Publicity
for the Praktisix and Pentacon Six System
Produced by Distributors
In some countries, distributors and even some
retailers produced publicity materials on the
Praktisix/Pentacon Six system: cameras, lenses and
accessories. Here we are looking at publicity
that goes beyond advertisements placed in other
publications.
On this page we focus on distributors outside East
Germany, but start with early literature from an
exporter in East Germany.
East
Germany, 1957
[57_FO_as.jpg]
Substantial
booklet in four languages: German,
Russian, English and French
Approximate dimensions: 150mm × 209
mm
48 pages
This brochure was published by the
Deutsche Export- und
Importgesellschaft
Feinmechanik-Optik MBH, which was
located in the Russian-occupied
sector of Berlin. As can be
seen from the front cover, it is
here giving especial emphasis to the
new Praktisix medium format camera
from KW in Dresden.
Other items featured are Praktica
and Praktina cameras, including two
motor drives and a 17 metre film
back for the Praktina. Other
cameras include the Pentacon F
(formerly known as the “Contax”,
until this name was disputed by the
West Germans), the Pentacon FB with
non-TTL metering pentaprism, the
Exakta Varex and Exa and a wide
range of other cameras from various
manufacturers in the Eastern Zone of
Germany, including the Weltaflex 6×6
twin-lens reflex, the Altix and the
Werra. There are also lenses
from Zeiss (but not for medium
format, an 8mm movie camera, a 16mm
movie camera, a massive wooden
studio camera for 13×18 and 18×24 cm
formats, enlargers, projectors
(still and movie), a hand-held light
meter, episcope, Arnz filters,
binoculars, machinery for sound
movie studios, etc.
Click on the image here to see
the front of the booklet full size.
[57_FO_p3s.jpg]
Page 3 of this
booklet gives a brief description of
the Praktisix. The lens in the
photograph is an 80mm f/2.8 Carl
Zeiss Jena Tessar, although only the
word “Jena” can be clearly seen, no
doubt to permit the use of this
photograph in any market world-wide
(although the name “Carl Zeiss Jena”
and the lens name “Sonnar” are used
elsewhere in this booklet.
Below, we show three further pages
from this booket.
Click on the image here to see page
3 of the booklet full size.
[57_FO_p31s.jpg]
The first of the
pages that present lenses from
MEYER-OPTIK Feinoptisches Werk -
Görlitz features the 80mm f/3.5
Primotar E, which had been designed
for the Praktisix. It is
described as being equipped with an
“innovative spring aperture
mechanism”. This was the
precursor to the fully automatic
aperture that was offered on the
Tessar and subsequently on all other
Carl Zeiss Jena lenses for the
Praktisix and the Pentacon Six
(other than the mirror lens).
The text on the Meyer lens is spread
between pages 31 and 32, depending
on the language, the English text
being on page 32, which is
reproduced to the right.
Click on the image here to see page
31 full size.
[57_FO_p32-33s.jpg]
The next two pages
feature two further Meyer-Optik
lenses: a 35mm wide-angle lens and
the 300mm f/4.5 Telemegor telephoto
lens. Both of these lenses are
described as being “coated”, and for
35mm cameras – at least, that is
what the German text states; the
English and French is a lot more
vague. As we are aware from
other publicity, the 300mm Telemegor
was also soon being offered for the
Praktisix, and remained available
for this camera for many years.
Click on the image here to see pages
32 and 33 full size.
West Germany, 1959
[1959_Okt_02s.jpg]
German-language
leaflet
Approximate dimensions: 150mm × 210
mm
8 pages
This leaflet has
the title “PRAKTICA – PRAKTINA
– PRAKTISIX PREISLISTE Oktober
1959”. Page 1 (not
reproduced here) starts with the KW
logo, and the leaflet ends with the
same logo on p. 8 (see to the right
here).
Information on the Praktina
II A is listed at the top of this
page, followed by details of the
first version of the
Praktisix. We note that all
three of the early 80mm lenses for
the Praktisix are listed, the Meyer
Primotar, the Jena Tessar (here
called “Jena T”) and the Biometar
(here called “Jena Bm”).
We also note that the plain
prism is listed, as are the manual
tubes and various focussing
screens. The angle finder for
the prism is described as “in
Vorbereitung” (“in
preparation” or “forthcoming”).
Click on the image here to
see this page full size. With
some browsers, clicking a second
time will enlarge the page further.
