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Almaz series

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Printed on: 5/7/2026 2:42:04 PM


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Topic author: amog

Posted on: 20200615100811

Hi,I saw this (Japanese) Tweet.
twitter.com/Lens_Fuji/status/1237502229973626881
twitter.com/Lens_Fuji/status/1237594334427353088
The Tweet states that Japan provided technology to Russia in the 1970s, and Almaz was developed by it. It also states that engineers from the Soviet Union came to Japan.
Are these things true?

I looked into this,
photo-escape.ru/phototech/sovetskij-nikon/
The site says "промышленный шпионаж", and I guess Almaz, just like any other camera, just copied a Japanese camera.
I looked into other sites, but it wasn't mentioned about provided technology either.

Also,
shashi.shibusawa.or.jp/details_nenpyo.php?sid=6970
I found out that you can find Nikon's company history on this site, but the chronology doesn't mention anything about the Soviets.
So does anyone know anything about this?

Sorry for poor English.

Replies

Reply author: amog

Replied on: 20200615102112

Sorry for wrong link.
https://twitter.com/Lens_Fuji/status/1237502229973626881
https://twitter.com/Lens_Fuji/status/1237594334427353088

http://photo-escape.ru/phototech/sovetskij-nikon/

https://shashi.shibusawa.or.jp/details_nenpyo.php?sid=6970

Reply author: Zoom

Replied on: 20200623175002

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by amog</i>
<br />The Tweet states that Japan provided technology to Russia in the 1970s, and Almaz was developed by it. It also states that engineers from the Soviet Union came to Japan.
Are these things true?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Nope. Full flapdoodle.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by amog</i>
<br />The site says "ïðîìûøëåííûé øïèîíàæ", and I guess Almaz, just like any other camera, just copied a Japanese camera.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
No. An "Almaz" family cameras are not "just copied Japanese" ones. The techical task from the Union of Journalists of the USSR was this: to make an analog... Just journalists wanted a camera that looks similar to Nikon F, but cheaper and made in the USSR. So Nikon F was used only as an example.
The author uses the term "ïðîìûøëåííûé øïèîíàæ" (industrial espionage) incorrectly. Where the author express his own thoughts, in most cases he carries nonsense. The rest -- quotes from two reputable sources.

Reply author: amog

Replied on: 20200626031009

Thank you. It was very informative.
Do you have any further information, e.g. books, on these matters?

Reply author: Zoom

Replied on: 20200701152051

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="MS Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by amog</i>
<br />Do you have any further information, e.g. books, on these matters?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Sorry, almost no credible books in this field.

Reply author: SteveA

Replied on: 20200704114401

According to Princelle, it was designed by A. Advonine and looked more along the lines of a Minolta XK, which it does on checking Google. Princelle notes that some models did not work very well and others for not very long... I suppose the 'K' mount added flexibility to lens availability and may have opened up export markets for the FSU.

Steve

Reply author: amog

Replied on: 20200719004012

Thank you. I'm interested in that book and would like to purchase it.

Reply author: Guido

Replied on: 20200719184040


Hello Amog

You can purchase the book from J.L. Princelle here:

http://www.lereveedition.com/en/livres/the-authentic-guide-to-russian-and-soviet-cameras

Best wishes - Guido

Reply author: amog

Replied on: 20200729064721

I'm sorry it took me so long to reply.
Thank you. I'm going to buy that book next month.