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Found this today at a flea market, and took pics with my Communicator to ask if this leather like covering is rare?
So excuse for the poor picture quality by Nokia:





Smena rules

According to J L Princelle's book, Zenit-Es manufactured by KMZ between 1965 and 1968 did not have instant-return mirrors. The earliest camera that I have found so far is a 1968 model, and that certainly has got an instant-return mirror. Can anyone confirm that the earliest versions of the Zenit-E did indeed not have instant-return mirrors. I assume that these early versions would only be available with 39mm lens mounts. Any information would be much appreciated.

David.

looking for a cheap spare parts kiev4a/am for a TTL metering project, i already have a spare shutter modified with a light sensor.
The body i originally wanted to use is no good tho.
I'm looking for spare Kiev4am body to drop the shutter in, a 4m would also be fine but the whole point is is kind of the get rid of the original selenium meter.

Hello everyone!
The export version of the Industar-61 lens with a distance scale in feet is very rare.
I know of only a few examples:
I-61 #6591212 (1965)
I-61 #8519490 (1973)
I-61 #8697161 (1974)
I-61 #8715502 (1975)
I-61 #8864961 (1976)
Does anyone have this lens or camera with documentation?
I'd like to know which countries they were exported to?

Regarding the thread https://ussrphoto.com/modern/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3631 , I note that, sadly, the links posted by Luiz Paracampo are no longer accessible.

Could one of you please upload these files to the forum, or let me know where I can access them?

Thanks in advance

JT

Hello,
Found on Meshok, this Fed 1a where everything is normal, except this extra (and evident) "1".
Strange...

Jacques.

I found this film canister on eBay recently. It once contained AGFA Isopan F film, manufactured in Bitterfeld/Wolfen. What makes it special is that the label also includes Russian text.
Later, the name AGFA was replaced by ORWO.



Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

note :
a "no-name" factory design Lubitel (black front paint whith original rivets) may be to be silk screen rebadged in export or just for International exibition ? (never used)
and an original Kristall whithout usual hammered grey enamel.Seem to be factory made like this : soft matt aluminium (whithout any scratches or cracks)...I can confirm never painted.
serial number : 61018045

Hello,
The "Leica fakes" thread gave me the idea of a "non Leica fakes" one.
By "non Leica fakes", I mean cameras with the LTM/M39 system, made from Fed/Zorki bodies. The engraving on the cover can be a Canon, Shanghai, SAGEM, etc.

Here is my Fed-Nicca:
- Fed shutter box,
- Nicca cover and RF.

Feel free to post your discoveries!

Amitiés. Jacques.

Hi !
FED #12807 + #12808




Moscow-4 #5500611 + #5500612


FED #7428 + #7429 + #7430

i recently bought some etone shutter curtain to replace the old ones in my zorki3.
I noticed because the etone curtains are only 0.15mm at speed 1/1000 the curtain dosent create a gap, i had to make the drum thicker by adding extra curtain material.
now the gap for 1/1000 at the begin of the travel is about ~1,2mm and at the end ~3,4mm.

So im looking for a better source for zorki curtains since the last post discussing is already over a decade old.

Hello,

I recently showed a photo of the Hammer-and-Sickle FED No. 3214. I was wondering why the shutter curtains were faulty – after all, I’ve had it for 15 years.
So I took it apart to repair it.



When I took the cover off, what on earth was that? A Zorki cover! The ‘Zorki’ lettering had been stamped out and sanded down at the top.



If you look closely at the top, you can still make out a sort of shadow of the ‘Zorki’ lettering.



It is also strange that some parts were numbered. The shutter box and the housing have a ‘74’ scratched into them, and on the top, the ‘74’ has even been stamped in.







The date scratched into the side of the case is also still visible, but in an unusual format: 7 - 8 - 5. Could this perhaps be 7 August 1955?



Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Hello,
I quite like fake Leicas, for some reason :-) But not the ones with swastikas or strange engravings, nor the modified Zorki C.
But some of the ones that pass themselves off as Leicas do look rather pretty and imaginative.

Here are a few photos of my ‘Leicas’:

First, one of the loveliest ones I received just the other day. The wooden panel is beautifully crafted, and the brass has a lovely shine. It was made from a late FED 1F or 1G
Tip: Place the brass parts in an ultrasonic cleaner and add a teaspoon of citric acid powder.





This one was converted from a Zorki 1D. The Leica engraving is too big.





The next one is from a Zorki 1C. I like the black paint.





This one was made from an early FED S. The Leica engraving looks very good.





And the last one was made from an early FED 1a, maybe in the numeres around 7000. It has no serial number! :-)





Feel free to add your own Leica fakes to this thread :-)

Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

I uploaded it to my Google Drive because of its large capacity. I only scanned six rolls because of the funding limit, but I think it is the most interesting six rolls.

Here is the rink But there is a human face, I will get off if someone makes a claim.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VH853QKXTLYEcWBhjvxTmSxt1Wpexal-/view?usp=drivesdk

Although I know that this is about Soviet cameras... the Contax III is the predecessor of the KIEV III, but this Contax III is very special.
The light meter cover has holes, the light meter setting looks like a Contax IIIa or a Kiev 4, but also somehow different.
I've never seen a camera like this before, what might it be? A conversion in the 50s, because, yes, why? Or a prototype? It is from 1938, as you can see from the G serial number.
Have a look at the pictures, I will take it apart soon to see more details:











Ulrich

http://fotos.cconin.de

Someone posted this photo on Facebook, I've never seen anything like this, any ideas what is the purpose of this? Seems like a technical camera but for what?

fuji positive film rvp100,my son

This is a preface to a preface. On May 31, 2026, I met Greg Prior at a camera show in Detroit, Michigan. We had a very pleasant conversation and soon discovered that we shared an interest in Isaak Maizenberg. Greg had known Isaak personally, while I knew of him through his reputation and through many people in the camera collecting community who had known or worked with him.

Isaak was a prominent figure in the Soviet photographic world. He authored numerous articles for Soviet photography magazines, books on camera repair and was a renowned camera repairman in both the Soviet Union and the United States. He was also one of the pioneers of Soviet camera collecting and restoration, helping to shape the hobby and preserve its history for future generations.

After the show, Greg and I continued communicating and agreed that it would be a great idea to write an article about Isaak. The article below was written by Greg and is accompanied by an article from Shutterbug magazine. Together, they serve as a tribute to Isaak's life, his contributions to photography, and the lasting impression he made on those who knew him. I believe this site would be a perfect place to host this article. Thank you @Greg Prior!

https://ussrphoto.com/modern/Wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=50&ParentID=49&ContentID=1738&Item=Memories+of+my+friend+Isaak+Maizenberg++

Hi all,
I added this supposedly rare Smena Symbol to my collection, does anyone have this one to compare serial #? Mine is 79250290


Best regards,
Vlad

Hey all,

Does anyone know much about repairing the Zenit 16 shutter? Does it need specialist repair or could any film camera repair store do it?

The shutter is only firing at 1/1000 no matter what shutter speed i set it too.