That's cool. My very first SLR, back when I was in college (1968), was a
Praktica. It's been a long time, but I don't remember if mine had the
"USSR Occupied" stamp on the back.

Bought it from a hole-in-the-wall independent here in Raleigh; long
since gone, I don't even think the hole is still there in the wall. Got
a fairly good deal - camera, two lenses & a flash (bulbs).

I wore the shutter out and took it to a guy who repaired cameras in his
garage (recommended by the store I bought it from because he was the
only guy who worked on odd brands).

The guy moved out in the middle of the night & left no forwarding
address, so I never got my camera back. But I THINK I still have one of
the lenses around here somewhere.

Any idea what year it is?

I didn't get another SLR until sometime in the mid-80s when I first saw
a Pentax at the PX.

On 9/28/2023 5:24 PM, collinb@brendemuehl.net wrote:

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MARK!

(sigh)

Am 29.09.23 um 01:52 schrieb John Sessoms:

That's what exactly? The only hole in the wall I know is a ATM.

Ralf

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Ralf R. Radermacher  -  Köln/Cologne, Germany
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It was a VERY TINY, little, dingy camera shop the width of a door and a
counter ...

Maybe 10' wide (3m) and 25' or so deep (7.5m) although I think there was
a back room.

You walked in the door and there was a counter running the length of the
right hand side; couple of hanging fluorescent light fixtures running
lengthwise - just bare tubes.

The owner sat on a stool behind the counter. I think he was the only
employee ...

There were shelves stacked up to to ceiling running the length of the
room on the right behind the owner, and maybe shelves along the left
hand side.

I was only in there a couple of times because I couldn't afford to buy
anything & it's been more than 50 years, so all I have is a vague visual
impression ... almost a monochrome memory.

I think he sold Nikon and a lot of used stuff - trade ins.

That's what the camera I bought was.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.7791792,-78.6381585,3a,75y,99.69h,91.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjpfrujhXv2hiAlA_cbAKJg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

I may be wrong about the "hole-in-the-wall" not being there any more.

If you load the Google Map, it could be the store-front at "107 S.
Wilmington St" (white building with grey & rust colored trim & window
A/C unit over the door)

... but it hasn't been a camera store in a long, long time.

I'll have to go over to the Library where they keep the old phone books
and see if I can find a listing in the Yellow Pages, but IIRC, the name
was "Capital Camera".

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hole-in-the-wall

On 9/29/2023 7:58 AM, Ralf R Radermacher wrote:

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