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Cameras from the 70s. Soviet cameras - my small collection

Today, almost every person has a camera - these are SLR cameras, amateur soap dishes, or simply built-in Cell phones. Now you do not need to develop films, run to the store for chemicals and photographic paper .... We take thousands of shots by sharing our footage on blogs or simply by sending e-mail. But not so long ago, that was not the case...

In Soviet times, many were fond of photography, but then everything was a little different. Remember how we captured our most memorable moments with a camera, closed ourselves in the bathroom, turning on the red light to develop the film, and then took the photos, hanging them up to dry right there ...

For some, it was difficult, but for gourmets of this business, it was a pleasure. For those who did not want to mess around with all this, there were photo studios where you could give the film for development and print photos there.

Each photo was very valuable for a Soviet person - after all, our memory was captured on these pictures. Many home albums still contain these pictures dear to the heart and memory.

In the assortment of everyone who was fond of photography in those days, there should have been a mandatory set in addition to the camera itself - various films, a photo tank, a photo enlarger and a photo gloss, a photo flashlight, as well as photo paper and photo chemicals.

First, the film had to be developed, intermediate washed, fixed, rinsed and dried.
After that, the photographs themselves were printed - with the help of a photographic enlarger, the image was projected onto the exposed photographic paper.

Black and white photographs were taken with a special red light, color - with a special green. The processing steps for photographic paper are similar to the processing steps for photographic film. At the very end, the developed photographs were neatly hung to dry in the same room.

Some models of popular Soviet cameras

I've only highlighted the ones I've worked with...

Lubitel 166 - Soviet medium format twin-lens reflex camera aimed at amateur photographers. The case of the device is plastic. Lens frames, viewfinder shaft and mechanisms are metal. Built on the basis of the "Amateur-2" camera. Produced in various modifications from 1976 to 1990.

Moskva-2 is a Soviet rangefinder camera from the Moskva family. It was produced from 1947 to 1956 by the Krasnogorsk plant in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region. A total of 197,640 pieces were produced.

The German camera Zeiss Super Ikonta C served as a prototype. The camera is foldable, the lens is connected to the camera with leather fur, it extends automatically on the lever system when the front cover is opened. The case is metal with a hinged back cover. Lens "Industar-23".

Moscow-5 is a further improvement of the second version of Moscow-2. It has a more durable and rigid body, a larger aperture lens with a shorter focal length. It was the last production model in the Moscow family of scale and rangefinder devices. Produced from 1956 to 1960 by the Krasnogorsk plant in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region. A total of 216457 pieces were produced.

Fotokor No. 1 (also "Photokor-1", often simply "Photokor") is a Soviet folding plate camera of the 1930s-1940s. It was a universal rectangular chamber of 9×12 cm format with a retractable front wall and double fur extension. The first Soviet mass camera - over 11 years of production (from 1930 to 1941 inclusive) more than 1 million copies were produced.

Smena-8 (my first) !, 8M - a scale Soviet camera produced by the LOMO association since 1970. Smena-8 and Smena-8M were produced in total in the amount of 21,041,191 (through 1995 inclusive).

"Change-8M" became known as "Change-9", but in a modified case and differed in that focusing could be carried out not only on a distance scale, but also on a character scale. Lens - "Triplet" T-43 4/40 (3 lenses in 3 components), non-replaceable, coated. The angular field of view of the lens is 55°. iris diaphragm

Smena-35 is a scale Soviet camera produced by the LOMO association since 1990. The camera was a restyled version of Smena-8M in a new housing with a central sync contact. Lens - "Triplet" T-43 4/40 (3 lenses in 3 components), non-replaceable, coated. The angular field of view of the lens is 55°. iris diaphragm

Etude is the simplest medium format camera produced in the USSR by the BelOMO association. The lens is a single-lens plastic 9/75 mm (11/60 mm) mounted at the hyperfocal distance.

Lomo-135 is a scale camera manufactured by LOMO. Since 1975, 85,902 copies have been produced. The model marked "M" differed only in symbolism. The latter were produced 89,500 copies. Lens "Industar-73" (2.8 / 40). Focusing on a scale of distances.

Lomo-Compact Avtomat (LCA, LCA) is the first Soviet pocket camera equipped with a wide-range automatic electronic shutter controlled by an electronic exposure meter. The camera is durable, light and compact, and easy to use.

Sokol-2 is a rare rangefinder film camera produced in the early 80s. Lens "Industar-702 F=50 mm 1:2.8. The camera worked in two modes: manual and automatic. Automation takes into account all installed filters and nozzles.

Viliya, Viliya-auto - Soviet scale cameras. Produced in 1973-1985, BelOMO production. Improved versions were produced under the names "Silhouette-Electro" (1976 - 1981) and "Orion-EE" (1978-1983) (original names "Viliya-electro" and "Viliya-EE", respectively).

Lens "Triplet-69-3" 4/40 (3 lenses in 3 components), non-replaceable, thread for M46 × 0.75 light filter. Focusing on a scale of distances (characters). Focusing limits from 0.8 m to infinity. The four-bladed diaphragm is located outside the optical block of the lens, behind the shutter.

"Viliya-auto" - base model, "Viliya" - a simplified model without expoautomatics and a light meter.

Zorkiy-4. Soviet camera from the Zorki family of rangefinder photographic devices. Produced by the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region in 1956-1973. It is an improved camera "Zorkiy-3S". The most massive and technical perfect model among cameras "Zorkiy". A total of 1715677 pieces were produced.

Zorkiy-4 was sold with one of two lenses - Jupiter-8 2/50 (more expensive option) or Industar-50 3.5/50. There is evidence that a small number of devices were equipped with a Jupiter-17 2/50 lens. Allows the use of interchangeable lenses.

On the basis of "Zorkoy-4" cameras were also released:

"Mir" is a cheaper device, which differed from the basic model in a simplified design: automatic shutter speeds are only from 1/500 to 1/30 s, there is no slow shutter mechanism. Probably, for the Mirs, shutters made for the Zorkih-4 were used, but rejected due to fuzzy working out of the shutter speed of 1/1000 s. Lenses - "Industar-50", less often "Jupiter-8" or "Industar-26M" 2.8 / 50. In 1959-1961. 156229 pieces were issued;

"Zorkiy-4K" with a trigger cocking mechanism and a non-removable receiving coil. Lenses - "Industar-50" or "Jupiter-8". In 1972-1978 and 1980. released 524646 pcs.

Various photo recorders for use in scientific and military equipment. They were supplied with a special attachment to the optical channel of the corresponding device. They did not have a viewfinder, rangefinder, or flash shoe that was unnecessary in this case. Foreign collectors call similar cameras "Labo"

Kyiv-4, 4a. Rangefinder cameras "Kyiv" are based on the design of the German devices Contax II and III. Documentation, technological equipment and spare parts for Contax cameras were taken to the USSR from Germany as reparations after the Great Patriotic War from the Zeiss Ikon factories.

The first batches of Kyiv-2 and Kyiv-3 cameras were actually relabeled Contax cameras. From their prototype, the Kiev cameras inherited a very complex design of shutter speed, focusing and rangefinder mechanisms. The Kyiv-4 and Kyiv-4-a cameras differed in the presence and absence of a built-in exposure meter and were produced from 1958 to 1985.

Kiev-60 TTL - SLR camera with a frame format of 6x6 cm TTL system was designed for amateur filming and produced since 1984. The camera is designed for the use of reel non-perforated film 60 mm wide (type 120). This film produces 12 frames.

FED-1 or just FED! - Soviet rangefinder camera. Produced by the Kharkov industrial machine-building association "FED" from 1934 to 1955.

Most of the questions are caused by the numbering system (or, rather, the lack of a system that we understand) of the FED cameras from the first years of production. On this moment the generally accepted version among collectors is that "chrome", "zinc", "nickel", etc. "FED"s had different numbering lines.

It was produced from 1934 until the mid-50s, when it was replaced by FED-2. Under the name "FED" (namely the first model), countless options and upgrades of this camera were produced.

It is well known that "FED" was a copy of the Leica II, produced by the Kharkov Labor Communal. It had a curtain-shutter shutter made of rubberized fabric curtains with shutter speeds: B (or Z), 20, 30, 40, 60, 100, 250, 500.

The rangefinder and viewfinder (of the Albada type) had different viewing windows; the viewfinder had a magnification of 0.44x, the rangefinder had a base of 38 mm and a magnification of 1.0. The bottom cover opened to charge the camera.

There was no synchrocontact and self-timer. It was equipped with a FED lens (later Industar-10, Industar-22) 3.5 / 50 in a retractable tube with the following aperture steps: 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18 (the first experimental batch of lenses was produced at VOOMP, and designed at GOI). Threaded lens mount - M39.

