Jörg Krüger
Pentacon Penti I
Pentacon Penti I with 3.5/30 Meyer-Optik Domiplan
(and lens protection)
Very compact camera for 35 mm film in SL-cassettes (Rapid cassette, Agfa Karat cassette), for 24 exposures of 18 x 24 mm frame size per film. It looks like made for users attracted to stylish stuff, it was even available in different colors. But the Penti is not just only stylish, it is a serious, solid camera and it was very successful in the German Democratic Public: the different versions were produced from 1958 to 1977, 800,000 units were made all in all.
The development of the Penti began in the years before the consolidation of the VEB Pentacon, so several companies were involved. It was designed at Zeiss Ikon, mainly by Walter Hennig, and produced at the Welta Kamerawerk, the first model was called "Welta Orix". Shortly after its introduction it was renamed in "Penti" (this version has a small viewfinder window on the front side, to distinguish it from later versions it is sometimes called "Penti 0"). In 1961 the Penti II followed, it became the most successful version. The main innovation was a coupled exposure meter with a Selenium cell, it is controlled with a needle in the viewfinder, which has an also new bright frame. The Penti I, the camera above in the picture, was exactly like the Penti II, but just without exposure meter. It has also the wide window on the front, but instead of the Selenium cell it has only a black covering. It even has the lever for setting the film speed, but it has no true meaning, it can be used as a reminder. It is also possible that the ring with that lever is required for a proper function of that set of rings, because it acts like a spring. Furthermore, if you could look inside the camera, you would find the empty housing which bears the coil instrument in the Penti II. Afaik the Penti I was only offered for some years in the mid-sixties.
The design of the camera is fantastic, all parts are integrated in the massive aluminium frame, which lays between two golden shells. The "lens barrel" protrudes less than 10 mm and contains the controls for shutter speed, f-stop, focus distance and film speed. Furthermore a DOF-scale, marks for the flash-synchronization and a filter thread with 18 mm diameter, a suitable (golden colored) sun shade was available. The film is advanced by a plunger, it is the rod you can see protruding on the right side of the camera. After an exposure it will spring out, for the next one you just push it back. A simple layout, since the film just must be pushed from one cartridge into another, there is no need for rotating parts like a film advance wheel or rewind crank. And, similar to the Taxona, you can use one hand for the shutter button and the other one for the film transport, so you can shoot continuously very quickly.
Some hints on operation:
* To open the camera pull the back straight away from the camera.
* The frame counter is not self-resetting, the according thumb wheel is in the film chamber
* About the DOF-scale: you can see the two "M" above the distance scale, from inside to outside the three prongs indicate the range of sharpness for f/5.6, f/8 and f/11.
* The knuckle in the accessory shoe is not an x-sync contact. It is springy, to hold accessory better.
* Flash sync: there are two icons on the shutter speed ring, a bulb and a flash (for x-sync), the according index is placed on the ring with the Penti name. For "bulb" the shutter speed is automatically set to 1/30 s, for "flash" to 1/60 s, but 1/125 s and 1/30 s should do it also.
* The camera has a cable release thread and a tripod bush, appropriate to the B-setting.
* The designers even didn't forget the snapshot setting. f/5.6 and the distances 2 and 5 m are enclosed in tiny strokes. If you match them you'll have sharp pictures from 1.5 to 3 m for f/5.6 & 2 m, and from 2.7 m to infinity for f/5.6 & 5 m.
* There are parallax marks in the viewer, they are intended for taking pictures with close-up lenses and indicate the correct position of the frame at a distances of 0.33 m.
If you can live without a full range of shutter speeds, a self-timer and a focusing aid you have a pretty good camera you can work with.
And, like so often, trouble with my exemplar: the bright frame was utterly askew. Someone has pressed to much onto the knuckle in the accessory shoe, so the other side of its spring broke through and damaged the viewfinder. You can open the front of the camera by removing all those rings from around the lens, which requires a good organization to put them aside. You have to start with the focus ring, and there are only two positions of the ring you have access to the screws, at infinity and at 1 m, and you need both. You have to remember the order when reassembling, and it is also somewhat difficult to adjust the focus without focus ring (you can hardly grab the lens), so don't play with the lens when all the rings are removed.
