Smena stereo

I believe Russian entrepreneurs start making stereo cameras on constant bases
http://cgi.ebay.com/STEREO-SMENA-HANDMADE-35-MM-FILM-CAMERA_W0QQitemZ230195660857QQihZ013QQcategoryZ297QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Yes, you have to be very careful with these.. I keep seeing these 8Ms being relisted by Americans with something like "I've paid $80 for this stereo camera, but when I got it there is a big seam in between cameras and a lot of light leaks, so I'm selling it for $.99 starting price no reserve".

Although there are a few that I find that are very nicely made, it really depends who you get it from.. and these 8M have uncoupled focus and aperture, which is quite mechanically boring. Sometimes there are nice example to be found see this one that I've bought a couple of months back:

http://www.ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=47&ParentID=1&ContentID=347&Item=Smena+8+Stereo

And Bill has a very interesting Stereo 8M that is coupled at the bottom and has a handle like ladies' mirror.. maybe he can post it into catalog someday for you guys to see .

Vlad.

The one that Alain posted into catalog is a great example of nice coupled camera. I've seen a lot of these even with uncoupled shutters, that means that you have to click both shutters manually at the same time! ..

With Smena camera this cheap and available I filling urge to buy few of them and try to build Stereo version myself . By the way, how they deal with film advance? Film has to be forwarded in pattern 1 frame, 2 frames, 1 frame, 2 frames to prevent overlapping.

I would imagine on these cheap ones you would just take out the advance blocking and let the user do 1, 2, 1, 2...

How about on more advanced modifications, like yours? Does they have such mechanic? It probably most challenged point of whole rebuilt to make such provision?

It looks like mine has the same thing.. I could turn the advance gears indefinitely.

I also wonder why they put cameras next to each other? It may be easier to put them one on top of other, then connect all controls vertically and use 2 films? But this way you can only make portraits I guess

That's what Bill's camera is, it's 2 Smena 8Ms connected at the bottoms, but yes I guess you can only do verticals...

Bill's camera... I probably miss it. Is it in wiki?

No, I was just describing it above...

Hi Everybody,
Here are some photos of the camera Vlad is talking about. I will add it to the Catalog soon. When you push either shutter, both go off together as they are linked mechanically, internally. Any questions... just ask ;-)









Regards, Bill

Thank you Bill! I'm sorry to put you on a spot like that ... I guess it's one way to extort camera pictures from you

Vlad

It's OK Vlad. I have been meaning to put more photos up on the site but I'm busy with work right now, so I hope to put more up soon.

Regards, Bill

Thank you Bill! This is Amazing! How do you advance film on this camera? Shatter is coupled, right, how about focus, aperture, and shatter speed? Where this camera was modified in Russia or outside? Did you tryed to make pictures?

Okynek,
I have not tried to make photographs with it yet. Each side has to be advanced separately, in the same way as a regular Smena. Nothing else is coupled... just the shutters. You have to focus, adjust aperture and speed, and cock each shutter separately.

The camera was modified in Russia (from two Smena 8M, in 1970s-80s) and the workmanship is beautiful. There is a handmade aluminum riveted lens cap. A custom-made hammered-paint finished box for it (same as like Kristal). The handle unscrews. The two backs open separately and in different directions.
Inside the metal case / box there is a Russian exposure guide in Cyrillic, glued down and on the other side, to protect the camera from the metal case, is a loose instruction sheet for the East German film "Orwo Chrom" which was widely available in Russia.
This one is a good example of the kind of things people did make at home, or sometimes for a camera factory incentive contest. There were also books and articles in Sovetskoe Foto that told how to make stereo cameras.

Regards, Bill

Also Okynek,

I agree that many of the Smena stereo cameras that are seen on Ebay recently are made recently, and so are actually fakes of the many that were really made in the Soviet times. Almost always the ones that were made in the old times were done carefully, even though they can be primitive in materials and workmanship. Care and time was taken. The ones made today, just to sell today, don't look so good.
I am very careful to try and tell the difference and only buy them when they look like they were from the old days... made for necessity, not for money... but sometimes it is hard to tell.
I think that maybe if someone wants to become a professional Soviet camera forger, the Smena stereos are the beginning projects!

Regards, Bill

quote:

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many of the Smena stereo cameras that are seen on Ebay recently are made recently

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You are absolutely right, Bill. We starting to get faked fakes

quote:

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Almost always the ones that were made in the old times were done carefully, even though they can be primitive in materials and workmanship. Care and time was taken.

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This is absolutely true. Some reasons for this may lay inside of the structure of Soviet economics. Luck of industrial goods made people creative. And not only this. This is what happened in my experience working in industrial plant.(I believe all over the Russia happened something like this or worse), first 2 weeks of the month was not much to do. Parts was not ready for assembling, material was not delivered to make this parts, boses wasn’t around. So with all this great equipment sitting idle many workers quietly did stuff for personal use. Mostly car parts or kitchen knives. I know that more dangerous items was produced as well( I suppose they are very desirable by fire arm collectors now). Only true enthusiasts was tinkering with cameras. They are put they hands and soul in what they was creating. After all this was they way to show to the world what they capable off and it also was some filling of rebellion to be able make items what whole mighty USSR can not.
So modified cameras from that era indeed should be considered on same level as factory prototypes if not more.

i add 3 more smena stereo in catalog.

Note
All added Smena Stereo in the links below are born from original Smena Simvol Series.
the Tchaika variation is made from the original Simvol prototype, and by this, slightly different.
the exposure meter came from Chaika 3 itself reminiscent of Zenit E

2nd model
http://www.ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=12&ParentID=1&ContentID=470&Item=Smena+stereo+%282nd+model%29
Smena tchaika
http://www.ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=12&ParentID=1&ContentID=463&Item=%26quot%3BSmena+stereo%2FTcha%26%23239%3Bka%26quot%3B+++
smena stereo
http://www.ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.asp?WikiCatID=12&ParentID=1&ContentID=461&Item=Smena+st%26%23233%3Br%26%23233%3Bo

Smena is a fascinating camera and has various history to tell us.
this is one of them, A fascinating exemple of perseverance and creativeness.
http://www.ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.asp?ContentID=472&ParentID=1&WikiCatID=47