Hello, hello! It's that time of the week again.
I've been getting a startling number of hits lately so I wanted to make a proposition...
Please feel free to comment! I don't care what you have to say but it'll be way easier for me to keep doing this if there's some sort of dialogue and not just me blabbing to myself. Also, I know the information on the cameras that I'm putting up is not that extensive, so if you want to know more, please ask! I'm not an expert but cameras, lenses, optics, all that stuff, is what I do. I have a solid background in the subject and if I can't answer your question, I will know where to go for the answer. I would love for this blog to be a resource for people and not just my hobby.
So that being said, here is the Praktica Nova B! I got this camera 100% free from a bin at the camera swap meet here in Vancouver. And for that, I wouldn't have expected to get such a beautiful piece of equipment!
Surprisingly I haven't been able to find out that much about this little machine, other than it is almost identical to the Praktica Nova (surprise, surprise), which was produced from '64 to '69. Its only difference is one of my all-time favourite features on a camera. The light meter in the Nova B does not correspond to your selected aperture or shutter speed. Rather, it has a separate light meter and a little needle dial, with a window next to the "film knurl." You select your ISO, which allows the light meter to start working. A needle with a diamond on it will move according to the light. Then you can turn the dial until the other needle matches with the diamond one. The result: the dial will read all your f-stop and shutter speed combinations! Talk about simple! Or praktical, one could say...
Other than that tasty feature, the Nova B operates much like any other SLR. It has a fresnel type focus screen, with a depth of field preview (which isn't that effective, maybe it's just me), and it takes M42 screw mount lenses. This one came with the Petri lens in the picture, and unfortunately I don't know much about them. However, with this lens and a JC Penney (of all things) 1A filter, the camera takes some beautiful shots.
The Praktica series of cameras has its roots in East Germany, since 1949, and Pentacon, the company that produced them (originally called "VEB Kamera- und Kinowerke Dresden") has some Zeiss blood as well. In other words, they're well built, reliable cameras.
On the topic of reliability, the mirror in my Nova B sometimes doesn't flip back down, so sometimes I have to take a random shot to get an image back in my viewfinder. But again, it was free! I would not give this thing away for the world.
The first photo was shot on 100 ISO Lomo enhanced colour film at Kitsilano beach. The other two were taken at the Vancouver aquarium on 400 ISO Superia... I believe. These last two were taken in really rough lighting conditions that my mom's fancy Lumix point and shoot couldn't handle. So don't throw out your film cameras!!!
xoxoxo
Caity
Hello I was wondering if you could give a little more detail on how the light meter on your nova b works. I recently obtained one for $5 and Im not sure if there is a problem with the light meter, or Im not using it correctly.
ReplyDeleteSure thing! It's a little bit confusing at first. First, find the dial on the top of the camera body near your left hand. It should have f stop numbers and shutter speeds on it. These don't affect the settings on your camera at all, so keep that in mind.
ReplyDeleteTo the right of the dial, still on the top of the camera, there should be a little window with 2 needles. One has a diamond shape on it, and the other does not.
With your lens cap off, if you point your camera toward light and away from it, you should see the needle without the diamond on it moving around. That is your light meter! The dial by your left hand controls the other needle (with the diamond). You just need to turn the dial until the two needles line up. Then, the dial will show each shutter speed paired up with an f stop number.
Then, you just decide which f stop you want, or which shutter speed, and choose the setting paired with it. Just remember that nothing is set until you choose your f stop directly on your lens and your shutter speed with the dial on the top of your camera near your right hand.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you need more clarification.
Caity,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to comment on your post. I'm like you in one way, I have a photography blog at http://whatisafilmcamera.com/ and I'm always glad when someone leaves a comment. It can be kind of lonely at a photography blog sometimes...
I too own a Nova B, but I've never used it. I tested it moments ago. The mirror on my Nova B doesn't work dependably unless I use it at speeds above 1/30th. So try that with your Nova B. My Nova B still stinks of cigarette smoke as it did last year when I purchased it at a Village Discount store on North Milwaukee in Chicago, IL. It cost me $5 to $10.
Why haven't I tested it? That's because I own about 75 cameras and have tested half of them. Drop on by http://whatisafilmcamera.com/ and leave a comment.
I never feel like I'm in "competition" with other film camera bloggers. It's more like a team effort, trying to keep film alive until it makes the comeback that vinyl records have made in our throwaway culture.
Thanks for your blog Caity.
Deqto
ReplyDeleteIs it very old model camera.
ReplyDeleteTechtota
Hello, I have an additional question about the light meter.
ReplyDeleteI'm aware that the light Meter dials are only moved to line up the indicator and arrow in order to give an indication of the best aperture and shutter speed settings, however I am unsure as to what these settings are, as there doesn't seem to be a specific arrow or marking that points to which numbers the dial is pointing to.
Thanks, Katie