the Russians are coming ....

The latter link simply lists three variants of the well-known Zenitar fisheye which is a design from the 1980s, there is a Russian overview at http://www.zenit-foto.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23&Itemid=31 that contains a few more, but nothing new. And the former link lists a few established cameras and lens lines and their digital three-sensor panoramic camera that has never been seen beyond the project stage. No Helios 40mm mentioned anywhere, only the Helios-40, which is a 85mm lens designed in 1950; the only 40mm Helios was the Helios-113 prototype, a M-mount lens which is in all probability a copy of the 40mm Summicron.

I'm not holding my breath, or rather I'll believe it only when it hits the shelves. Russia (or the Soviet Union) never really had a civilian camera industry in the first place; KMZ, Arsenal and Lomo were all military factories first and had a civilian annex somewhere as a distant second. They started paying normal wages at KMZ only a few years ago. I'd be pleasantly surprised if their civilian camera production ever recovers.
 
I only will believe when there will be publicity video with V. Putin using all that gear. Otherwise I believe Medvedev with his Leica(s).
 
Zenit had effectively nothing on their photokina stand. Well, not in the way of cameras or lenses, though there was a pretty girl on the stand.

Cheers,

R.
 
They put the lenses mentioned (demo units) on the shelves in their brick-and-mortar store in Krasnogorsk. Still not on sale though.
 
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