[1959_Okt_08s.jpg]
Page 8 gives us
further information on the source of
this leaflet. The full name of
the Dresden manufacturer, KW, is
given. Since autumn 1945 it
had found itself in the Soviet
Occupation Zone of Germany (East
Germany). KW’s name is
followed by the details of the
General Respresentative and supplier
for Bavaria (West Germany).
Prices are in West German DM
(Deutschmarks).
The leaflet may have been
printed in East or West
Germany. The poor quality
paper leads us to suspect East
Germany, where poor quality paper
was frequently used right up to the
end in 1989. However, this was
published only 14 years after the
end of the war, and the West German
“Economic Miracle” had not yet
happened, so we cannot exclude the
possibility that this might have
been printed in West Germany, in
collaboration with KW.
Few lenses are listed, but
all three of the 80mm lenses are of
course there, as well as the 65mm
Flektogon, the 120mm Biometar, and
the older 300mm Meyer
Tele-Megor. Two West German
lenses, both from Kilfitt, are also
listed: the 90mm Makro-Kilar (see here)
and the 300mm Pan-Tele-Kilar (see here).
Like this distributor for KW,
Kilfitt was located in Munich.
At 438DM, the Makro-Kilar was
apparently 6DM more expensive than
in 1966 (see below), but here it
seems to include the Praktisix
mount, for which the user had to pay
a further 48DM in 1966. The
Pan-Tele-Kilar (plus mount!) is the
same price as in 1966.
Click on the image here to
see this page full size. With
some browsers, clicking a second
time will enlarge the page further.
France, 1960
[60_Mar_as.jpg]
French-language
booklet
Approximate dimensions: 158mm × 240
mm
16 pages
This booklet is from the French
company Établissements H
Marguet of rue Crozatier, Paris
XIIe, which describes itself as
“Concessionnaires Exclusifs”, which
means “Exclusive dealers”. The
booklet principally features KW’s
Praktica IV A and Praktina IIA
cameras, but on the final page of
text also features the Praktisix,
for which see details to the right.
Click on the image here to
see the front of the booklet full
size.
[60_Mar_15s.jpg]
Page 15 compares
the Praktisix with the Praktina and
states that it “is endowed by the
technicians of KW with many of the
perfections tested for several years
in the small format.”
It points out that the wide screw
bayonet mount is robust and reliable
and eliminates all vignetting, while
the lenses have automatic aperture
without any need to be cocked in
advance, and with internal
transmission. It then states
that the Praktisix has two
viewfinders, and the prism is the
first in the world for a 6×6 camera.
The shutter has a continuous range
of speeds from 1 second to 1/1000
sec plus B, and speeds can be
selected before or after advancing
the film.
Many of these details refer to the
limitations of many other cameras
that were on the world market at the
time.
We note the choice of three
different 80mm lenses, plus the 65mm
wideangle, the 120mm Biometar and
the 300mm f/4.5 Meyer Telemegor.
The bottom of the page states,
“Delivery in 1961”, which suggests
that stocks of the camera, lenses
and accessories had not yet reached
France.
Click on the image here to see page
15 full size.
West Germany, 1965
[1965_Mai_Preisliste_1s.jpg]
German-language
leaflet
Approximate dimension: 150mm × 210
mm
6 pages
This leaflet
was produced by a West German
photographic distributor in Munich
called » REFLEX «, the same
company named on the 1959 leaflet
shown above. This leaflet
lists East German cameras from KW
(the manufacturers of the Praktisix)
and Pentacon, as can be seen from
the final page of the leaflet:
[1965_Mai_Preisliste_6s.jpg]
As well as
listing lenses for 35mm cameras from
the East German firms of Meyer
(Görlitz), Ludwig (Dresden) and what
they call “Jena” (i.e., Carl Zeiss,
Jena), they also list lenses from
the West German firms of Hertel
& Reuss (monoculars only, with
adapters for various cameras), Enna
(Munich), Isco (Göttingen), Kilfitt
(Munich), Schacht (Ulm), Schneider
(Bad Kreuznach) and Steinheil
(Munich). The Praktisix II is
prominently featured on page 1 and
on page 5.
Click on the
images here to see them full size.
[1965_Mai_Preisliste_5s.jpg]
The
number of accessories listed for the
Praktisix II is impressive, showing
availability of most items that were
also offered offered for the
subsequent Pentacon Six (TL) throughout
the decades of its production run.
The metering
prism, launched in 1968, is of
course not here, but the plain prism
is, as would be expected, as it was
listed in some of the publicity in
earlier years (including the 1959
West German leaflet and the 1960
French booklet, above ).
Prices are
listed in West German DM. In
1965, the British Pound was worth
DM11.20 and US$2.80 (according to this website,
accessed on 4th March 2022).
