The Best Soviet Scale Focus Cameras
In this article, the team of our site will tell you about the best Soviet scale focus cameras that are available today.
So what are the best Soviet scale focus cameras? For many, it will be extremely difficult to answer this question and make a choice. In this article we will try to tell you about the best Soviet scale cameras that you can buy in our time.
What is Scale Focus Cameras
A scale camera is a type of camera that does have use any focusing aids such as a rangefinder or a mirror with ground glass, and all focusing is done using a distance scale on the lens body. Such cameras have always been the cheapest on the market, because they lacked rather complex and expensive focusing elements.
In addition, scales of symbols in the form of a person, tree, building, etc. could be present on the lens body (as in the legendary Smena-8m).
But if necessary, such cameras could be supplemented with a removable rangefinders or a tape measure could be used if focusing using the distance scale is an unusual or difficult task for you.
Options Available Today
In Soviet times, there was a huge number of scale focus cameras aimed at the poorest audience. Many of these cameras are frankly terrible, others are impossible to buy in our time. In this regard, I will talk about those cameras that can be bought in our time at an adequate price and with which you can get decent photographs.
Among the Soviet focusing cameras that are worth paying attention to, I can advise you the following specimens:
- Smena-8m
- Smena-Symbol
- Zarya
- Mir
- Voskhod
- Fed-Mikron (and Fed-Mikron 2)
- Vilia
- Vilia-Auto
- Siluet-Electro
- Siluet-Automat
- Orion-EE
- Electra-112
This is essentially an exhaustive list of cameras that you can draw your attention to. Below I will consider the best variant that is right for you.
So, What is the Best Soviet Scale Focus Film Camera
The answer to this question will depend primarily on what you want from a camera and what features you need.
Smena-Symbol
The most famous Soviet scale camera is Smena-8m. But I don’t really advise buying Smena-8m, and I think that instead of it it’s better to buy Smena-Symbol. In fact, this is the same camera, but with a number of very important improvements at almost the same low price.
Unlike Smena-8m, Smena-Symbol has a convenient film advance lever combined with a shutter cocking, a more convenient shutter release button, a more convenient shutter speed selection ring, and a more comfortable film rewind mechanism, as well as a higher build quality.
