Camera Talk

Most of us know Pentacon for its series of 35mm SLRs and medium format cameras.

Here's a camera that we don't see much here in the States.

This was a boxy little thing that I picked up several years ago.

I have a much longer writeup on my site.

This is one of the more unusual cameras that I own. It uses non-standard aperture settings, and is part - maybe mostly - point and shoot and part whatever.

I'm using the Agfa Rapid cassettes, which you have to preload with either ISO 50 or 100 speed film. Two AA batteries fit into the base of the camera.

It's funky enough that it's fun to use, but in the meantime its sharp plastic edges cut into your flesh.

There is a Pentacon Electra 2, and I wonder how it differs from this model.

Its Domiplan lens is pretty wild when shot wide open but fine once you stop down. That seems to be true of most lenses.


I think this was in the middle of the aperture range.


This was stopped down and of course at infinity.


Might have been shot wide open or one stop from wide open.


Wide open and probably at a distance of four to five feet. Lots of vignetting and a swirly background. I rather like this shot a lot.

Nice optics for such an inexpensive camera - stylish body too

davela wrote:Nice optics for such an inexpensive camera - stylish body too

Yes very cool indeed, looks like an old transistor radio with a lens. Not unlike today's camera's that are also a telephone. Or is it the other way around...

Love the one of the dog! Has a Holga-like quality to it, but not as plastic-y.

I really like the wide open characteristics of the lens. Very cool. You know how many apps there are for phone cameras that try to emulate this?