Praktica Sport AF point and shoot

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The last point and shoot camera was the Solar DX-3, which is an awful camera. So, in this post I will go over a better point and shoot, the Praktica Sport AF.

But first a look at the company. In 1949, during post-war Germany, the Kamera Werkstätten (Zeiss and Meyer-Optik), set up Praktica, a camera company that specialized in affordable 35mm SLR cameras and was “the first models distinguished themselves by their simplicity and reliability…” (Grandin 2024).

One of their first cameras was the Praktica 35mm SLR (Collectiblend 2025), which was then followed up by the Practica FX, IV, V, Nova and the L-series and the one thing that made these cameras stand out and popular was that it came with an M42 lens mount (Praktica 2025). This meant that the lens mount was universal and “… compatible with a wide range of lenses. This universal mount gives Praktica cameras great flexibility, allowing photographers to play with different optics…” (Grandin 2024).

Praktica 35mm SLR. Image Source:
https://collectiblend.com/Cameras/images/KW-(KameraWerkstatten)-Praktica.jpg

Praktica FX. Image Source:
https://cdn.sanity.io/images/uwt8iot0/production/5b446c2b386887a98c809f7944702eddcef2d654-2048x1536.jpg

Praktica IV. Image Source:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/XIbQGGCmdG-GQ74ZZLjnRWfd1CgUzcDAwpnVDXrEqasPLBfpTMZsYY7CjSjosPRBkuaBExBVgCVxMR8A4f40KlAmB81k399Xor0x0VokFNPweWMRjA4QWE73SHS8okoykR-enqozE57r2x2m

Praktica V. Image Source:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ylp0uWC4-gn9ccMApmmx4iUkEU5RX0zcGNbkvCCJUNAUD1x0NjHlkU9eQ67p22FpiT5os5_3D-sIDyko6DZZxgxg1ks8lpFIto3p4sdgZcmk1O2nMIImfMXqurXRFWuOlC1J99W5zi85eImFLnKL_g

Praktica Nova. Image Source:
https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4787636134_3e1facb9e2.jpg

Praktica LTL, LB & L. Image Source:
https://img.goodfon.com/wallpaper/big/e/db/praktica-ltl-lb-l-zerkalnye.webp

But the company goes back even further, with Camera-wiki pointing out that the Praktica camera was the successor of the Praktiflex, the first small 35mm, with an interchangeable lens mount. This camera proved to be successful, and lead to Kamera Werkstätten to create a new brand known as Praktica (Praktica 2025).

Praktiflex. Image Source:
https://mwclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/mwclassiccameras-20240216-22.jpg

This leads to a quick run through of Praktica’s history:

It started in Germany, Dresden, with Paul Guthe, who created the Patent-Etui, a successful folding camera, that helped him start a partnership with Benno Thorsch, leading to the Kamera Werkstätten or KW company at the end of WWI. But this camera was soon forgotten, due to Germany’s post-war economy, lead to the camera innovations, to take a back seat and the need for simple box cameras grew (Jones 2024). This also forced three other camera companies and KW to merge and become the Zeiss-Ikon (Praktica 2025).

Patent-Etui. Image Source:
https://www.mikeeckman.com/photovintage/vintagecameras/patentetui/1426.jpg

With the rise of Hitler’s rule, Benno Thorsch, fled to America with the help of “a visiting American, Charles Noble” leading Thorsch, to grow the business and releasing the Praktiflex in 1938. But then WWII broke out and even though America joined in, KW, an “…American-owned business, barred from producing munitions, the KW Praktiflex remained in production and development…” but at the same time: “…camera production at Zeiss Ikon’s and the Dutch-owned Ihagee’s Exakta factories dramatically declined…” (Jones 2024).

Then the war ended and by 1949, Dresden fell under Russian rule, as well as Zeiss-Ikon, which owned KW and Noble and his family were arrested! This meant that KW went back to Germany and was now under Soviet Administration. The new administration put Siegfried Bohm in charge and it was through him that the Praktica brand and new set of cameras came into being. Bohm, didn’t stop there, he created the world’s first motor drive camera, the Praktina 35mm system in 1952. The reason to why the Soviets wanted Praktica to carry on was because “…Zeiss Ikon’s Dresden (and later Carl Zeiss’ Jena lens) production machinery, camera and lens technology was transshipped to Russia as war reparations to emerge as FED, Zorki and Zenith copies…” (Jones 2024).

