical camera. but very usable.
I've been using Praktica L2 which is literally just a mechanical box for film exposure, a less sturdy Pentax K1000. And all Prakticas are the same, with minor differences.
MTL 5B would be a perfect beginners all manual camera (it doesn't do anything for you), though I think it's a bit overpriced for its real worth, at least in Europe. I mean, it's still just a box - better than any Zenit, but still just a box.
It doesn't have this sense of reliability which Pentax K1000 posseses.
Absolutely ridiculous the price of K 1000 now
It is a great camera in itself however but it isn't that good obviously.
The SMC lenses are fine optically but the aperture rings are awkward; even clumsy in the handling.
The shutter is too loud.
( Well we can't have everything flawlessly perfect )
Thanks for your input! :)
Don't forget an AE-1 gives you shutter speed priority also which is an semi auto setting that both the Praktica & the Pentax do not have. I also think the Canon FD lens quality is more superior than the Pentax of Praktica range.
Thanks for your input!
You´re welcome 😊
DDR 💪
:p
Those prices are at the high end of the scale. Shop around and you can find these cheap Prakticas for £30 or less. Anything more and you're paying too much. Even the more popular SLRs you mentioned can be found for cheaper if you shop around (avoiding weekends and other peak times on eBay), sure they'll always be listings at inflated prices but you can still find cheap cameras at auction level.. not everyone lists cameras at inflated prices. You just have to be patient and keep looking. Most of my cameras were £30 or less. The most expensive was a fully serviced and tested Flexaret TLR which came in around £125 but a big chunk of that was postage from Slovakia, customs and import duty.
Yes I see them for a lot cheaper here in France too but it seems they are a bit more expensive in the US, so erring on the higher pricetag for safety. 🙂
A more robust Japanese camera in the same price range, with the same m42 mounth is Chinon CS, CX or CXII. It's a better choice in my opinion
The range is very confusing because there were no less than 27 L series cameras made between 1969 and 1989, and they all look very similar. Good luck to anyone trying to figure out the specifications of a particular model!
Well, at least I covered 3 of the MTL's in this video :')
So schwer ist das nicht, je neuer sie sind, um so besser ist es natürlich und so groß sind zum Beispiel die Unterschiede der vorgestellten MTL ja auch nicht. Und ja, die Kameras funktionieren meist noch immer gut, wenn nur ein wenig acht gegeben wurde. Mechanik kann man auch reparieren, bei der Elektronik wird es meist schwieriger.
Don't be too worried about it they all take good photos on film by adjusting apperture and shutter speed and focus the lens with split image or freznal. The basic L had no light meter and I used a Weston Master 5 or Euromaster to get exposure. LB had a simple meter like a built in handheld meter. It used no battery and had a display on the top with a match needle like in the viewfinder here.
The MTL series here used stop down metering so the viewfinder goes dark depending on apperture set when metering.
Then there are the electric cameras like EE2 PLC2 ect. They meter at full apperture and the lens is electric coupled to the camera via contacts on the back of the lens and lens mount of camera. Problem is these cameraas used a battery you can no longer buy. You can get an adaptor to hold 3 button cells but thay are low current so don't last long. I am now experementing with a Saft LS 17500 at 3.6 Volts it's a bit below original 4.5 Volt and looks like it maybe needs a 1 stop adjustment.
Thank you for your insights! 🙂
I had MTl5B during their time, I cant say I would go back to one, or any other 35 MM camera after using a DLSR. The expense, inconvenience and poor image quality compared to modern digital photography just doesn't cut it for me. There is too much rose tinted nostalgia for film.
Nikon FM2n is both cheap (£250 but will hold its value) and great in your hands and it also gets you into a world of F mount nikkor lenses - that hasn’t changed since the ‘50s. That is a LOT of lenses so they are cheap AND good performers. FM2n is mechanically robust and the titanium shutter is indestructible!
I’ve been shooting Nikon slr bodies for 40 years. Plus side fun with Fujinon, Pentax, Rollei medium formats and Leica, Voigtlander & Zeiss RFs.
The Praktica case is not made of metal but of plastic treated "metal style".
Pretty sure the MTL5/3 are all plastic - they feel like metal because they're so heavy. Also every one I've come across usually have a jammed advance or mirror stuck up so buy carefully.
I bought 4. None worked. Bought a Pentax, works fine.
Oh, that's some bad luck!
never shot on a Practica, being West German, I did not want a camera from East Germany with inferior technology. Like M42 mount!
You would compare this camera to a Spotmatic, not the later Canon and Pentaxes you mentioned. Spotmatics were good from the start - these Prakticas were never good. For parts and repair there is no comparison. If you want to give advice you need to know what you are talking about. If anything - the lens is intersting - not good - just interesting.
Agreed, I still have mine I bought in the 1970's. I have much more exotic cameras nowadays, BUT I still enjoy using my Praktica :)
Great to hear that! 😁
Praktica's were cheap and unreliable in 1984. They can't be better 40 years later. Get a nice Japanese SLR.
Don't overpay for Canon - the FD-mount cameras were nothing special. Canon only took off in the plastic autofocus era.
If you want good manual/semi-manual SLRs then look to Pentax, Nikon or Minolta
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! However I have used my MTL3 for over ten years no issues ever. And I got it as a gift (second hand). :)
You're right. The Praktica is great value.Sadly, many are being sold without their Zeiss Jenna lens which make more than the camera and lens combined.