Unknown Technical Smena

Hi,

today I have got the biggest so far known version of Smena . May be any of you could tell me what a hell it is? Thanks in advance!


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/technical_smena_1.jpg


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/technical_smena_2.jpg


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/technical_smena_3.jpg


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/technical_smena_4.jpg

Best Regards,
Aidas

This camera is cool as hell! .. 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.

And it seems that the glass plate could be removed or changed for another…

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

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

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

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

Hi Juhani,

the 2nd picture is camera front indeed ... and I was assured it's an 100 per cents original device.

Best Regards,
Aidas

Hi!

So there is no lens in the Smena as far as I can see?

Best regards,
Juhani

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

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

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.jpg
clearly 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

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

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.

Many thanks to Vlad and Bill for the kind words.
I will now give a correction. Those Smena had no rewind system they were built to be used cartridge to cartridge loading.
Regards
LP

Then, in this case, what is the cable release for?

Regards, Bill

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

I don't see a lens on the front.

Regards, Bill

It is for the film counter and winding system, so that the framing is kept correct.

Best regards,
Juhani

Hi,

Juhani is right, thanks for explanations!

Best Regards,
Aidas

Reinforcing Juhany explanation see what I discribed at:Feb 19 2009 : 7:43:08 PM:
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...
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!