As well as the
Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm, 65mm, 80mm,
120mm and 180mm lenses, and the
1000mm mirror lens, there are lenses
from Meyer Optik, Görlitz, the Kilfitt
90mm
Macro-Kilar and 300mm Pan-Tele
Kilar and the Enna 400mm
Tele-Ennalyt.
This leaflet has
the title “PRAKTICA – PRAKTISIX –
OBJEKTIVE – ZUBEHÖR PREISLISTE
JULI 1966” (“PRAKTICA –
PRAKTISIX – LENSES – ACCESSORIES
PRICE LIST JULY 1966”).
Some accessories for the Praktica
IV, IV F and Nova are listed at the
top of this page and at the bottom
of page 4.
The name of the publisher is
not stated, but the leaflet is
written in German and the prices are
in West German DM (Deutschmarks), so
it must be from (or for use by) a
distributor or retailers in West
Germany prior to the establishment
of the Beroflex company
(see below). It is the same
size as the West German 1959 price
list shown above, but KW is no
longer named (no doubt a reflection
of its incorporation, at the
insistence of the East German State
or the Soviet authorities, into the
Pentacon organisation).
Click on the image here to
see this page full size. With
some browsers, clicking a second
time will enlarge the page further.
(Incidentally the page number
is given as “ – 5 – ”.
However, this must be a printing
error; this is a four-page leaflet,
and the next page is labelled “ – 4
– ”. This is page 3.)
[1966_Jul_Preisliste_04s.jpg]
Page 4 continues
with the accessories for the
Praktisix, and then comes a very
interesting table with the lenses
for the Praktisix. Of the
lenses listed a few years later for
the “mature” Pentacon Six system,
only the 300mm Carl Zeiss Jena
Sonnar is missing.
Perhaps of more interest is
the inclusion of the 90mm Kilfitt
Makro Kilar. The price is
apparently only 6DM more than the
80mm Biometar, but one needs to add
to this the price of the “WESI”
mount for a further 48DM, which is
listed but not named. (Details
of the lens here)
We also note the 300mm
Kilfitt Pan-Tele-Kilar, which at
993DM (plus DM66 for the ANSIX
mount!) is over 2½ times the price
of the Meyer Tele-Megor.
(Details here)
The 400mm Enna Tele-Ennalyt
is also listed (570DM).
(Details here)
All three of these West German
lenses have manual aperture
operation only.
A note at the foot of both
pages states that these are
recommended guide prices, so they
may have been discounted by some
vendors.
Click
on the image here to see the last
page of the leaflet full size.
Although it is undated, the date of
this brochure can be established on
the basis of the items listed, their
prices and the statement on page 2
(not reproduced here), “This ad is
appearing in Popular Photography,
Modern Photography and other leading
photographic magazines.” The
photograph used is the same one that
was used in the two 1966
advertisments shown here,
and the price is the same as in the
October advertisement.
We note that in the USA they
are not yet listing the Praktisix
IIA.
Click on the image here to
see the front of the booklet full
size. Please note that a
standard A4 European scanner does
slightly crop the left and right
edges of the page.
[66_US_p4s.jpg]
Here we reproduce
page 4 of this brochure, which lists
the items available in the USA at
that time, along with their prices
in US dollars.
We note the absence of even the
Meyer 300mm f/4.5 Telemegor, but the
presence (with “limited
availability”!) of an “automatic”
240mm Telephoto lens with the name
Caspeco, which appears to be a lens
that was not known in Europe.
Click on the image here to see page
4 full size.
France, 1967-69
[1969_France_P6s.jpg]
French-language leaflet
This was received in electronic format,
so it is not possible to be certain of the
dimensions, but similar brochures in German
are 210mm tall, and it is reasonable to assume
that this will have been the same.
One sheet with multiple vertical
folds. It is probable that there is a
further flap on the left, folded under in this
photo, as it probably contains information on
accessories for Praktica 35mm cameras
(assuming that the content is similar to the
German-language version).
Click on the image here to see it
larger.
This leaflet is not
dated, but the Pentacon Six faceplate was used
on these cameras between approximately 1967
and 1969. See here. The lens style is
that seen on some 80mm Biometar lenses
manufactured in 1964 and Pentacon
Six brochures produced in 1966 and 1967 show
lenses with this finish. See here.
The German-language version of this
leaflet is also undated, although the same
“man in bowler hat” photo was used on another
German-language leaflet dated 1969. The
German phrase often (always?) used with this
photo was “... wissen Sie was scharf ist?”
