C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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slr-35mm
The KW Praktica LTL (1969) is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera made by VEB Pentacon (the East German state-owned successor to Kamera-Werkstätten) in Dresden. The "L" series represented a significant update to the Praktica line: a complete redesign of the body architecture into a lower-profile, more modern form, with through-the-lens CdS metering added as a key selling point under the LTL designation (L = new body series; TL = through-the-lens meter).
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The Praktica LTL was the working-class SLR of the Cold War era — affordable, M42-compatible, and built with enough TTL metering to compete with Japanese rivals at a fraction of the price.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (24×36 mm) |
| Mount | M42 (42×1mm screw thread) |
| Years | 1969–1979 |
| Shutter | Horizontal cloth focal-plane: 1s – 1/1000s + B |
| Flash sync | X-sync at 1/125s |
| Meter | CdS TTL, stopped-down |
| Exposure | Manual, match-needle |
| Viewfinder | Pentaprism, ~92% coverage |
| Focus | Manual, microprism/ground glass |
| Battery | PX625 1.35V (mercury equivalent needed) |
The Praktica L series launched in 1969 as VEB Pentacon's response to the rapid advance of Japanese SLR manufacturers. The preceding Praktica Nova and FX series had served their market well, but their taller bodies and lack of TTL metering were becoming competitively obsolete. The L body was entirely new — lower, lighter, and designed with TTL metering from the outset.
The LTL variant added the through-the-lens CdS metering system, making it one of the most affordable TTL-metered SLRs available in Western Europe through the early 1970s. UK camera retailers frequently listed the Praktica LTL alongside Pentax and Fujica bodies as a budget-conscious entry to serious SLR photography, and it was popular in polytechnic and art school photography departments.
VEB Pentacon continued refining the LTL through the 1970s before transitioning to the MTL (multi-pattern metering) and eventually the B-mount BX series in the 1980s.
The Praktica LTL represents the democratisation of TTL-metered SLR photography in Europe. Its M42 mount meant that a photographer could invest in a small collection of Carl Zeiss Jena lenses — the Tessar 50/2.8, Flektogon 35/2.4, or Sonnar 135/3.5 — knowing those lenses would work on virtually any other M42 camera. This ecosystem flexibility was the Praktica's defining advantage over proprietary-mount competitors.
M42 mount. Typical kit lenses: Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50/2.8, Meyer-Optik Oreston 50/1.8, Meyer-Optik Domiplan 50/2.8. Wide angles: Flektogon 35/2.4 (CZJ) or Granagon 35/2.8 (Meyer). Telephoto: Sonnar 135/3.5 or Orestor 135/2.8. The full range of global M42 lenses is compatible. Accessories: T-mount adapters, cable releases, motor winder (LTL3+), Praktinar extension tubes.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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