Pentacon Six
The Pentacon Six is a classic single lens reflex camera for medium format (6 × 6), which was built by Pentacon in 1966 to 1969. From 1969 to 1990, the better equipped Pentacon Six TL was produced.
Praktisix - the forerunner
Forerunner of the Pentacon Six is developed by the VEB camera works Niedersedlitz and manufactured, largely identical to the Pentacon Six Praktisix. The development was the designer of the first Praktica, Siegfried Böhm involved. The Praktisix was introduced at Photokina 1956 and produced its first version from 1957 to 1964. By 1959, the cameras have taken the " KW " logo, the camera works. The first standard lenses Praktisix of Meyer -Optik Primotar and Zeiss ( Tessar, Biometar ) had no multi-coated optics.
In 1964 the slightly improved Praktisix II came on the market. Two years later, in 1966, two new versions appeared the same. As the most visual change the Praktisix IIA had now extractable coil end support that were not integrated into the housing of the camera. Flash Connection, Frame counter, Sucherarretierung and construction of the movie theater are also already designed like the Pentacon Six. Only a few copies were built since 1966, the Pentacon Six was introduced to the market itself.
Design and Technology
What is striking is the design essentially taken over by the Praktisix the Pentacon Six, reminiscent of a small SLR and so different from the cube-shaped housings of the competition.
Compared to Praktisix the Pentacon Six has a new frame counter and a measuring roller for film transport. Therefore can be used as film format roll film can be used not only of the assembly 120 but also 220. This gives the square negative format of 56 × 56 mm 12 or 24 shots. In Australia, the camera was sold as a Hanimex 66.
In addition to the Lichtschachtsucher a V blocks and a motion detector can be used. The Pentacon Six has a focal plane shutter with shutter speeds from 1 /1000 to 1 sec The shutter button is ergonomically on the front of the camera. Camera side, a automatic diaphragm is supported.
Since 1968 a suitable TTL prism was made . From 1969 it belonged to the standard equipment of the Pentacon Six TL now said camera, which was sold to liquidation of Pentacon 1990.
The Czechoslovak police took from 1984 a modified Pentacon Six TL under the name Pentacon Six TLs for 18 shots in the format 38mm x 45mm on 120 film. It had a correspondingly modified field lens and film mask and film transport by hand wheel.
The camera itself is fully mechanical and robust, but often suffers due to age under crusted lubricant. It is also to pay attention to a very precise loading the film, since by design it can easily occur overlaps otherwise.
The Ukrainian manufacturer of Arsenal formerly been manufactured cameras Kiev Kiev 6C and 60 lean Although the design of the Pentacon Six to include, but not be described as copies. The Exakta 66 draws on a series of original building blocks of the Pentacon Six, but has in addition to cosmetic changes, especially an advanced lens mount.
P6 lens mount
With the Praktisix a new bayonet mount for medium format lenses were introduced. This port is now called the P6 mount, P6 connector or Pentacon Six port. The special lenses for the Exakta 66 are backwards compatible with the P6 connector.
The back focal length (distance from the lens mount of the image plane ) is 74.10 mm.
There is a bayonet clamping which is not locked by rotation of the lens itself but by the rotation of a clamping ring. The P6- bayonet was adopted by the Ukrainian camera manufacturer Arsenal for a number of similar Pentacon Six medium format cameras. Adapter from P6 to all other popular camera types are available.
Lenses
Lenses with P6 connector were produced by several manufacturers. Older versions do not yet have multi-coating ( "MC" ). Most lenses offered in Germany come from Zeiss or Meyer -Optik, Görlitz.
- Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 4/50; Flektogon 2,8 / 65; Tessar 2,9 / 80; Biometar 2,8 / 80; Biometar 2.8 / 120; Sonnar 2,8 / 180; Sonnar 4/300; Mirror lens 5.6 / 1000
- Meyer -Optik Görlitz (later Pentacon ) Primotar E 3,5 / 80; Trioplan 2.8 / 105; Priotar 3.5 / 135; Priotar 3.5 / 180; Telemegor (also Pentacon ) 4/ 300; Telemegor 5.5 / 400; Pentacon ( and Prakticar ) 5.6 / 500
Other manufacturers of lenses with P6 connector are Arsenal and Heinz Kilfit. It still fit - with minor restrictions - lenses for the Exakta 66, eg by Schneider in Bad Kreuznach.