Estafeta

[Apostata]

No, it's not the feminine compliment of my nickname, but rather a rather rare FSU medium-format camera. Never heard of it before, until recently finding this listed on eBay: Link .

Anyone every heard about this model? Quality? The one on sale looks to be in poor shape, imho.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[wlewisiii]

Well, that's a curious clone. I know I've seen something like it from Germany - Braun or Welta? As for this one, from what little I've been able to find to read about them, the general presumption is that if the opening bid included postage, you'd still be overpaying for it. Especially given the condition this one appears to be in.

William

 

[kiev4a]

Never seen or heard of it before.

 

[johne]

Scarey thing is that it looks like it just left the factory FSU factory. Just a comment. Johne

 

[Doug]

Fedka has one for $99: http://www.fedka.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=151

"The ESTAFETA is one of the less known Soviet cameras. It was made by the Minsk plant in 1959-1961. According to J-L. Princelle, the camera was designed by the GOMZ works in Leningrad. Only 9,000 of Estafetas were made, and this makes it a very uncommon and desirable Soviet collectible camera.

"The Estafeta is a 6x6 medium format camera, it uses standard 120 film. The camera has a rigid metal body and a collapsible lens/shutter. It pops out loudly when the lock button is pressed (located on the top cover)."

 

[Jason_K]

I've got one, and the one you've linked to is pretty sad looking.
I've only put a few rolls through it so far and the jury is still out. It's interesting. Here are a few picks of mine. I'll try and post an image taken by the camera shortly.

 

[Apostata]

I've got one, and the one you've linked to is pretty sad looking.
I've only put a few rolls through it so far and the jury is still out. It's interesting. Here are a few picks of mine. I'll try and post an image taken by the camera shortly.

Thanks for the pics - yes the one on sale looks like it slept for many years with an ugly stick. A curiosity, and no more than that I'm afraid.

M

 

[John Robertson]

Its basically a simple camera, with roughly the same lens and shutter as the Lubitel, I would not touch this one with a bargepole!!!! Cameras from the BeLOMO factory generally do not have a good reputation.

 

[Jason_K]

It would best be described as a glorified Holga.

 

[John Robertson]

It would best be described as a glorified Holga.

As good as that? 🙄

 

[Evgeny S]

Estafeta is the simple and bad working camera. I'm practically sure that there is no use of this camera today except keeping it as the collectionner's item (Estafetas are quite rare cameras - only 6000 were issued by KMZ... no! by GOMZ (sorry guys I was mistaken :bang: ).

 

[John Robertson]

The Estafeta was originally called the Vympel and had a coupled R/F it was produced in a small run by GOMZ in Leningrad in 1956-7, the design was then handed to MMZ (later BeLomo) in Minsk who made about 9000 in the years from 1959-61. the version they made was a much simplified and lighter camera with no R/F. KMZ never made any of these cameras! There is no mention of it on their official archive website (Princelle pp 49 and 170 )