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 VLC (1969) — also sold as the Praktica LLC in many markets — is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera from VEB Pentacon representing the highest specification in the original Praktica L-series launch range. Where the base Praktica L omitted metering entirely and the LTL added stopped-down TTL metering, the VLC/LLC implemented the most advanced metering the L-series would offer until the MTL series: open-aperture TTL metering for lenses with the appropriate coupling.
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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Before you buy used
About this camera
The top of the original Praktica L-series — the VLC (also known as the LLC) added open-aperture TTL metering to the L-series body, allowing compatible lenses to couple their aperture setting directly to the meter for accurate readings without stopping down.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (24×36 mm) |
| Mount | M42 screw (42×1mm) |
| Years | 1969–1978 |
| Shutter | Vertical metal focal-plane: 1s – 1/1000s + B |
| Flash sync | 1/125s (X-sync) |
| Meter | CdS TTL, open-aperture (with compatible lenses) / stopped-down |
| Exposure | Manual (meter-guided) |
| Viewfinder | Pentaprism, 92% coverage, 0.9× |
| Focus | Manual, split-prism + microprism |
| Battery | PX625 / SR44 |
VEB Pentacon launched the entire Praktica L-series in 1969 — the L, LTL, and LLC (VLC) debuted simultaneously as a product family spanning basic to advanced metering. The LLC designation stood for "Lichtmessung" (light measurement), "Computerisiert" (coupled), and the L-body designation. In some export markets it was sold as the VLC (Viewfinder-coupled Light measuring Computer). Naming was inconsistent across different export destinations.
The LLC/VLC sat at the top of the original L-series range and was positioned against Japanese competitors such as the Pentax Spotmatic, which also offered open-aperture metering with the Super-Multi-Coated Takumar lenses. Compatible Praktica/Pentacon lenses with the open-aperture coupling pin were made by Carl Zeiss Jena and Meyer-Optik in the early 1970s, though the coupling system was never as widely adopted as Pentax's.
Production continued through 1978, with the VLC 2 and VLC 3 variants introducing minor improvements. The MTL series then took over as the primary metered Praktica body in the late 1970s, with the MTL 3 offering the refined circuit and ergonomics that became the definitive affordable M42 TTL SLR of the era.
The Praktica VLC/LLC represents the ambition of the original Praktica L-series: a modern, vertically shuttered SLR with genuine open-aperture TTL capability, competing directly with the Pentax Spotmatic at a lower price. It demonstrates that East German camera engineering, while constrained by production resources, could match Japanese design priorities. For users today, the VLC offers a functional open-aperture meter and M42 compatibility at low cost.
Premier M42 lenses with open-aperture coupling: Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50/1.8, Flektogon 35/2.4 (auto-aperture versions); Meyer-Optik Oreston 50/1.8 (auto versions). Any M42 lens without coupling works with stopped-down metering. Accessories: cable release, PC flash socket, external sync leads.
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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