The PRAKTICA M42 camera's web
  Main   Camera's   Lenses   Accessories   History      Tech. info   Classifieds   Contacts   Photo gallery   Links   

The Praktica history

You can also look here for more historic Praktrica information.

Dresden is the Cradle of Mirror-Reflex-Cameras
1887 founding of "Kamerafabrik Richard Hüttig" in Dresden 
1896 "Zeus-Spiegel-Camera" with plate magazine as first mono- cular mirror-reflex-camera from Dresden, by "Richard Hüttig & Sohn" 
1897/1898 founding of "Aktiengesellschaft für photographische Industrie Emil Wünsche" in Dresden 
1897/1898 founding of "Aktiengesellschaft für Camera-Fabrikation Heinrich Ernemann" in Dresden 
1903 "Bosco"- Mirror-Camera for roll film 9x9, by "Wünsche AG" 
1903 "Ernemann-Kino" for using of 17,5mm-"one-hole-film" for exposure and projection, birth of the term "Kino", by "Ernemann-AG" 
1906 "Hüttig-AG" - greatest camera factory in Europe with more than 800 employees 
1912 founding of "Industrie- und Handelsgesellschaft m.b.H" since 1914 "Ihagee Kamerawerk GmbH" 
1919 founding of "Kamerawerkstätten Benno Thorsch und Paul Guthe" 
1923 inauguration of the 48m high tower-house of the "Ernemann AG", the later symbol of camera industries in Dresden 
1924 "ER-NOX" with lens Ernostar 1:2.0 (first in the world) by "Ernemann AG" 
1925 lens Ernostar 1:1.8 (first in the world) by "Ernemann AG" 
1926 merging of 4 camera factories in Dresden (a.o. Ernemann AG and ICA AG) to "Zeiss-Ikon AG", with 3400 employees greatest camera factory in Europe 
1933 "Exakta 4 x 6,5" by "Ihagee Kamerawerk Steenbergen & Co." 
1935 "Contaflex", first binocular miniature-mirror-reflex-camera with integrated exposure meter (first in the world), by "Zeiss-Ikon AG" 
1936 "Kine-Exakta", first monocular miniature-mirror-reflex-camera (first in the world) by "Ihagee Kamerawerk Steenbergen & Co." 
1945 heavy destructions of the camera factories in Dresden because of bomb attack on 13./14. February 1945 
1949 "Contax S" , first monocular miniature-mirror-reflex-camera with integrated pentagonal prism view-finder (first in the world), by "MECHANIK Zeiss Ikon VEB" 
1949 "PRAKTICA", monocular miniature-mirror-reflex-camera with lens fixing M42 x 1 
1950 "Exakta Varex", first monocular miniature-mirror-reflex-camera with interchangeable view-finder elements (first in the world), by "Ihagee Kamerawerk AG" 
1956 "PRAKTICA FX2", first monocular miniature-mirror-reflex-camera with camera body inside releasing of diaphragm (first in the world), by "VEB Kamera-Werke Dresden-Niedersedlitz" 
1959 merging of the camera factories in Dresden to "VEB Kamera- und Kinowerke Dresden" (since 1964 "VEB Pentacon Dresden") 
1965 "PRAKTICA mat", first european miniature-mirror-reflex-camera with TTL-exposure measurement, by "VEB Pentacon Dresden" 
1969 "PRAKTICA LLC", first monocular miniature-mirror-reflex-camera with electrical diaphragm simulation between interchangeable lens and camera body (first in the world), by "Kombinat VEB Pentacon Dresden" 
1990 conclusion of liquidation of "Pentacon Dresden GmbH" 
1991 founding of "Jos. Schneider Feinwerktechnik GmbH & Co. KG" 
1992 "PRAKTICA BX20s" - continuing of trade mark "PRAKTICA" by "Jos. Schneider Feinwerktechnik GmbH & Co. KG" 
1996 "PRAKTICA Color Scan" - beginning of a new generation of mirror- reflex-cameras, designed as a scan camera with a CCD-line, by "Jos. Schneider Feinwerktechnik" 
1998 Renaming of "Jos. Schneider Feinwerktechnik" into "PENTACON GmbH Foto- und Feinwerktechnik" 
1998 Taking over of distribution of EXAKTA-products  
1998 Delivery of the first two SRI-systems to a supplier of motor industry. By use of image vision systems cast pieces are checked.

More historic PRAKTICA information

Also availlable at

Photographs © Ferdi den Broeder. All rights reserved.
All pictures on this site may not be reproduced in any manner (including saving to disk) without my advance written permission.