Have had this camera since the beginning of the 2000’s, bought in a Jessops store inside the The Harlequin shopping centre, Watford Herts. The purchase was made with the good intention of replacing my Olympus Mju II, which was in pieces at the time. Not my main camera, just a back up for colour snapping while on the road. Had beautiful results with the Mju when roaming the colourful markets and train stations, so I thought this new at the time compact will deliver.
I was not wrong, but the camera has not seen much use (or travel, for that matter), being replaced by a better Olympus XA. So, it relegated to my cabinet, where it stood until today, when I took it out, aired it a bit as it were, checking if it works (it does), and after a few sighs, back on its shelf it went.
It is bulky, that is the first conclusion once you hold it in your hand. Bulkier and heftier than the XA mentioned, but then again the XA is a different camera, with not even half of the specs this Praktica has. And of course, how do you cram the entire universe of wirings, chips, motors, zooming sections and such? Why, in a bulkier body.
It is a motorized, compact type of 35mm film camera, plastic and some metal, well built and with a solid feeling about it. Lens is Prakticar Zoom, with a length of 35 to 125mm, and an “auto macro” feature. Exposure is automatic, by means of a CdS cell on the front of the camera, average reading. Automatic selection of shutter speeds also, the shutter is a Pentacon. Film advance is motorized, advancing upon taking each picture.
A 10s timer is available, which works all right. The camera does not allow you to take a double exposure photograph, it just doesn’t have that setting anywhere. Red eye reduction is available. The flash is automatic, started by the automatic reading of the meter, light dependent. The clarity of the viewfinder can be changed by a small rotating button on the left side of the viewfinder.
A nice feature is the option to switch from regular frame to a panoramic one, by means of a mechanism inside the lens well, the flick of the slider brings forth two bars that transforms the regular image taking area to panoramic.
Zoom button are on the top plate, together with a comprehensive LCD screen; on the same plate you will find the self timer, motorized rewind button, flash on/off and a mode button, and of course, the shutter release.
Not a bad camera, quite a good one, in terms of compacts. But for me was too bulky, and too many buttons, although when I bought it I was quite taken by the complicated looks of this entire thing. Not the first bad purchase in my photography journey, but I do know and acknowledge that every camera has its appeal and use.