Praktina. Image Source:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRUKNb2baR0pj1KN7D6st27E3R3hpsBtgKF7Q&s

Then under the Soviet and socialist rule in 1959, a new company was founded, VEB Pentacon, which absorbed and merged all camera companies, including KW, “under the aegis of the socialist government.” This proved to be a good thing for Praktica because it meant additional resources and funding from the government, which lead to the L-series and the popular MTL3 and MTL5 cameras that were “renowned for their precision and affordability. These cameras are popular with both amateurs and professionals, attracted by their unmatched value for money…” (Grandin 2024).

Praktica MTL 3 & 5. Image Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Praktica_MTL_3_and_MTL_5_2.jpg/640px-Praktica_MTL_3_and_MTL_5_2.jpg

Praktica was so good, that in 1978, they were commissioned by the Soviet government to make SLR cameras for their space missions (Praktica 2025). Then by 1985, Pentacon merged with the renamed Zeiss-Ikon, Carl Zeiss Jena company and released the series, which the camera of this post is a part of, the Sport cameras (Jones 2024).

All seemed to be doing well, but with the new government control came restraints. As Gradin (2024) writes:

“Under the East German socialist system, Praktica faced supply constraints and technological restrictions. Despite these challenges, the brand continued to innovate. In 1979, it launched the Praktica B series, equipped with an in-house developed bayonet mount. Although this choice limited intercompatibility with other brands, this mount improved the precision of the optics and strengthened the stability of the system. The Praktica BCA, one of the flagship models in this series, introduced automatic features such as automatic exposure metering, which were rare in the East German market at the time. However, the new mount limited the distribution of these cameras outside the Eastern Bloc, somewhat hampering their popularity in the West.”

Praktica BCA. Image Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Praktica_BCA.jpg/2560px-Praktica_BCA.jpg

Not only that, but with the fall of the Berlin Wall, Pentacon was facing closure due to the cut off of government and military funding (Jones 2024), as well as their split from Carl Zeiss in 1989 (Praktica 2025). But fortunately, they were saved by “Heinrich Mandermann as part of his Schneider lens group…” (Jones 2024).

By this time the camera market has also changed with digital technology on the rise, which lead to Praktica to join in with the first digital camera the Praktica PD-100 in 1997 (Digitalkamera Museum 2025) and eventually abandon film in 2001 in favour of digital cameras (Grandin 2024).

Praktica PD-100 Digital Camera. Image Source:
https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/images/cameras/Praktica%20PD-100/Praktica%20PD100.JPG

Practica was then bought by “a British company, Praktica Ltd., which reoriented the brand towards digital products…” (Grandin 2024) and according to Praktica (2025), themselves today: “Praktica continues to launch photographic imaging and sports optics products specialised for both amateur and professional users.”

And if you are wondering about what happened to the other company Praktica cut ties with or what happened to Charles Noble and his family, well according to Jones (2024):

“Reunification saw Carl Zeiss Jena (East Germany) and Carl Zeiss Oberkochen (West) finally reunited but much of Jena’s work was sold off and became the independent Jenoptik GmbH now a direct competitor to both Zeiss and Pentacon! The Nobles finally recovered their lawful properties and launched their novel Noblex camera, but their new KW business in the old KW factory soon folded.”

Now to get into the camera at hand. There are so many Praktica sport cameras, it is hard to find much information on them, besides being released in 1985 and that it is: “A series of cameras started in the mid-80s produced in the Far East for Pentacon. How far the East-Germans were involved with design, production or even supervision is not known. These cameras were probably only intended to be sold outside East-Germany…” (Flitser01 2020). And it seems to still be going. Some examples are the Sport MD, Sport 880 and Sport QT=One. There are even digital cameras under the Sport names, such as the Sport M9 action camera.