(“... do you know what sharpness is?”).
We see that at this time the the camera was
still being distributed in France exclusively
by H. Marguet, based in Paris.
It is possible that this leaflet was
produced in East Germany for use by the French
distributor. The German-language version
seen seems to have been produced for a West
German distributor in Hamburg. In the
German-language version, the other side of the
sheet gives information on the PRAKTICAnova,
PRAKTICAnova B and PRAKTICAmat 35mm cameras.
In German the man was referred to as the “Mann
mit Melone” and Jehmlich states (p. 188) that
the image was criticised by the East German
communist authorities as “unsozialistisch”
(“uncommunist”?). Perhaps the tie and
the hat suggested to them a western (English?)
middle-class office worker. For details
of Jehmlich’s book, see the Bibliography page,
here.
West
Germany, 1968-70
[70DE_01s.jpg]
German-language leaflet
Approximate dimensions (folded): 102mm
× 210mm
One sheet with four vertical folds,
resulting in ten "pages" (not
numbered)
Not dated. Three similar
versions of a German-language leaflet
like this have been seen, two of them
undated, one of them dated 1969. That
particular version had only two folds,
so six "pages" and it only covered
35mm cameras (the Praktica nova 1
(1967-1957) and the Praktica super TL
(1968-1976), so it is not reproduced
here. This leaflet includes
information on the Praktica nova B (c.
1965-1967) and the Praktica mat
(1965-1969). The information on the
Pentacon Six suggests a date of
production for the leaflet early in
1968, with the leaflet available for a
couple of years after that. (Dates
other than for the Praktica nova B
from Jehmlich - see bibliography.)
The text means "... do you know
what sharpness is? PENTACON Cameras
... because of the image sharpness."
We note that here the image has
shadow (grey) detail, while sometimes
it was produced through a "lith"
process that eliminated grey scales
and produced a high-contrast image
that contained only black and white
with no intermediate tones.
Click on the image here to see
it larger.
[70DE_08-09s.jpg]
We note that the same
photograph has been used here as in
the French-language leaflet for
1967-69. These leaflets were probably
prepared and printed in East Germany,
for use in various markets. The use of
a Biometar marked as "aus Jena"
instead of as "Carl Zeiss Jena" shows
that the intention was to use the
leaflet in countries where the East
Germans were not permitted to use the
name "Zeiss". For more on this see here.
The text summarises the main
features of the camera and says that
it is valued for report photography
because of its easy handling and its
compact design.
Click on the image here to see
it larger.
[70DE_10s.jpg]
All the Carl Zeiss
lenses for the Pentacon Six are
listed, together with the older Meyer
Telemegor (f/4.5/300) but the newer
Meyer 500mm f/5.6 Orestegor.
Manual and automatic extension
tubes are described, along with most
other accessories, including the plain
prism, but we note that there is no
reference to the metering pentaprism,
which was first introduced in 1968.
It states that the "ever-ready
case" now has a higher top to
accommodate the prism, unlike the
smaller case previously used for the
Praktisix.
On the bottom of this page the
details of a photographic dealership
in Hamburg, West Germany, are printed.
Some other similar leaflets were left
with a blank space at this point, for
shops to add their own business stamp
if they wished. Another copy of
essentially the same brochure differs
only in having a photograph of a
slightly different version of the
Praktica nova B. The blank space at
the bottom of the last page has the
stamp of the Düren branch of the major
West German (at that time) store chain
Kaufhof. Düren is in Nord Rhein
Westfalen between Aachen and Cologne,
in what was West Germany.
Click on the image here to see
it larger.
[70DE_02s.jpg]
"BILDSCHÄRFE"
means "Image sharpness". Page 2 of the
leaflet gives the reasons that
Pentacon presents that make images
sharper. It justifies the title that
they used for the German versions of
the leaflet with this image.
The first sentence states,
"Image sharpness is the thrilling
result that you achieve with every
PENTACON camera." It goes on to
justify this claim, but only with
reference to Pentacon 35mm cameras, so
I will not translate it in full here.
The third paragraph states,
"Well over half a million PRAKTICA
cameras have in the interim been sold
in many countries of the world. The
advantages of the Mirror Reflex System
[= SLR system] have contributed to the
significant success of this camera
type, which was decisively influenced
and developed further by the builders
of the PRAKTICA."
They go on to refer to the
advantages of the focal plane shutter
and the pentaprism viewfinder system.
Only with the accessory prism does
this apply to the Pentacon six.
Click on the image here to see
it larger.
