Junost

From Camera-wiki.org
Jump to: navigation, search

The Junost (Юность; 'Youth') is a 35 mm coupled rangefinder camera, made in the Soviet Union by GOMZ (which became LOMO) from 1957. It might be seen as a response to rigid-bodied RF cameras like the Super Silette or some models of the Retina. G. Abramov states that the camera was at first called the Sport (not the Sport SLR), and shows a photo of a camera so marked, from a 1957 catalogue;[1] The Sport has a fixed 40 mm f/3.5 triplet lens (named Triplet);[1] The Junost has a T-32 45 mm f/3.5; this is mounted in a leaf shutter with speeds 1/8-1/250 second, plus 'B', marked with Exposure Values, and with a catch to link the aperture and shutter-speed adjustments. It has a self-timer (at the bottom of the barrel).

The camera has separate eyepieces for the viewfinder and RF. There are two pin-wrench fasteners close to the RF eyepiece, which might be adjusters for it.[2] It has lever film advance, with a mechanical frame-counter on the hub of the lever (Abramov states that this counts down, showing the number of frames remaining)[1]. The shutter-release button is on the top, well-positioned for the right index finger, and is threaded for a cable release. There is a cold shoe on the top; Abramov states that there is a flash-synchronisation contact (but not where it is: none can be seen in any of the photographs).[1]. There is a film-speed reminder dial on the rewind knob. The back of the camera detaches for loading.

The Mayak (Маяк; 'Beacon') is a re-styled version of the camera, with the same specification. Abramov shows a photograph of a prototype, and states that it was not produced in significant numbers.[1]


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Sport, Junost and Mayak cameras at G. Abramov's Photohistory.ru; text in Russian, with pictures of the cameras.
  2. A speculation, based on photographs of an example offered for sale at Ebay in November 2014 (item 151467809480).

Links