Praktica Sport MD. Image Source:
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/02/74/52/027452a83b48b863102a985c3d6edc3b.jpg

Praktica Sport 880. Image Source:
https://i.etsystatic.com/32227576/r/il/2e1827/4535503184/il_340x270.4535503184_fv0g.jpg

Praktica Sport QT=One. Image Source:
https://bromurefilm.com/cdn/shop/files/praktica-sport-qtone-point-and-shoot-bromurefilm.jpg?v=1729074682

Praktica Sport M9 action camera. Image Source:
https://fujaelelectronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Untitled-design-5-2.jpg

Now the problem I have with this camera is similar to the Sounex YN-9000, in that I can’t find any information about this camera, but there are tons on its counterparts and variations! I would say it is similar to the Sinpo PQ-3, but at least the Sinpo has some websites talking about it. Whereas the Sport AF has none from what I see. But not all is lost for I have found a similar camera and most likely the second version of the AF and that is the Sport AFQ.

Praktica Sport AFQ. Image Source:
https://live.staticflickr.com/8119/8657120902_a090bc74ca_b.jpg

The AFQ also has almost no information about it, but I found a few sites that do talk about it. And because it appears that the AF and AFQ are the same (with only one difference being that the AFQ has a “Quartz databack” (flitser01 2020), which is where the Q comes from). One piece of evidence that points out that the AF and AFQ are the same is that the manual/instructions list both the AF and AFQ.

Sport AF & AFQ manual. Image Source:
https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIyNVgxNjAw/z/4BgAAOSw7apZ0qBo/$_57.JPG?set_id=8800005007

So, I will be using the information of the AFQ to break down the AFs specs. One of these specs being that the AF (and AFQ) camera is the “evolved version of the Sport MD” (flitser01 2020), which is why I will also be using the MDs specs.

So with that, let’s get into having a closer look at the Praktica Sport AF.

The body is mostly plastic and was manufactured in Japan. The size and weight is similar to the other point and shoot cameras on this site (Sinpo PQ-3 Point and Shoot Film Camera and Fancy Solar DX-3).

Now let’s look at the front.

Starting with the lens-

This is a Prakticar lens with an f/stop of 3.6, and a focal length of 35mm. Now to break that down: A Prakticar lens was first made for the Praktica B-series cameras and “They were made by Carl Zeiss Jena, Pentacon and Sigma Japan.  Later Pentacon sourced zoom lenses from Cimko and Cosina. After German reunification the Carl Zeiss Jena Prakticar lenses production was closed.  Then the Korean manufacturer Samyang was chosen, by the new owners Schneider Dresden, to supply Pentacon with zoom lenses…” (Franco).

Collection of the Praktica B-system lenses and cameras.
Image Source:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/rcHyxjmHOw1vGJD1EusHrns2APBN4rbZL-emw1ce9vBMs0fA7u55IvhiL7r6rJbCpZAVpJvlHqi4wQrgGtfKS7JKqKf_fY4 

There isn’t that much on the explanation on the Prakticar lenses, but from what I could find is that is a lens similar to the anastigmat and Cooke triplet lenses (see the Agfa Billy Record and Argus C2 posts). By this I mean it is a lens with multiple layers of glass. All the glass in the lens is curved and some even have two pieces of glass cemented together similar to the Doublet lens mentioned in the Beau Brownie post.

Prakticar lens. Image Source:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/7841/46565634355_faa194560a_w.jpg

The number of glass layers differs from 7-4. Unfortunately, I can’t find the exact number of layers for the Praktica Sport cameras, but considering the size we can assume it can be around 4-5. We can also assume that like other Prakticar lenses, that have the markings of MC (multi-coated, Hard to find Camera store 2025) on it.

MC Pentacon Prakticar 1:2.4 lens. Image Source:
https://radojuva.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mc-pentacon-prakticar-f-2-4-50-mm-lens-review-9.jpg

Multi-coated means that the leans has multiple layers of elements and other materials on the lens which, similar to the element coatings mentioned in the Polaroid SX-70 post. It is not known how many layers could be on this camera, but we do know that this multi-coating reduces “…flare with improved contrast, and better light transmission making images shot with these lenses even better…” (Eckman 2021). The lens is also fixed and has an autofocusing function.

