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Stereo Cameras

Sputnik

The Sputnik is a Stereo camera producing two 5.4 cm images on 120 film. In the literature are many references to the Sputnik having been made from two Lubitel-2 cameras. Although there are many common parts they are definitely not made from 2 other cameras. The camera is made of a hard black plastic and will not take very much abuse before it breaks.

The front of the Sputnik is totally taken up with the three lens assembly. The upper lens is the focusing lens and only has focusing information on it. There are two synchronization coupling levers from the right to the left lens. The left lens has only the flash receptacle. The right lens has all the controls, a self timer and a cable release socket. The shutter has speeds of 125, 60, 30, 15 and B. The apertures available are 4.5, 5.6, 8, 16 and 22 and a there is a self timer.
In the left top corner is the film advance and in the right front corner is an identical appearing film tensioning knob. In the center is a fold up viewfinder which is identical to the one on the Lubitel-2 Twin lens reflex. In the center of the back is the release with the two backs opening like a clamshell. The left door has a red window with a cover to view the exposure number.

On the bottom of the camera is a quarter inch tripod bushing. As originally supplied this camera has a stereo viewer and a frame to make stereo pairs from negatives. It also had three black metal lens caps with the one for the viewing lens having the GOMZ symbol on it(occasionally all or none with symbols). The case for this camera is a rectangular brown or black plastic case with the LOMO symbol on the lens cover. The Sputnik is very easy to use and get acceptable stereo results. However, if you wear glasses you will find it very hard to use the viewer. The focusing screen also leaves a lot to be desired(just like the LOMO that is is descended from) and it is very hard to focus this camera.

FED STEREO

The FED Stereo is a modern zone focus 35mm stereo camera with built in metering. It is finished in black with pebbled leatherette trim. There is also an accessory stereo projector and several accessories which are covered in the accessory chapter. This camera must have a PX625 battery(or equal) to function.

The majority of the front of the camera is covered by the stereo lens assembly. The right lens has the focusing lever and a distance scale and depth of field scale while the left has only focusing symbols. To the left of the left lens is the aperture scale. Apertures of 16, 11, 8, 5.6, 4, 2.8, B and A for automatic exposure control. There is a round meter window on the upper left and the viewfinder window is in the center. Between the viewfinder window and the threaded shutter release is "FED STEREO" in white painted Cyrillic letters. At each end is a shoulder strap lug.

On the left end of the top is the rewind crank and then the film speed setting dial. As is to be expected in a modern camera film speeds are available from ISO 32 to 800. To the right of the viewfinder is a hot shoe. On the right end of the camera is the rapid film advance lever and a film counter window. The rear of the camera has a viewfinder in the center of the top and a thumb grip and film box end frame on the removable back. The bottom of the camera has a quarter inch tripod bushing, the rewind button and the battery compartment. The case for this camera is an oval black leatherette case with a compartment in the bottom for the lens shades.

This is a very usable camera and has several interesting functional attributes. It is very easy to assume that this camera is broken if you do not know its' peculiarities. First is the film transport, the first time that you advance film it only advances once and will take a picture. After the second exposure the film must be advanced three times to clear all the exposed frames. This pattern of one advance then three advances continues to the end of the roll. The next item to be covered is the automatic setting. When the camera is set to automatic and the light is insufficient the shutter release refuses to work. There are no warnings or other indications and this or no battery are often assumed to be a broken camera.