TSVVS (TCBBC in Cyrillic) ...... 35 mm / Leica-Contax copy .......... lens : Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar - 50 mm f.2
Body serial # 577 ....... Lens serial no. : 3090237 ..... year : 1950
factory : Uncertain (probably the ALMAZ Factory), Moscow, USSR ..... production under 1000 units total in 1949 & 1950
TSVVS stands for Topographicheskaya Sluzhba Voyenno-Vozdushnih Sil (Topographic Service of the Air Force).
As per Alexander Bronstein's website, www.leica.boom.ru , the correct name will be VTS-VS:
"TSVVS - one of the most enigmatic soviet cameras. I am not even sure that it is correctly named. There’s a plate with text: "To colonel Maksimov L.K. for a long and blameless service in parts of VTS S.A., from the VTS Chief on December 9th 1957"
This gives some basis to the unexpected assumption that it is necessary to read the name of the camera on the circle, as it was actually a normal practice in Russia, and it should sound - not VTSVS from Topographical Service of Air Force but VTSVS.
VTSVS=Voyenno-Topografitscheskaya Sluzhba Vooruzhennyh Sil (Militar Topographical Service of Defence Forces).
These were special cameras that were manufactured by Soviet goverment for high ranking people in the military or the KPSS (Communist Party). These were usually given as gifts for excellence in service to the Soviet Union. Mostly given to generals and ministers, but very selectively according to historical records. It is a very hard camera to find.
more photos at: nightphoto.com
Known Examples of TSVVS Cameras and lenses
notes: (CZJ = Carl Zeiss Jena) __ ( M-info = List of TSVVS cameras from Dr. Milos Mladek )
Serial # ___ Year ___ Lens Serial # & Type ___ Owner or where seen ___ Authenticity (if known)
Unmarked __ ? __ 3060338 / CZJ f.2.0 __ DVDTECH __ YES
Unmarked __ ? __ 5403601 / Jupiter-8 f.2 __ Princelle __ YES
1 __ 1949 __ 3060168 / CZJ f.2.0 __ photos only (ebay: sovdepia) __ YES
6 __ 1949 __ ? / ? __ Photohistory/Abramov __
7 __ 1949 __ ? / ? __ Princelle / M-info __
7 __ 1949 __ 3089557 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Ebay / foto_hobby
22 __ 1949 __ ? / ? __ Princelle-info
27 __ 1948 __ ? / ? __ Princelle-info __ YES ?
33 __ 1949 __ ? / ? _ M-info ___
41 __ 1949 __ 2269946 / CZJ f.1.5 __ Princelle __ YES
71 __ 1949 __ ? / ? __ M-info __
88 __ 1949 __ 3060333 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Private Collection __ YES
153 __ 1949 __ 226xxxx / CZJ f. 1,5/50 __ JPG. ___ YES
155 __ 1949 __ 5909407 / Jupiter-8M __ Westlicht #8 / M.Mladek __ FAKE
177___1949___3050587/CZJ f. 2/50___eBay___
184 __ 1949 __ 3094933 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Private Collection __ YES
194 __ 1949 __ ? / ? __ Photohistory / Abramov __
200 __ 1949 __ 2269238 / CZJ f.1.5 __ W. Parkinson __ YES
264 __ 1949 __ 3089522 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Jacques M. ____ YES
266 __ 1949 __ ? / ? _ tiscali.co.uk __ YES
271 __ 1949 __ 3009139 / CZJ f.2.0 __ C. Asquini __ YES
280 __ 1949 __ 3050898 / CZJ f2.0 __ M. Mladek __ YES
308 __ 1949 __ 3050909 / CZJ f.2.0 __ KING-2 (website) __ YES
311 __ 1949 __ 3095126 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Alexey Nikitin coll. __ YES
366 __ 1950 __ 3092474 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Private Collection __ YES
372 __ 1950 __ 3059505 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Ebay-Arsenal __ YES
392 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ M-info __
422 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ M-info __
440 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ M-info _
441 __ 1950 __ 3092387 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Sovietcams.com __ YES
442 __ 1950 __ 5509465 / Jup. 8 f.2 __ Arfact Auction ___ YES
467 __ 1950 __ 3059591 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Sold- RAF Camera __ YES
471 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ M-info __
488 __ 1950 __ 3059778 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Princelle-Milos Mladek __ YES
488 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ M- info __
514 __ 1950 __ 3050719 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Private Collection __ YES
517 __ 1950 __ 3093560 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Westlicht #7 __ YES
544 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ M-info __
552 __ 1950 __ 3090384 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Ebay-Photo __ YES
552 __ 1950 __ 3090384 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Igor N. Rykov __ YES
577 __ 1950 __ 3090237 / CZJ f.2.0 __ W. Parkinson __ YES
607 __ 1950 __ 3059688 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Private Collection __ YES
629 __ 1950 __ 3060385 / CZJ 2.0 __ Westlicht # 13 __ YES
638 __ 1950 __ 3059899 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Ebay-moscowphoto __ FAKE
650 __ 1950 __ 3093650 / CZJ f.2.0 __ David Tomlinson __ YES
665 __ 1950 __ 3006819 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Private Collection __ YES
700 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ A. Bronstein __ YES
705 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ Princelle __ YES
733 __ 1950 __ 3060196 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Private Collection __ YES
747 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ M. Mladek __
781 __ 1950 __ 3059927 / CZJ f.2.0 __ A. Berry __ YES
785 __ 1950 __ 3095141 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Private Collection __ YES
790 __ 1950 __ 3051259 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Private Collection __ YES
792 __ 1950 __ 3094435 / CZJ f.2.0 __ Asahi-net __ YES
901 __ 1950 __ ? / ? __ Princelle- info __
From that list you can see that all the sonnar 50/1,5 are from an early 1938 prewar uncoated batch and are on the earlier camera, and that all the F2 lenses are coated and from post war Jena production batches on later cameras. The 50/1,5 lenses seems not to be leftovers found after the war (coated lenses would have been available at that time).