I first read about Soviet cameras back in 2011. For a while they didn’t seem that interesting to me. Back then I thought they looked kinda ugly, and after reading about how problematic they could be, I definitely had some reservations about buying myself one. A few years later, after reading a few glowing reviews of the Industar 61L/D lens, I started looking into buying the lens plus a camera to shoot it with.. . . .
May 1 is traditionally observed in many countries as May Day, a holiday celebrating the worker and his/her contributions to the greater good. It is most known in Communist and former Communist countries. In analog film circles, this day has come to be celebrated as Commie Camera Day, a day to pull out and dust off your old Smena, Kiev, Lubitel, Zorki or whatever your favorite clunker from this era might be. A number of Film Shooters Collective members own one or more of these cameras and are quite fond of them. This year, we asked them to send us some of their favorite shots and a few words about their cameras, in honor of these sturdy hard working cameras and their often impressive lenses.
Erik Gould gives us the lowdown on Commie Camera Day - May 1. This is a day each year when photographers dust off their Former Soviet Union or other Communist cameras and shoot some film in honor of workers everywhere. Erik provides us with an overview of some special cameras, and our other contributors provide examples from their own day of shooting.
