KMZ
Krasnogorski Mekhanicheskii Zavod (Красногорский механический завод) – Kransnogrosk Mechanical Works or KMZ – was founded in 1942 in Krasnogorsk, a western suburb of Moscow. It was an optical-mechanical plant that had been evacuated after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, in order to produce scopes, binoculars, and other optical equipment for the Soviet army.
In 1945 KMZ began manufacturing photographic lenses based on specifications obtained from the Carl Zeiss factory in Jena when it was captured by the Red Army. In 1946 the factory began making cameras, starting with the Moskva folding camera. In 1948 it began producing FED cameras to offset slow production from the FED factory, and by 1949 it made some design changes and thus production of the Zorki began. In 1952, KMZ created an SLR based on some modifications of the Zorki, and thus the Zenit was born.
During the following decades KMZ focused on the mass production of existing designs while also expanding into military optoelectronics and other military production. In 1993 it was privatized and became the Krasnogorsky Zavod, SA Zverev (Krasnogorsky Plant, JSC stock company). In 2005 KMZ closed its camera division but continued production of the Horizon panoramic cameras, which were based on military artillery optics. Recently KMZ has restarted selling Zenit cameras.
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| KMZ logo image by driesvandeneizen (Image rights) |
Contents
35mm
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| Zenit 3M image by Squonk11 (Image rights) |
SLR
Rangefinder
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| Zorki 2C image by bottledog (Image rights) |
Compact
- 510, 520, 610, 620
Panoramic
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| Horizont 35mm Panoramic image by skagman (Image rights) |
- Horizont
- Horizon 202
- Horizon 205 pc
- Horizon S3pro
- Panofot
Stereo
- Astra
120 film
Moskva 5
folding
Subminiature
Instant
Lens Brands
KMZ manufactured lenses under a bewildering variety of brand names[1]
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| Helios 44M-4 58mm f2 image by brian395 (Image rights) |
- Altair
- Amber
- Beam
- Carat
- Centaur
- Gelionar
- Granite
- Helios
- Industar
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| Jupiter 3 50mm f1.5 image by siimvahur (Image rights) |
- Jupiter
- Lanthanum
- Leningrad
- Maisons
- Meteor
- Mercury
- Minitar
- Mir
- Orchid
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| Tair 11-a 135mm f2.8 image by Purple Puppy (Image rights) |
- Orion
- Pentar
- Rubin
- Roussarie
- Signal
- Sputnik
- Tahir
- Tair
- Telemar
- Teletair
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| Zenitar 16mm f2.8 fisheye image by mr. Wood (Image rights) |
- Telezenitar
- Uran
- Uranium
- Variogoir
- Variozenitar
- Vega
- Zenitar
- ZM
- Zodiac
Bibliography
- Princelle, Jean-Loup. The Authentic Guide to Russian and Soviet Cameras. 2nd edition. Hove: Foto Books, 1995. 200 pages. ISBN 1874031630.
References
Links
- KMZ Company Website (in Russian)
- Introduction to KMZ at Alfred's Camera Page
- KMZ page at Collection G. Even's site
- KMZ R&D Center homepage
- KMZ cameras and User manuals at www.collection-appareils.fr
- USSRPhoto.com KMZ wiki page at USSRPhoto.com