FED-2. It was produced by the Kharkov Production Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1955 to 1970. It was completed with an enlightened lens "Industar-26M" 2.8 / 50; shutter speeds were B, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500.

The shutter speed could only be set after cocking the shutter (in 1956, the shutter speed head was redesigned, as a result of which it became possible to set shutter speeds before the shutter was cocked), the shutter speed head was rotating.

The viewfinder is combined in one field of view with a rangefinder with a base of 67 mm and a magnification of 0.75x. The camera was provided with the possibility of diopter correction.

The rear wall was opened to charge the camera. Both standard single-cylinder cassettes and two-cylinder cassettes were used, which, when the lock of the case back cover was closed, opened and formed a wide slot, which significantly reduced the possibility of damage to the film surface during its advancement. In subsequent models, a synchrocontact appeared (1956).

In 1958, a self-timer appeared on the camera with an operating time of 9-15 seconds, in the same year a new GOST was introduced for a number of shutter speeds - 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, since 1957 it was equipped with an Industar-26m lens, since 1963 - Industar-61l / d 2.8 / 52 with lanthanum optics (FED-2l). Since 1969, a lever cocking with an under-cocking locking mechanism has been introduced, and a new case with a reduced rangefinder base. In total, 1,632,600 models under the name "FED-2" were produced.

FED-3. It was produced by the Kharkov Production Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1961 to 1979. Compared to the previous model, the shutter speed range was expanded, 15, 8, 4. 2, and 1 seconds were added, and therefore vertical dimension camera has increased. It could also be equipped with an Industar 61 2.8 / 52 lens.

Rangefinder base reduced to 41 mm, magnification 0.75x Viewfinder with diopter correction +/- 2 dpt. The release options differed in the shape of the viewfinder window, the presence of a cocking head or lever cocking, and the inscription "FED-3". Since 1966 it was produced with a lever cocking, since 1970 a mechanism for blocking the undercocking of the trigger has been introduced.

A total of 2,086,825 pieces were produced. In shipments abroad, the camera was called Revue-3 (especially for Foto-Quelle).

The FED-4 was produced from 1964 to 1980. The main difference between this model and the FED-3 is the presence of a selenium exposure meter. Several types of cameras were produced, differing in design features. The export version of the camera was called Revue-4.

FED-5V was produced by the Kharkov Industrial Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1975 to 1990. The camera differs from previous models in the absence of a light meter and a luminous frame with parallax marks.

The presence of a curtain-slit shutter ensures the development of shutter speeds from 1 s to 1/500 s. The camera is completely mechanical. Exposure is measured only with an external exposure meter. The viewfinder eyepiece allows you to focus within a small range, depending on your vision.

FED-Mikron was produced by the Kharkov Production Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1978 to 1986. In total, about 35 thousand pieces were produced.

The camera was intended for amateur and professional photography on standard black-and-white and color film type 135 with a frame size of 24 × 36 mm. The fixed lens "Industar-81" provided focusing limits from 1 m to infinity.

Chaika (72 frames:) (“Chaika”, “Chaika-2”, “Chaika-2M”, “Chaika-3”) is a series of Soviet scale semi-format cameras.
Named in honor of Valentina Tereshkova (her call sign during space flight is "The Seagull").

They were produced in 1965-1974 at the Belarusian Optical and Mechanical Association (BelOMO) by the Minsk Mechanical Plant named after S. I. Vavilov.

Lens - "Industar-69" 2.8 / 28. Starting with the Chaika-2 model, the lens is removable, the connecting thread is M39 × 1, like the rangefinder FED and Zorkiy, but the working length is different (27.5 mm), so the lenses from rangefinder cameras to Chaikas (and vice versa) are not suitable.

Zenit-4 is a Soviet single-lens reflex camera with a central shutter, developed at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) and mass-produced from 1964 to 1968. The basic model of the family, which also included the devices Zenit-5, Zenit-6 and Zenit-11 (the first under this index, non-serial). The first mass-produced KMZ camera with a built-in exposure meter.

Zenit-6 - differed from Zenit-4 only in its configuration: it was sold with a Rubin-1C lens with a variable focal length (for the first time in the USSR). In 1964-1968, 8,930 units were produced.

In E. Ryazanov's comedy "Zigzag of Fortune" "Zenith-6" is the dream of the protagonist, photographer Oreshnikov. He looks at a camera with a price tag of 400 rubles in a shop window.

Issued in quantities of more than 8 million pieces. (3,334,540 of them at KMZ) - a world record for single-lens reflex cameras. The index "E" was assigned to the camera in honor of the director of the KMZ from 1953 to 1965, N. M. Egorov.

The camera was sold complete with one of two lenses: "Helios-44-2" (focal length 58 mm, relative aperture 1:2) or "Industar-50-2" 3.5/50.

Retail price of "Zenith-E" in 1980. with the lens "Helios-44-2" was 100 rubles, with the Olympic symbols 110 rubles, with the lens "Industar-50-2" - 77 rubles.

If there was a choice, buyers preferred cameras manufactured by KMZ rather than BelOMO, not without reason considering them to be of better quality (this also applied to other models produced at two enterprises).

Outside the USSR, Zenit-E was sold both under the original name (in Latin spelling - "Zenit-E"), and under the brands "Revueflex-E" (Germany), "Phokina", "Photokina-XE" (France) , "Kalimar-SR200", "Kalimar-SR300", "Prinzflex-500E", "Spiraflex", "Cambron-SE" (USA), "Meprozenit-E" (Japan), "Diramic-RF100" (Canada).

Zenit-ET - modernization of the Zenit-E camera, had a non-rotating shutter speed head, a focusing screen with a microraster and other improvements. The BelOMO Vileika plant produced this model in many versions, including with a push diaphragm drive, without a light meter, etc. Produced - KMZ - 1981-1988, 61099 units, and Vileika plant - from 1982 to the mid-90s , about 3 million pieces.

Zenit-11 is a single-lens reflex camera designed for a wide range of amateur photographers.

The camera was sold complete with one of the lenses: Helios-44M, MS Helios-44M, Helios-44M-4, MS Helios-44M-4. A total of 1,481,022 copies were issued. It is an improved device "Zenit-E" (the mechanism of the pressure aperture is added, the non-rotating shutter speed head, the hot shoe for the flash, the focusing screen with the microraster, and other minor changes have been made).

Things essential for a Soviet photographer

Carbolite tank for processing 35 mm film

framing frame

Film cassette

Photographic films

Positive photographic film

flash lamp

A set of chemicals for processing color photo papers

Lens Jupiter-21

Lens Industar-50

Reliever, 1983

Developer, 1988

Fixer, 1985

Photo Cutter

Time relay for photo printing Silhouette, 1985

Photorelay TRV-1

Cable for cameras for smooth button release

Photo roller. Used to smooth wet photos on glossy

photo paper

Flash NORMA1

Flashlight Electronics

Enlarger Leningrad 4

Photo enlarger Tavria

Photo exposure meters

It is installed ridiculously, although it performs its functions with a bang!

LOMO with a rangefinder from FED

Viewfinder with rangefinder

Well, a little about exposure meters: initially I did not plan to collect them, but at the last moment I changed my mind! So the following exposure meters appeared:

Leningrad-2

and Leningrad 6

And finally, the Shutter Speed Calculator for Photo Printing

According to official version, the first Soviet large-scale camera, was released in 1930 and was called "Photokor-1". However, this information requires comments. In the article “Photographic equipment of the Soviet period” (“Subjective” No. 3, 1996), L.I. Balashevich writes: “In ... 1929, the first meeting of a photo asset was held in Moscow, at which a demand was also made to immediately launch the production of an inexpensive camera. A year later, the Soviet Photo magazine held an All-Union Rally on its pages on the topic of what a Soviet camera should be like. It is not hard to guess that the vast majority of its participants, selected according to their class, also spoke in favor of the release of a cheap mass-produced folding camera in the 9x12 cm format at a price of up to 150 rubles. The slogan "cheap and a lot" sounded even when the domestic photographic industry was just in its infancy. It was a social order of the poor, as a wealthy and qualified user and connoisseur was destroyed or expelled during the revolution and after it.

The first to respond to this order was the modest artel of the Industrial Cooperation "Phototrud" in Moscow (later it received the name "ARFO", and in 1937 it was renamed the artel "XX October"). It was organized on the basis of small private workshops that existed before the revolution and was engaged in the production of photographic plates. Artel in 1929 received an advance from Tsentrosoyuz, which acted as a customer for the production of cameras. This is what the commission of the Tsentrosoyuz saw in the artel during its acquaintance with the course of the preparatory stage of work. There were no suitable ones in the artel industrial premises. There were no raw materials. Even the skin for the fur of the camera had to be bought abroad, the velvet for the pads was bought from the population. To test the strength of the paper lining for the fur, for several days in a row, the worker manually squeezed and unclenched the glued accordion of the fur and counted the number of movements made. Artel promised to release the first 300-500 devices in November 1929, but by the end of the year only 25 cameras were assembled using

Kaluga Electromechanical Plant (KEMZ) under the guidance of designer A.B. Andreev ...

These cameras had German lenses (Kengot anastigmat 1:6.3) and a VARIO shutter. But even in March 1930, serial production of devices in the artel had not yet been organized, assembly began only in the second half of the year ... This first Soviet mass camera is known to collectors under the name "EFTE-1" by the inscription, which is embossed on the camera's leather strap ... . The lens in serial cameras was already domestic - “Periscope” 1:12 with a focal length of 150 mm and had an inscription on the frame: “Moscow. Periscope. "EFTE" f = 150 mm "…. The EFTE device was sold at a price of 45 rubles. The semi-handicraft method of its manufacture affected the quality - its owners complained about the disgusting quality of the cassettes, which were difficult to open, bulkiness and other shortcomings.

Since 1932, the EFTE cameras began to install the Soviet analogue of the VARIO shutter, which was mastered in Leningrad at the GOMZ plant, and bore the name of the plant. At the same time, a higher-quality 4.5 / 135 mm lens was also mastered. The camera upgraded in this way is known as "ARFO" after the new name of the artel. A smaller version of the camera (ARFO-IV) with a 6.5x9 cm format with a 4.5 / 105 mm lens and double fur extension was also produced, which cost much more - 125 rubles. In just two five-year periods of the existence of the artel, 130,000 cameras were produced. In 1939, their production was discontinued, and this ended the experience of manufacturing photographic equipment, unique in the conditions of the USSR, at a non-state enterprise.

Simultaneously with the ARFO-IV camera, its simplified version was produced - Komsomolets with a 6.3 / 105 Triplet lens.

As for "Photokor", in another article by L.I. Balashevich ("Made in Leningrad", "Subjective" No. 4, 1996) we read:

The issue of the creation and mass production of the Soviet camera was resolved by a special order of the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR dated May 24, 1923, which entrusted the implementation of the program to the Optical-Mechanical Industry Trust (TOMP). Even before the publication of this decree, at the GO3 plant, as follows from the data published in the Soviet Photo magazine, the simplest “boxes” were produced, which were sold at 12 rubles apiece. In total, about 40 thousand pieces were made before 1930. There was already experience in designing more complex cameras. So, around 1925, the designer P.F. Polyakov created the Photo-GOZ camera, which, although it was suitable mainly for reproduction, was remarkable in many respects. It was the first original camera designed in the Soviet period and, in addition, the first camera for shooting on film. According to A. Erokhin (1927), it existed only in the form of a prototype and was a miniature variation on the theme of a traditional camera with double fur extension and frosted glass, which, after focusing, was replaced by an attached film cassette. Shooting was carried out on a standard film frame using a lens with a focal length of 60 mm and a relative aperture of 1:2. Engineer F.L. Burmistrov also designed a small-format reproduction camera for shooting on film (A.A. Syrov, 1954).

In pursuance of the decision of the Supreme Council of National Economy, already by March 1, 1929, drawings of a camera were made, the prototype of which was a folding plate camera with a format of 9x12 cm from the Zeiss-Icon company. Preparation for its mass production was fraught with great difficulties. There was not enough space to organize production, as the photo shop was located in the plant management building. There was an acute shortage of optical glass, there was no high-quality metal for the manufacture of iris diaphragms and shutter cutters, there was not even enough material for pasting camera bodies. Due to the extremely low qualification of workers and the lack of production equipment, marriage in a number of operations reached 100%. The lens for the camera was designed by Professor Ignatovsky, who was a member of the VOOMP design group, and made on his own, but the most complex part of the apparatus - the shutter - had to be purchased in Germany. In February 1930, to ensure the start series production 4,000 COMPUR shutters were purchased at a price of 7 gold rubles apiece. Despite all the difficulties, by the opening of the XV Congress of the Bolsheviks (June 25, 1930), the plant reported on the assembly of the first hundred Soviet cameras, called "FOTOKOR-1".

There is evidence that some of the cameras manufactured in 1930-1931 were equipped with an imported Kompur shutter (1-1 / 200 "V" and "D") or a simpler import "VARIO" (1/25, 1/50, 1/100, "V" and "D"), which was also used in the EFTE apparatus (and since 1932, the domestic GOMZ shutter with shutter speeds of 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 "V" and " D ”, calculated by A.A. Vorozhbitov and P. G. Lukyanov - my note. G. Abramov). Cameras with imported shutters have already become a rarity, since only about 15,000 of them were produced (4400 in 1930 and 11400 in 1931).

Here is how the significance of the release of this camera was assessed by contemporaries: “In terms of quality, Fotokor No. 1 is not inferior to the best foreign cameras, and its appearance on the Soviet market immediately made a revolution, both in terms of the widespread development of photo movement, and in the sense of a sharp decrease in prices for foreign cameras and lenses "(Polyak G.N., 1936)." It is also known that before 1941 more than 1 million "Photocossors" were produced.

By 1933, the All-Union Association of the Optical and Mechanical Industry (VOOMP) had 11,000 workers in all its factories, and its two glass-making plants produced 200 tons of optical glass per year.

Meanwhile, 1934 is coming, when in January the first 10 FED cameras (Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky) issued by the Dzerzhinsky labor commune in Kharkov saw the light of day. These FEDs were copies of the Leica II. In fairness, it must be said that copying of early Leica models has acquired an almost worldwide scale, with different versions of copies being produced both before and after World War II. For example, the first Canon model (then Kwanon), as well as its variants and later modifications, the American Kardon model from Premeire Instruments (military and civilian versions), as well as many others, not to mention the Chinese ones. Against the backdrop of the renaissance of rangefinder technology that has begun today, models with a threaded (M39) mount for Leica optics have appeared. An example of this is the Japanese models "Bessa" (Voigtlander, Cosina) and the model "Yasuhara T981" from Yasuhara. This camera has a trigger, TTL metering, 1/125 sync and shutter speeds up to 1/2000. Thus, it is necessary to recognize that the history of both Soviet and world camera construction has developed, in to no small extent, and based on these cameras. In the USSR, only FEDs from 1937 to 1977 produced 18 models.

At the same time, in the 30s, analogues of the standard FED model were produced in small volumes: Pioneer (1934) - at the experimental plant VOOMP (about 500 pieces), and FAG - at the Moscow Geodesy plant (about 100 things).

In 1935, as mentioned above, the Sport camera designed by A.O. Gelgar appeared (originally called Helvetta; the device received the name Sport after several improvements at the GOMZ plant), which became the world's first single-lens reflex camera for shooting on 35mm film. The camera had a metal case, a curtain shutter with metal shutters (1/25 - 1/500 and "B") and was loaded with non-standard cassettes of 50 frames. In total, about 20 thousand pieces were produced.

Since the aforementioned cameras "FED" and "Sport" were quite expensive and inaccessible to the mass consumer, the production of simpler and cheaper models was launched. Of those produced in the 30s, it is necessary to mention such cameras as: “Liliput”, “Baby”, “Cyclocamera”, “Yura”, “FEDetta”, “Change”.

In general, we can assume that the “first” (or “preparatory”) stage in the development of Soviet camera building ended by the beginning of the 30s, after which the next one began - the stage of creating mass and relatively inexpensive cameras, produced in hundreds of thousands of pieces. Nevertheless, despite the obvious focus of the photographic industry on the release mass production, efforts continued to produce high-end professional cameras.

So in September 1937, the GOMZ plant in Leningrad produced the first samples of the Reporter professional camera - a high-class device for working on 6.5x9 plates, format and roller film (produced until 1939). The design, apparently, can be considered successful, especially considering that the subsequent Japanese camera Mamiya Press (1962) was structurally built on the principle of the "Reporter". And a year earlier, in 1936, a folding camera "Tourist" with 6x9 cm plates began to be produced in Leningrad (it was produced until 1940).

In the 1930s, a number of simple plate, so-called "box" cameras were also produced, which had a characteristic "box" body type: "Record", "Pioneer", "Student", "Young Photographer".

Here it is necessary to note one more feature of the Soviet photographic industry. In the 1930s, with the beginning of the industrialization of the country and the gradual militarization of the economy, most of the photographic equipment was produced at military factories in consumer goods shops. Release civilian products at military factories was mandatory, although it was a small percentage of the military. However, this was an unnecessary "headache" for the management of enterprises. Apparently, this also interfered with the release of professional photographic equipment.
During the war, the production of photographic equipment was almost discontinued. By the time World War II began, the “second” stage in the development of Soviet camera building was ending. It is believed that in total, by the beginning of the war, about two dozen models and modifications of cameras were produced, among which the most massive were Fotocor (more than 1 million pieces) and FED (160,650 pieces). After the end of the war, the "third" stage in the development of the Soviet camera industry begins. The era of small-format cameras is coming, although medium-format photography, even among amateurs, will not give up its positions for more than a decade.

At the end of the war, the production of cameras was resumed, and a feature of the camera industry in the first post-war years was the reproduction of the best captured samples with their subsequent improvement. Already in 1946, new models appeared: "Moskva" - a folding camera in 6x9 format (an exact copy of the Zeiss Super-Ikonta camera, model A), "Komsomolets" - a two-lens reflex camera, which was the predecessor of the "Amateur". Of the pre-war models, only the FED and the FK-type plate-type wooden cameras used in the photographic studio of the Household Service remained in production - all other models were replaced by new ones.

In 1948 (by May 1), the first 50 Zorkiy devices were produced at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) (initially, the name was engraved on the upper shields of the devices: “FED” and “coffin” - a logo without an arrow, then “FED 1948 Zorkiy "; and the camera received its final name in 1949 - by this moment the word "Zorkiy" in the plant team was already almost a household word; in particular, the factory newspaper was called "Zorkoye Oko"), which was a version of the FED apparatus of pre-war release, but with an improved curtain shutter - the so-called principle was applied. "hard" gap, which significantly improved the reliability of the shutter. In 1949, KMZ already produced 31,312 pieces, and by 1980, 14 models of the Zorkiy camera had been produced. In many ways, the process of increasing the production of 35 mm cameras in our country was greatly facilitated by the fact that after the war, from Germany to Kiev (the Arsenal plant), the plant that produced cameras was completely removed for reparation (along with specialists, spare parts and components). contact. By the end of the 40s, the production of cameras under the new name "Kiev" was already established (in 1947, the first two models were released, repeating the design of "Contax-II" and "Contax-III") and continued in various modifications until 1985. It is curious that the first "Kievs" were produced from German components, and therefore their collection value is quite high today. By the mid-50s, i.e. in just 7-8 years from the start of the release of "Kiev", the hundred thousandth model was already assembled, dedicated to the XX Congress of the CPSU.

In the same year, 1948, the restored Kharkov FED plant began producing the FED camera, which fully complied with the pre-war standard model. After minor upgrades in 1952 (improvement of the release button and the transition to a new range of shutter speeds), this model was replaced in 1955 by the FED-2. In the same place, at the Kharkov plant, after the war, the production of large-format cameras "FK" (13x18 and 18x24), which were previously produced by GOMZ, was launched. (By 1986, the production of these cameras, as well as their modifications - FKD, FKR - was discontinued in Kharkov in connection with the preparation of the release of Rakurs at BelOMO).

Since 1948, the export of cameras abroad has become a permanent source of income for the country. For the first time, Soviet cameras began to be exported abroad in the pre-war years, but these were episodic deliveries. In the conditions of intense competition in foreign markets for photographic equipment, the main trump cards of our equipment were low prices and good maintenance. It also played into the hands of our exporters that abroad it was no secret to anyone that almost all optics in the USSR was made at military factories, and the authority of the Soviet defense industry after the war was quite high.

In 1949, the “Amateur” appeared - an amateur-class two-lens SLR with a three-lens lens of the “Triplet” type, which was the development of the Komsomolets model. Since 1952, at the same Krasnogorsk plant, Zenit began to be produced - a single-lens 35mm SLR, which was a Zorkiy, with a mirror and a pentaprism attached to it. In the same year Leningrad plant(LOMO) the Moment apparatus was produced - the first attempt to introduce a one-stage process in our country. In 1953, the scale camera “Change” (LOMO) saw the light, which subsequently won great popularity among the people. Since the mid-1950s, sync contacts have been installed on almost all cameras.

Over the next few years, most of the camera models produced have undergone numerous modifications. So, by the beginning of the 60s, the fifth model of the Moskva camera, the second model of the Lubitel, the second model of the FED, the second, fourth and fifth models of the Zorki camera were already being produced. Also produced were "Kyiv 4a", the third and fourth models of the "Change" camera. At the beginning of the 50s, a transition was made to a new range of shutter speeds (1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/200, 1/500 ... etc.) in accordance with the new GOST.
Here is an interesting quote from A. Gusev's book “Amateur Photographer's Companion”, published in 1952 with a circulation of 200,000 copies: “Now in the Soviet Union, as a result of the industrialization of the country, an advanced photographic industry has been created. Every year the mass production of excellent and diverse cameras with perfect lenses and mechanisms is increasing. Domestic negative film in terms of basic photographic characteristics has no equal in the world.”

In 1958, Brussels hosted a world exhibition, at which, among other things, samples of domestic photographic products were presented. The most notable among them were the 35mm Leningrad rangefinder camera, with a built-in spring motor (received the Grand Prix), and completely new camera"Comet", which received very good press. Here is an excerpt from No. 8 of Soviet Photo for 1959: “The American monthly Populer Photography, having described in detail all our exhibits, admits that they have a “lot of innovations” and that “in the photographic field, Soviet designers showed no less courage and originality than in the field of intercontinental ballistic missiles and satellites”. In another article, "Will the Russians Beat Us on a Fully Automated Camera?", after comparing the Kometa to the best foreign models, the magazine concludes that the Soviet camera is "as automated as 35mm equipment can be today," and "furnished the western chambers." Indeed, the camera had excellent technical characteristics, but, unfortunately, it was never put on stream.

Russar lensAt the same Grand Prix exhibition, the following lenses were awarded: Russar 5.6 / 20, Mir-1 ″ 2.8 / 37, Tair-11 ″ 2.8 / 135, Tair-3 4/300, "MTO-500" 8/500, "MTO-1000" 10/1000. Here is a quote from the article “Photography in the USSR”, published in the French magazine “Photographer” in October 1958: “The production of cameras in the USSR began after the end of the Civil War. Currently, more than a million cameras are produced annually in the country. for various purposes latest types, including high-class devices such as Zenith, Kyiv, Leningrad, Start, Zorkiy, etc. (“Soviet photo”, No. 8, 1959). Curiously, after the Brussels World Expo, the volume of exports of our cameras abroad has increased. Here full text articles " Soviet cameras in England”, published in No. 8 of the magazine “Soviet Photo” for 1959.

By the beginning of the 60s, new models of cameras appeared, such as "Relay" - a scale camera with a format of 6x6 cm, "Salut" - a single-lens reflex camera with a format of 6x6 of the Hasselblad type; camera "Yunost" - a rangefinder small-format camera with a rigid built-in lens; rather progressive and upscale for those times "Start", stereo "Sputnik", panoramic camera "FT-2" and others. The following lenses were prepared for release: Sputnik-4 ″ 4.5 / 20 (for a 24x36 frame); "Orchid-1" 2/50 with automatic aperture setting depending on the distance and the guide number of the flash lamp - the automatic device had to work in the range from 1 to 11 m with light numbers from 8 to 64; "Argon-1" lens for 6x9 cameras with parameters 3.5/90; a family of interchangeable lenses for the Narcissus camera - Mir-5 ″ (2/28), Mir-6 ″ (2.8/28), Industar-60 ″ (2.8/35); lens "Vega-2" 2.8 / 85 for 35 mm cameras. “I would like to hope,” writes I. Kravtsova, chairman of the jury of the competition held by VDNKh, in the article “Honorary awards” (“SF” No. 2 for 1961) that the Economic Councils, which are in charge of the photo industry plants, will take the necessary measures to introduce the noted award-winning products in the shortest possible time." Alas, her and our hopes were not destined to come true.

It can be considered that by the beginning of the 1960s, the "third" stage in the development of the Soviet camera industry, characterized by the emergence of new factories producing photographic equipment, the development of new models and the expansion of their range, had ended.

The beginning of the next, “fourth” (“golden”) stage of the Soviet camera industry fell on the 60s, which were marked by the true flowering of not only the world, but also the Soviet photo engineering thought and the photo industry. The era of 35 mm cameras was coming, allowing you to automate the filming process.

At the end of the 50s, a plant in Belarus (Minsk mechanical plant), where in 1957 the first camera was produced - "Change", drawings and working documentation which were received from LOMO. At the same plant, the production of professional photographic enlargers "Belarus-2" and then "Belarus-5" was launched. Since the mid-70s, BelOMO began producing Zeniths, and even earlier, Viliya-electro, Viliya-auto; incomplete "Spring" and "Spring-2" (24x32); semi-format "Seagull" (named after V. Tereshkova).

Since the economy in the country was non-market, the care of buyers was centralized. Here is a curious leaflet from the Moscow base of the Glavkoopkulttorga Tsentrosoyuz about the sale of photographic goods in selmags, issued in the late 50s.

There were successes, although even in those years it was not without fair criticism from below. Here is an excerpt from the article by T. Ostanovsky “Photographic equipment - to the level of modernity” published in No. 4 of “Soviet Photo” for 1963: changes. Here are examples regarding two very common cameras.

The device "Change" in a plastic case, inexpensive. Synchro contact and self-timer were introduced into the original model, which increased the price of the camera. There was no need to change this simple and cheap camera, especially since the flash lamp costs 2-3 times more than the device itself. Further, the film rewinding unit was changed, and the cameras were called "Change-3" and "Change-4". However, this node had to be abandoned, and the first models began to be produced again. The matter did not end there. More changes followed; "Change-5" and "Change-6" appeared. Finally, instead of the "Change" camera, which is far from perfect, the same type of camera "Spring" was released, the quality of which raises serious claims. The existence of "Spring" was short-lived. The question is, why was it necessary to produce a deliberately weak apparatus with many shortcomings?

Another example is the Zorkiy apparatus, which has also changed many times (10 times). Each time a letter or number was added to its name. Now, of all the "Vigilant" left two models, however, they are outdated in their technical characteristics. It is not clear what caused the release of the same type of cameras "FED" and "Zorkiy" ...

…All the best in foreign experience deserves the most serious attention in order to use it in our photo-cinema technique. It is necessary to put an end to the lag in this area and begin to develop new models that would correspond to the level of world technology. ”

On the other hand, by the mid-60s, the state of the domestic camera industry was far from being so deplorable if Soviet photographic products were exported to more than 70 countries of the world. Naturally, the equipment sent abroad was assembled and tested more efficiently than the rest. The most popular abroad were: "Change-Rapid", "Changes" (in some countries they went under the name "Cosmic-35", in others "Global-35"), "Photosniper", "Horizon", "Amateur-2 ″ (under the name "Global676"), "Falcon", "Zenith-3" (Zeniflex), "Zenith-V", "Zenith-E" ("Cosmorex SE", "Prinzflex 500E"), "Salyut" (" Zenit-80″), "FED-4"; rangefinder Kyiv; lenses Mir-1″, Tair-3A, Telemar-22″, Tair-11″, MP-2″ (Russar), MTO-500″, Orion-15″, Mir -3″, "Tair-33", "Helios-44M" ("Auto Cosmogon"), as well as a large number of binoculars and night vision devices (at a later time). Exports developed quite successfully and, for example, doubled between 1965 and 1969. Approximately 60% of exports went to the socialist countries.

In the book "Practice professional photography”, also published in Russian in 1981, Philip Gottlop writes about Soviet cameras sold in England: “There are several types of Soviet cameras on sale and you can’t go wrong by buying any of them. Russians are proud not only of the high quality of their products, but also of their control system before sending goods to trading network. I had the opportunity to visit the station control department at a service station in north London, and the qualifications of the staff left me with the most pleasant impression. They are mostly mechanics from Russian factories and most of them speak English quite well.
... It is a real pleasure to work with some devices, and, in my opinion, the Soviet Horizon is one of them.

Here is an article published in No. 2 for 1964 in the journal Revue-Photograph (Czechoslovakia) “GOMZ - the state optical and mechanical plant in Leningrad - was visited by the English reporter G. Crowley. He was struck by this plant, equipped with the latest technology, employing 25,000 workers, using the most advanced production methods. Crowley wrote that his attention was drawn to, for example, automatic machines for making camera parts. 300 machines served six workers. The plant has air conditioning units, production is controlled by electronic devices. Everywhere impeccable cleanliness, and the plant as a whole makes the same good impression as the most advanced photographic apparatus factories in Germany. Crowley emphasized the strict control in the production of even cheap cameras.

By the beginning of the 60s, there was a clear trend towards the use of advanced ideas and developments in the camera industry at that time. The following can be cited as examples: "Narcissus" - a high-quality reflex camera with interchangeable lenses of 14x21 format for 16mm film; "Zenith-6" - SLR camera, which had a central (!) sliding shutter, standardly equipped with a 14-lens Rubin 2,8 / 37-80 zoom lens (in the end, it is not so important that the idea and technical details of this family of cameras were borrowed from the German firm Voigtlander), built-in motor drive in the camera "Zenith-5" (the world's first 35mm SLR with a built-in electric motor), semi-automatic exposure testing in the cameras "Zorkiy-10, -11", "Kiev-15", automatic in the "Falcon" and "Kiev-10".
With a Record-4Sokol lens, which has been produced at LOMO since 1966, had a five-program automation system and was equipped with a Copal Magic (Japan) central shutter with a shutter speed range of 1/30 - 1/500, built into the Industar-70 lens ( 2.8/50). At the turn of the 60-70s, an experimental sample of the Record-4 lens was released with record parameters of 0.9 / 52 for rangefinder cameras of the Kyiv series. At the same time, an experimental batch of Sputnik-4 ″ 4.5 / 20 wide-angle lenses was made at the GOI (see photo below).

By the end of the 60s, in connection with the increase in the production of cameras, the crisis of their overproduction began to be felt for the first time, which reached its peak by the beginning of the 70s. The consequence of this was a decrease in the production of cameras, which, in turn, led to a shortage of cameras on store shelves by the end of the 70s. Again, emergency measures were taken, and by 1980, all factories in the country were producing almost 4 million cameras a year, more than 25 types and models, of which more than one quarter were supplied to foreign market. In the 1980s, the situation with overproduction and shortages was repeated almost exactly.

GOIK unfortunately, the trend of use the latest technologies in the domestic camera industry did not continue for a long time and came to naught by the mid-70s, and by the beginning of the 80s, the trend towards constructive simplification of cameras and a noticeable decrease in assembly quality prevailed. And if by the end of the 40s it was somewhat premature to talk about the division of photographic equipment into professional and amateur, then after only 20 years such a division was already quite clear. Just during this period, it becomes obvious that domestic photographic equipment will forever remain, albeit at a good, but still amateur level (the existing exceptions only confirm the rule).
At the end of the 70s. more than 1000 firms and enterprises in different countries The world annually produced more than 40 million cameras (including about 3.5 million in the USSR), 2.5 million movie cameras (over 100 thousand), 1.5 million film projectors (about 165 thousand), 2 .0 million overhead projectors (over 300,000); at the same time, about 75% of the output was intended for the mass consumer.

It was at the end of the 70s that a sad tradition finally developed in our photographic industry, when the quality of the assembly of photographic equipment varied from copy to copy. One got the impression that if it were not for the mass discontent of the public, splashing out on the pages of the only photo magazine of the country "Soviet Photo", then no improvements and upgrades of the models already existing by the beginning of the 80s, as well as the development and development of new ones would not have occurred at all. The advanced frontiers of the country's design thought in the field of camera building moved to the pages of the aforementioned magazine - let's recall the competition "10,000 technical ideas", in which, it seemed, the whole country took part, with the exception of photographic equipment developers.

Trying to understand the reasons for the very modest success of the domestic photographic industry in the last 30 years, it must be recognized that the absence of internal competition in the market for photographic equipment was of paramount importance. Here is an interesting quote from the article "Start taken" by Vl. Ishimov, published in No. 8 of Soviet Photo for 1959: “It seems to us wrong that factories are completely eliminated from setting prices for cameras and lenses. Until now, all the connections of the heads of enterprises with the distribution sector are that they receive an order and take the goods to the trading base. This is where their mission ends. They are not directly connected with the consumer and the merchant, they do not study market conditions. Absence feedback between the consumer and the manufacturer (and in our country, trade was also wedged between them, as an autonomous and little predictable factor), as well as the lack of economic interest of the manufacturer, led to the fact that domestic designers could more irresponsibly experiment with models and modifications of cameras, not particularly caring about how the market will meet this (apparently, it is precisely from these roots that such obscure things arise, such as the appearance of a trigger platoon at the Zorkiy-10 in a somewhat non-standard place or unsuccessful attempt modernization of rangefinder "Kievs" - model "Kyiv-5", etc.). At a time when the consumer was waiting for high-quality, but inexpensive models, the manufacturer supplied the market with what was most convenient for him, not caring not only about technical specifications but also, at certain stages, about build quality. There were frequent cases when a more advanced model was removed from production and replaced by a more simplified one. Naturally, under the Soviet model of the economy, such an interest, one might say, the dependence of the well-being of the producer on the results of his work could not be in sight. It seems that in the conditions of a systemic crisis, we could not have anything else!

“An industry that produces products to satisfy the maximum number of people, a significant proportion of its products is oriented towards the mass consumer. The mass consumer, and this is also shown by the experience of other countries of the world, is interested in "problem-free" photographic equipment: with light sensitivity coding on DX cassettes, with fast charging and film rewinding systems, autofocus ... The domestic industry cannot take up the production of some kind of camera in dozens of copies. ("SF", 8/87).

By the mid-70s, the “golden” (fourth) stage in the development of Soviet camera building was coming to an end. In the Soviet photographic industry, a period of stagnation begins, which in the early 90s smoothly turned into a period of chaos.

P.S. I’ll tell you about myself, I managed to take a pretty tight picture with such a camera:

There were also baths and red light and torsion of a barrel with a film ... :-)

And from the times of the USSR, I would remind you, as well as The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

Today, almost every person has a camera - these are SLR cameras, amateur soap dishes, or simply built into mobile phones. Now you do not need to develop films, run to the store for chemicals and photographic paper .... We take thousands of shots by sharing our shots on blogs or simply by emailing them. But not so long ago, that was not the case...

Each photo was very valuable for a Soviet person - after all, our memory was captured on these pictures. Many home albums still contain these pictures dear to the heart and memory.

Some models of popular Soviet cameras

I've only highlighted the ones I've worked with...

Lubitel 166 is a Soviet medium format twin-lens reflex camera aimed at amateur photographers. The case of the device is plastic. Lens frames, viewfinder shaft and mechanisms are metal. Built on the basis of the "Amateur-2" camera. Produced in various modifications from 1976 to 1990.

Moscow-5 is a further improvement of the second version of Moscow-2. It has a more durable and rigid body, a larger aperture lens with a shorter focal length is installed. It was the last production model in the Moscow family of scale and rangefinder devices. Produced from 1956 to 1960 by the Krasnogorsk plant in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region. A total of 216457 pieces were produced.

Smena-8 (my first) !, 8M - a scale Soviet camera produced by the LOMO association since 1970. Smena-8 and Smena-8M were produced in total in the amount of 21,041,191 (through 1995 inclusive).

Etude is the simplest medium format camera produced in the USSR by the BelOMO association. The lens is a single-lens plastic 9/75 mm (11/60 mm) mounted at the hyperfocal distance.

"Viliya-auto" is the basic model, "Viliya" is a simplified model without exposure automatics and a light meter.

Zorkiy-4. Soviet camera from the Zorki family of rangefinder photographic devices. Produced by the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region in 1956-1973. It is an improved camera "Zorkiy-3S". The most massive and technically advanced model among the Zorkiy cameras. A total of 1715677 pieces were produced.

On the basis of "Zorkoy-4" cameras were also released:

"Zorkiy-4K" with a trigger cocking mechanism and a non-removable receiving coil. Lenses - "Industar-50" or "Jupiter-8". In 1972-1978 and 1980. released 524646 pcs.

FED-1 or just FED! - Soviet rangefinder camera. Produced by the Kharkov industrial machine-building association "FED" from 1934 to 1955.

Most of the questions are caused by the numbering system (or, rather, the lack of a system that we understand) of the FED cameras from the first years of production. At the moment, the generally accepted version among collectors is that the "chrome", "zinc", "nickel", etc. "FED"s had different numbering lines.

It was produced from 1934 until the mid-50s, when it was replaced by FED-2. Under the name "FED" (namely the first model), countless options and upgrades of this camera were produced.

The viewfinder is combined in one field of view with a rangefinder with a base of 67 mm and a magnification of 0.75x. The camera was provided with the possibility of diopter correction.

FED-3. Produced by the Kharkov Production Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1961 to 1979. Compared to the previous model, the shutter speed range was expanded, 15, 8, 4.2, and 1 second were added, in connection with which the vertical size of the camera increased. It could also be equipped with an Industar 61 2.8 / 52 lens.

A total of 2,086,825 pieces were produced. In shipments abroad, the camera was called Revue-3 (especially for Foto-Quelle).

FED-Mikron was produced by the Kharkov Production Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1978 to 1986. In total, about 35 thousand pieces were produced.

The camera was designed for amateur and professional shooting on standard black-and-white and color film type 135 with a frame format of 24 × 36 mm. The fixed lens "Industar-81" provided focusing limits from 1 m to infinity.

They were produced in 1965-1974 at the Belarusian Optical and Mechanical Association (BelOMO) by the Minsk Mechanical Plant named after S. I. Vavilov.

Zenit-6 - differed from Zenit-4 only in its configuration: it was sold with a Rubin-1C lens with a variable focal length (for the first time in the USSR). In 1964-1968, 8,930 units were produced.

In E. Ryazanov's comedy "Zigzag of Fortune" "Zenith-6" is the dream of the protagonist, photographer Oreshnikov. He looks at a camera with a price tag of 400 rubles in a shop window.

The camera was sold complete with one of two lenses: "Helios-44-2" (focal length 58 mm, relative aperture 1:2) or "Industar-50-2" 3.5/50.

Retail price of "Zenith-E" in 1980. with the lens "Helios-44-2" was 100 rubles, with the Olympic symbols 110 rubles, with the lens "Industar-50-2" - 77 rubles.

Zenit-11 is a single-lens reflex camera designed for a wide range of amateur photographers.

Things essential for a Soviet photographer

Carbolite tank for processing 35 mm film

framing frame

Film cassette

Photographic films

Positive photographic film

flash lamp

A set of chemicals for processing color photo papers

Lens Jupiter-21

Lens Industar-50

Reliever, 1983

Developer, 1988

Fixer, 1985

Photo Cutter

Time relay for photo printing Silhouette, 1985

Photorelay TRV-1

Cable for cameras for smooth button release

Photo roller. Used to smooth wet photos on glossy

photo paper

Flash NORMA1

Flashlight Electronics

Enlarger Leningrad 4

Photo enlarger Tavria

Photo exposure meters

It is installed ridiculously, although it performs its functions with a bang!

LOMO with a rangefinder from FED

Viewfinder with rangefinder

Well, a little about exposure meters: initially I did not plan to collect them, but at the last moment I changed my mind! So the following exposure meters appeared:

Leningrad-2

and Leningrad 6

And finally, the Shutter Speed Calculator for Photo Printing

Today, almost every person has a camera - these are SLR cameras, amateur soap dishes, or simply cameras built into mobile phones with several megapixels ...
Today, there is no need to develop films, run to the store for photo chemicals and photographic paper.... We take thousands of pictures, sharing the shots on our blogs, posting them on VKontakte or simply sending them by e-mail.
But until quite recently this was far from the case.
In Soviet times, too, many were fond of photography, but then everything was a little different. Remember how we captured our most memorable moments with a camera, closed ourselves in the bathroom, turning on the red light to develop the film, and then took the photos, hanging them up right there to dry ...
For some, it was difficult, but for gourmets of this business, it was a delight. For those who did not want to mess around with all this, there were photo studios where you could give the film for development and print photos there.
Each photo was very valuable for a Soviet person - after all, our memory was captured on these pictures.
in many homes, these pictures, dear to the heart and memory, are still stored in home albums.
In the assortment of every photography enthusiast in the USSR, there should have been a mandatory set in addition to the camera itself - various films, a photo tank, a photo enlarger and a photo gloss, a photo flashlight, as well as photo paper and photo chemicals.
And then the process itself!
First, the film had to be developed, intermediate washed, fixed, rinsed and dried.
After that, the photographs themselves were printed - with the help of a photographic enlarger, the image was projected onto the exposed photographic paper. Black and white photographs were taken with a special red light, color - with a special green. The processing steps for photographic paper are similar to the processing steps for photographic film. At the very end, the developed photographs were neatly hung to dry in the same room.

Some models of popular cameras in the USSR
Zenit-4- Soviet single-lens reflex camera with a central shutter, developed at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) and mass-produced from 1964 to 1968. The basic model of the family, which also included the devices Zenit-5, Zenit-6 and Zenit-11 (the first under this index, non-serial). The first mass-produced KMZ camera with a built-in exposure meter.

Zenit-6- it differed from Zenit-4 only in its configuration: it was sold with a Rubin-1Ts lens with a variable focal length (for the first time in the USSR). In 1964-1968, 8,930 units were produced.
In E. Ryazanov's comedy "Zigzag of Fortune" "Zenith-6" is the dream of the protagonist, photographer Oreshnikov. He looks at a camera with a price tag of 400 rubles in a shop window.

Zenit-E is the most massive Soviet single-lens reflex camera developed at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) and mass-produced in 1965-1982. at KMZ and from 1973 (according to other sources, from 1975) to 1986 at the Optical and Mechanical Plant in Vileyka (Belarus) of the Belarusian Optical and Mechanical Association (BelOMO). Issued in quantities of more than 8 million pieces. (3,334,540 of them at KMZ) - a world record for single-lens reflex cameras. The index "E" was assigned to the camera in honor of the director of the KMZ from 1953 to 1965, N. M. Egorov.
The camera was sold complete with one of two lenses: "Helios-44-2" (focal length 58 mm, relative aperture 1:2) or "Industar-50-2" 3.5/50.
Retail price of "Zenith-E" in 1980. with the lens "Helios-44-2" was 100 rubles, with the Olympic symbols 110 rubles, with the lens "Industar-50-2" - 77 rubles.
If there was a choice, buyers preferred cameras manufactured by KMZ rather than BelOMO, not without reason considering them to be of better quality (this also applied to other models produced at two enterprises).
Outside the USSR, Zenit-E was sold both under the original name (in Latin spelling - "Zenit-E"), and under the brands "Revueflex-E" (Germany), "Phokina", "Photokina-XE" (France) , "Kalimar-SR200", "Kalimar-SR300", "Prinzflex-500E", "Spiraflex", "Cambron-SE" (USA), "Meprozenit-E" (Japan), "Diramic-RF100" (Canada).

Zenit-ET- modernization of the Zenit-E camera, had a non-rotating shutter speed head, a focusing screen with a microraster and other improvements. The BelOMO Vileika plant produced this model in many versions, including with a push diaphragm drive, without a light meter, etc. Produced - KMZ - 1981-1988, 61099 units, and Vileika plant - from 1982 to the mid-90s , about 3 million pieces.

Zenit-11- a single-lens reflex camera designed for a wide range of amateur photographers.
The camera was sold complete with one of the lenses: Helios-44M, MS Helios-44M, Helios-44M-4, MS Helios-44M-4. A total of 1,481,022 copies were issued. It is an improved device "Zenit-E" (the mechanism of the pressure aperture is added, the non-rotating shutter speed head, the hot shoe for the flash, the focusing screen with the microraster, and other minor changes have been made).

Lomo-135- scale camera manufactured by LOMO. Since 1975, 85,902 copies have been produced. The model marked "M" differed only in symbolism. The latter were produced 89,500 copies. Lens "Industar-73" (2.8 / 40). Focusing on a scale of distances.

Lomo-Compact Automatic (LCA, LCA)- the first Soviet pocket camera equipped with a wide-range automatic electronic shutter controlled by an electronic exposure meter. The camera is durable, light and compact, and easy to use.

Smena-8, 8M- a scale Soviet camera produced by the LOMO association since 1970. Smena-8 and Smena-8M were produced in total in the amount of 21,041,191 (through 1995 inclusive). "Change-8M" became known as "Change-9", but in a modified case and differed in that focusing could be carried out not only on a distance scale, but also on a character scale. Lens - "Triplet" T-43 4/40 (3 lenses in 3 components), non-replaceable, coated. The angular field of view of the lens is 55°. iris diaphragm

Smena-35- a scale Soviet camera produced by the LOMO association since 1990. The camera was a restyled version of Smena-8M in a new housing with a central sync contact. Lens - "Triplet" T-43 4/40 (3 lenses in 3 components), non-replaceable, coated. The angular field of view of the lens is 55°. iris diaphragm

Sokol-2- a rare rangefinder film camera produced in the early 80s. The lens "Industar-702 F = 50 mm 1: 2.8. The camera worked in two modes: manual and automatic. Automation takes into account all installed filters and attachments.

Viliya, Viliya-auto- Soviet scale cameras. Produced in 1973-1985, BelOMO production. Improved versions were produced under the names "Silhouette-Electro" (1976 - 1981) and "Orion-EE" (1978-1983) (the original names were "Viliya-electro" and "Viliya-EE", respectively). Lens "Triplet-69-3" 4/40 (3 lenses in 3 components), non-replaceable, thread for M46 × 0.75 light filter. Focusing on a scale of distances (characters). Focusing limits from 0.8 m to infinity. The four-bladed diaphragm is located outside the optical block of the lens, behind the shutter.
"Viliya-auto" is the basic model, "Viliya" is a simplified model without exposure automatics and a light meter.

Zorkiy-4. Soviet camera from the Zorki family of rangefinder photographic devices. Produced by the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region in 1956-1973. It is an improved camera "Zorkiy-3S". The most massive and technically advanced model among the Zorkiy cameras. A total of 1715677 pieces were produced.
Zorkiy-4 was sold with one of two lenses - Jupiter-8 2/50 (more expensive option) or Industar-50 3.5/50. There is evidence that a small number of devices were equipped with a Jupiter-17 2/50 lens. Allows the use of interchangeable lenses.
On the basis of "Zorkoy-4" cameras were also released:
"Mir" is a cheaper device, which differed from the basic model in a simplified design: automatic shutter speeds are only from 1/500 to 1/30 s, there is no slow shutter mechanism. Probably, for the Mirs, shutters made for the Zorkih-4 were used, but rejected due to fuzzy working out of the shutter speed of 1/1000 s. Lenses - "Industar-50", less often "Jupiter-8" or "Industar-26M" 2.8 / 50. In 1959-1961. 156229 pieces were issued;
"Zorkiy-4K" with a trigger cocking mechanism and a non-removable receiving coil. Lenses - "Industar-50" or "Jupiter-8". In 1972-1978 and 1980. released 524646 pcs.
Various photo recorders for use in scientific and military equipment. They were supplied with a special attachment to the optical channel of the corresponding device. They did not have a viewfinder, rangefinder, or flash shoe that was unnecessary in this case. Foreign collectors call similar cameras "Labo"

Kyiv-4, 4a. Rangefinder cameras "Kyiv" are based on the design of the German devices Contax II and III. Documentation, technological equipment and spare parts for Contax cameras were taken to the USSR from Germany as reparations after the Great Patriotic War from the factories of Zeiss Ikon. The first batches of Kyiv-2 and Kyiv-3 cameras were actually relabeled Contax cameras. From their prototype, the Kiev cameras inherited a very complex design of shutter speed, focusing and rangefinder mechanisms. The Kyiv-4 and Kyiv-4-a cameras differed in the presence and absence of a built-in exposure meter and were produced from 1958 to 1985.

Kyiv-60 TTL- a reflex camera with a frame format of 6x6 cm of the TTL system was intended for amateur filming and was produced since 1984. The camera is designed for the use of non-perforated roll film 60 mm wide (type 120). This film produces 12 frames.

Amateur 166- Soviet medium format twin-lens reflex camera, aimed at amateur photographers. The case of the device is plastic. Lens frames, viewfinder shaft and mechanisms are metal. Built on the basis of the "Amateur-2" camera. Produced in various modifications from 1976 to 1990.

Moscow-2- Soviet rangefinder camera from the Moscow family. It was produced from 1947 to 1956 by the Krasnogorsk plant in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region. A total of 197,640 pieces were produced. The German camera Zeiss Super Ikonta C served as a prototype. The camera is foldable, the lens is connected to the camera with leather fur, it extends automatically on the lever system when the front cover is opened. The case is metal with a hinged back cover. Lens "Industar-23".

Moscow-5- further improvement of the second version of "Moscow-2". It has a more durable and rigid body, a larger aperture lens with a shorter focal length is installed. It was the last production model in the Moscow family of scale and rangefinder devices. Produced from 1956 to 1960 by the Krasnogorsk plant in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region. A total of 216457 pieces were produced.

Photographer No. 1(also "Photokor-1", often just "Photokor") - Soviet folding plate camera of the 1930s-1940s. It was a universal rectangular chamber of 9×12 cm format with a retractable front wall and double fur extension. The first Soviet mass camera - over 11 years of production (from 1930 to 1941 inclusive) more than 1 million copies were produced.

FED-1 or simply FED- Soviet rangefinder camera. Produced by the Kharkov industrial machine-building association "FED" from 1934 to 1955.
Most of the questions are caused by the numbering system (or, rather, the lack of a system that is understandable to us) of the FED cameras of the first years of production. At the moment, the generally accepted version among collectors is that "chrome", "zinc", "nickel", etc. "FED"s had different numbering lines.
It was produced from 1934 until the mid-50s, when it was replaced by FED-2. Under the name "FED" (namely the first model), countless options and upgrades of this camera were produced. It is well known that "FED" was a copy of the Leica II, produced by the Kharkov Labor Communal. It had a curtain-shutter shutter made of rubberized fabric shutters with shutter speeds: B (or Z), 20, 30, 40, 60, 100, 250, 500. The rangefinder and viewfinder (of the Albada type) had different viewing windows; the viewfinder had a magnification of 0.44x, the rangefinder had a base of 38 mm and a magnification of 1.0. The bottom cover opened to charge the camera. There was no synchrocontact and self-timer. It was equipped with a FED lens (later Industar-10, Industar-22) 3.5 / 50 in a retractable tube with the following aperture steps: 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18 (the first experimental batch of lenses was produced at VOOMP, and designed at GOI). Threaded lens mount - M39.

FED-2. It was produced by the Kharkov Production Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1955 to 1970. It was completed with an enlightened lens "Industar-26M" 2.8 / 50; the shutter had shutter speeds B, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500. The shutter speed could only be set after cocking the shutter (in 1956 the shutter speed head was redesigned, as a result of which it became possible to set shutter speeds before cocking the shutter), the shutter speed head was rotating. The viewfinder is combined in one field of view with a rangefinder with a base of 67 mm and a magnification of 0.75x. The camera was provided with the possibility of diopter correction. The rear wall was opened to charge the camera. Both standard single-cylinder cassettes and two-cylinder cassettes were used, which, when the lock of the case back cover was closed, opened and formed a wide slot, which significantly reduced the possibility of damage to the film surface during its advancement. In subsequent models, a synchrocontact appeared (1956).
In 1958, a self-timer appeared on the camera with an operating time of 9-15 seconds, in the same year a new GOST was introduced for a number of shutter speeds - 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, since 1957 it was equipped with an Industar-26m lens, since 1963 - Industar-61l / d 2.8 / 52 with lanthanum optics (FED-2l). Since 1969, a lever cocking with an under-cocking locking mechanism has been introduced, and a new case with a reduced rangefinder base. In total, 1,632,600 models under the name "FED-2" were produced.

FED-3. It was produced by the Kharkov Production Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1961 to 1979. Compared to the previous model, the shutter speed range was expanded, 15, 8, 4.2, and 1 second were added, in connection with which the vertical size of the camera increased. It could also be equipped with an Industar 61 2.8 / 52 lens. Rangefinder base reduced to 41 mm, magnification 0.75x Viewfinder with diopter correction +/- 2 dpt. The release options differed in the shape of the viewfinder window, the presence of a cocking head or lever cocking, and the inscription "FED-3". Since 1966 it was produced with a lever cocking, since 1970 a mechanism for blocking the undercocking of the trigger has been introduced.
A total of 2,086,825 pieces were produced. In shipments abroad, the camera was called Revue-3 (especially for Foto-Quelle).

FED-4 was produced from 1964 to 1980. The main difference between this model and the FED-3 is the presence of a selenium exposure meter. Several types of cameras were produced, differing in design features. The export version of the camera was called Revue-4.

FED-5V was produced by the Kharkov Industrial Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1975 to 1990. The camera differs from previous models in the absence of a light meter and a luminous frame with parallax marks. The presence of a curtain-slit shutter ensures the development of shutter speeds from 1 s to 1/500 s. The camera is completely mechanical. Exposure is measured only with an external exposure meter. The viewfinder eyepiece allows you to focus within a small range, depending on your vision.

FED-Mikron-2 was produced by the Kharkov Production Machine-Building Association "FED" from 1978 to 1986. In total, about 35 thousand pieces were produced.
The camera was designed for amateur and professional shooting on standard black-and-white and color film type 135 with a frame format of 24 × 36 mm. The fixed lens "Industar-81" provided focusing limits from 1 m to infinity.

Seagull ("Seagull", "Seagull-2", "Seagull-2M", "Seagull-3")- a series of Soviet scale semi-format cameras.
Named in honor of Valentina Tereshkova (her call sign during space flight is "The Seagull").
They were produced in 1965-1974 at the Belarusian Optical and Mechanical Association (BelOMO) by the Minsk Mechanical Plant named after S. I. Vavilov.
Lens - "Industar-69" 2.8 / 28. Starting with the Chaika-2 model, the lens is removable, the connecting thread is M39 × 1, like the rangefinder FED and Zorkiy, but the working length is different (27.5 mm), so the lenses from rangefinder cameras to Chaikas (and vice versa) are not suitable.

Etude- the simplest medium format camera, produced in the USSR by the BelOMO association.
The lens is a single-lens plastic 9/75 mm (11/60 mm) mounted at the hyperfocal distance.

Things essential for a Soviet photographer
Carbolite tank for processing 35 mm film

framing frame

Film cassette

Photographic films

Positive photographic film

flash lamp

A set of chemicals for processing color photo papers

Jupiter-21 lens

Lens Industar-50

Reliever, 1983

Developer, 1988

Fixer, 1985

Photo Cutter

Time relay for photo printing Silhouette, 1985

Photorelay TRV-1

Cable for cameras for smooth button release

Photo roller. Used to smooth wet photos on glossy

photo paper

Flash NORMA1

Photo flash SEF-3M

Flashlight Electronics

Enlarger Leningrad 4

Enlarger Leningrad 6U

Photo enlarger Tavria

Photo enlarger UPA-3

Photo exposure meters

Instructions from a set of chemicals for processing color photographic papers

Film instructions.

Photo corners for photo album

It was the 9th episode of the series.

My collection is quite small, at most about 50 different cameras, some of them are duplicated.

“Wow, small!” - you say, - "As many as 50 pieces!".
But the thing is that the Soviet photographic industry was so generous not only in models, but also in variations on the theme, that a complete collection of all Soviet photographic equipment will consist of no less than 1000 original copies, and even then, except for flashes and other accessories.

On the title photo, the camera “Seagull”
A film camera with a frame format of 18x24, due to which 72 frames were placed on the film. The Seagull was produced from 1965 to 1967, and about 180,000 of them were produced in total.

In this case, judging by the number, this is one of the first copies in the series, and due to this, a rather expensive camera.

In general, the price of a Soviet camera today depends on many factors, but mainly on its rarity, equipment (with which lens option) and condition.
But more on that a little further.

Camera " Moscow - 5“.
A medium format camera, one of those still used by film photographers.

"Moscow 5" was produced from 1956 to 1960, in total about 22,000 copies were produced. In those days, Moscow was a very expensive camera, and they were usually taken care of.

As a result, today, despite its “vintage” look, Moscow is not a rare camera, and it is relatively inexpensive. Cameras in perfect or close to perfect condition are of real value.

Another medium format camera with a bit of a "vintage" look - Amateur 166V. Produced from 1980 to 1991, 906,300 copies were produced.

Later model " Lover wagon“.
It was produced from 1983 to 1991, with a total of 300,000 produced.

As you understand, due to the mass character of the Lovers, a wagon and a small cart have been preserved.

The manufacturer did not indulge in any differences within the model range, so if such a camera is in poor condition, it costs almost nothing.

In general, a separate success is to buy a camera in its original packaging, almost new or, as they say, “in factory grease”.

Oddly enough, but such instances come across. And not only new, but also quite old models.

Their history is different, as well as the history of their owners.
Some were lost, falling behind a wardrobe, some were simply donated on occasion and stood unclaimed .. well, they got on sale after the death of the owner.

And then you pick up this box...

You open it, and you immediately feel the smell of leather, which cannot be confused with anything, and your gaze caresses its unworn shine.

Since I showed the box with FED, let me tell you a little about them.

FED was, perhaps, one of the most popular cameras that were produced in the USSR. They began to produce them back in 1934 in the workshop of the children's labor commune. Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky (hence the FED), having licked one to one from the German Lakes. Copying watering cans continued in subsequent years.

Here is one of the first FEDs ( FED - 2)…

Do you think FED is here too?

Netushki!
This is pure German 🙂

This camera has its own history.
It was given to my godfather's grandmother by his future grandfather.

Well, his grandfather found on the battlefield back in 1943 near a burned-out German tank.
Then there was a wound, a hospital, a nurse leaving a hopeless patient, a camera donated for salvation, and a wedding 🙂

Kum gave it to me so that I could find a master who could clean it and put it in order.
The master, alas, was not found, and I wanted to return the camera, but the godfather, who was experiencing financial difficulties at that time, said: “Let it lie down with you, otherwise I’ll sell it. And so the memory will be preserved.” So it's been with me ever since.

It is noteworthy that 15 years ago they were still filming on this watering can and the shots were then quite acceptable.

General cameras FED - 2 there are more than 20 types.
The manufacturer did not hesitate to make changes literally on the fly, as a result of which they arose.

Separate options FED - 2 so rare that the price for one copy sometimes reaches 200-300 dollars.
But, given that even seasoned collectors often do not know all their varieties by heart, an ordinary person never knows what he is holding in his hands - an ordinary camera worth 200 UAH or a rarity for 200 bucks.

Another option FED - 2…

FED - 4
Produced from 1964 to 1980, a total of 498,000 copies were produced.

FED - 5
Produced from 1975 to 1991, a total of 230,000 copies were produced.
The copy in the photo was released in 1980, as indicated by the Olympic symbols.

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Cameras from the 70s. Soviet cameras - my small collection

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