"Why do we say copies of German cameras?"

[ray*j*gun]

My understanding is that "Leica" (Barnack) invented the compact 35mm camera, ergo all others that copied that design would be er...copies.

 

[Dralowid]

My understanding is that "Leica" (Barnack) invented the compact 35mm camera, ergo all others that copied that design would be er...copies.

Ray, very much not the case...

See this thread as a starter:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129029


Michael

 

[hamradio]

After tearing down a kiev 6s and 60, I can say that contrary to internet wisdom, these cameras are most definitely not 'pentacon 6 copies.' Perhaps 'inspired by' would be fitting, but a p6 they ain't...

I think 'copy' is used pretty loosely in the realm of FSU gear.

 

[BillBingham2]

I...Now, we see a Nikon RF as an amazing forerunner of the F. Not as a poor copy of the Leica.

Nikon RFs were based upon the Contax design, Canons were based upon Leica.

My father-in-law visited the Nikon factory during the Korean Police Action, he was in charge of one of the air wings in Japan. He was told that in addition to the availability of designs the engineers (optical and mechanical) who were in Japan for years came from both companies and stayed after the end of the war.

The USSR took a sightly different approach and focused on volume rather than quality. From what I've seen some designs that came from union have been masterful. In some cases from scratch, in others they keep the great and make it better.

I think we call the copies because that's the way they started out. As mentioned earlier much of the "NATO" aligned world hasn't had access to their products from the beginning.

B2 (;->

 

[Ko.Fe.]

As I mentioned before, my latest example is Lubitel-2. Known to be copy of old German TLR, but it is improved with coated lenses and more advanced shutter, I think.

 

[Wulfthari]

Nikon RFs were based upon the Contax design, Canons were based upon Leica.

My father-in-law visited the Nikon factory during the Korean Police Action, he was in charge of one of the air wings in Japan. He was told that in addition to the availability of designs the engineers (optical and mechanical) who were in Japan for years came from both companies and stayed after the end of the war.

The USSR took a sightly different approach and focused on volume rather than quality. From what I've seen some designs that came from union have been masterful. In some cases from scratch, in others they keep the great and make it better.

I think we call the copies because that's the way they started out. As mentioned earlier much of the "NATO" aligned world hasn't had access to their products from the beginning.

B2 (;->

Correct, evidently Nikkor thought Contax was the best design, while Canon heavily copied Leicas, it's also easier the latter than the former.

In the Soviet realm the most interesting designs like the Kometa, the Leningrad, the Kiev Arsenal SLRs (including the advanced Kiev 18 and the Kiev 10/15, first shutter priority cameras to reach mass production) and the Almaz project were all meant for internal use and not publicized at all in the West.