Film cameras
Russian START User manual
User manual for Russian START. 22 pages in Russian, English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
22 pagesRussian, English1.4 MB PDF
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- Brand
- Various brands
- Model / document
- Russian START
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- Russian, English
- Pages
- 22
- File size
- 1.4 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Page 5 · Read text
::j I. SPECIFICATIONS Loading in the cassette 1.6 m of a film provides
shooting 36 frames. rl.!
Type of camera The camera is adapted to work with two ..9 The camera nSTARTT is portable 35-mm film cassettes similar with cartridges from the Soviet RF {
camera having all advantages of modern cameras. camera nKievo. Also can be used usual 135 type film d The camera *START, is the high class single cassette and take-up spool.
reflex lens (SLR) camera with the mirror, which Shutter
allows to see the image is direct, instead of reflected Original focal-plane shutter with a horizontal-or revolved. travel curtains is applied in the camera *START,. Camera is intended for the most various Shutter speeds
photoshootings and can satisfy to the high It provides an automatic shutter speeds l, lf2,
requirements showed to the camera by qualified L/4, I/8, L/15, I/30, L/60, I/I25, t/25O, 1/500
photofans. It is suitable also for many kinds of and 1/1000 seconds, and also oB, by hand and
reporting and scientific works. long exposure.
Picture format
24 mm x 36 mm. The camera is designed for
application of the standard 35 mm film format.
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Lens gZENIT' cameras (all lenses are without
-The camera *START' is completed by six-element springblende aperture).
lens *HELIOS-44, with the coated optics, with a Viewfinder
relative aperture I:2 and focal length of 58 mm. The eyepiece of the prism finder has 5x
It provides the high quality images. The magnification. Waist level finder also can be
resolution (in pairs of lines per I mml is not less installed.
than 30 at center of a field and 12 at edge of a field. Size of focusing screen, which you can see into
With pressing on the shutter release button the viewfinder 22 x 33 mm -using springblende aperture (first in USSR!), it Focusing
automatically jump to the meaning installed before. For adjusting sharpness the camera has both
Working distance of the camera (distance from a matte field and split image finder, which makes
basic plane of the lens to a plane of a photographic focusing same with optical rangefinder. Focusing
film) is equal 42 mm- with the scale of distances is also available.
Lens mount The SLR camera *START, is convenient for close-
The lenses mounted with special bayonet or with up shootings with different optical devices.
adapter for lenses with 39 mm mount from old Self-timer
Mechanically controlled 9- 15 sec.
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Filters 2. COMPLETE Cinnpne spt
Screw mount M40.5 x O.5 mm.
Tripod l. Camera with lens, removable back cover and
Socket with standard 3 /8" groove. removable prism finder.
Flash synchronization 2. Front lens cap
| /3O sec. or slower with electronic flash (socket 3. Empty film cassette (2 items)
' nXn) or lamp-flash (socket nM, and other shutter 4. Adapter ring for M39 lenses from the camera
speeds). (ZENITT
Knife 5. Ring for eyepiece correction lens
The camera has a special knife for cutting 6. Case with a neck-strap
exposed part of the photographic film inside the 7. Shutter release cable
camera body. It was actually for fast developing and 8. Description of the camera
film economy in 1960th years. 9. Passport
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3. NOMENCLATURE Shutter is actuated by the release button 14 (or
/5 for lenses other than *HELIOS-44*l or button of
The basic units of the camera (fig. 1 & 2) are: the self-release timer 23. Shutter release buttons 14
shutter, lens, viewfinder, mechanism of self-timer and 15 have a conic groove for connecting a shutter
mounted in the body, knife and removable back release cable.
wall. The adjusting on sharpness is consists of
The shutter cocking is made with the help of the focusing image on the clear matte field or/and
lever 8. overlapping the images in the center of focusing
The mechanism of a shutter is connected with screen.
the mechanism of film transportation and with a Install the frame counter on (zero, by turn of a
frame counter. That feature protects from repeated disk 9 for an actual part.
shooting on one shot. With turns the lever 8 the Install the shutter speed with the help of the dial
shutter is simultaneously cocked, the mirror JO, raising it and establishing on a shutter speed
lowered, the film moves on one frame and the disk scale I J.
of the counter turns on one division. The installation of shutter speed should be made
only after a cocking shutter and within the limits of
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divisions of a scale: 30, rB,r, 1000, 500, 250 125, The lens T,HELIOS-44, is supplied springblend
60, 15, 8, 4,2, 1 and back. It is impossible to turn aperture. With rotating of an aperture scale /3 the
maximum.the knob lO with an index in interval between 30 brightness of the viewfinder still
and 1. The shutter speed scale I I has numbers 1, Springblend aperture occurs only at the moment of
pressing on the button 14, which in turn presses on2,4,8...up to 1000, that means 1, Il2, ll4, I18..-
1/1OOO sec. With turn of the dial 1O in limits from the button 15 located under the button 14. Thus,
15 up to 1 will be felt additional effort from a spring aperture occurs directly before the moment of
and noise of the brake mechanism. taking picture.
