Unknown Russian Camera: Military?

Zarraboy

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I´ve been offered this item by an antique collector who does not know any details about it. Can someone help? Pictures from the seller, not mine!
 

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Ian Grant

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It's a Zenit Photosniper. they used to be sold in the UK by the official Russian camera importer TOE (Technical & Optical Equipment)

Basically a Zenit E with a 300mm lens fitted to a pistol grip which made the whole thing easier to balance for hand held work.

Ian
 

wotalegend

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Looks to me like a Fotosniper FS-3 kit, sold as a complete kit by KMZ from 1965 to 1982. The body is a Zenit-ES, the tele lens a Tair-3AS 300/4.5, and it also came with a Helios-44 58/2 lens, and 5 filters. No, I'm not an expert - I found it in my copy of Princelle, page 173.

P.S: Gotta be quick, don't you. In the time it took me to type two lines there were three other replies!
 

benjiboy

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It's a Zenit E Photo Sniper, Outfit they may have been used by the Russian Military I don't know, but they were available in the U.K about twenty years ago in camera stores, we used to sell them in the stores I worked in, they were imported by a company called Technical And Optical Equipment, the 300mm Tair 3 is a pretty good pre-set lens and it should also have in the kit a 58mm Helios lens. If you decide to buy it be careful where you use it, I stupidly once used one in Belfast during " the troubles" and nearly got my head shot off by the British Security Forces because it looks so much like an AK 47 from a distance.
 

Q.G.

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From the above answers, you might get the impression that it was only available (outside the F.S.U.) in the U.K. It was not: you could get it anywhere. As far as i know, it's not a rare thing, nor should it be expensive (it wasn't back then).
 

Ian Grant

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T.O.E which was Russian owned were particularly active in the UK so Zenit's were quite common, but of course they were available world-wide.

They are still available new although the camera body is now more a bit more modern 196 euros/$295

Ian
 
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railwayman3

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I'd feel like a right wally using one of these in public.......either that, or be very worried about being arrested!
 

Mustafa Umut Sarac

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They were available at every corner at Turkish market 20 years ago , but they were black and looks cheap.
This one is looking far away better but heavier also.
Bird photographers would like to own one and also it would take a crowded street in a compressed way and effect would be great. You can be sure no one sees they are photographed
 

wotalegend

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I doubt that they were specifically made for military usage, but one thing is for sure: if you used one on the street today, you would be very likely to meet a military (or police) person in a somewhat unfriendly mood.
 

Anscojohn

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I had an early one I dropped from a back pack on to the concrete at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Bunged up the body, but I was able to force the film transport and got my pictures of the game. I bought a newer one to replace the kit; but a trip to my local camera whiz got the body working again just fine.

I have the new outfit, NIB for anyone who is interested in making an offer. As mentioned above, the 300 mm lens is quite sharp.
 

normis

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The Photosniper was nothing extraordinary, it's made for regular people, not military. Something like "shoot the animals and birds just like a hunter" I think. I live in Latvia (former USSR) and we have these kits available for ~100GBP "like new" condition.
 
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