Unknown Technical Smena
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Printed on: 5/14/2026 6:10:34 PM
Topic
Topic author: AidasCams
Posted on: 20090217043038
Replies
Reply author: Vlad
Replied on: 20090217092541
This camera is cool as hell! [:D].. I would certainly rule out military application considering too many plastic parts... So from what I understand you move the camera inside the enclosure up and down to get a "view" glass for composition and then you push the camera down and take a picture...
A few things come to mind - a possibility - passport/mugshot camera since the focus needs to be probably fixed although on Smena tolerance is quite great for that.. still so weird.. why round enclosure? Also the glass plate also seems like it's not made for shooting people, it looks like it's made for precision composition... maybe scientific research like Biology/Agriculture where this thing attaches to some kind of grow tank and it shoots the progress of something growing, taking time samples.. just my thoughts...
Vlad.
Reply author: Michel
Replied on: 20090217115811
And it seems that the glass plate could be removed or changed for another… [?]
Reply author: dgillette4
Replied on: 20090217121017
[:)]Could this possibly be used for precise copying by focusing on the glass and sliding the camera into the focal plane to take the shot? Don
ZORKIE'S Survive
Reply author: nightphoto
Replied on: 20090217134058
I think the Smena is basically being used as a 35mm roll film back for a technical camera (similar to a view camera) that had a bellows and lens. Round so you can adjust for vertical or horizontal composition.
Possibly a copy camera, but also could be for a commercial camera of any type, used to make test or proof exposures for proper exposure or lighting before committing the image to large expensive film.
Regards, Bill
Reply author: AidasCams
Replied on: 20090217143141
Hi,
your versions are quite presumable, thanks! The only thing I can't understand so far - why cable release is needed on this camera? [:)] As we all know, all Smenas come with shutter on the lens ... The 2nd question is what kind of Smena it is? It's Belomo camera obviously, but they have never produced cameras with combined release button and frame counter (only GOMZ did since 1959 ...) And I never thought that Smena is a proper camera for scientific researches indeed ... [:)]
Best Regards,
Aidas
Reply author: cedricfan
Replied on: 20090217150614
But is there a normal lens (and shutter) in the Smena? If not, then the cable release may be a further modification. No pictures from camera front, not casing front?
Best regards,
Juhani
Reply author: AidasCams
Replied on: 20090217151827
Hi Juhani,
the 2nd picture is camera front indeed ... and I was assured it's an 100 per cents original device.
Best Regards,
Aidas
Reply author: cedricfan
Replied on: 20090217153333
Hi!
So there is no lens in the Smena as far as I can see?
Best regards,
Juhani
Reply author: dgillette4
Replied on: 20090217171253
Another thought is maybe this was a modification for us on a telesope or aerial maping. Hard to imagine not having a shutter. Don
ZORKIE'S Survive
Reply author: nightphoto
Replied on: 20090217172045
It seems like the whole unit is more of a 'removable back'. If there is a cable release, isn't there also a shutter in the unit?
The body part of a Smena will be fine to hold the film, advance it, and hold it flat. It was probably the easiest 35mm body to use in adapting this camera to use 35mm roll film ... so that's why a Smena was used.
The lens and the rest of the camera is not present. So, I am saying that this is actually a removable 35mm roll film back for some type of large format technical camera. BeLOMO makes many instruments and technical devices. Probably test shots can be made on easy and cheap to develop 35mm film so that the larger film (4"x5" or 13cm x 18cm, or 18cm x 24cm)is not wasted. When I worked in commercial photography in the 1970s we often used 35mm proof or test shots before using the larger film for the final shots. Sometimes we used a Polaroid back on the view camera and sometimes we just took a roll of 35mm film using a 35mm roll film back. This saved us a lot of expensive large format color film. Also, I believe that the Polaroid film was not as available in the USSR when this device would have been used.
Regards, Bill
Reply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20090219194308
Hello Peoople!
I am back again!
This is a very interesting device.
Pictures
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/technical_smena_1.jpg and
http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/technical_smena_4.jpgclearly demonstrates that the cmaera has no shutter at all. it is only a device for film advance including a focus screeen. The camera is a Smena 2 type and the left axis with a knob in the top is used to advance the film. the right one is only a guide for the shift movement assembly. If you observe current Smenas of this type, one will see that in the exact place of the cable release in camera top there are the little release knob for film advance...
