"New" FSU camera?

[rbiemer]

While I was browsing ebay I found this:

And decided to buy it.

Anyone seen the "Russian" camera shown on the cover?

Once I get the magazine, I'll scan the article so I can share it if folks are interested.
Rob

 

[newspaperguy]

Wow - back in the day those Fawcett soft cover books
sold for .75
Now they market them at $9.95
I'm sure not making 10+X what I was then.

 

[oftheherd]

When was that? Asahi was being marketed as Pentax, I thought, by at least the mid 60s even in the USA.

 

[rbiemer]

When was that? Asahi was being marketed as Pentax, I thought, by at least the mid 60s even in the USA.

Not sure of the date of this handbook, I'll have to wait to see it in person.
Also not sure this was a US publication anyway; I don't remember seeing any FSU cameras written about( or marketed) here until the 80s.

My absolute guess is that this is sometime in the early 60s.
Rob

 

[QUAsit]

The camera on Photo is `Kometa` (Комета or Comet) - prototype of rangefinder with semi-automatic non-TTL exposure control shown on event in Bruxelles in 1958.

This is rangefinder construction which merged Leica and Contax designs. System were supposed to have a range of lenses between 20 and 135mm.

2 units were possibly made.

 

[rbiemer]

Thanks, QUAsit! I searched a bit and found this page:
http://www.zenitcamera.com/archive/kometa/index.html
which has more images.
And I recall there was a thread about this camera here at RFF a few years back:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20189--the photo in that thread is gone, though.
It will be interesting to read what Mr. Nathan had to say about Russian Cameras!
Rob

 

[rbiemer]

And, according to the Google translated version of Zenit's page:

Structurally Comets bayonet mount is almost identical to "M", was first applied in 1954 in the camera Leica-M3.

Interesting "could have been" camera.
Rob

 

[januaryman]

Wow that is an ugly camera! It looks like the Pacer of the camera world. Maybe the Yugo...

The articles look interesting in the book, though!

 

[oftheherd]

The camera on Photo is `Kometa` (Комета or Comet) - prototype of rangefinder with semi-automatic non-TTL exposure control shown on event in Bruxelles in 1958.

This is rangefinder construction which merged Leica and Contax designs. System were supposed to have a range of lenses between 20 and 135mm.

2 units were possibly made.

Thanks. I had heard of the Comet line, but have never seen one being used.

 

[rxmd]

Thanks. I had heard of the Comet line, but have never seen one being used.

Well, it seems like it never was actually used by anyone, except as a one-off technology demonstration piece at an exhibition.

 

[rbiemer]

Sorry this took so long.
So I got the magazine, it is from 1958. NO camera ads. Spiratone had an ad, as did Edmund Surplus--now know as Edmund Scientific--and Dr. Grabow--that one's tobacco pipes. And a few for more magazines/how to books by the same publisher.
I have scanned the Russian Cameras article and it is here:
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BzD8_BEgO7fINDM4NDY3ZGItZjZkMy00N2M2LTgxZmItNzEyMjcxOGMwNmE4&hl=en

About ten pages and one page that is not related to FSU cameras.
Some of the pages are upside down--I scanned using my work scanner and haven't had time to edit.

Mr. Nathan seems like a decent writer and was a big Nikon fan.
Rob

 

[julio1fer]

Nice article, thanks for sharing! I like the first page where the writer discusses if press photographers are or not into 35mm.

 

[David Hughes]

Sorry this took so long.
So I got the magazine, it is from 1958. NO camera ads. Spiratone had an ad, as did Edmund Surplus--now know as Edmund Scientific--and Dr. Grabow--that one's tobacco pipes. And a few for more magazines/how to books by the same publisher.
I have scanned the Russian Cameras article and it is here:
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BzD8_BEgO7fINDM4NDY3ZGItZjZkMy00N2M2LTgxZmItNzEyMjcxOGMwNmE4&hl=en

About ten pages and one page that is not related to FSU cameras.
Some of the pages are upside down--I scanned using my work scanner and haven't had time to edit.

Mr. Nathan seems like a decent writer and was a big Nikon fan.
Rob

Many thanks. It's always appreciated.

Regards, David