FT-2

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The FT-2 (Cyrillic: ФТ-2) is a Russian panorama camera,[1] made by KMZ between 1958 & 1968. It takes 12 24x110mm exposures on a length 35mm film intended for 36 normal-sized frames, loaded into special cassettes. The lens swings through 120°, spreading the image across a curved film plane.[2] The viewfinder is simple metal frame with a central target, which folds over the back of the camera when not in use. In front of the viewfinder is a circular orange spirit level.

It was exported under the names "Spiratone", "Panorama" and "Spaceview". 16,662 were made[3]. The shutter speed is set by positioning two brake levers, mounted on the top plate of the camera. The film is advanced independently of the shutter, using a metal knob. There are three designs of shutter winder: early versions have a single-arm lever, with a narrow shaft and a wider end; after this, a tapering lever; and finally, the late models (as in the photo) have a "butterfly" two-armed winder.

  • Lens: 50mm f/5 Industar-22, fixed aperture
  • Shutter: 1/100, 1/200, 1/400s

Notes & References

  1. The FT stands for Fotoapparat Tokareva ( Фотоаппарат Токарева; translates to: Tokarev's camera), named after the camera's designer, weapons designer Vasilievich Tokarev.
  2. Even though the FT-2 has a similar view angle to the Widelux (FT-2: 120°, Widelux: 126°), the FT-2 uses a 50mm lens which results in a narrower (and thus longer) negative then Widelux, which is equipped with a 28mm lens.
  3. FT-2 @ sovietcams.com

Links/Sources