England,
1970
[70CZ_01s.jpg]
English-language
leaflet
Approximate dimensions (folded): 102mm
× 207mm
One sheet with four vertical folds,
resulting in ten "pages" (not
numbered)
Not dated, but various details
fix the date at early 1970. Again we
see the "man in bowler hat" image used
in 1969 and 1970. For more information
dating, see further comments on other
pages.
Click on the image here to see
it larger.
[70CZ_02s.jpg]
This leaflet was
distributed by the U.K. Carl
Zeiss/Pentacon distributors, C.Z.
Scientific Instruments Ltd, which was
at that point still located at its
earlier address in Cavendish Street,
London.
The title on this page clearly
indicates a date at least near the
beginning of the decade.
The page speaks of "the first
ever camera to incorporate a built-in
prismatic viewfinder" and states that
it was "Twenty-two years ago". This
appears to be a reference to the
post-war "Contax" reflex, sometimes
called the "Contax S", which was
subsequently renamed "Pentacon". More
information on that camera can be seen
here.
The camera was first shown to the
public at the St Erick's Fair in
Stockholm in November 1948, and then
officially launched at the Leipzig
Spring Fair in 1949. (See Schulz, p.
35, details in the Bibliography.)
22 years after 1948 was clearly 1970.
Click on the image here to see
it larger.
[CZ70_06s.jpg]
Page 6 describes the
Pentacon Six. It uses a picture of the
camera in which the Biometar lens is
newer than in the France 1967-69 image
above, but although it says that "A
through-the-lens metering prism is
also available", it does not show the
prism, and the camera does not have
the "TL" designation.
We note that prices are in
pounds, shillings and pence.
Decimalisation of U.K. currency took
place on 15th February 1971, which
suggests a publication date for this
leaflet not less than a year before
that date.
The camera, with waist-level
finder and Zeiss Biometar 80mm lens
was £169.17.9 (one hundred and
sixty-nine pounds, seventeen shillings
and ninepence), broadly similar to the
price of a leading 35mm camera at the
time, the Minolta SR-T 101 (although
that had its pentaprism and light
metering built in). As was common at
the time in the U.K., the "E.R.C.", or
"Ever-Ready Case", was charged for
separately. At £9.19.11 (one penny
short of ten pounds), this was
expensive but a typical price for a
camera case.
Other cameras described on
other pages are the Praktica L,
described as "NEW!", which did
not incorporate any metering, the
older Praktica super TL, which had
stop-down metering, and the expensive
"Pentacon super", which was aimed at
professionals, with prices to match.
Click on the image here to see
it larger.
[CZ70_10s.jpg]
The final page gives
details of Pentacon Six accessories,
together with prices for most items.
We note that it states, "All prices
are recommended retail, effective from
1.2.70 include P.T. and are subject to
change without notice." This is a
clear indication that the leaflet was
released early in 1970. "P.T." means
"Purchase Tax". Recommended retail
prices were generally discounted by
many retailers.
We note that the illustration
of the bellows is correct, even
though, two years later (see below)
C.Z. used the wrong picture. At
£26.5.10 it was just five shillings
and ten pence more than I paid for
second-hand P6 bellows (as new) about
seven years later.
The 65mm Flektogon is still
listed, but there are no prices for
the 500mm Meyer Orestegor or the
1000mm Zeiss mirror lens. I don't know
why the two Sonnar lenses, here listed
as "Zeiss Jena-S", are described as
"Semi-auto"; they have an aperture
that is just as automatic as the other
lenses designated as "Auto". Perhaps
they had not yet been seen by the
person who wrote the text here.
Click on the image here to see
it larger.
Switzerland,
1969/70 ...
[70CH_01s.jpg]
German and French
language booklet
Approximate dimensions: 150mm × 210mm
8 pages
This brochure is undated, but it
describes as "new" the Praktica LLC,
which was introduced in 1969, and it
includes the Exakta RTL1000, on which
a decision was taken in 1972 to end
production. Pre "L-series" Praktica
35mm cameras also feature, although
they were gradually discontinued in
the early 1970s. (Dates from Jehmlich,
as above.) As seen above, the "man in
bowler hat" photograph was used in
publicity in 1969. Some text errors
hint at a first edition of the
brochure, or rushed production.
Click on the image here to see it
larger.
[70CH_05s.jpg]
One full page is
dedicated to the Pentacon Six TL. The
metering prism was first anounced in
1968, but cameras with the TL
designation on the same line as the
name on the faceplace were probably
first produced in 1969 or 1970.
