Review
Review Arsenal Kiev 4
35 mm Rangefinder Camera, 1978
The history of the Arsenal Kiev 4(A) camera is closely related to the history of the Zeiss Contax II camera.
Review
Review KMZ Zenit EM
35 mm Single Lens reflex (SLR) Camera, 1979
The Zenit line of SLR cameras comes from the Russian mechanical factory of Krasnogorsk near Moscow. The official factory name is Krasnogorski Mekhanicheskii Zavod (KMZ). The Zenit SLR is an evolution from the Zorki rangefinder camera. That rangefinder was a copy and further evolution of the German Leica ii camera. The SLR creation involves removing the Zorki rangefinder optics from the top and placing a ground glass instead. For a full KMZ Zenit EM review please see my post on the Kosmofoto website.
Review
Review Ihagee EXA
35 mm Single lens Reflex (SLR) Camera, 1956
You love them or you hate them: The Exakta and the entry-level Exa 35 mm Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras. They are special, or at least different with their trapezoidal shape and left-front positioned shutter button. The Exa is even more special, with its special shutter and its gear-shift shutter speed selector.
Review
Review Carl-Zeiss Jena Werra 2a (2nd generation)
35mm viewfinder camera, 1961
Browsing through the contents of an online camera auction house, I came across a Werra camera. This 1950s-1960s viewfinder camera comes from the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany). It was new for me and it’s peculiar – though quite appealing – appearance grabbed my attention. On a local digital marketplace, I then found a Werra 2 for a (for me) acceptable price. Now this little piece of genius early-postwar German engineering is mine.