Fotokor
Fotokor 1 is one of the first Soviet large format camera. This is a folding large format camera of 9×12 format with a double bellows extension.
Fotokor is a folding plate “universal” camera of 9×12 format with a double bellows extension, the creation of which began in 1928. In fact, this is the first Soviet mass camera – for 11 years of production (from 1930 to 1941 inclusive) more than 1 million copies were produced.
Fotokor Specifications
- Type: 9×12 folding camera
- Manufacturer: GOMZ plant
- Production period: from 1930 to 1940’s
- Format: 9×12
- Lens mount: fixed lens
- Lens: Ortagoz f4.5/135
- Shutter: leaf shutter with speeds of 1/25, 1/50 and 1/100 sec. plus K and D
- Viewfinder: ground glass
- Lighmeter: none
- Flash synchronisation: none
- Selftimer: none
- Weight: 1150 grams
Fotokor camera was equipped with Anastigmat Ortagoz f4.5/135 mm lenses, (in some recent releases, Industar-2 f4.5/135 mm Tessar type lenses were used).
Like other similar cameras (for example ARFO-3), the feature of Fotokior is the ability to move the front standard in horizontal and vertical directions.
Fotokor camera was equipped with a GOMZ shutter. The shutter design was developed by Soviet engineers based on the German Vario shutter.
It is a classic leaf inter-lens shutter without pre-cocking with shutter speeds of 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100, as well as K (the shutter is open while the shutter button is pressed) and D (the first press of the shutter button opens the shutter, the second – closes). The production of GOMZ shutters began in 1932.
The first series of Fotokor 1 camera was equipped with imported Compur shutters with speeds of 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, and 1/200 as well as B and T or also imported, but cheaper Vario shutters with shutter speeds of 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100, B, and T.
The GOMZ Fotocor camera’s focusing system uses ground glass located on the back of the Fotokor camera body. Focusing can also be done using the distance scale.
Cameras of this type in the Soviet Union were called universal, as they could be used both for pavilion shooting and for shooting on the street. In addition, using the Fotocor 1 camera, it was possible to take macro shots since the camera had double extension bellows.