With the exception of the Carl Zeiss
1000mm mirror lens, all East German
lenses for the Pentacon Six are
listed, as are virtually all
accessories. The 65mm Flektogon, which
was last manufactured in February 1969
but continued to be available for
several years after then, is also
listed.
The French text contains less detail
than the German, which was no doubt
the original text.
Prices are given in Swiss Francs.
Click on the image here to see it
larger.
France, 1970 ...
[70_Fr_as.jpg]
French-language
booklet
Approximate dimensions: 90mm × 205mm
32 pages plus one fold-out flap
We note that the distributors have
changed. Distribution is now
in the hands of Compagnie Générale
de Physique of boulevard de la
Bastille, Paris 12e. They
describe themselves as “Agent
Exclusif en France”. which means
“Exclusive Agent in France”.
This brochure is undated, but the
contents enable us to date it to
within a year or two.
(Production dates are from Hummel,
unless indicated otherwise.)
The Praktica Nova 1 B was produced
from 1967 until 1975. The
Pentacon Super was launched in 1968
and ceased production in 1972.
The Praktica Super TL, also listed,
appears to have been launched in
1968 (Jehmlich, p. 107) and
continued in production until 1976
(Jehmlich, p. 232). The
Praktica LLC was introduced in 1969
and produced until 1975.
First production examples of the
Pentacon Six TL seem to date
from 1969, although on the earliest
examples, the “TL” has been added
under the name, instead of on the
same line of text. See here.
We also note that the UK distributor
brochure, apparently from 1972, no
longer lists the Praktica Nova 1 B,
the Praktica Super TL or the
Pentacon Super.
Click on the image here to
see the front of the booklet full
size.
[70_Fr_14-15s.jpg]
Pages 14 and 15
contain details of the Pentacon
Six. The designation “TL” is
not included in the page title, but
is visible on the camera, and the
descriptions on both pages refer to
the TTL metering prism.
The description on page 14 refers to
the possibility of obtaining 24
exposures by using 220 film.
We note that the 65mm Flektogon is
still listed and that the Meyer
300mm f/4.5 Telemegor has been
replaced with the Meyer 300mm f/4
Orestegor, and that the 500mm
Orestegor is also listed. The
300mm f/4 Zeiss Sonnar is also
listed, here designated “S”.
The 80mm Biometar (here called “Bm”)
is the only 80mm lens listed: the
Meyer Primotar and the Zeiss Tessar
are no longer offered (as indeed we
would expect, from the lens
publicity, here).
Click on the image here to see pages
14 and 15 full size.
[70_Fr_18-19s.jpg]
The summary table
on pages 18 and 19 lists all the
lenses offered by the distributor,
with a convenient separate column
for the Pentacon Six. We note
here, as elsewhere in the brochure,
that the name “Zeiss” is not
mentioned in the main text, and the
lenses are described as “aus Jena”.
However, a footnote states “aus Jena = objectifs
fabrication VEB Carl Zeiss JENA” [translation:
“aus Jena = lenses
manufactured by VEB Carl Zeiss
JENA”].
We note one error on the
chart. The 500mm Zeiss (“aus
Jena”) lens is listed as also
available for the Pentacon
Six. We believe that this has
never been the case. This lens
was also listed in a 1963 camera
leaflet from France, but not in the
East German camera leaflet of the
same year. (See here.)
Click on the image here to see
pages 18 and 19 full size.
[70_Fr_20-21s.jpg]
Finally we
reproduce pages 20 and 21 (although
the listing of accessories for the
Pentacon Six continues all the way
to page 25, alongside equivalent
items for other cameras).
Readers interested in obtaining the
original manufacturer codes for
Pentacon Six accessories will find
most of them listed on these pages.
Click on the image here to see pages
20 and 21 full size.
England, 1972 ...
[72Q_CZ_as.jpg]
English-language
booklet
Approximate dimensions: 152mm ×
222mm
40 pages on high-quality glossy
paper, with full-colour printing on
many pages.
This brochure (which they call a
“Catalogue”) was produced by C.Z.
(i.e., Carl Zeiss) Scientific
Instruments Ltd and Carl Zeiss Jena
Ltd, the companies that were the
U.K. importers and distributors of
the Pentacon Six, Praktica cameras
and many other Carl Zeiss items from
the end of the 1960s until the
collapse of the East German régime
and, with it, most East German
industry in the months following the
tearing down of the Berlin Wall in
November 1989.