The lens is also protected by a cover that like the Sinpo PQ-3 is opened and closed with a slider found underneath the camera.

Next to the lens is the flash on/off switch and f/stop setting.

When the flash is on it is set to the widest f/stop setting of 3.6 and when off it is on a setting that I estimate to be around f/stop of 11-16. What makes this camera interesting, is that unlike the other two point and shoot cameras, the AF doesn’t have a multi-hole aperture, but it has two aperture petals that converge to form a square.

 

Then underneath that is the indication to why this camera is the evolved version of the Sport MD, and that is that this camera has DX coding. DX (Digital IndeX) “…is an elaborate system originally designed by Kodak, as a solution to the passage of information between film cartridges, cameras and film development machines. Such information includes film speed, film type, manufacturer, frame count etc…” and works like this: “…Printed on 35mm and APS film cartridges, they appear as silver and white rectangles, arranged in two rows of six, right next to the barcode. The silver rectangles conduct electricity while the black ones don’t. Cameras that read DX codes have metal contacts built in where the film cartridge is placed, to pass an electric current through the code. It can then tell, based on the locations of the current, the ISO, frame count and film type…” (Jiao 2022).

DX encoded film. Image Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Dx135can.jpg

Above those two is the flash. And next to that is what I assume is what can be found on the Praktica Sport Nova AF-P, is the Auto Flash Sensor (The Camera Collector 2021), that sets of the flash automatically when it detects a low light environment.

Praktica Sport Nova. Image Source:
https://photodom.shop/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Praktica-Sport-Nova-AF-P-Program-scaled-scaled.jpg

Then next to that and above the lens is the view finder, which is in the middle of two windows that automatically sets and adjusts the focus, similar to the Praktica Sport SK 750 (Before Digital 2021).

Praktica Sport SK 750. Image Source:
https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxNjAw/z/i6wAAOSwWbtkpVWF/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F

On the side-

This is where the wrist strap is.

On top-

Is the shutter button. Which has from what I can tell a fixed shutter speed, which is quite fast and by my account and comparison to other cameras, the Sport AF has a shutter speed of 1/100-1/500 second! Some accounts that I have seen point out that it’s counterpart the AFQ has a speed of only 1/100 second.

The type of shutter that this camera has is most likely a focal plane shutter. Because it has two “curtains” which and these curtains “…travel very quickly over the image frame, leaving a small gap between them. That gap is the exposure area, and both the speed of the curtains and the size of the gap can be varied to ultimately fine-tune the exposure time…” (Jacoby 2024).

Focal Plane shutter diagram. Image Source:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTOAzU4T64X8MnaBYaTOAWp7RcFlMwLZkg8mw&s

What this means is that the two curtains are next to each other. When a picture is taken one curtain, that is stopping light from entering, will move forward, exposing the film to light. Then the second curtain that that was next to and the first will follow the first curtain and take its place to protect the film from any further light exposure, in other words: “…curtain number one will open and then after the exposure time the shutter speed has elapsed curtain two will close.” Then after that it “…will revert back to its original position…” (The Science of Photography 2018).

It is similar to the rotary shutter of the Brownie Model 1, the Halina Roy and the Beau Brownie.

What I also like about the shutter is that it lets the user know that the shutter is being pressed, through a red light that appears in the viewfinder.

Then underneath that is the film counter.

Under the camera-

Is the rewind slider, that when held in rewinds the film back into the film cartage, when it is finished so it can be safely taken out, without the worry of accidental double exposure.

On the other side is the battery compartment, which powers the camera. It uses two AA batteries. 

 

On the back- 

 On top is the viewfinder.

And next to that is the film rewind and advance indicator. This is connected to the roller that holds the film cartage in place and indicates which way the film is moving. In this window, there are red arrows. When the arrows are moving towards the direction that they are pointing, it means that the film is rewinding so the exposed film can be taken out. If the arrows go in the opposite direction, it means the film is automatically advancing to the next frame.

Next to that is the light that indicates if the flash is ready to be used.

Underneath this is the film compartment cover, which is unlocked with the slider that is next to it.

