KW Praktica BMS1984

History

VEB Pentacon introduced the Praktica B mount around 1979 with the B200, its first body to replace M42 with a bayonet. The mount incorporated electronic contacts to communicate aperture data from lens to body, enabling aperture-priority automation without stopped-down metering - a capability that M42 could not support without mechanical coupling workarounds.

The B series expanded through the early 1980s across several price tiers: the B100 and BC1 as entry and mid-range models, the BC2 as a refinement of the mid-tier, and the BX10 and BX20 as upper-tier bodies with broader automation. The BMS was introduced in approximately 1984 as a mid-tier variant characterised by its CdS metering cell, which preceded the transition to silicon blue-cell sensors adopted in the BCS and BX-series.

Production of B-series bodies continued until the GDR's dissolution in 1989-1990. VEB Pentacon's camera operations wound down rapidly during the period of German reunification, and brief attempts to sustain Praktica production under successor organisations did not restore commercial viability.

Why It Matters

The BMS is primarily of interest as a mid-stage document in the evolution of the Praktica B series - sitting between the early BC1/BC2 and the later silicon-cell BCS and BX models. The use of a CdS sensor links it to the long tradition of CdS metering in the Praktica MTL range, while the B bayonet mount and electronic aperture coupling represent the factory's forward-looking direction. For collectors tracing the full arc of B-series development, the BMS occupies a specific transitional position.

For working photographers, the BMS offers access to the Praktica B lens ecosystem - particularly the Pentacon 50/1.8 MC standard lens - at very low cost. The aperture-priority mode is practical for everyday shooting; the manual mode works well with an external meter if the built-in CdS cell has drifted. The electronic shutter's battery dependency is the primary practical limitation.

Lenses & Accessories

The Praktica B bayonet mount accepts all B-mount lenses produced by VEB Pentacon and associated manufacturers. Electronic aperture coupling functions correctly with native B-mount glass only; M42 adapters reduce the camera to stopped-down manual operation.

Primary B-mount options:

• Pentacon 50/1.8 MC - the most widely available B-mount standard lens; optically competent
• Pentacon 29/2.8 MC - wide-angle
• Pentacon 135/2.8 MC - moderate telephoto
• Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar and Tessar variants produced in B-mount (limited quantities)

Dedicated Praktica B-mount flashguns and TTL flash adapters (Metz SCA system) exist; check BMS-specific compatibility before purchase.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Used by amateur and hobbyist photographers in East Germany and the Warsaw Pact region in the mid-1980s as a domestically produced mid-tier SLR.
• Exported to Western Europe through VEB Pentacon's commercial distribution network; most commonly found in German-speaking markets.
• Collected today primarily by those documenting the full range of Praktica B-series production or seeking an affordable body for B-mount glass.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Praktica B series - full B-mount production history, body variants, and lens ecosystem