Imbir KGB Camera

If have just returned from the Photographica Camera Fair in London where I found what I believe to be a second version of the Imbir KGB Movie Camera. I have added to the Wiki Catalog, with the limited information that I have on it.

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/2352010_Imbir open.jpg

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/2352010_Imbir open.jpg
If any of you have any further information on this model I would be very pleased to hear your comments. I have no idea when it was made as the serial number doesn't give anything away. The external finish of the camera appears to be the same as the Tochka and quite different to Bill's model.

David

(http://www.rcccuk.com)

Hello David!

An interesting acquisition! Congrats! A stupid question - this seems like the Imbir but it's different shape - how do you know this is in fact an Imbir camera?

Thanks,
Vlad

Hi Vlad,

The short answer is that I don't know whether or not this is an Imbir camera. The construction of the lens, aperture control, film gate and film drive appear to be identical to Bill's Imbir. The outer casing and the spool layout are certainly different, but these are basicly cosmetic changes rather than fundemental design differences. The camera also appears, like the Imbir, to be made to fit in a briefcase or something similar. On this basis I concluded rightly or wrongly that this was indeed a different model of the Imbir. If anyone has any further information I would be very pleased to hear it.

David

(http://www.rcccuk.com)

I see, thanks for clarification David, I thought maybe you saw some label on it somewhere.. From what I've seen in KGB cameras even if it's the same general model but differs a little these cameras normally get a separate classfication like in case with Nailon/F21 and Kopir/Zaslon... I was just wondering of possiblity of it being another model other than Imbir..

Cheers,
Vlad.

Unfortunately there are no labels or any other clues. Maybe Detlev or Zoom have further information.

David

(http://www.rcccuk.com)

Hi David,
Thanks for posting your camera. My feeling, also, is that it is an Imbir and that the case on your camera was probably made in the KGB workshop, whereas the case on my camera may have been salvaged from some different, already in existence, production camera or some other type of equipment (possibly this case may not even be Soviet ... maybe from a German item).
As you mentioned, the outer case on yours looks like other KGB production and the changes in format between yours and mine make good sense to make the camera smaller for surveillance purposes.
So, I suspect that your camera may be a later more evolved model of Imbir, or maybe the differences are just a customization for a particular disguise that the camera needed to fit into for a specific job. Congratulations on finding it!

Regards, Bill