UK TOE London importer

[dee]

I have always been fascinated by Technical and Optical Equipment since visiting them back in the late 60s . At Praed St in London , I assume .

I have just bought a book by Ron Spillman - Discover Rewarding Photography - The Manual for Russian Equipment 1971 , which is fascinating .
My 1st SLR was a Dixons Prinzflex STTL of 1972 and they were also selling Prinzflex badged Zenit E and B

It appears that TOE started in 1962 , so presumably a few early Zorkis and Zenits were sold in the 60s [ I remember the Zenit E being sold alonside the 3m ] I am not sure when they , ineviatbly , folded .

No mention of Kiev , just Zorki 4 / Zenit / Fed 3 and 4 , Cosmic 35 , Lubitel , Zenit 80 .

They prided themselves on pre-sales checks and superb servicing facilities , though the blurb insists that few cameras came in with faults .

I would love to find any literature from those times - I have a Kiev 4a in it's original box with all UK paperwork - and a Kiev 4 which I know to be a UK import .

 

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

Hello Dee,
I've a copy of Ron Spillman's book as well.It was given to me in about '84 with the longterm loan of a Fed 4.It's surprising how often I dip into the book even now.I must be an FSUaholic.

In 1986 I bought my first SLR,a Zenith EM,by post from Gifford Boyd ,in Sussex.A couple of years later the shutter jammed,so I rang TOE.They were very helpful,and a gent in the Service Dept .,with a distinctly European accent told me how to free it up.I followed his instructions and it worked a treat,and I had no problems afterwards,(although I wrote his instructions down just in case😉)Still have it along with the camera's passport.

I also had a booklet on the Zenith 11 and 12 range ,and Helios lenses of the time.I'll try to find it.

Cheers,
Brian.

 

[Range Loser]

Toe

Toe

Hi Dee & Brian,

I have Ron Spillmans book somewhere too, and have just managed to dig out a forgotten copy of "Discover Rewarding Photography" published by TOE in 1974, interesting nostalgic stuff. I worked in a camera shop after leaving school selling Zeniths and they were prone to sticking shutters, but a bang on the desk often did the trick!

Andy.

 

[fanshaw]

Ron Spillman's book was given away with the cameras. In 1975 TOE replaced it with the paperback 'New Horizons in sight and sound'. This contains information on the Zenit EM, Fed-4, Zorki-4K and the Kiev-4/4A plus lens and Soviet microscopes and radios. Much of the general photo information is the same as in the Spillman book.