Praktica MTL5 SLR
Discussion
I was looking at the pictures from the 1985 Argos Catalogue thread and noticed they had my first ever SLR listed, the Praktica MTL5. As a kid I managed to save up and pay for the body and a cheap tele zoom lens.
Today a cheap body and lens could set you back around £500, which is a bit much for paper round money. With the cost of all the technology in today's DSLR's they must be out of reach for the average kid which is a shame.
Vintage British Argos 1985 Catalogue
Today a cheap body and lens could set you back around £500, which is a bit much for paper round money. With the cost of all the technology in today's DSLR's they must be out of reach for the average kid which is a shame.
Vintage British Argos 1985 Catalogue
I was comparing it with the kit I had; a SLR body with 50mm kit lens, plus a 200mm zoom lens. So about £500 in today's money if you paired up a Canon 1000D with a kit lens and a Tamron zoom. As you say though, film and processing added to the cost back then, but I'm sure we all took far less test shots.
What really surprised me when I got back into photography was the price of lenses, specifically Canon. The only cheap ones are the kit lenses and it doesn't take long at all before you're looking for something better.
What really surprised me when I got back into photography was the price of lenses, specifically Canon. The only cheap ones are the kit lenses and it doesn't take long at all before you're looking for something better.
Prakticas are tremendous cameras! I have several, including a 'spares donor' that I cannibalised to resurrect my LTL.
I liked the way they worked fine with no batteries; that was handy in cold weather, and encouraged the use a proper lightmeter. The cheapness of Pentax M42 fit lenses was a bit of a bonus too.
Having examined the two cameras side by side, I've long suspected the LTL's design to be a partial rip off of the Nikon F. Apart from the pentaprism they are remarkably similar in size, weight and general layout. The other thing they've got in common is you could pretty much knock nails in with either of them.
I liked the way they worked fine with no batteries; that was handy in cold weather, and encouraged the use a proper lightmeter. The cheapness of Pentax M42 fit lenses was a bit of a bonus too.
Having examined the two cameras side by side, I've long suspected the LTL's design to be a partial rip off of the Nikon F. Apart from the pentaprism they are remarkably similar in size, weight and general layout. The other thing they've got in common is you could pretty much knock nails in with either of them.
That was a good deal in Argos in 1985.
The deal was £110, which in todays value terms is around £230.
RRP thought was £260, which in todays value terms is around £550.
Today, you can't even buy a new body for £230.
You would get a decent starter kit for £550 though.
Looking at that advert took me back.
There was something very pleasurable about using mechanical slr's. Plus of course, they never ran out of power. Carry a camera was just that .... no need for spare batteries, chargers etc.
They also worked much better in the cold.
The deal was £110, which in todays value terms is around £230.
RRP thought was £260, which in todays value terms is around £550.
Today, you can't even buy a new body for £230.
You would get a decent starter kit for £550 though.
Looking at that advert took me back.
There was something very pleasurable about using mechanical slr's. Plus of course, they never ran out of power. Carry a camera was just that .... no need for spare batteries, chargers etc.
They also worked much better in the cold.
A Praktica was my first SLR as well - my Grandfather had two, and gave me one of them. Brilliant camera to learn photography with, and strong enough to take any kind of abuse. And inexpensive. I later found an ad in the paper for another body and box of lenses, and it turned out to be a BIG box - loads of lenses and all kinds of accessories, all for just £100. Happy days!
Goes off to search Ebay...
Goes off to search Ebay...
My first SLR was a Zenit EM back in the late 70s. Think it cost around £50-60. A 300mm f5.6 preset lens for it cost about £30 new. If I got fed up with photography the Zenit could also be used for breaking up concrete 
Used it for a couple of years then flogged it to my sister and bought a Canon AE1. It's still in working condition.
Used it for a couple of years then flogged it to my sister and bought a Canon AE1. It's still in working condition.
My first SLR was also a Praktica, can't remember which model but it was the one with a meter but no Tv or Av and a 50mm lens. My dad (a retired pro photographer) wouldn't let me buy anything with flash metering modes till I'd mastered manual exposures. I'm sure that start set me off well.
A S/H MTL5 was my first slr too. I think i was 11. Mine had a zeiss 50mm 1.8 with it. I only ever had that and a cheap doubler made by some obscure German manufacturer whos name escapes me at the moment. I loved it and it was, as has already been said a good solid camera. Got shopped in a few years later in part ex for an OM2n which i still have. It served me well though and I learnt the basics of photography with it.
A friend of mines father revealed he had been given an MTL5 not so long ago by a recently bereved friends wife. On hearing I had owned one as a kid he got it out to show me, the smell of the Practica was unmistakable, I was 11 years old again.
It served me well and I learnt the basics of photography with it.
A friend of mines father revealed he had been given an MTL5 not so long ago by a recently bereved friends wife. On hearing I had owned one as a kid he got it out to show me, the smell of the Practica was unmistakable, I was 11 years old again.
It served me well and I learnt the basics of photography with it.
The Game said:
Eggman said:
The Game said:
I'm tempted to buy some film to see if it works.
It'll work. Prakticas are the cockroaches of the camera world. Anyway, do it! I'm currently running a film through my Olympus XA, just for a change.
Currently using a nikon EM at the minute.
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff