Not, not $12 000 I bought it few years ago from UK seller, paid under $100, do not remember how much exactly. I was slightly disappointed when I receive it because I did not like design and quality of the camera. And I had daubed about originality of the camera. Camera to bright for professional use (all this bright red buttons), and to … I can not find word apposite to durable . It seems like it made by toy factory. I have impression that it will fall apart after few roles of film. Then I found other cameras like this on the Net. They looks same but, have minor differences. So can mine be fake? The other questions where it was used and what government agency use it?
Well I would not bet that such camera was used for custom, but nothing else I (and probably Princelle) was able to came up with. In practice it would be very inconvenient to use camera for this reasons. Just imagine for custom’s officials changing film every 30-40min(20-30 frames). Then develop it, then store it. Then, most difficult, find right image when you need it. Plus batteries always was in short supply in USSR and not standard film what had to be specially ordered, cut, put on special spols, and delivered. Just to much overhead and troubles. May be this cameras was designed for this reason, but was abandoned on the fields. My camera has few scratches from storage, but no signs that it was ever used.
It was maybe simply made for some official use, maybe you're right, maybe not that heavy use as customs... I could see it sometimes used by detectives of MVD....
C-112
Posted - Nov 19 2007 : 10:10:35 PM
I bought it few years ago from UK seller, paid under $100, do not remember how much exactly. I was slightly disappointed when I receive it because I did not like design and quality of the camera. And I had daubed about originality of the camera. Camera to bright for professional use (all this bright red buttons), and to … I can not find word apposite to durable 