Month: March 2022

The 1976 Chinon CE-II was one of a series of cameras produced by Cosina and Chinon during the 1970s that implemented an innovative method for achieving a primitive aperture-priority autoexposure with all M42 auto-diaphragm lenses, regardless of manufacturer. No other M42 camera line could do this.

While deploying TTL light metering, the post-1964 third generation of M42 camera bodies used a rather painful method to achieve it. While the camera body could hold the lens’ aperture wide open (for focusing purposes), one had to depress an external button or engage a switch to turn on the light meter. Once the switch or button is activated, the aperture of the lens stops down to the taking aperture (thus darkening the viewfinder), and from that point you can then fiddle with the shutter speeds and aperture until a needle in the viewfinder fell into the right spot. You then deactivate the switch/button, which opens the aperture all the way back up, and then you take the photo with the settings you just determined.

By the early 1970s, many manufacturers’ solution to this two-step process was to develop proprietary M42 lenses with an extra linkage that could permit the lens to “communicate” the selected aperture with the camera body so that no physical “stopping down to meter the scene” was required. Examples of these cameras included the the Praktica LLC (1969), the Olympus FTL (1971), the Fujica ST801 (1972), and the Pentax Spotmatic F (1973). These cameras did not have “autoexposure” and still required the user to fiddle with both the shutter speed and aperture to achieve an appropriate combination.

Cosina (and ultimately Chinon) took a different approach to TTL metering by combining the system shutter button and the stop down switch to achieve a kind of aperture-priority autoexposure. Essentially, after setting the shutter dial to “Auto,” a half-press of the shutter button would stop the lens down so that the camera could meter at the selected aperture (this would darken the viewfinder). Through the viewfinder, the camera would communicate to you what the shutter speed would be at that selected aperture. Once you have the right aperture setting for the shutter speed you want, you press the shutter button all the way down, which nearly-instantaneously stops down the lens and takes the photo. This operation required an electronically-controlled shutter.

The first camera body to use this system was the 1972 Cosina Hi-Lite EC. The other bodies with this autoexposure technology included the Chinon CE (1974), the Chinon CE-II (1976), the Cosina Hi-Lite ECL (1977), and the Chinon CE-3 (1978). Chinon and Cosina also made de-featured versions of these models that retained the shutter-button stop down mechanism, but did not have aperture-priority autoexposure.

The CE-II is typical of mid-1970s “normal” camera bodies: quite large and heavy, but well-built and sturdy. At release in 1976, it retailed for about $250 with a 55mm f/1.7 lens, with the optional 55mm f/1.4 being much more expensive. Besides the autoexposure system, the CE-II’s main claim to fame is having a top shutter speed of 1/2000, which was as fast as SLRs achieved during the era. Like many Cosina and Chinon products, the CE-II was rebadged and slightly modified in various forms for different markets, including the Revueflex 5000 EE, the Revueflex 5005, and the Porst Reflex M-CE.

Specifications

Lens Mount	M42
Shutter Speeds	2 sec. – 1/2000
Viewfinder Coverage	92%
Focusing Screen	Microprism / Ground Glass
Viewfinder Info	Shutter Speeds (Needle)
Shutter	Electronic Metal Vertical
Battery	S28PX / 4SR44 (6V Silver Oxide)
ASA	25-3200
Meter	TTL; Silicon Blue Cells (SBC)
Weight	760g
Self-Timer	Yes
X-Sync Speed	1/90
Battery Check?	Yes
Exposure Lock?	External Switch
Multiple Exposure?	Yes
Motor Drive?	No

Operation

While the CE-II did not have interchangeable focusing screens, motor drives, or a long list of dedicated accessories for specific tasks, it does contains nearly every feature that an advanced-amateur camera could have during the mid-1970s. Let’s run down the highlights of its functionality.

Viewfinder: The CE-II has a viewfinder of fairly average brightness with an average or slightly-below average coverage of 92%. The fixed focusing screen is a standard microprism / ground glass type. The available shutter speeds are displayed on the left side of the viewfinder. In my opinion, the CE-II’s rather ho-hum viewfinder is one of its weaker aspects.

