This camera was the first soviet panorama camera to be put into full production. It uses a curved film plane and a sweeping lens to minimize distortion. These cameras used a special film cassette with the film moving from one cassette to the other. This makes rewinding unnecessary. If as is often the case, one or both of the cassettes is missing the camera is not usable. There is no source of cassettes and to get them you would have to buy another camera (source: www.rafcamera.com).
There are three versions of the FT2. The first two versions had a speed brake dial on the bottom of the camera and the first version had the name and KMZ logo on the front. The third version without speed brake was the best and most reliable of the three. Production of the third began in 1961.
Produced: 1958-1965
Name: „ФТ-2“
Producer: KMZ
Frame size: 24x110mm.
Lens: Industar-50 3.5/50.
Shutter: 1/100, 1/200, 1/400s.
Quantity: 16.662 units.
Can be found under very rare export names: "Spiratone", "Panorama" (USA market), "Spaceview", "Spaceview-2" (France market) [2].
Third photo shows export version. The last two photos show the base of the camera (with and without speed brake). David Tomlinson.