pete.naylor
KMZ Start SLR, c. 1962
The 'Krasnogorsk Mechanical Factory', better known as 'KMZ' for brevity, is situated on the fringes of Moscow and has been churning out cameras and lenses in amazing numbers since the 1940s. On the 35mm front alone, how's almost 850,000 Zorki-1 copies of the Leica 11 from 1949 to 1956 sound, just to give an idea of KMZ production of one model?. Unfortunately perhaps, KMZ's prolific production was not matched by a similar capacity for innovation. OK, so they stuck a pentaprism housing on a Zorki-1 and gave us the Zenit SLR in 1951, but despite even higher production figures than the original Zorki-1, it didn't go through all that much development. Its limited shutter speed range was a particularly vexing point with Russian professional photogs.
The noise they made must have eventually reached the ears of the KMZ management suits because in 1958 KMZ suprised everybody and came up with something special - the 'Start'. Wow! An F2 58mm 6-element Helios with breech mount, cloth FP shutter with B, 1 - 1/1,000 sec speeds on a single dial, plus self-timer, with I/C pentaprism/WLF? This was heady stuff back in 58, folks!
It clearly had some features begged, borrowed or stolen from other top-level 35mm SLRs, especially the Exakta, but none had been seen together on any camera at that time. Here's a few:
a. Exakta-style external 'APD' automatic diaphragm;
b. Exakta-style internal blade to cut film (watch your fingers too);
c. Miranda-style slotted fit I/C pentaprism/WLF;
d. Single-shutter speed dial;
e. Right-Side Thumb film wind lever;
f. Standard central split-image RF focussing.
The F2 Helios is a clone of the Zeiss Biotar, and a very good one too. Reputedly the very best performing lenses tested as they came off the production line were used for the 'Start', with lesser ones going on Zenits. As you can see from both L and R pics, the multi-coating sheen on the front element is almost ultra-violet like in intensity - I've never seen anything like it on any other lens. However, KMZ upstaged Exakta by having the Helios with automatic full aperture advance via the lever wind, rather than via the separate cocking lever underneath which remained a bugbear on the Exakta until the appearance of the Pancolar.
There were some initial teething problems with the Start's shutter, but KMZ sorted those out. What they didn't sort out, was the range of accessory lenses and other stuff that a professional-level 35mm SLR needs. Instead, Start buyers got an adaptor to fit M39 Zenit lenses and stuff, which makes you wonder why they fitted its Helios with its Praktina-style breech mount in the first place. You'd have to suspect that fairly early on its life, a policy decison was made not to offer all the promised good gear. Nevertheless, some 75,000 Starts were made between 1958 and 1964, most being local market models with 'Start' in cyrillic script like mine. A few were made for export with 'Start' in latin script. In 1963 a revised 'Start-2' with a linked metered prism setup was revealed to the Soviet media, but only a few models were ever made.
My camera is a late 1962 model, easily fathomed because KMZ body s/nos from that era start with the year of manufacture. At one stage I thought it might just have a connection with Cuba and the Missile Crisis, because I got it on Ebay US from a guy in Miami. (Hello - Miami, Cuban emigres, Russian missile technicians short of a quid, etc, etc ............) However, my double-guessing doesn't bear water when you consider the Missile Crisis was all over in October 62 and this 'Start' didn't leave KMZ until late 62. Mind you, the camera's ERC does have the cyrillic initials 'MIR' etched on its back .... Missile Inspection Repairer? Nah, more likely 'Moscow Internal Revenue'; according to a Doubting Thomas friend of mine ........
KMZ Start SLR, c. 1962
The 'Krasnogorsk Mechanical Factory', better known as 'KMZ' for brevity, is situated on the fringes of Moscow and has been churning out cameras and lenses in amazing numbers since the 1940s. On the 35mm front alone, how's almost 850,000 Zorki-1 copies of the Leica 11 from 1949 to 1956 sound, just to give an idea of KMZ production of one model?. Unfortunately perhaps, KMZ's prolific production was not matched by a similar capacity for innovation. OK, so they stuck a pentaprism housing on a Zorki-1 and gave us the Zenit SLR in 1951, but despite even higher production figures than the original Zorki-1, it didn't go through all that much development. Its limited shutter speed range was a particularly vexing point with Russian professional photogs.
The noise they made must have eventually reached the ears of the KMZ management suits because in 1958 KMZ suprised everybody and came up with something special - the 'Start'. Wow! An F2 58mm 6-element Helios with breech mount, cloth FP shutter with B, 1 - 1/1,000 sec speeds on a single dial, plus self-timer, with I/C pentaprism/WLF? This was heady stuff back in 58, folks!
It clearly had some features begged, borrowed or stolen from other top-level 35mm SLRs, especially the Exakta, but none had been seen together on any camera at that time. Here's a few:
a. Exakta-style external 'APD' automatic diaphragm;
b. Exakta-style internal blade to cut film (watch your fingers too);
c. Miranda-style slotted fit I/C pentaprism/WLF;
d. Single-shutter speed dial;
e. Right-Side Thumb film wind lever;
f. Standard central split-image RF focussing.
The F2 Helios is a clone of the Zeiss Biotar, and a very good one too. Reputedly the very best performing lenses tested as they came off the production line were used for the 'Start', with lesser ones going on Zenits. As you can see from both L and R pics, the multi-coating sheen on the front element is almost ultra-violet like in intensity - I've never seen anything like it on any other lens. However, KMZ upstaged Exakta by having the Helios with automatic full aperture advance via the lever wind, rather than via the separate cocking lever underneath which remained a bugbear on the Exakta until the appearance of the Pancolar.
There were some initial teething problems with the Start's shutter, but KMZ sorted those out. What they didn't sort out, was the range of accessory lenses and other stuff that a professional-level 35mm SLR needs. Instead, Start buyers got an adaptor to fit M39 Zenit lenses and stuff, which makes you wonder why they fitted its Helios with its Praktina-style breech mount in the first place. You'd have to suspect that fairly early on its life, a policy decison was made not to offer all the promised good gear. Nevertheless, some 75,000 Starts were made between 1958 and 1964, most being local market models with 'Start' in cyrillic script like mine. A few were made for export with 'Start' in latin script. In 1963 a revised 'Start-2' with a linked metered prism setup was revealed to the Soviet media, but only a few models were ever made.
My camera is a late 1962 model, easily fathomed because KMZ body s/nos from that era start with the year of manufacture. At one stage I thought it might just have a connection with Cuba and the Missile Crisis, because I got it on Ebay US from a guy in Miami. (Hello - Miami, Cuban emigres, Russian missile technicians short of a quid, etc, etc ............) However, my double-guessing doesn't bear water when you consider the Missile Crisis was all over in October 62 and this 'Start' didn't leave KMZ until late 62. Mind you, the camera's ERC does have the cyrillic initials 'MIR' etched on its back .... Missile Inspection Repairer? Nah, more likely 'Moscow Internal Revenue'; according to a Doubting Thomas friend of mine ........