35 mm / coupled rangefinder / Leica II copy ........ lens : VOOMP - 50 mm f.3.5
Body serial # 159 ..........Lens serial # 554
factory : VOOMP / Leningrad, USSR .... year : 1934 / production only in 1934 & 1935
notes: The VOOMP II Pioneer is one of the first Leica II copies made in the Soviet Union. It was made by the Union of Optico-Mechanical Companies (V.O.O.M.P) in Leningrad. This factory became GOMZ in 1932, which eventually became LOMO.
There are several versions of this camera, with different engravings on the top. The engraving on this version reads:
EXPERIMENTAL FACTORY
VOOMP
LENINGRAD
Less than 1,200 VOOMP cameras were made between 1933 and 1937. The FAG Geodesiya and FED were also working on the project to create and produce a "Soviet Leica" during this period, and eventually FED became the factory that ended up as the major producer, possibly for political reasons.
The VOOMP cameras are all dated and numbered and they are a very rare and historic Soviet camera. This example is the 159th camera made and has its original lens, engraved "VOOMP" and made by the optical laboratory at GOI.
Collection of Bill Parkinson
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VOOMP owner's manual (Alain BERRY collection)
VOOMP 1934 # 189. Private collector.
VOOMP 1934 # 200. Private collector.
VOOMP 1934 # 271. Private collector.
VOOMP 1934 # 279. Sold on Westlicht.
VOOMP 1934 # 292. Private collector.
VOOMP 1934 # 360. Private collector.
VOOMP 1934 # 333. Sold on Westlicht.
VOOMP 1934 # 396. Private collector.
VOOMP 1935 # 487. Private collector.
VOOMP 1935 # 513. Private collector.
GOI VOOMP 1937 # 1079. Private collector.