This is my second dalliance with this East German camera. This series of basic viewfinders have a sound a like name to Bond’s original firearm before Fleming gave him the Walther PKK and like its namesakes compact and stylish. But is this camera worth taking on her majesty’s secret service or has been a Quantum of Solace ?
This lump of plastic arrived in 2 of the Poundland job lots. It’s providence is unknown but eBay seems awash with them. However there is a reason – they’re Rubbish.
Since I got my Olympus PEN EE-2, I’ve been seeking out a more focusable Half frame camera. As well as the obvious EES-2, one camera caught my attention from the Old USSR, the ФЭД Микро or in English the FED Mikron/micron sometime dubbed the Soviet PEN.
So when I finally got a working one I headed out with a roll of trusty Kodak BW400CN.
This fixed focus shooter came to me as BNIB in eBay parlance. The camera was still sealed in its retail pack with film and batteries and was in pristine conditions.
Lomography’s Mythology¹ describes this quirky zone focus shooter as the progenitor of the camera that started Lomography, the LC-A. But how does this camera that the Russians so slavishly copied, stand up on its own ?
I’ve a bit of a thing for German Cameras of the late 50’s and 60’s. I still miss my Boots badged Franka 125 and the German made Ilford sportsman was one of the Joys from the Poundland Challenge. I’ve always fancied a legendary Braun Paxette series camera and a viewfinder version came my way a few weeks ago
I don’t really like reviewing cameras that haven’t worked but I recently acquired a Yashica Samurai X4 which had a a sticky shutter. The actual other mechanics of the camera worked (bar flash) so these are my musing on this unique camera half frame SLR despite not actually successfully taking a shot on it