Then there is the film compartment. Which like the Sinpo PQ-3, automatically advances the film, by hooking the gear’s teeth into the film’s sprockets and feeding it into the automatic “spool” that also has teeth to hook into the sprockets. This spool also rewinds the film back into the cartage.

This camera should, like the Sport Royale, have a format or frame of 24x36mm.

Praktica Sport Royal. Image Source:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/CrMAAOSwkA9iTuWJ/s-l400.jpg

And the film the Sport AF uses is 35mm. To learn more about this film please see my Kodak 200 Colorplus film post.

And a final mention goes to the fact that this camera comes with a small carrying bag.

And that is it. The Sport AF is a simple camera, but the sporty element means that it is a bit more advanced then the Sinpo PQ-3. But like the Sinpo, I would recommend this camera to anybody wanting to get into film photography. Both are good cameras to start experimenting with film and to learn how it works. Best of all both are quite small, so they won’t take up much space.

But what do you think? Would you use a point and shoot or would you immediately go for the more advanced film cameras like the Olympus OM 30? Let me know in the comments.

And as always, thank you for making it to the end and I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did researching it.

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List of sources:

Before Digital. 2021. Praktica Compact Sport. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BM_EwGoUL0

Camera-wiki. Praktica. https://camera-wiki.org/wiki/praktica

Camera-wiki. Prakticar. https://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Prakticar

Camera-wiki. Praktiflex. https://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Praktiflex

CollectiBlend. 2025. KW (KameraWerkstatten): Praktica. https://collectiblend.com/Cameras/KW-(KameraWerkstatten)/Praktica.html

Digitalkamera Museum. 2025. Praktica PD-100 (1997). https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/cameras/item/praktica-pd-100

Eckman, M. 2021. Keppler’s Vault 90: Multi-Coated Lenses. https://mikeeckman.com/2021/04/kepplers-vault-90-multi-coated-lenses/

flitser01. 2020. PRAKTICA SPORT. https://www.flickr.com/photos/85142900@N03/albums/72157633265751662/

flitser01. 2020. Praktica Sport AFQ. https://www.flickr.com/photos/85142900@N03/8657120902

Franco, T. Pentacon Prakticar lenses. https://praktica.tiagofranco.pt/lenses.html#:~:text=When%20the%20Praktica%20B%20system,of%20the%20Pentacon%20Prakticar%20lenses.

Grandin, H. 2024. The Story of Praktica: From the Golden Age of Film to the Digital Age. https://bromurefilm.com/en/blogs/argentique/l-histoire-de-praktica-de-l-age-d-or-de-l-argentique-a-l-ere-numerique?srsltid=AfmBOooPx0EQwSs6vfxtPxz654cjCHOddF3fydtD0QKZXxCK0yiev5p3

Hard to find Camera Store. 2025. Carl Zeiss Jena Prakticar 4/300mm MC. https://www.htf-store.com/products/carl-zeiss-jena-prakticar-4-300mm-mc#:~:text=The%20Carl%20Zeiss%20Jena%20Prakticar,flare%20and%20improving%20color%20rendition.

Jacoby, J. 2024. A Guide to Camera Shutter Designs: Focal-Plane, Leaf, and the Rest. https://petapixel.com/camera-shutter-designs/

Jiao, B. 2022. All about DX Coding, Films and Cameras. https://www.belindajiao.com/blog/dx-code-films

Jones, B. 2024. “From KW to Pentacon” – the Praktica story. https://www.brenelltape.co.uk/the-praktica-story/

Praktica. 2025. 73 years of world class optics. https://www.praktica.com/pages/heritage?srsltid=AfmBOopAZApZYgKL7jT9CBUIKAAUIANcTMkVGDyJ12oQYNRuC5ifgV4J

Si_carruthers. Praktica Sport Royale Vintage 35mm Point & Shoot Film Camera w/ 35mm f4.5 Lens. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115725000291

The Camera Collector. 2021. FRAKTICA Sport NOVA AF-P Program. 1991. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lxkkKvjevQ

The Science of Photography. 2018. Shutter Speed - Focal Plane Shutters - Episode 5.1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0VV5Yyleao