They also had a shop in Holborn, which sold TOE products alongside soapstone carvings, textiles and other Soviet exports.
That's interesting, don't think I remember that place. Made me think of the Albanian Shop nearby in Betterton Street in Covent Garden, which sold Albanian Souvenirs and the collected writings of Enver Hoxha. As I remember, the basement stocked Albanian folk LPs and other second hand records. I worked in a darkroom near there in the 80s and early 90s and picked up some great original Scott Walker and Dusty Springfield 60s albums. Looking online about it, it was believed to be very linked to the British Communist Party. Maybe someone at their record label Phillips was a party member! Wish I'd bought some of those Albanian records now!
It contained much excellent photography used to create a favourable impression of industry and productivity in the USSR. Smiling female workers seemed to be a favourite theme. Presumably most of those photos were taken with Soviet-made cameras.
Monument to Taras Shevchenko in Kyiv. I took this photo a year before the start of the war. Camera "Smena" 1958 release film Kodak Plus 200
Oh, I understand you very well. I'll never get my hands on anything 'Made in russia', but I do use a Soviet Zenith11. After all, I lived most of my life in the USSR and served in the Soviet Army and swore an oath to "the Soviet people and government". And yes I remember well how sergeants and officers forbade the guys from the Baltics to speak their native language. (No politics, this is my memory and my life) Most of the photos I have taken during my life were taken with a Zenit, so I am very comfortable with this camera, even though it is very blunt. It was the only 'cheap' DSLR in the USSR. It cost from 100 rubles, which by the way was a month's salary of a young doctor. Now in Ukraine, I bought a Zenith11 body for $2. I'll post the results soon in the monthly thread.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
I’ve no idea how the camera market has worked inside Russia or Belarus in recent years, but I was amazed to find that several excellent photographers I discovered on Instagram have digital Leicas now and had used film M-series in the past. Such a shame that this sharing of the fruits of civilisation has gone out of the window.If you were in a privileged group, you were issued a Leica, German lenses and western color film and chemicals. Others got Zorkis, Jupiters and the soviet inferior color process derived from pre-war Agfacolor.
Perhaps this is so, but there are several points in favor of Soviet cameras. 1 I enjoyed shooting Smena, but I cannot enjoy shooting Chinese Holga or Diana. 2 I love mechanics and really dislike automation. When I want to blur the background / foreground but I don’t understand how to do it, this circumstance annoys me. I don’t understand the hype prices for Olympus Point and Shoot, it reminds me of Bitcoin, 3 and the most important is accessibility. I bought $ 2 for the Zenith body, $ 15 for the Helios 44 lens. 4 dollars for film and as a result got the opportunity to shoot. Yes, I am in Ukraine and making any investments for a period longer than 24 hours is not a justified risk. In my case, it's stupid to buy LeicaOf course you can make nice pics with them, they just are a miserable experience to use compared to pretty much any other camera.
Yes, I am in Ukraine and making any investments for a period longer than 24 hours is not a justified risk. In my case, it's stupid to buy Leica
When I want to blur the background / foreground but I don’t understand how to do it, this circumstance annoys me.
))) This photo was taken by Canon Photura 135 Caption. But damn! I shot bikes, not the background! Yes, I understand that having rummaged through the settings I would have found how to do it, but in order to remove what was planned at the Zenith, I would need a slight movement of my hand. I try to explain at the level of feelings and sensations. Shooting at Zenith for me is like undressing a woman, shooting with Canon Photura is like undressing a cyborg))You don't know how to do it in general or with a particular camera?
Shooting at Zenith for me is like undressing a woman
))) How can I explain this? I picked up Zenith when I was 14 years old (when I was 6 years old I had Smena8M) I got used to this camera. In March last year, like all men (I mean men, not rags), I defended Kyiv with weapons in my hands. I had a lot to choose from but I took the AK-74, which is what I knew best. If I have a choice of Zenith/Canon Photura of course I will choose Zenith. But I don't idealize it. Terrible optics and essentially a hammer. But a hammer that I know how to work with.I am lost for words.
))) How can I explain this? I picked up Zenith when I was 14 years old (when I was 6 years old I had Smena8M) I got used to this camera. In March last year, like all men (I mean men, not rags), I defended Kyiv with weapons in my hands. I had a lot to choose from but I took the AK-74, which is what I knew best. If I have a choice of Zenith/Canon Photura of course I will choose Zenith. But I don't idealize it. Terrible optics and essentially a hammer. But a hammer that I know how to work with.
))) This photo was taken by Canon Photura 135 Caption. But damn! I shot bikes, not the background! . Shooting at Zenith for me is like undressing a woman, shooting with Canon Photura is like undressing a cyborg))
View attachment 329222
))) This photo was taken by Canon Photura 135 Caption. But damn! I shot bikes, not the background! Yes, I understand that having rummaged through the settings I would have found how to do it, but in order to remove what was planned at the Zenith, I would need a slight movement of my hand. I try to explain at the level of feelings and sensations. Shooting at Zenith for me is like undressing a woman, shooting with Canon Photura is like undressing a cyborg))
View attachment 329222
I'm a little familiar with bokeh))) But I don't know how to do it on cameras with automatics. I don't like automation at all. Only hands, only tactile sensations. I don’t know how to shoot on the phone at all, I don’t see anything there, but wearing glasses is uncomfortable))) The photo was not taken at Zenith. But this is Helios 44 with a square aperture))It's not a matter of settings, this is purely optical thing.
For soft background you need to move close to your subject, open your lens up, focus and shoot.
Larger sensor/film size gives more bokeh.
Faster lenses (wider aperture) give more bokeh.
Longer lens (tele) gives more bokeh...
It's a setting only in phones and maybe some other small-sensor devices that fake the effect.
The official web site says so, therefore it must be true:
https://shvabe.com/promo/vkusnyizenit/
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