Shooting: As noted above, the CE-II’s aperture-priority operation with all M42 auto-diaphragm and its 1/2000 top shutter speeds are its coolest features. After setting the shutter speed dial to “Auto,” a half-press of the shutter button stops the lens down to the selected aperture and the viewfinder displays the appropriate shutter speed. The exposure lock function is triggered by half-pressing the shutter button and then turning a dial on the body besides the lens. After taking a shot, you then return the dial to its original position.

In metered manual mode, you can select an aperture and a shutter speed and then half-press the shutter button. The viewfinder will display what the shutter speed should be set to given the selected aperture.

Although the shutter is electronically-controlled, the CE-II has a backup mechanical speed of 1/90, selectable as the “X” on the shutter-speed dial.

Flash Sync: 1/90 is nothing special. You must manually set the shutter speed dial to the flash sync setting. The CE-II will work with any flash with an auto mode.

Batteries: The CE-II uses a big, easily-available, non-mercury 6V battery to power its meter and electronic shutter. It also has a battery check button. The CE-II contains a nifty green light near the viewfinder that tells you with every shot whether the battery is still good.

Other Features: The CE-II has a handy shutter lock around the button. It also allows double-exposure via a switch on top of the body that allows the shutter to operate even if the film is not advanced.

Conclusions

If you enjoy using a wide variety of M42 lenses from different manufacturers, the Cosina/Chinon systems are without a doubt the most versatile for this purpose. While most manufacturers of the fourth and fifth generations of M42 bodies chose to go with proprietary lenses for the TTL light metering systems to function efficiently, the Cosina/Chinon systems act as a universal platform for all auto-diaphragm lenses, regardless of make or era. While the CE-II does have a 1/2000 top shutter speed and pretty much every other feature that existed in advanced amateur mid-1970s SLRs, other aspects such as its size/weight, the so-so viewfinder brightness, and the lack of a split-screen focusing aid dampen my enthusiasm for this particular model. I think the best overall camera of this the line is the CE-3.

The 1987 East German Praktica BX20 was the penultimate model in Pentacon’s “PB” line of cameras. A departure from the design of Praktica’s prior 1979 B200 and 1984 BC-1, the plastic-shelled BX20 incorporates everything interesting about PB cameras while adding the capability for TTL flash. With a great selection of lenses by Carl Zeiss Jena and Pentacon, the BX20 is a nice little camera, although a little inelegant and clunky.

In line with prior moves from Pentax, Fujica, Yashica, and others, Pentacon dropped the M42 lens mount for its Praktica-branded cameras in 1979 and adopted a new bayonet mount. Praktica’s final “new” M42 camera bodies, the 1977 EE2 and the short-lived 1979 EE3, were interesting autoexposure models with decent capabilities, but far from perfect. Praktica did not completely abandon the M42 standard in 1979 as it continued to produce the outdated third-generation MT series until about 1989.

Praktica’s first bayonet camera model, the 1979 B200, adopted not only a new lens mount but also employed a stepless electronic shutter, capable of aperture-priority autoexposure. During the 1980s, Praktica produced both a higher-end and lower-end models in this mount. The B200 (1979), also known as the BC-X (export version), the BC-1 (1984), also known as the BC-3 and Jenaflex AM-1 (export versions), and the BX20 (1987) were the “higher end” models. The “lower end,” de-featured models included the B100, BCA, BCS, BCC, BMS, and Jenaflex AC-1. For the best source of information of essentially all Praktica camera bodies, check out this famous site.

For its part, the B200 was a competitive advanced amateur SLR body for 1979, the era of the Nikon FM, the Canon A-1, and the Pentax ME. During the run of the B200, its lens lineup contained a mix of: (1) more expensive Carl Zeiss Jena lenses; (2) “reasonably”-priced Pentacon-branded ones; and (3) a few aftermarket, mostly-zoom lenses made in Japan. Although the SLR camera market was becoming increasingly competitive, Praktica’s 1984 BC-1 (essentially, a slightly-redesigned B200) did not move the ball forward.

