Praktica PLC 2/PLC 3

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The Praktica PLC 2 and PLC 3 SLR camera bodies for M42 screw mount lenses were the successors of Pentacon's Praktica LLC which was the first with the Pentacon LC light measuring system. All these cameras had the special advantage that they could read the aperture value from the lens. Thus it was possible to offer TTL-metering for all aperture values with a fully open aperture.

Three electrical contacts of 17 mm length are placed on the left side of the screw mount. Special models of Carl Zeiss Jena's and Pentacon's M42 lenses have the corresponding 3 contact pins placed near their M42 thread. In the open aperture metering mode the aperture values are transferred electrically through the three contact pairs, with influence on the match-needle meter in the viewfinder. A thumb-wheel below the rewind crank is the metering mode switch. Despite of all the additional electronics and the necessary big 4.5V PX21 battery the body is quite the same as that of other Prakticas, with the shutter release button mounted angular on the front side. The cameras have the Pentacon PL film loading facility.

All non-electric M42 lenses can be mounted on these SLR bodies. Of course the full aperture metering mode won't work with such lenses.

Specifications

  • Type: SLR camera body
  • Manufacturer: Pentacon
  • Year of launch: 1976 (PLC 2), 1978 (PLC 3)
  • Film: 35mm with speeds 12 to 1600 ASA
  • Shutter: Focal plane shutter made of steel lamellae, with speeds 1 sec. to 1/1000 sec.
  • Lens mount: M42 screw mount with aperture release shifter and electrical contacts for aperture value transmission
  • Meter: coupled TTL meter helps with its +/- scale in the viewfinder to adjust shutter speed and aperture
  • Viewfinder: Pentaprism finder, fresnel lens focus screen, in the PLC 3 with a split image rangefinder area in the middle that is surrounded by a microprism area, and a black triangle that appears when the camera is not cocked for the next shot
  • Film advance: single stroke rapid lever
  • Flash support: shutter flash synchronized up to speed 1/125 sec., hot shoe, PLC 3 with additional flash cable connector



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