Pentacon Penti I
Pentacon Penti I with 3.5/30 Meyer-Optik Domiplan
(and lens protection)
Very compact camera for 35 mm film in SL-cassettes (Rapid cassette, Agfa Karat cassette), for 24 exposures of 18 x 24 mm frame size per film. It looks like made for users attracted to stylish stuff, it was even available in different colors. But the Penti is not just only stylish, it is a serious, solid camera and it was very successful in the German Democratic Public: the different versions were produced from 1958 to 1977, 800,000 units were made all in all.
The development of the Penti began in the years before the consolidation of the VEB Pentacon, so several companies were involved. It was designed at Zeiss Ikon, mainly by Walter Hennig, and produced at the Welta Kamerawerk, the first model was called "Welta Orix". Shortly after its introduction it was renamed in "Penti" (this version has a small viewfinder window on the front side, to distinguish it from later versions it is sometimes called "Penti 0"). In 1961 the Penti II followed, it became the most successful version. The main innovation was a coupled exposure meter with a Selenium cell, it is controlled with a needle in the viewfinder, which has an also new bright frame. The Penti I, the camera above in the picture, was exactly like the Penti II, but just without exposure meter. It has also the wide window on the front, but instead of the Selenium cell it has only a black covering. It even has the lever for setting the film speed, but it has no true meaning, it can be used as a reminder. It is also possible that the ring with that lever is required for a proper function of that set of rings, because it acts like a spring. Furthermore, if you could look inside the camera, you would find the empty housing which bears the coil instrument in the Penti II. Afaik the Penti I was only offered for some years in the mid-sixties.
The design of the camera is fantastic, all parts are integrated in the massive aluminium frame, which lays between two golden shells. The "lens barrel" protrudes less than 10 mm and contains the controls for shutter speed, f-stop, focus distance and film speed. Furthermore a DOF-scale, marks for the flash-synchronization and a filter thread with 18 mm diameter, a suitable (golden colored) sun shade was available. The film is advanced by a plunger, it is the rod you can see protruding on the right side of the camera. After an exposure it will spring out, for the next one you just push it back. A simple layout, since the film just must be pushed from one cartridge into another, there is no need for rotating parts like a film advance wheel or rewind crank. And, similar to the Taxona, you can use one hand for the shutter button and the other one for the film transport, so you can shoot continuously very quickly.
Some hints on operation:
* To open the camera pull the back straight away from the camera.
* The frame counter is not self-resetting, the according thumb wheel is in the film chamber
* About the DOF-scale: you can see the two "M" above the distance scale, from inside to outside the three prongs indicate the range of sharpness for f/5.6, f/8 and f/11.
* The knuckle in the accessory shoe is not an x-sync contact. It is springy, to hold accessory better.
* Flash sync: there are two icons on the shutter speed ring, a bulb and a flash (for x-sync), the according index is placed on the ring with the Penti name. For "bulb" the shutter speed is automatically set to 1/30 s, for "flash" to 1/60 s, but 1/125 s and 1/30 s should do it also.
* The camera has a cable release thread and a tripod bush, appropriate to the B-setting.
* The designers even didn't forget the snapshot setting. f/5.6 and the distances 2 and 5 m are enclosed in tiny strokes. If you match them you'll have sharp pictures from 1.5 to 3 m for f/5.6 & 2 m, and from 2.7 m to infinity for f/5.6 & 5 m.
* There are parallax marks in the viewer, they are intended for taking pictures with close-up lenses and indicate the correct position of the frame at a distances of 0.33 m.
If you can live without a full range of shutter speeds, a self-timer and a focusing aid you have a pretty good camera you can work with.
And, like so often, trouble with my exemplar: the bright frame was utterly askew. Someone has pressed to much onto the knuckle in the accessory shoe, so the other side of its spring broke through and damaged the viewfinder. You can open the front of the camera by removing all those rings from around the lens, which requires a good organization to put them aside. You have to start with the focus ring, and there are only two positions of the ring you have access to the screws, at infinity and at 1 m, and you need both. You have to remember the order when reassembling, and it is also somewhat difficult to adjust the focus without focus ring (you can hardly grab the lens), so don't play with the lens when all the rings are removed.