Soviet Start Camera with Jupiter-11 4/135

[james_elwing]

<p>No, downloaded and blew it up; definitely a Visoflex 2.</p>

[james_elwing]

<p>No bites? Korda and Che were clearly both sensible communists, used Leicas, no?</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>He may have used Leicas sometime, but the Nikon S2 seems to have been his favorite in the early days of Che as Che the revolutionary, as opposed to the playboy doctor.<br>

As I said, he also used a Pentacon 6 or its Soviet copy.<br>

One reason that the Zenit looks Leica-like is that it is based on a redesigned Zorki (Leica clone), even to having the M39 mount, even if the flange distance was other. That's what the M39 Zenit lens used here was made for.</p>

[peter_naylor1]

<p>An interesting, informative and curiously whimsical post, JDM! Well done .....</p>

<p>I'm quite a START fan myself, having acquired one via Fleabay a few years back from a guy in Miami. (Hey, Miami - close to Cuba, right? So maybe a Che connection there too). I've never used the START, just having acquired it out of collecting curiosity. However, I did use a Zenit B with the same basic F2 Helios standard lens for several years in the late 60s to mid 70s, and got excellent results although the limited speed range and preset aperture setup were a nuisance at times. <br>

Clearly although the START was an earlier design than my Zenit B, it had some serious features for a 1962 SLR. A wide shutter speed range on a single, non-rotating dial and an Exakta/Miranda style external automatic diaphragm for a 'start'! Like you, I also find the split rangefinder focussing easy to use, although maybe not quite as easy as on a 1962-ish Miranda. The interchangeable pentaprism/WLF sliding bayonet fit is much more positive than on an Exakta.<br>

Shame the suits at KMZ never gave the START the chance it deserved as a serious amateur/professional 35mm system SLR, with a range of its own mount lenses and all that other necessary accessory stuff. Nevertheless it's an interesting example of an early 35mm SLR, and one rarely seen here in Oz. So when I first took it along to one of our local camera collecting society meetings, it got a lot of attention of the 'what the hell is that?' variety. (Pete In A Warming Perth) </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Peter, who knows? You might even have Che's Start. ;)</p>

<p>Thanks, everyone, for your input -- it's always appreciated.</p>

[peter_naylor1]

<p>Well, it would be great to think I might just have Che's original camera, wouldn't it? However, the reality is that although it probably had come from Cuba going by the handwritten initials in Cyrillic script on the back of the top part of the ERC, it would more likely have been owned by a Russian working or visiting there. The possibility then occurred that he might have had something to do with those missile installations that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. However, the camera has a '62' manufacture date and a high serial number, so the figures don't add up. Interesting to conject, though! (Pete In Perth)</p>

[Julio Fernandez]

<p>Excellent post! That lens has a lot of good glass inside, as is my experience with Soviet lenses. The artistic licence is great, and the statement could have been featured by Alan Sokal himself.<br>

Che was an avid photographer. IIRC he worked briefly as a PJ in Mexico before going to Cuba for the Moncada thing. He took a Zenit 3M to Bolivia (there is a selfportrait in his bio by J.L Anderson); probably his last camera (maybe a Minox that was used by his intel guy there).</p>