Obit from the Telegraph:
John Noble - Telegraph
Speaking from the point of view of a different personal obsession, if the Kamera-werke in question was Pentacon then that's quite a firm to have acquired and lost, not exactly small potatoes. The contrast between the pre-soviet devices and the later ones that eventually morphed into Praktica (and other brands). is 'marked' to say the least, occasionally almost alarming when you hold one each hand from each side of the divide.
(Though I have to thank 'em for providing the only new SLR this 80's 13 year old could afford

.)
Mike's Praktica Collection