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Baltika-3 Beer Can Camera

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Ha! Thanks!

Yea these are fairly common marketing ploys, this is the only Russian I've seen though... maybe an idea for the next USSRPhoto.com anniversary camera? SmileWink

Vlad
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I don't know.. the skin was designed in Russian for Russian beer, I guess it was it's a hybrid Smile... just like LC-A+. What category would you suggest?

Thanks,
Vlad
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... and Alex Komarov and Viktor consider it "Russian" since they are featured in their collections.. also AFAIK the Zenit 510,520,610,620 (Skina copies) were made in China - are those Chinese as well?

Vlad
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I would think that if a camera is made in China, then it is a Chinese camera and if it is made in Russia, then it is Russian. Many things are made in China with English labels for the American market, but they are not American.

Usually when something is made in a country, as your link to the factory or distributor shows, then it is from that country.

Just like the pre-Revolution cameras with different Cyrillic labels that were made in Germany ... they are German.

So, I would think that technically the Baltika-3 is a Chinese camera made for the Russian market. If they made a Coors version it would be Chinese for the American market ... not an American camera.

In this case, since China is a Communist country, I would guess that it would belong in the category "Non-Russian Communist Cameras"

Very nice camera!

Regards, Bill

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Well that brings us to the recent concept of outsourcing... LOL... so what you are saying that if Ford has China manufacturing Ford Focus car - it is not an American car anymore? I still think it's considered American.. In this case we have Russian company Baltika outsourcing production of their cameras to China, would not it make it Russian camera in the same way of thinking? Wink... box and manual is in Russian, company distributing it is Russian company... I don't know - tough call... but it may belong somewhere between the Non-Russian Communist Cameras and Other Cameras.. maybe - Outsourced Russian Cameras? Smile LOL. LC-A+ and the Skina Zenits (I think I'll point finger to Aidas for telling me that they were made in China Big smileWink) would probably fall under that category as well...

For that matter I think one of the later Zenits is French with Motorola electronics Tongue

And thanks for compliment, yes it's a fun camera!

Cheers,
Vlad
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So if I order 3000 of these "beer can" cameras with an American design on them, then they are American cameras?

So are the fake Leicas made from Zorki cameras German .... since they have German logos and German writing? Anyway, the Zorki is basically a German design!

I think we have to see these in terms of the WIKI where the purpose is to categorize Russian and Soviet cameras. The category "Other Cameras" is probably just to general and a catch-all category. Possibly there could be a category named "Made for the Russian Market", but then I don't know what else would fit there besides Baltika-3. Probably the best category might be "Imported - Retailed in Russia / USSR (pre-1929)" and just eliminate the "pre-1929" date?

In any case since the camera was not made in Russia or the Soviet Union and since it isn't a Russian design, I don't see how it is a Russian camera, no matter how cool it is!



Regards, Bill

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I agree with Bill. I think that there should be a catagory in the Wiki Catalog that covers Soviet (Russian) marketed cameras that were manufactured elsewhere. This catagory should also include the Skina Zenits if they were definately manufactured in China. I am not sure what the title of this catagory should be.

David

(http://www.rcccuk.com)
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Well the case with Skina Zenits - they were designed at KMZ but produced elsewhere (I believe, I may be wrong)... I think most companies nowadays outsource their manufacturing so what are we going to do about that? Canon is a Japanese camera but a lot of them are made in China... I may agree on the can camera that it was in fact maybe designed as a camera in China and made for Russian market but Skina copies they were in fact designed at KMZ...

I'll make a new category "Made for Russian market" as Bill suggested first change I got and move this one there..

thanks for all your suggestions!
Vlad
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It's a Russian beer, and a great beer too Big smile.. a little O/T - I gotta tell you though I tried this beer during this Paris visit called Kronenburg - I could not find it in U.S. - probably the best beer I've had! Big smile Another incentive for me to return to Bievres hehehe..

Cheers,
Vlad.
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finally had a chance to make a new Wiki category - "Made for Russian Market". Put any cameras in there that are made elsewhere but retailed/for distribution in Russia.

Cheers,
Vlad

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