KMZ 16mm CAMERAS
KMZ made TWO 16mm cameras -- one for the "public" realm, and the other for the KGB. They made other cameras for the KGB and NKVD, as well, and those are covered in the HALF-FRAME section.
(1961-1965) A submininature SLR from the Soviet Union -- that's right, SLR -- for 14x21mm images. In fact,
it was the first subminiature SLR in the world! It was built on a request from the Soviet medical community for
an endoscopic camera, and it had an interchangeable lens in a 23mm thread. In all, about 20,000 were produced but
not many were used by physicians. It also has an interchangeable viewfinder, and a high-magnification finder was
apparently planned but never built -- what a pity! Shutter speeds are B, 1/2-1/500. Lenses were made by different
manufacturers
such as: 28mm f2.0, 28mm f2.8, 35mm f2.8, and 50mm f2.0. An adapter was available to put 39mm screw-mount lenses
on the camera as well as attach the camera to a microscope. It is seen in several "styles"; as opposed
to different "models". For example, the name is always on the front, but sometimes it is in Russian (Cyrillic)
and looks like "Hapyucc" -- which the camera is sometimes called -- or in English (Latin) as "NARCISS".
In addition, the camera came in white/cream enamel, black, and grey models. And, of course, it is often seen with
different lenses. Sometimes seen in a kit with accessories in a wooden box. It was designed for unperforated 16mm
film in special double cassettes.
(1989-1992) This was a successor to the KMZ F-27 Neozit half-frame camera, and as you might expect, due to its use of 16mm film it is basically a smaller version -- but not that much smaller. The format is reduced to 14.8x21mm (vs 18x24mm) with the images running horizontally. Similar to the Neozit, it is an electronic camera with shutter speeds from 1/60 to 1/1000. The lens is a fixed-focus, 25mm f2.8 3-element optic, with automatic TTL exposure control, powered batteries in, and controlled with, a remote cable release. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, some were sold to the public as the MA-2, although Zakhod is a completely appropriate name since it means "Sunset".
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