It is undated, but details of the
contents (including some items from
other countries) point to it having
been produced in 1972 or very
shortly thereafter. Also, on
page two of the brochure they state,
“As a result of our rapid expansion,
we found it necessary, at the
beginning of 1971, to move our
Service Department into new
premises”, a clear indication that
the brochure could not have been
produced before late 1971, at the
earliest. At the time, “C.Z.”,
as it was commonly referred to in
the UK, was in New Cavendish Street,
London. A few years later,
they moved a few miles further
north, to Borehamwood in
Hertfordshire.
Click on the image here to
see the front of the booklet full
size.
[72Q_CZ_20-21s.jpg]
Click on the image here to see
these pages full size.
In a magnificent
two-page spread across the middle
pages of this booklet, C.Z. presents
the Pentacon Six TL.
Their description starts with the
following two paragraphs:
“The Pentacon-six TL is a unique
camera in that it provides the extra
quality inherent in the 2¼" sq.
format whilst maintaining the ease
of use of a 35mm reflex
camera. It has become the
first choice of professionals and
advanced amateurs throughout the
world who appreciate the outstanding
quality of the Zeiss lenses, large
format and facility for taking 24
exposures on 220 film at a single
loading.
“The Pentacon-six TL is a complete
system camera: nine different
lenses, four finder systems, six
focussing screens and accessories to
cover virtually every conceivable
application.”
The statements about the system in
the second paragraph are not
opinions; they are factually
correct.
[72Q_CZ_22s.jpg]
The next two pages
of the booklet give comprehensive
information on the lenses and
accessories for the Pentacon
Six. It is interesting to see
the official prices for these
items. (These prices were
routinely undercut by retailers.)
We note that the 1000mm Zeiss mirror
lens is the only one for which a
price is not given.
Beneath the information on the 80mm
Biometar standard lens, we note the
photograph of leading British actor
of the time, Richard Burton, as King
Henry VIII in the 1970 film “Anne of
the Thousand Days” (another
indication that this brochure was
probably produced not much later
than about 1972).
Click on the image here to see this
page full size.
[72Q_CZ_23s.jpg]
Page 23 describes
the accessories and lists most of
them. We note that, again,
recommended retail prices for most
items are given.
There are two illustrations that are
incorrect: the bellows that
are shown are for a Praktica 35mm
camera, not the Pentacon Six.
However, the Pentacon Six bellows
were sold in the U.K., and five
years after the probable publication
date of this booklet, I bought mine,
second hand, in a photography shop
just beside Charing Cross Station in
London, at a price of £26.00, which
struck me as quite reasonable for
such a specialist item. I
still use them, so have definitely
got my money’s worth out of them.
The second incorrect illustration is
the item described as “ ‘Z’ Ring and
Double Cable Release”. Again,
the version for Pentacon’s 35mm
cameras is shown. However, I
don’t doubt that the correct item
would have been supplied if
ordered. (I bought mine in
East Germany in 1978.)
C.Z. may have knowingly used the
incorrect photographs, lacking
suitable photographs of the Pentacon
Six version of these items and
assuming that few customers would
notice the difference. (I have
only just spotted it, about forty
years after first getting a copy of
this booklet!)
Click on the image here to see page
23 full size.
USA, 1972
[72_US_a1-2s.jpg]
English-language
brochure
Approximate dimensions: 217mm ×
281mm (8½" × 11")
Eight pages, plus a full-page insert
on the Exa 1a, the Beirette, the
Certo KN 35 and a light meter
Although it is undated, this
brochure comes with a four-page
insert titled “EXAKTA – PENTACON
Price List January 1972”, and the
items in the price list match the
items in the brochure.
[72_US_b1-2s.jpg]
Here we reproduce
the back cover of this brochure,
which is dedicated to providing
information on the Pentacon Six.
We reproduce below two further pages
from the same brochure, which
contain more information on the
Pentacon Six.
Click on the image here to see the
back cover of this brochure full
size.
[72_US_p6lrs.jpg]
We here reproduce
two facing pages from the brochure:
pages 6 (here) and 7 (to the right).
The claim “World’s only 2¼
sq. SLR System with Exposure
Insurance” presumably refers to the
TTL metering pentaprism.
Hasselblad did introduce a
metering prism in 1971, the 52051,
but most professional photographers
were extremely averse to
through-the-lens metering for many
years, preferring at most a
hand-held meter that would measure
incident light, as opposed to the
reflected light readings used by all
TTL meters, and so the Hasselblad
prism was apparently only sold in
small numbers. In fact, many
professionals boasted of their
accuracy in assessing light
intensity, and disdained using any
light meter at all. They
mostly got away with this by
shooting in black-and-white, where
most film emulsions had a fairly
wide lattitude and so
incorrectly-exposed shots could to
some extent be rescued by careful
printing on paper with the right
contrast grade.
