The Obscure Vilia

<p>Having recently posted an image and entered into some discussion on the "365 Day" thread, I thought I'd show a little more of this simple camera. It's the BeLomo Vilia.</p><div></div>

<p>The Vilia was manufactured in Minsk, Belorussia by MMZ BeLOMO, production running from 1973 until 1986 (or possibly longer) with production totaling "about two million". Despite the vast numbers of Vilias in circulation, the camera doesn't seem to be at all well known in the West, probably because the Vilia really wasn't a serious competitor for the large numbers of Japanese viewfinder cameras flooding the Western market in that era. It's a very lightly-built camera that feels quite solid; one source I consulted voiced the suspicion that it's been "weighted" to give a more solid heft. It has four shutter speeds of 1/30/, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/250, plus B, and a 40mm f/4 " Triplet-69-3" lens, which I assume features three elements. Shutter speeds are set on a ring around the lens, cocked by the film wind and triggered by the large lever on the front of the camera, while apertures are selected on a tiny (and very vulnerable) little lever beneath the lens.</p><div></div>

<p>The manufacturers claimed a sort of "Auto " function for the camera . On the shutter speed ring, beneath the lens, there is a scale of GOST film speeds, roughly equivalent to ASA. According to the instructions, you rotate this scale to select the speed of the film you're using, thus selecting a shutter speed at the mark on the top of the shutter speed ring. Next, you look into the viewfinder, observing an illuminated line of lighting situations illustrated by the usual cloudy/sunny graphics. Then, you find the aperture lever beneath the lens of the camera; moving this will move a pointer along the line of graphics, and you can select the lighting situation you deem to be appropriate. Of course you can ignore the whole thing and just select any combination of aperture and shutter speeds, which is what I did. The viewfinder is of the Newton variety, in this case tinted slightly blue and somewhat hazy.<br /><br />I've seen claims that the lens is quite good. Perhaps I have a copy that slipped past the notoriously haphazard quality control, but in my estimation it's pretty awful. In fact, I've used meniscus lenses that have performed better than this triplet. I'll post a few samples, all shot at f/8, and if anyone can show some better-quality images, I'd feel reassured that I've happened upon an inferior example. Film was Ilford FP4 processed in PMK Pyro, scans from an Epson V700.</p><div></div>

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<p>The f 8 images actually look pretty good. I once owned a small viewfinder (Russian made) that had that same lens and I tended to use f8 to f11 for the most part. I'm guessing that little 40mm f4 lens was very widely used. Thanks for posting.</p>

Curvature of field? I don't know why but one side of the frame is worse than the other side. Perhaps one of the elements

is off center or cocked. I could see the effect even on my iPad. Found a similar model at a thrift store but the shutter

jammed soon and I just gave it to my three year old grandkid to play with.

<p>"Lomo" in the purest sense. This is the <em>Urquelle.</em><br>

It's the "eye", not the lens, however. Bravo.<em><br /></em></p>

<p>Rick,<br>

<br />I have compared my photos made with Vilia Auto in the 80s (same plus AE with selenium meter), and also with Smena Simvol, which has the same lens. Vilia's lens has the same fuzzy distorted corners, but Smena is significantly better, almost perfect. Both were one of the cheapest and often used by teenagers.<br>

<br />The same BelOMO plant manufactured Zenits that had not the best reputation when compared to KMZ Zenits. Still, people used them successfully.<br>

BTW, Vilia is the name of the river near which the plant is located. The town name is Vilejka (not Minsk), also named from the same river.</p>

 

<p>I also used to have a Smena Symbol with the f/4 40mm triplet lens, and was quite pleased with the quality of images it produced. Looks like you may just have a bad copy here. I wonder if a previous owner "CLA'd" the camera at some point and didn't put something back right.</p>

<p>It's a shame about the edges, because the compostitions of the images are definitely up to your usual good standards, Rick. I'm not one that tends to obsess about corner performance and so on, but it's bad enough to bother even me.</p>

<p>My first thought was to echo what some of the others have said about an element out of place. I seem to remember someone mentioning some time back seeing similar performance after a home CLA and it turned out an element had been replaced wrong side out. Maybe something like this has happened at some point in the past?</p>

<p>Still really nice images, quite amazing really! Seems to be only off on one side? Could be as others have said, just a misaligned optic, or a film flatness issue.<br>

Either way, those budget Russian cameras are a lottery, and how good do we feel when a properly sorted one comes along!</p>

<p>Thanks for the responses. I hadn't intended the images to be anything other than a demonstration of the lens's shortcomings, so I'm pleased they met with approval. It would seem that this particular example of the Vilia suffers from severe inadequacies, and I'm relieved to hear that others of you have experienced better results from the same lens. I don't think I'll be seeking a replacement Vilia, but who knows? One may come my way...</p>

<p>probably just an unfortunate coincidence, but "vilia" means "cheap things" in latin - nomen omen ?</p>

<p>Maybe it's me, but the lens' shortcomings give a lovely nice moody, romantic edge to the photos. Sure, it may not be what one wants, but I actually find it quite charming. Maybe not a tool to use each and every day, but it sure has its uses occassionally.</p>

<p>Thanks for sharing the information and images, <strong>Rick</strong>, and for introducing me to another camera of which I was not aware.<br>

The images have a pictorialist-era look, which I quite like, and which might suit some soft portraits and gloomy/stormy scenes.</p>

<p>Interesting how Soviet engineering approached things. Always a little behind the curve but almost as good as cutting edge but at a much lower cost. Soviets would never associate a product with cheap. The name probably refers to the river that runs between Lithuania and Belarussia. </p>