Smena 8M - First in Competition of 1984

The red commemorative labeling looks to have been silk-screened using a red-orange enamel, much the way the red-orange f. stop numbers are printed on the front of the lens by LOMO at the factory. Printing things using the silk-screen method is very easy for a factory, large or small, to accomplish and this is why it was used extensively by KMZ, FED and LOMO for both large and small production printing.

My guess is that the printing for this camera was done at LOMO based on the similarity of the type style and color of the ink. Probably a special order, for some good purpose, probably to give to participants and staff of the 1984 alternate Olympics. After all, it was common to make Olympic commemorative cameras by the Soviets and so it would not be an unusual request.

Maybe we can hope that instructions, papers, a box, or other evidence will turn up and tell the story.

Regards, Bill

I agree with Bill!

Best regards,
Juhani

Got it! The serial number is: 84210515

Now, from seeing it in person, up close, I would be almost 100% positive that the commemorative printing was done at the factory ... not later.

Regards, Bill

I got a message from Alexey Nikitin, here's what he wrote (translation follows below):

quote:

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В конце 70-х начале 80-х было очень модно дружить с
другими странами из соц. лагеря. Я сам в школе
переписывался с другим школьником из глубинки Болгарии. В
Краснодаре даже была переименована улица в ул.Бургасская и
кинотеатр "Космос" поменял название на кинотеатр
"Болгария"!
В связи с этим продавец этих камер Смена 8м /не лично
мне / говорил: что приезжали в Болгарию советские учителя
то ли по обмену опытом , то ли на школьную олимпиаду и в
качестве приза или сувенира привезли несколько десятков
камер! Но видимо камеры так и не были вручены ученикам
школ и остались лежать до наших времен. Я думаю что
продавец на e-bay сам работал в тот период в школе! Может
даже руководителем, иначе доступа к фотоаппаратам у него не
было бы!
Значит делаю вывод из сказанного: камеры Смена 8 м
были по заказу сделаны с табличкой на болгарском языке и
название Смена 8м написано черным цветом а не красным, чтоб
еще нагляднее выделить надпись!

In the end of 70s, early 80s it was very fashionable to keep up friendship with other countries from Socialist block. I, myself in school has a pen pal in Bulgaria. In Krasnodar they even renamed a steet to Bulgarian St and movie theater "Kosmos" has changed name to "Bulgaria". In connection to this the seller of these cameras had said (not to me personally) that Soviet teachers came to Bulgaria either for exchanging experience or for school olympics and as a prize or souvenir they brought a few tens of cameras. But apparently for some reason the cameras weren't give to school students and were left there until today. I think that the ebay seller himself had worked in that school during that period of time. Maybe he was even one of the main teachers or administration otherwise he wouldn't have had the access to these cameras.

So I'm making a conclusion from the aforementioned: cameras Smena-8M were made by order with the faceplate in Bolgarian language and name Smena-8M written in black and not red to accentuate the special logo.

Best regards,
Aleksey

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very logical, thanks!

Best regards,
Juhani

I keep asking sellers about origin of this camera. One of the sellers responded to me:

quote:

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Camera is made
especially for
army prize and may be it was given for winner of

shooting! It was 30 - 35 years ago.

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