Pentacon was three years
ahead of Hasselblad in bringing a
metering pentaprism for a medium
format camera to the market, and its
prism was more compact, and much
easier to use. (I had a 52051
on a Hasselblad 500C, and eventually
sold both the camera and the
metering prism.)
Click on the image here to see page 6
full size.
[72_US_p7lrs.jpg]
We note
from this page that the 65mm
Flektogon is no longer listed –
although it is shown in the
photograph at the bottom of page
6. (It is the wide-angle lens
on the left, next to the 500mm
Pentacon.)
We also note
that this brochure was produced at a
time when Pentacon was promoting the
use of the name “Pentaconar” for the
Meyer-Optik lenses. (See the
1970 lens brochure from Pentacon, here.)
Page 7 (reproduced to the
left here) starts with more
information on the metering
pentaprism.
One printing error is
observed on this page: “Automatic
shutter cocking device after 12th
and 24th frames” must mean
“Automatic shutter locking
device after 12th and 24th frames”.
This is not a brochure for the
consumer but a price list for the
West German camera trade. It
serves, for us, as an introduction
to the West German importer and
distributor of photographic goods
from East Germany and from some
other eastern European (communist)
countries. Beroflex was
founded by Heinrich Mandermann and
Herbert Kohler in 1969 (Barry M.
Jones, p. 119).
Click on the image here to see the
front of this brochure full size.
(See Jones, Barry M, “From KW to
Pentacon: The story of Kamera
Werkstätten, Praktica and Pentacon
cameras”, published by the author in
2014.)
[72_Ber_1617s.jpg]
We here reproduce
pages 16 and 17 of the same
brochure.
Note that as this is for the trade,
prices are nett and do not include
Value-Added Tax (“Mehrwertsteuer”,
abbreviated “MWSt.”).
We note that on page 17 the 65mm
Flektogon is not listed – nor is the
300mm Sonnar. Obviously, for
use in West Germany, the disputed
name “Zeiss” is not used, nor are
the lens names “Biometar” and
“Sonnar”.
We note the extremely high price, in
West German Deutschmarks (“DM”) of
the 1000mm mirror lens.
Click on the image here to see these
pages full size.
The page-numbering of this brochure
is non-standard, with the first page
of text, which is a right-hand page,
being numbered “2”.
This brochure was apparently
published in March 1976 (code on the
last page), but it was sent to me by
Beroflex’s West Berlin office in
1978 while I was living in West
Germany, so it was still their
current brochure then.
Click on the image here to see the
front of this brochure full size.
[76_Ber_21s.jpg]
Here we reproduce
page 21 of the brochure. Pages
22 and 23 are reproduced below.
We are surprised to note that the
65mm Flektogon wide-angle lens is
listed here, even although it had
not been available in East Germany
for a number of years. Perhaps
Beroflex had some old stock that
they wished to sell off ...
All the expected lenses are here,
including the 300mm Zeiss Sonnar
(here called “JENA S aus Jena”),
both Meyer-Optik lenses (here called
“PENTACON (Orestegor)”, not
“PENTACONAR”) and the 1000mm mirror
lens.
Click on image here to see page 21
full size.
[76_Ber_22s.jpg]
Pages 22 and 23
contain a full listing of
accessories for the Pentacon Six TL,
along with a detailed description of
each item.
Prices for East German cameras
and photographic accessories were
extremely high in East Germany,
where they were sold in various
government-owned stores. But
for visiting West Germans, the
prices were very reasonable, even at
the official exchange rate, which
was 1 East German Mark for one West
German Deutschmark. However,
West Germans with trusted contacts
in East Germany often received four
East German Marks for every one
West German Deutschmark, as East
Germans were desperate to get
western currencies and could spend
this precious “hated”, “capitalist”
currency in the special
Government-run Intershops, where
they could buy goods unobtainable
anywhere else in East Germany, from
foreign chewing gum and cigarettes
to Black & Decker power tools,
cement for household repairs, or
colour televisions that would pick
up the supposedly-forbidden West
German television in colour.
(West Germany used the colour
standard used throughout most of
western Europe except France, PAL,
while East Germany used a
Russian-modified version of the
French SECAM system.)
Click on image here to see page 22
full size.
[76_Ber_23s.jpg]
Here we reproduce
page 23 of the same brochure.
Here are a few examples of prices in
Government shops in East Germany in
1978, what these items would have
cost many visiting West Germans, in
DM, and, for comparison purposes,
approximate UK Pound Sterling
equivalents at the time.