The mechanism of springblend aperture can be
NOTE: It is not recommended to cock the shutter with switched-off by turn of the button 14 in direction of
pressed button 14 or 15. There can be a jamming of the an arrow before overlapping a stroke on a stalk /6
shutter. It is possible to remove this jamming by pressing buttons with two points on the cup 14. Thus theof the button of film rewind 79, artd in case the jamming springblend aperture occurs as established by ais not eliminated, it is necessarJr besides to open a back ring /3.cover and to turn by a transport sprocket 35. The switching on the springblend aperture
mechanism is made by turn of the button 14 in a
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direction of an arrow before overlapping one point directly on the button 15 against the stop and turn
on cup of the button with a stroke on a stalk 1.6, the button on a course of a hour arrow. After that
The focusing of the lens is made by rotation of a the button will remain in lowered situation, and the
nng 17. shutter opened so long as the button will not be
The lens is supplied with a scale of depth of revolved back, before overlapping points on the
sharpness /8. button and on the body.
The fastening lens to the body of the camera is Your camera has the mechanism of
made by a ring 26. By turning it against a synchronization between a shutter and a flash unit.
movement of a hour arrow against the stop to insert Before shooting with a flash carefully study
in bayonet cuts of a ring the appropriate ledges on instruction, applied to it.
the lens so that the button 14 has settled down With connection of a flash unit to a plug socket
above the button /5, then turn of a ring 26 in t}re 24 witir a symbol ulightningr or nXr short circuits of
return party to fix the lens on the body. contacts occur in the moment, when first curtain of
It is possible to use the long shutter speed oT, the shutter comes to the end of a frame window.
with replaceable lenses. It turns by the button 15 at The shooting with this contact is possible only with
rBr shutter speed on a shutter speed dial, just press shutter speed more than 1/30 sec with a
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completely opened frame window. You can use with Eyepiece of the prism finder has manufacturer's
this contact electronic flash or lamp-flash (with correction in limits from 0 up to D, and -1.5 has ashutter speed I /15 sec or more). designed for a normal sight. If the shooter
With using the self-timer it is necessary to lack of sight, it is recommended to add appropriate
connect a lamp only to a plug socket 24. tiny lens with the diameter of 18 mm into the
For mounting the flash on the body of the eyepiece. Special ring for fastening the correction
camera required additional adapter with accessory lens into eyepiece is included into a complete set.
shoe. It can be used only the flash units with a cord For fastening this ring with a lens to the eyepiece it
connector (or with a special adapter from nhot shoe,r is necessary to remove (unscrew) from it decorative
to cord connector). ring26 (fig. 1) before.
Fast shutter speeds from L/6O up to 1/1000 The prism finder can be removed from the
seq marked on a scale 11 by red figures, can be camera and is replaced by the finder-hood (or WLF)
applied with long burning lamps having time of (see Fig.3). The photographing without these
combustion approximately 0,05 sec. For connection devices can result lightning of . the frame through
of these lamps the camera has the second plug the holes near the focusing screen.
socket 25 with a symbol *lampo or <Mo.
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4. BASIC OPERATIONS
4.L. Loading film
You can use a standard (135 type) film cassette
or special old type cassettes (fig. 5).
The camera should be taken out from a case
before film loading. Just unscrew the screw of the
case which has been screwed into tripod socket 32
(fig. 4).
Open the camera and take out the cassette from
it, it is necess ary to turn the camera by the bottom
party to itself and to cast away two handles of locks
31 (fig. 4l and to turn them on a half-revolution
against the stop.
Fig. 4.
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ll
Then remove a back cover by moving it to a
bottom of the camera.
NOTE: Don't remove a back cover holding the camera lens
up, tJrus the cassette and take-up spool can drop out.
Avoid loading or unloading film in direct sunlight (it is
desirable in the poorly covered place, even in a shadow
from an own body).
Check up action of camera mechanism before loading
the film.
Insert new cassette into a jack of the camera's
body. The cassette with film should be placed into
left, and take-up cassette or a spool into the right
jack of the device.
Fig. 5.
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If the shutter is cocked not completely (for course of an arrow. Rotate film rewind knob until
example, when the photographic film comes to an resistance to rotation will not specify, that the film
end) in this case shutter release (without film from the take-up spool has passed into the cassette
exposing) can be made with the help of the button completely.