Pentacon’s 1987 Praktica BX20 included a complete body redesign, a slightly faster flash sync speed, the capability for TTL flash (using the same system as Olympus), and a relocated exposure lock button. During its run, the BX20 was typically bundled with the final version of the Pentacon-made 50mm f/1.8 Prakticar lens, reportedly based on the earlier Meyer Optik 50mm f/1.8 Orestor. Around the time of German reunification, the government formally dissolved Pentacon. In 1991, Schneider Kreuznach acquired much of Pentacon’s camera assets and continued the production of a final model, the Praktica BX20s, until about 2001. The BX20s included another slight body redesign and the incorporation of DX film coding.

That all being said, more than 35 years after its introduction, is the BX20 a worthwhile platform? Part of the appeal of these late Prakticas is that while they are plentiful and relatively cheap in Europe and other markets, the B/BX series was pretty much unknown in North America. Compared with any run-of-the-mill 1970s M42 camera body, the B and BX bodies have generally brighter viewfinders, aperture-priority autoexposure, exposure lock, and TTL flash capability. If you enjoy using late-model multicoated Carl Zeiss Jena SLR lenses, the Praktica B series is arguably a better platform for these lenses than any classic M42 body. The B-series can also employ some CZJ lenses that were either extremely rare or never existed in M42 mount, like the 55mm f/2.8 Macro (no M42 version), both versions of the 50mm f/1.4 (no M42 version), and the 35-70mm f/2.7-3.5 zoom (rare and expensive in M42 mount).

Specifications for the Higher-End Praktica B Camera

There is not much that distinguishes the higher-end Praktica B camera bodies from each other in terms of functionality. They all seem to use the same shutter, focusing screen, viewfinder design, and metering system. Here the are features compared:

	B200	BC-1	BX20	BX20s
Year	1979	1984	1987	1992
Manufacturer	Pentacon	Pentacon	Pentacon	Schneider
Shutter	Vertical Metal	Vertical Metal	Vertical Metal	Vertical Metal
Shutter Speeds	B, 40 sec – 1/1000	B, 40 sec – 1/1000	B, 40 sec – 1/1000	B, 40 sec – 1/1000
Battery	PX28	PX28	PX28	PX28
Weight	530g	530g	510g	510g
ASA	12-3200	12-3200	12-3200	25-5000 (DX); 25-400 (Manual)
Meter	Center	Center	Center	Center
VF Coverage	95%	95%	95%	95%
Focusing Screen	Wedge / Microprism / Ground Glass	Wedge / Microprism / Ground Glass	Wedge / Microprism / Ground Glass	Wedge / Microprism / Ground Glass
Flash Sync	1/90	1/90	1/100	1/100
Shutter Speed / Aperture in VF?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
TTL Flash?	No	No	Yes	Yes
AE Lock?	Button on Top	Button on Top	Button in Front	Button in Front
Motor Drive Capable?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
DX Coding?	No	No	No	Yes

Praktica B Lenses

Perhaps the primary reason to acquire a Praktica B camera is for the use of the several pretty good lenses that were made for the system. For a great and exhaustive resource on the Praktica line of PB-mount lenses, check out this site. While most of the system’s prime lenses were sourced by Pentacon either in-house or using third-party East German designs, CZJ either designed (or at least put its name on) other lenses, including some carryovers from the M42 era. Here is a list of the East German-designed lenses for the system.

Brand	Focal Length	Elements/Groups	Min. Focus	Filter Size	Notes
CZJ	20mm f/2.8	9/8	0.19m	67mm	M42 Carryover
CZJ	28mm f/2.4	8/8	0.19m	49mm	Floating Element; Extremely Rare
CZJ	35mm f/2.4	6/6	0.22m	49mm	M42 Carryover
CZJ	50mm f/1.4 V1	7/6	0.36m	52mm	Based on M42 55mm f/1.4
CZJ	50mm f/1.4 V2	7/6	0.40m	52mm	Better Version
CZJ	50mm f/1.8	6/5	0.35m	49mm	M42 Carryover
CZJ	50mm f/2.8	4/3	0.35m	49mm	M42 Carryover; Very Rare
CZJ	55mm f/2.8	6/5	0.25mm	49mm	1:2 Macro; Rare
CZJ	80mm f/1.8	6/5	0.65m	52mm	M42 Carryover
CZJ	135mm f/3.5	4/3		49mm	M42 Carryover
CZJ	200mm f/2.8	6/5	2.00m		New Design
CZJ	300mm f/4	6/5	4.00m		New Design
CZJ	35-70mm f/2.7-3.5	9/8			M42 Carryover
CZJ	80-200mm f/4	12/6	1.10m		M42 Carryover
Pentacon	28mm f/2.8	7/7	0.25m	49mm	East German Design
Pentacon	50mm f/1.8 V1	6/4	0.33m	49mm	Earlier Kit Lens
Pentacon	50mm f/1.8 V2	6/4	0.45m	49mm	Later Kit Lens
Pentacon	50mm f/2.4	5/4	0.60m	49mm	Two Versions (Metal / Plastic)
Pentacon	135mm f/2.8	5/4	1.70m	55mm	Orestor Design

