Photographic equipment BelOMO

First " Change "

" Change-2 "

In 1958, the Minsk Mechanical Plant (MMZ), together with LOMO, released the Smena camera (the post-war LOMO model).

“Change” is a simple small-format scale camera for beginners.

Bakelite body, removable back wall.

Type 135 film was used in standard cassettes. Frame size 24 × 36 mm.

There was no rewinding of the film, the captured film was fed into an empty cassette.

Rewind film head. Shutter cocking separate from film rewind.

The shutter is central, 1/200 - 1/10 and " B ".

Lens triplet "T-22" 4,5 / 40. Focusing from 1 m to “infinity” on the distance scale.

Lens aperture from f / 4 to f / 16.

The viewfinder is optical parallax .

Sync contact "X" was installed only on the part of the release. There is a clip for attaching a removable rangefinder (or flash ).

The number of cameras produced specifically at the MMZ is unknown.

In addition to the first "Change" at the MMZ produced:

• " Change-2 " (1957-1961) - a modification of the post-war "Change" with a self-timer and sync contact.
• " Change-M " (1961) - a modification of the post-war "Change". The main difference is the presence of sync contact, a photographic shutter with a different shutter speed range and a modified shutter button. Lens triplet "T-22M" 4,5 / 40.
• " Change-2M " (1961) - a modification of the post-war "Change". The main difference is the presence of self-timer and sync contact, a photographic shutter with a different shutter speed range and a modified shutter button. Lens triplet "T-22M" 4,5 / 40.

"Spring" - small-format scale cameras for beginner amateur enthusiasts.

Cameras with a frame size of 24 × 32 mm. By their level and technical characteristics, they are close to Smena cameras. They were produced from 1962 to 1966 at the Minsk Engineering Plant (BelOMO).

• " Spring " (1962-1964) is the basic model. Lens Triplet "T-22" 4,5 / 40 with a central shutter and shutter speeds from 1/8 to 1/250 s and " B ".
• " Spring-2 " (1964-1966) - a modification with an enlarged aperture lens ("T-22M" 4/40) and a shutter with a reduced shutter speed range (from 1/15 to 1/250 s and "B").
• "Spring-3" - a prototype with a lens 3.5 / 28, has not been commercially available.

"The Seagull" cameras

In the second half of the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s, BelOMO produced half-format cameras of the Seagull family.

These were scale non-automatic cameras for beginner amateur enthusiasts with a frame size of 18 × 24 mm ( film type 135 ), with a central shutter ( shutter speeds of 1 / 30-1 / 250 s), the lens " Industar -69" 2.8 / 28. At the "Seagull-3" was a selenium exposure meter .

Attracted by the compactness and lightness of the cameras.

The Chaika cameras cost more than the Smena cameras, which were the most common in those years, with a larger frame size with similar technical characteristics, which is why Chaika cameras were not very popular.

• "The Seagull " - from 1965 to 1967, 171,400 pieces were produced. The presence of shutter speed " B ", a fixed lens.
• " Chaika-2 " - from 1967 to 1972, 1.25 million units were produced. The presence of shutter speed "B", a removable lens.
• " Seagull-3 " - from 1971 to 1973, 600 thousand units were produced. The lack of shutter speed “B”, a removable lens, a light meter, a gunless cocking shutter and film rewind.
• "The Seagull-2M " - from 1972 to 1974, 351 thousand units were produced. Option "Seagull-3" with a trigger, but without a light meter. Lack of exposure "B", a removable lens.

Agat 18

BelOMO returned to semi-format cameras in 1984 , releasing non-automatic scale cameras for beginner amateur photographers Agat-18 and Agat-18K.

The camera housing is detachable.

Type 135 film was used in standard cassettes. Frame size 18 × 24 mm.

The lens " Industar- 104" 2,8 / 28.
Central shutter - aperture . With aperture of 2.8, shutter speed of 1/60 s is practiced, with aperture of 16 - 1/250 s. There is no shutter speed ring on the camera, there is only an aperture ring. Setting the exposure - according to the weather symbols.

