In 1919 Paul Guthe and Benno Thorsch, founded the Kamera-Werkstätten Guthe and Thorsh GmbH, Dresden. This Company produced in the twenties and thirties interesting cameras like the Patent-Etui-Kamera, the Pilot 6, the Pilot Reflex and the Pilot Super.

In 1938 Charles A. Noble of Detroit, U.S.A., bought the Company and in 1939 he moved it to Niedersedlitz, near Dresden. The Praktiflex, a 35mm Single Lens Reflex with fixed waist-level finder and 40mm thread mount, was introduced in 1939.

After the WWII Germany was divided in two zones with Dresden under the Soviet occupation. In 1946 Charles A. Noble lost the property of the company that was nationalized by the German Government.

In 1948 was introduced the Praktica, the first camera with 42x1 thread mount.

In 1952 was presented the Praktina, the first camera in the world with automatic internal stop-down feature for the lenses. This camera with its wide range of accessories is the first example of SLR camera system.

From August 1953 the Company changed the name in VEB Kamera-Werke Niedersedlitz and under this name was marketed the Praktina FX. In 1956 was introduced the Praktisix, a 6x6 SLR camera with a fully automatic control of the lens diaphragm and interchangeability of screens and finders.

In January 1959 the company merged with Zeiss Ikon and others Dresden's Companies into the VEB Kamera- und Kinowerke Dresden and the "KW" logo was replaced with the "Zeiss Tower" logo. The production of 35mm SLR included the Contax-Pentacon, Praktica and Praktina cameras. One year later the decision to concentrate the production and to develop the future SLR on the basis of the Praktica body. The production of Praktina and Contax-Pentacon cameras were discontinued after a short time.

In January 1964 the Company changed the name into VEB PENTACON DRESDEN Kamera- und Kinowerke. In the same year was presented the Pentacon Super, a top camera with TTL metering at full working aperture, metal-leaf focal-plane shutter for speeds to 1/2000 and 42x1 mount used in Soviet space stations in 1969. This camera was heir to the Praktina with professional features as interchangeable lenses, finders, motor and 17m back.

Into the new company merged also Ihagee Kamerawerk and Feinoptisches Werk Göerlitz. The production of Praktica cameras continued in several models up to 1990 when the Company ceased its activity after the reunification of Germany.