The winners in this list mostly include all of the CZJ lenses. The Pentacon lenses can be pretty decent performers, but they are really nothing special for the 1980s.

Features

The BX20 presents the standard set of features found on many late-1970s to mid-1980s advanced-amateur SLRs. Its plastic body does not feel particularly cheap and is pretty comfortable in the hands.

Battery: The PX28 was originally a 6V mercury battery. While PX28s are no longer available, there are both silver oxide (S28PX) and alkaline (A544) replacements widely available. Lithium 6V substitutes do not seem to work.

Viewfinder/Focusing Screen: The BX20 has a relatively nice and bright viewfinder that displays in LED the shutter speed, the selected aperture (for PB lenses), an +/- indicator on the left that tells you if the exposure compensation is activated or manual ASA is set, and a green light to remind you whether the exposure lock has been activated. The PB series all share a nice and useful focusing screen with a dual 45 degree split-image, a microprism collar, and a ground glass.

Shutter Speeds: A 1/1000 top shutter speed is definitely below average for 1987. The shutter sound is a a bit metallic but not unpleasing.

Exposure Lock: The BX20 relocated the exposure lock button from the top to the front of the camera. To use this, half-depress the shutter to take a reading of the desired subject, press the button while still half-depressing the shutter, and then shoot. If you take your finger off the shutter release at any point, the AEL stops working. The system is a little finicky as I had a beautiful condition BX20s whose AEL did not work at all. My example of the BX20 sometimes takes more than one press to get the AEL mode to function.

Adapting M42 Lenses

Pentacon did not leave its legacy M42 users completely high and dry and produced an OEM adapter permitting autoexposure with “stopped down” metering, which means that an M42 lens must be closed down to taking aperture (thus, darkening the viewfinder) for the camera to meter. This is pretty much how all modern M42 to whatever adapters work. However, the adapter required an electrical connection to the camera body because the light meter will not function unless those contacts are made. As far as I know, there are no other third-party M42 to Praktica B adapters apart from the OEM one.

Accessories

Leather Case: Praktica produced a universal ever-ready case for the B and BX series.

Motor Drive: For the B and BX series, Praktica produced three unremarkable external power winders with three separate names: the “Winder,” the “B Winder,” and the “BX Winder.” The first two were allegedly made in Japan while the BX Winder was made in Germany. The BX Winder apparently promised 3 frames per second. All three winders are incredibly loud and take AA batteries.

TTL Flashes: Because Praktica BX cameras share TTL technology with the Olympus OM series, there are a wide variety of TTL flashes that can be used. The actual Praktica-branded TTL flashes include the basic BD-24, the more advanced LCD-style BD-32 (produced by Samyang), and a simpler BD-36 (produced by Samyang). The BX series can also use Metz TTL flashes with the SCA321 module.

Conclusion

Folks often say that forbidden fruit often tastes the best. While Praktica B/BX camera bodies were relatively popular in Europe (being a good value, German-designed camera), they never really reached North America when sold as new. With its standard Pentacon 50mm f/1.8 lens or with any of the mediocre zooms offered for the system, the case for the BX series over plenty of other options becomes pretty weak. While the BX bodies are not really spec-competitive with most popular SLRs made after 1985 or so, they remain the only film platform for some world-class CZJ lenses. While some have reported electronics failures with the BX series over the years, there are still plenty of working models out there. With the primary source of used BX cameras still being Europe, they are nevertheless purchasable any day through the normal internet channels.