You cannot change the combination of shutter speed to aperture.

In the second half of the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s, BelOMO produced the simplest medium-format Shkolnik and Etude cameras , designed for a wide 60-mm film-type film .

Frame size: “Schoolboy” - 6 × 6 cm, “Etude” - 4.5 × 6 cm.

The cases of the devices are plastic, the lens is the simplest single-lens , without focusing ( focused on the depth of the sharply depicted space ).

Central photographic shutter with one automatic shutter speed (1/60 or 1/125 s) and “ B ” (“by hand”).

Plate diaphragm with two or three holes of different diameters.

Due to the low price (6-8 rubles) these cameras belonged to the category of children's toys, so a small number of surviving specimens has survived to this day.

They are collectibles .

Small- format scale cameras developed by the Viliya family, developed in the 1970s, were popular among beginner amateur photographers because of their ease of use, the optimal price-quality ratio, and the large number of copies released.

Unified cameras of the Viliya family had the same appearance, were equipped with lenses of the T-69-3 triplet 4/40 and differed only in the principle of setting the exposure .

• " Viliya-auto " - from 1973 to 1985. Software machine .
• " Viliya " - from 1974 to 1985. No exposure device, manual shutter speed and aperture.
• " Silhouette Electro " - from 1976 to 1981. Aperture- priority auto .
• " Orion-EE " - from 1978 to 1983. Shutter priority machine.

Further development of the Viliya family was the Orion-2 and Silhouette-automatic devices (Silhouette-2).

Made in metal cases, the lens is Industar -92 2.8 / 38.

In terms of technical characteristics, they practically did not differ from the previous cameras “ Orion-EE ” and “ Silhouette-electro ”.

“Orion-2” was not mass-produced, the “Silhouette-automatic” camera was released in small quantities, because of the high price it was not in demand in the USSR (140 rubles in 1981, 95 rubles in 1985 ).

Some models of Zenit single-lens reflex cameras developed by the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) were also produced at BelOMO (Zenit Vileyka Plant).

In collaboration with the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ), Zenit-E was the first to be mastered, then Zenit-TTL production began.

As KMZ developed new models, BelOMO mastered Zenit-ET (including with a Helios-44M lens with a pressure diaphragm , Zenit-ET without an exposure meter ), Zenit-12pro , and Zenit-122 in including without a light meter .

On the basis of the Krasnogorsk Zenit, the Zenit-15 was produced, including without a light meter, Zenit-15M , Zenit-21XS , and Zenit-130 . ^[one]

The BelOMO Zeniths were equipped, as a rule, with Helios lenses manufactured by the Valdai Jupiter plant, Industar-50-2 lenses came from KMZ.

BelOMO cases were made of dermatin , unlike leather products made by KMZ.

In the late 1980s, cameras began to widely practice replacing metal parts with plastic.

In the 1980s, small-format (frame size 24 × 36 mm) cameras of the Elikon family were developed to replace the Viliya family.

Elikon-1 and Elikon

" Elikon-1 " and " Elikon " are compact automatic rangefinder cameras of a frameless design. The shooting lens , the photoresistor lens and the viewfinder lens are covered with a sliding plastic cover when carrying.

Lens " Minitar-2 " 2,8 / 35, non-replaceable, thread for the filter M46 × 0.75. Focusing on a conjugated rangefinder (0.55 ^× eyepiece enlargement, rangefinder base 19 mm).

The lens aperture is from 2.8 to 16. The aperture is two-bladed.

The cameras "Elikon" and "Elikon-1" are automatic machines with aperture priority .

Exponometric device with cadmium sulfide (CdS) photoresistor . Exposure compensation is possible only by changing the photosensitivity value of the film.

In automatic mode, the electronically controlled central shutter works continuously from 10 to 1/500 s.