This device is by sure part of a reproducing device used for copying documents, small objects or even for taking pictures through microcopes.
Being from BelOMO manufacture and having such strange bayonet this assembly seems to be an accessory for the "Belarus" enlarger (first model)- (it locks in the place of the condenser lenses) which could be transformed into a complete repro device.
It uses the enlarger lens and has a simple attachable manual shutter (open /closed-type)
Regards for everybody
LP
Reply author: nightphoto
Replied on: 20090219222302
Glad you are back Luiz! I knew you were the one we needed to figure out what this is. I think you are correct about the fitting for an enlarger ... that is just what it looks like. And I think you may be correct that the cable release is for releasing the film conveniently, so that it can be rewound back to the cassette.
Regards, Bill
Reply author: Vlad
Replied on: 20090219223421
Good to have you back Luiz! And wow, that seems very convincing to me [:)], Now it makes perfect sense with that round bayonet mount!
Vlad.
Reply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20090220164845
Many thanks to Vlad and Bill for the kind words.
I will now give a correction. Those Smena had no <u>rewind system </u> they were built to be used cartridge to cartridge loading.
Regards
LP
Reply author: nightphoto
Replied on: 20090220185352
Then, in this case, what is the cable release for?
Regards, Bill
Reply author: Vlad
Replied on: 20090220191113
Maybe it(cable release) does control some kind of very simple open/close shutter... from what I can make out from the front there is some kind of simple lens on this camera.. so maybe it has something like a Yunkor-type shutter...
Vlad
Reply author: nightphoto
Replied on: 20090220222554
I don't see a lens on the front.
Regards, Bill
Reply author: cedricfan
Replied on: 20090221002833
It is for the film counter and winding system, so that the framing is kept correct.
Best regards,
Juhani
Reply author: AidasCams
Replied on: 20090221154408
Hi,
Juhani is right, thanks for explanations!
Best Regards,
Aidas
Reply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20090222080819
Reinforcing Juhany explanation see what I discribed at:Feb 19 2009 : 7:43:08 PM:
<i>If you observe current Smenas of this type, one will see that in the exact place of the cable release in camera top there are the little release knob for film advance</i>...
So, the cable release has the only clutch function of desingaging the film advance lock.
LP
Note: Repro systems generally generally need naving no complex shutters Only lens cap!
Reply author: AidasCams
Replied on: 20090222155034
Luiz,
thanks for your explanations indeed!
Best Regards,
Aidas
Reply author: Vlad
Replied on: 20090222203123
Bill,
second picture that Aidas posted, inside the square opening, I see some kind of round thing in the middle, that seems to me to be some kind of simple lens element....
Vlad.
Reply author: nightphoto
Replied on: 20090222210625
Hi Vlad,
I see it, but to me it just looks like a round indentation in the metal ... not glass.
Regards, Bill
Reply author: Vlad
Replied on: 20090222211359
And maybe you're right.. can't tell for sure unless physically examine the camera... just seemed like a simple lens to me...
Vlad.
Reply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20090407200714
Reply author: Vlad
Replied on: 20090408183404
And I see the Smena frame counter in the hole [:D]. Nice find Luiz!
Vlad
Reply author: nathandayton
Replied on: 20090408191024
It looks very much like an oscilloscope camera.
Reply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20090409063613
Great observation Vlad!
Doktor Vlad Zorki Contracted for spy purposes!!!![:D][:D][:D]
LP
Reply author: Luiz Paracampo
Replied on: 20090409065451
<b><font size="3"><font color="yellow">Hey all
Now everything is clear,
One can see that focusing is done with light coming from the enlanger house, passing through the spoked ground glass to the object.
When the sppokes are in focus over the main choosen point, the picture will be correctly focused.
A clever and quick focusing system eliminating needs to see through the camera itself.
As said, the optics are the Industar 58 and others.
So the camera has no lens at all, uses the normal bellows and lens enlarger system.
I will find useful to put such details on Abramov's site.
LP</font id="yellow"></font id="size3"></b>
