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Because of the great number of images these pages take a while to load. |
Misc SLR Cameras |
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These three SLRs really do not fit in anywhere else.
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Sport(a) |
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Sport(b) |
Almaz |
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camera was a Soviet attempt to manufacture a "System Camera. The camera
resembles the Nikon F2 more than any other western camera. It has
interchangeable prisms, the 103 without a meter and the 102 with a meter. The
camera is finished totally in black as was the fashion for "professional"
cameras. The rear of the camera is hinged and has a frame for the end of the
film box and the LOMO symbol in white..There is also a small silver button on
the rear that releases the focusing screen for removal, again like Nikon. The
prisms have a button on the front and a lever on the rear to release them.
There are shoulder strap lugs on each side of the body. The rewind crank has
slots under it to attach an accessory shoe with a built in hot shoe. The hot
shoe attaches to the flash jacks, on the front of the camera, by a short cable.
Under the slots is a film speed dial that is freed to turn by depressing a
small black button between it and the prism. The shutter is a Vertically
traveling metal leaf shutter. The shutter speed dial is on the same side as the
rapid wind lever and the shutter release. The shutter has speeds of
1000,500,250,125,60,30,15,8,4,2,1 and B. The shutter speed dial is immediately
next to the prism and when the 102 metering prism is attached it covers the
knob and replaces it with one on the prism. Under the shutter speed dial is a
lever with a plastic knob. Its' function is unknown but it is released to move
to either position by a small black button next to it. The shutter release is
threaded for a cable release. On the front of the camera are a self timer lever
with the release in the center, an aperture preview button and the lens
release. The bottom of the camera has contacts,an indexing pin socket and a
film advance coupling for a motor drive. It also has a one quarter inch tripod
socket and the film rewind button. The everready case for this camera is made
of soft black leather and has two snaps. It has no straps or lugs and any
shoulder strap must be attached to the camera. |
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Start |
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Start is a very well made and interesting Single Lens Reflex camera
manufactured by KMZ. It has a Chrome and black body covered with black nylon
fabric. There is a removable back with a film pressure plate made of black
glass.The shutter is made of cloth and travels horizontally. The shutter has
speeds of B,1000,500,250,60,15,8,4,2,1 and 30 and has flash synchronization for
bulbs and electronic flash. There are two receptacles for flash on the left
front of the camera. On the left front of the camera is a self timer. The
rewind knob has a film reminder on the top. The rapid advance lever has the
film counter on top , is tipped with a small knob. The viewfinder has a dual
prism rangefinder in the central focusing area and a removable pentaprism. On
the back of the camera is a small round button for the pentaprism lock. There
was also a waist level finder available as an option. The Start has a unique
breech-locking bayonet for a lens mount. Only the Helios-44 58mm f2 was made in
this mount. This lens is unique in that it has an extension of the shutter
release built in to provide f-stop automation. There was an adapter ring
available to adapt m39 lenses to this camera but no dedicated lenses. The Start
was meant use either of two film transport schemes. The film was to be used in
the normal manner from cassette to spool and rewind or to transport film from
cassette to cassette. The cassette to cassette system required that a mechanism
to open the cassettes be built into the back latches and a film knife was also
built into the camera. When the rewind button is depressed and the film advance
is used in this mode the film is advanced but the shutter is not cocked. This
allows the film to be wound into the cassette after use of the film knife.
There are several minor variations as follows: 1. No penta-prism lock on the
back of the camera. 2. Stamped metal film advance lever with a large flat area
on the end. 3. Rewind knob and film advance with clear plastic covers. 4.
English engraving is very uncommon. The eveready case for this camera has one
snap and is made of reddish brown leather with Start (in Cyrillic script )
embossed inside of an oval on the lens cover. |
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© Nathan Dayton 2000