• "Elikon-1" - with an attached automatic flash unit of a special design.
• "Elikon" - a modification of the camera "Elikon-1". The attached bracket allows the use of a conventional electronic flash with a central sync contact .

Elikon-2

" Elikon-2 " - scale modification of the camera " Elikon " with a lens " Minar-2 " 3,8 / 35.

In a very small number released rangefinder "Elikon-2."

A total of 393 copies were produced. ^[2]

Elikon Scale Cameras with Built-in Flash (Classic Shape)

Small-format scale cameras with built-in flash had a similar appearance, they differed in lenses and the principle of setting the exposure .

• " Elikon-3 " - a small-format automatic scale camera with a priority of a single shutter speed (1/125 s) with built-in flash, lens " Minar " 4/35. The shutter is central mechanical. Exposure “ B ” is absent.

When shooting with a flash, the lens aperture is set depending on the photosensitivity of the film and the distance to the subject (when focusing, the lens aperture changes).

• " Elikon-4 " - a small-format scale camera with manual installation of the diaphragm and with built-in flash.

The lens "MS Industar -95-02" 4/38 or "Minar" 4/35.

1/125 sec single shutter mechanical central shutter . Exposure “B” is absent.

• " Elikon-35S " - a small-format automatic scale camera ( program machine ) with built-in flash.

The lens "Industar-95" 2,8 / 38.

Central shutter- aperture with electronic control. Exposure “B” is absent. In automatic mode, the shutter works continuously from 1/8 (with aperture of 2.8) to 1/500 s (with aperture of 16). You cannot change the shutter speed-aperture combination.

When shooting with a flash, the lens aperture is set depending on the photosensitivity of the film and the distance to the subject (when focusing, the lens aperture changes).

A modified Elikon-35SM model was produced with the ability to manually set the diaphragm.

Elikon Autofocus

" Elikon-autofocus " - the first Soviet small-format camera with automatic focus .

Designed on the basis of cameras " Elikon-3 ", " Elikon-4 ", " Elikon-35S ".

The lens " Industar -95" 2,8 / 38, non-replaceable. Focus is automatic in passive mode. Auto focus limits from 1.1 m to infinity.

The central shutter is an electronically controlled aperture . Exposure “ B ” is absent. In automatic mode, the shutter works continuously from 1/8 (with aperture of 2.8) to 1/500 s (with aperture of 16). You cannot change the shutter speed-aperture combination.

The camera "Elikon-autofocus" - a software machine .

When the flash extends, it automatically turns on.

When shooting with a flash, the aperture of the lens is set depending on the photosensitivity of the film and the distance to the subject (when autofocusing, the aperture of the lens changes).

Elikon-535

" Elikon-535 " is a small-format compact scale camera with a case-free housing with manual exposure setting.

The last camera designed by BelOMO.

Minar-2 lens 3.8 / 35.

Central shutter - aperture . With aperture of 3.8, shutter speed of 1/90 s is practiced, with aperture of 16 - 1/512 s. Exposure “ B ” is absent.

There is no shutter speed control on the camera, there is only aperture adjustment dial.

Setting the exposure - according to the weather symbols.

You cannot change the shutter speed-aperture combination.

Relay

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, BelOMO together with LOMO produced the medium-format scaled relay camera with a tube (folding) lens triplet T-35 4/75.

Central shutter , shutter speeds from 1/8 to 1/250 s and " B ".

Frame size 6 × 6 cm, liner 4.5 × 6 cm ( roll film type film ).

Self-timer , sync contact .

Racurs

“Rakurs-670” and “Rakurs-672” are medium - format ( film of the type “roller film” ) single-lens direct-view cameras (without a viewfinder , on frosted glass instead of film).

Mounted on the optical bench is a cassette mount with a photographic film and a movable objective panel connected to it by means of a fur .

The objective panel allows you to shift the lens relative to the film, making correction of perspective ( shift lens ).

Professional cameras for pavilion shooting, released no more than 2200 copies.

• Stages of development of domestic camera manufacturing