New member from Brazil

Hello there!

I'm from the city of São Paulo in Brazil. I've been a owner of lots of soviet photo gear for many years. I have two ARAX 60, one ARAX 88 CM/MLU-SE with many lenses, soviet and german, besides one Horizon 203. I love all of them and take many pictures, especially with the Horizon in my leisure trips. I will soon post some pictures (if I succeed in manipulating my computer!). You can watch my photo work in my Facebook pages. Please search for my name Rodrigo Whitaker Salles, if you wish.

I develop my black and white films at home in a JOBO rotary processor, preferably Ilford FP4 plus. I used to enlarge myself, but I gave up darkroom work many years ago. Now I work with digital printing by third parties. For color work I love the tonalities supplied by KODAK PORTRA 160 VC.

I also like to work with a 4x5 wooden camera. It is a chinese Shen Hao 45 IIA which is excellent and have many camera movements, both in front and rear standards.

Many thanks!

Great News friend! As yet I have been the only Brazilian member.
Greetings in join with us!

http://www.ussrphoto.com/resize/resize_image.aspx?ImgWd=800&IptFl=/UserContent/282016_polacheck2.png

http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/282016_polacheck2.png

This interesting Picture salutes you!
A Lubitel 166 Universal with a Kiv 80 Polaroid back with professionally made name tags
Regards from Rio de Janeiro
LP

Welcome! You have most interesting export versions of Soviet Zenits in Brazil! [:)] Keep an eye for Zenit 12Pro and 12XL. They are rare elsewhere and great cameras you can use for trade!

Cheers,
Vlad

Thanks Luiz Paracampo!

Muito obrigado!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Vlad</i>
<br />Welcome! You have most interesting export versions of Soviet Zenits in Brazil! [:)] Keep an eye for Zenit 12Pro and 12XL. They are rare elsewhere and great cameras you can use for trade!

Cheers,
Vlad
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thank you, Vlad!

Hmmm, I have never heared about Zenit 12 Pro. Why Pro ? Maybe because it was for professionals ?
Construction was the same like 12XP ?

http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Zenit_12_PRO_%26_Zenit_12XSL [:)] for more information...

www.a7camera.com www.120folder.com www.instantphoto.eu

I always wasn't sure whether they were actually MADE in Brazil or they were just "tuned" and rebranded? Maybe Luiz can weigh in... what about parts? Were they exported by BelOMO?

Thanks xya, I have not known Zenits were made/assembled in Brazil.

Those Zenits were imported throug Manaus.
They were known in underground as "Mafia Zenits"
Manaus was a Tax free port, and every thing you could imagine was made there, including substitution of the bottom plate with a new one, (the only Brazilian made part) engraved "Made at Zona Franca de Manaus" what is not true. Their ready cases were made in China and there were zome "Zenits" that were really rebadged Seagull.
All of them were sold as "Brazilian made câmeras". They stopped going on when Federal Police arrived at the factory. Soon, extrangely, the "factory" owner became Ministery "Economic Adviser" at -Governo Lula- as exposed in newspapers Nationwide.
Thet is what was known.

There were also Zenit XL with "new" bottom patês that were originally KMZ 122.

Thank you Luiz for that precious info, but I'm a bit confused, I have all three of these cameras, I do not see anything special on the bottom plates: 12XL says Made in USSR and the others say made in Belarus...

Luiz,

I would love to see a picture of one of those plates you're talking about, these must be the ones that didn't go through that process..

Vlad

Some of the câmeras really haven't those plates. They were sold by other importers in the South of the country.
At the times of the Soviet desintegration ther were at lesat six importers at a time, and the original importer where I worked gave up comercializing such câmeras by contract rupture.
I have some of these câmeras. all ahave diferente baseplates according to the model. but it is easy receognizable the fake once the quality of plastics is very diferente from originals and BelOMO and KMZ both have the same quality.
At presente tyme it will be difficult to send a Picture once I changed home (at same building) and everything was packed in unknown places.
Regards

Thank you Luiz, not a problem, but if you find them, the pictures would be most appreciated!

Best regards,
Vlad

More information
All these type have also Made in USSR, Made in Russia and Made in Belarus accordingly
thenks
LP