Type: Coupled rangefinder
Film: 35mm
Formula: Leica II
Factory: VOOMP / Leningrad, USSR
Lens: VOOMP 50mm f3.5
The VOOMP II Pioneer is one of the first Leica II copies made in the Soviet Union. It was made by the Union of Optico-Mechanical Companies (V.O.O.M.P) in Leningrad. This factory became GOMZ in 1932, which eventually became LOMO.
There are several versions of this camera, with different engravings on the top. The VOOMP cameras are all dated and numbered and they are a very rare and historic Soviet camera.
Less than 1,200 VOOMP cameras were made between 1933 and 1937. The FAG Geodesiya and FED were also working on the project to create and produce a "Soviet Leica" during this period, and eventually FED became the factory that ended up as the major producer, possibly for political reasons.
Pictured camera:
Body serial #159
Lens serial #554
The engraving on this version reads:
EXPERIMENTAL FACTORY
VOOMP
LENINGRAD
This example is the 159th camera made and has its original lens, engraved "VOOMP" and made by the optical laboratory at GOI.
Added picture:
VOOMP owner's manual (Alain BERRY)
Known Serial numbers:
VOOMP 1934 #35 private
VOOMP 1934 #70 JLP
VOOMP 1934 #128 A.Nikitin
VOOMP 1934 #140 Moscow Polytechnic Museum
VOOMP 1934 #155 private
VOOMP 1934 #159 Bill Parkinson
VOOMP 1934 #189 private
VOOMP 1934 #200 private
VOOMP 1934 #201 Jerry Drews (Sweden)
VOOMP 1934 #224 private
VOOMP 1934 #241 private
VOOMP 1934 #271 private
VOOMP 1934 #279 Westlicht
VOOMP 1934 #284 A.Zilbert
VOOMP 1934 #292 private
VOOMP 1934 #360 private
VOOMP 1934 #333 Westlicht
VOOMP 1934 #385 D.Bessonov
VOOMP 1934 #392 Jerry Drews (Sweden)
VOOMP 1934 #396 private
VOOMP 1934 #408 Jerry Drews (Sweden)
VOOMP 1934 #429 D.Bessonov
VOOMP 1935 #487 private
VOOMP 1935 #513 private
VOOMP 1935 #574 private
VOOMP 1935 #686 private
GOI VOOMP 1936 #741 JLP
GOI VOOMP 1937 #1079 private
GOI VOOMP 1937 #1082 private
GOI VOOMP 1937 #1086 private
GOI VOOMP 1937 #1093 JLP
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