Praktica LB 35mm Film Camera — Prakticar f2.8 135mm Lens, Vintage East German SLR

A classic East German 35mm SLR — the Praktica LB — paired here with a Prakticar f2.8 135mm telephoto lens. The Praktica LB was produced by VEB Pentacon in Dresden and is a solid, well-regarded workhorse of the Praktica M42 screw-mount system. The 135mm Prakticar lens makes this a versatile combination, well suited to portrait and medium telephoto work. A great entry point into film photography or a handsome addition to a collection.

Condition

• Overall: Good condition.
• Cosmetic: A couple of small cosmetic wear marks — nothing major, consistent with use.
• Viewfinder: Fine.
• Optics: Good — no fungus.
• Lens: Prakticar f2.8 135mm — M42 screw mount.

Provenance

• Maker: VEB Pentacon, Dresden, East Germany — the state-owned optical and camera manufacturer that produced the Praktica range throughout the Cold War era. Pentacon was formed from the remnants of several pre-war Dresden camera makers, including Zeiss Ikon, and continued to produce well-engineered cameras at accessible price points throughout the 1960s–80s.
• Model: Praktica LB — part of the long-running Praktica L series, using the universal M42 screw mount compatible with a vast range of lenses from many manufacturers.
• Lens: Prakticar 135mm f2.8 — a medium telephoto lens in M42 mount, ideal for portraits and compressed perspective shots.
• Era: 1970s.
• Appeal: A capable and characterful film camera from the golden age of East German optical manufacturing — the M42 mount means it can also be adapted to modern mirrorless cameras for use as a manual lens.