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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The Mamiya/Sekor 1000 S DDR is a rebadged version of the Mamiya 1000 S (MSX 1000) produced for distribution in East Germany (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) during the early 1970s. The underlying camera is a Mamiya M42-mount SLR with a CdS TTL meter, horizontal cloth focal-plane shutter running to 1/1000s, and stop-down metering. The body is mechanically functional without battery power, though metering requires the cell. The DDR designation refers to the distribution context, not a hardware modification; the camera is mechanically identical to the standard Mamiya 1000 S sold in other markets. These rebadged bodies are uncommon outside European collectors' markets.
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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About this camera
An East German rebadge of the Mamiya 1000 S: M42, TTL meter, mechanical shutter to 1/1000s.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | M42 (Praktica/Pentax thread) |
| Years | ~1972 - ~1975 |
| Shutter | 1s - 1/1000s, mechanical horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | ~1/60s (X-sync) |
| Meter | TTL CdS, stop-down |
| Modes | Manual only |
| Weight | ~680 g |
| Battery | 1x PX625 (mercury) or MR9 equivalent |
Mamiya's M42-mount SLR line developed from the Sekor 500 DTL and 1000 DTL (mid-1960s), through the MSX/DTL variants of the early 1970s. The 1000 S (also marketed as the MSX 1000 in some regions) was a mid-range consumer M42 body positioned above the 500-series in having a 1/1000s top shutter speed. M42 was the dominant thread mount for import cameras sold in Eastern Europe, where the Praktica system had established M42 as the standard; distributors in Eastern Bloc countries could import Japanese M42-mount cameras without a lens-mount incompatibility problem.
The DDR designation on this variant reflects a specific export market agreement. East Germany had limited hard-currency reserves for Western imports, but Japanese cameras entered through trade channels serving Eastern European markets. Mamiya cameras appear to have been among the Japanese brands that reached DDR consumers, alongside Praktica's own domestic production.
The DDR variant is of interest primarily to collectors documenting the distribution history of Japanese cameras in Eastern Europe during the Cold War period. From a photographic standpoint it is identical to the standard Mamiya 1000 S: an M42-mount manual SLR with a functional but unexceptional TTL meter. M42 compatibility gives it access to a very large ecosystem of lenses from Zeiss Jena, Pentacon, Takumar, Vivitar, and others - which may explain why DDR-market shooters found it useful alongside domestically produced Praktica bodies.
For M42 collectors, the DDR label is a provenance detail. The camera works normally with any M42 lens and with modern MR9 or zinc-air equivalents substituting for the discontinued PX625 mercury cell.
M42 screw mount (42mm x 1mm pitch). Stop-down metering at any M42 aperture. Compatible with:
No dedicated DDR-market accessories have been documented. Standard Mamiya winders and finders for the 1000 S family may be compatible.
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.
View profile →Mamiya 1000 S DDR
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