P6 History: The Praktisix II

The Pentacon Six System
by TRA

The History of the Pentacon Six

The Praktisix II

Dates: 1964-1965 (prototypes in 1964)

An early Praktisix II with a Zeiss Tessar lens that would have been originally supplied with the original Praktisix camera.
This lens focusses down to a little under 1 meter and stops down to f/22.
Note the Ernemann Tower logo on the prism.
[C447_31A.jpg]

Features

Changes from the original Praktisix included:

détentes for the shutter speed dial, which now clicked into position for each speed
Modified (claimed to be improved) film transport.
The film guide rails within the camera back have been re-designed, presumably to improve film flatness.
The advance lever blocking disk that prevents winding on before firing the shutter has now grown to the standard “pacman” pie shape of the later cameras.
As with the later Praktisix cameras, a film advance stop post is now standard on the top of the camera, where the KW logo had been located on the original camera.
The tripod socket on base of camera is now ¼”.

If you look very hard at the base of the camera throat on one of these cameras, you may see imprinted within the leatherette beside the flash socket an “X” to indicate the synchronisation setting. The camera chassis had been designed to incorporate both “X” and “FP” flash sync, though the FP option was never implemented with the Praktisix (only with the “Hanimex Praktica 66”, see below).

This picture of the Praktisix was sent to me by the factory in 1981.
It shows that some of the late production Praktisix II cameras now had the pull-out film spool knobs on the base that became standard with the Praktisix IIA and subsequent models.

To go to the Bibliography, click here.

To go on to the next section, click below.
18 The Praktisix IIA

To go to the beginning of the history section, click here.

To go to introduction to the cameras, click here.

To choose other options, click below.
Home