Identify a camera from a picture

grahamc

grahamc

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Graham
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Just wondering if anyone can identify this camera? The picture is from Windows Spotlight, I saw it on my "lock" screen and would like to know what it is.
 

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you'd be better off asking in film and conventional, this is one for the boys who smell slightly of chemicals like @TheBigYin
 
gazmorton2000 said:
Pentacon Six

Shoots a 6x6 image on 120 film.
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Andysnap said:
^^^^ That's the fella and here's a website.:D

http://www.pentaconsix.com/
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I'm really confused here. Cosmetically, it certainly looks like a Pentacon Six, but, if you look closely, aren't all of the features reversed? For instance, the shutter release and film winder are on the left side in this photograph, but are ordinarily on the right side of a Pentacon Six, as far as I'm aware.
 
Thanks guys!

I thought I found it when I found this:-
Praktisix_00.jpg
 
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skysh4rk said:
I'm really confused here. Cosmetically, it certainly looks like a Pentacon Six, but, if you look closely, aren't all of the features reversed? For instance, the shutter release and film winder are on the left side in this photograph, but are ordinarily on the right side of a Pentacon Six, as far as I'm aware.
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I was wondering about that too

There are a whole host of Pentacon Six derivatives, this may well be one of them
 
I have long since given up with digital cameras, other than using my phone for holiday photos.... however something like this is very tempting
 
Russians copied these a lot to and branded as Kiev's
 
grahamc said:
Anyone got/use one of these?
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A friend of mine had one briefly and it was lovely to use, although the film counter stopped working on it very quickly and looking on the line reveals this can be a common problem.
 
Actually then all the numbers would be backwards. WTF!?
 
skysh4rk said:
I considered that, but the text is the right way around. Would someone have bothered to flip the camera and then take the time to flip back the text and markings?
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Yeah I figured that as I had posted it. :/
 
My guess is that it's an early Pentacon Six (not the TL) with the image flipped. The dial and the lens were then flipped back again. It's a clever hoax.
 
I don't understand why someone would bother shopping an image of an old Pentacon/Practisix though? Also, simply flipping that angled image would result in the lens being at the opposite angle when flipped back so whoever did it would then need to crop a lens from another image at the right angle to overlay it?

Actually, the shutter speed dial is the right way round so that hasn't been flipped?
 
KR could be bothered when he was BSing about talking Nikon into building him a special left handed SLR some years back. It would only take a minute or 2 to do - maybe 3-4 minutes to do it well!
 
I'm with RJ and Rob thinking it's a left handed model. A quick google search found one page talking about a version with a shutter button on the left but cocking lever on the right so it's not that unlikely there's a full left handed version too.
 
grahamc said:
Anyone got/use one of these?
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grahamc said:
I have long since given up with digital cameras, other than using my phone for holiday photos.... however something like this is very tempting
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I haven't used this particular camera, but many cameras like this, yes.

What do you find tempting about it? The large waist level finder? If so, there are many medium format film SLRs with this feature in addition to the Pentacon Six, such as Bronicas (e.g., ETR series, SQ series, and GS-1 series cameras), Hasselblads (e.g., V-series models), Pentaxes (e.g., 645 and 6x7 cameras), and Mamiyas (e.g., RB67 and RZ67) to name only a few.

Possibly even cooler are the medium format TLRs, which also usually feature waist level finders, such as Rolleiflexes, Minolta Autocords, Yashica Mats, and Mamiya TLR cameras. Some of these can be picked up for very little outlay (~£100 or so).
 
waist level view and film :) been ages since I used film

The Mamiya RZs are quite big, arent they?

The TLR style looks cool as well
 
grahamc said:
waist level view and film :) been ages since I used film

The Mamiya RZs are quite big, arent they?

The TLR style looks cool as well
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Yes, the RZ67s have a bit of size to them, as they are effectively 7x7cm cameras (possibly even 8x8, now that I think about it as they can accept 6x8 backs too, I think). They're nice cameras that are capable of great results, with huge waist level finders too, but they're much bigger than 6x6cm cameras. I put one next to my Hasselblad once and there was a enormous size differential between them.

While I've used a bunch of different cameras and formats, the only things that I own and shoot at the moment are 6x6cm cameras with waist level finders. No digital, no 35mm film, nothing else. Love'em. I'm especially entranced by my Rolleiflex TLR at the moment, but also enjoy using 6x6cm toy cameras like the Holga 120 TLR and Lubitel 166. So many fun options available and all capable of good results in the right hands.

Edit: Actually, I lie. I forgot that I also have a regular Holga 120 with a normal non-ttl viewfinder in addition to my TLR version with the waist level finder, so I guess almost all of my cameras have waist level finders.
 
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There were a few left-handed shutter bodies that turn up..
  • Kiev 6C
  • Exakta 66 (pre-war models)
  • Exa, several models
Can't see one that matches exactly.
 
The lens is a CZJ "Zebra" Tessar, isn't it? ie, a 35mm lens, which probably makes the camera some kind of Exa.

Edit: 35mm system, not focal length, obv
 
skysh4rk said:
I haven't used this particular camera, but many cameras like this, yes.

What do you find tempting about it? The large waist level finder? If so, there are many medium format film SLRs with this feature in addition to the Pentacon Six, such as Bronicas (e.g., ETR series, SQ series, and GS-1 series cameras), Hasselblads (e.g., V-series models), Pentaxes (e.g., 645 and 6x7 cameras), and Mamiyas (e.g., RB67 and RZ67) to name only a few.

Possibly even cooler are the medium format TLRs, which also usually feature waist level finders, such as Rolleiflexes, Minolta Autocords, Yashica Mats, and Mamiya TLR cameras. Some of these can be picked up for very little outlay (~£100 or so).
Click to expand...

....or at the other end (just for info) my Yashica T5 35mm compact has an extra waist level viewing...mind you, you need good eyes to see the picture.
 
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