19 [rg. 21. If it is necessary to process exposed part of a
When the frame counter will show figure 56, it film, it is possible to use for it the advantage of
means that all loaded film is used. It is necessary to built-in knife. In this case it is necessary to cock
stop the further shooting and to unload the camera. the shutter L-2 times that exposed film has passed
completely into the take-up cassette. Then close theIYOTE: In a case of using by a lilm of length there are less take-up cassette (if it is old type cartridge) by turn athan meters, the signal the to termination of shooting 1 ,6 handle of the lock 31. Unscrew the knob 2l tois served by the appeared effort in rotation of tJ e lever 8(fie.21. extend a core with a knife against the stop and to
lower a knife on a place, after that screw the head
If was used two film cassettes, the film rewind is 21 to its place again. By a movement of the lever 8
not necessary. In other cases hold the button 19 in remove the cut off end of a photographic film into
the pressed position and rotate the knob 2O on a
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the cassette, then it can be taken out from the cameras with M39 lens mount (latest ,TZENIT's' has
camera. M42 lens mount), or latest lenses with nAr (adapter)
For using the self-timer it is necessary to turn index and with M39 adapters.
the lever 22 (ftg. 1) counter-clockwise against the Replaceable lenses can be mounted on the
stop. Then cock the shutter, install shutter speed, camera with the M39 adapter ring, which comes
aperture and sharpness. Switch off the mechanism with new camera or with macro rings sets. Screw
of springblend aperture and press the button of the lens against the stop into the adapter ring and
self-timer 23 against the stop, thus the mechanism then fix it into the camera's bayonet. Some lensesof auto release will be started. t with a large diameter of rear part (for example,
MTO-500 lens), complicate access for fastening ring To prevent blurred pictures, the camera must be \
used with a tripod (or any suitable support) and a 26. ln this case it is necessary to fix on the camera
cable release for exposures longer than l/25 sec. adapter ring, and then to screw the lens. .\\Y\\ Most of replaceable lenses are without qc 5. RTPLACEABLE LENSES springblend aperture and use the button 15 (fig.
1).for shutter release
With the camera ISTARTT can be applied
replaceable lenses, intended to the old *ZENIT,
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MTO-500 lens close the access to the button -15. shootings special adapters and macro rings set can
In this case release the shutter with the help of the be used. Such set sold separately from the camera.
special device which comes with old *MTO-500, and Adapter ring for M39 optics 5 (fig. 6) should be
.MTO-1000, lenses. It is not recommended to use attached to the camera's bayonet. Macro rings 1, 2,
the button 19 for shutter release. In this case the 3 & 4 should be attached to the adapter 5
film at the moment of shutter release can to move, separately or in necessary combination according
and the image will be blurring. with the table below. Finally second adapter ring 6
With usage telephoto lenses nTair-3o and *MTO- should be attached to those ring(s) and HELIOS-44
500, it is necessary to remember, that in the top lens can be locked into the bayonet.
part of the frame will appear a dark band with Sharpness adjustment can be achieved with
width about I mm. distance ring and with delicate moving the camera.
Adjust it with opened aperture and close it before
6. MACRO AND ADAPTER RIITGS SEf the shutter release. To close the aperture at
standard HELIOS-44 lens, just rotate the button 14
Standard HELIOS-44 lens allows focusing it at to the'double dot" position.
distances between O.7 m and o only. For close-up
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ffi@ffiM@ffit7
2 3 4 5 6
Fig. 6
Macro rings allows using a lot of M39 lenses relative aperture will reduce with it. For macro ratio
designed for old ZENIT cameras or for rangefinder more close than 1/5 different exposure correction
LTM cameras. But the table of scales for HELIOS- should be used. It should be 1 exposure step for
44 lens will not applicable in this case. Special M39 l/3 l/2 ratio, 2 steps for 1f L ratio,3 steps for -bellows also can be applicable and it can provide 2 / L ratio.
very serious macro ratio and smooth adjustment of Best sharpness will received at 5.6-11 aperture
it. meanings.
Close-up shootings require the support because
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6. CAMERA & LENSES CARE TIPS excessively hot place. Don't apply excessive force
during operation.
Store the camera in a cool, dry place. In humid Don't point the lens toward the Sun, You can
environments, store the camera inside its leather burn a hole in the curtains of the shutter in just a
case to keep out dust, moisture, and salt. few seconds if the shutter is not cocked and there is
no the mirror between lens and shutter. Cover the
NOTE: In tropical climates, it is better to store the camera lens with the lens cap immediately after shooting
separately from its leather case. The leather case moulds outdoors.
quickly in tropical climates, and will cause the camera to As mentioned earlier, the lenses have anti-mould as well. Storing the camera in a sealed vinyl plastic reflection coated surfaces. Because of its extremebag with some desiccants (Silica gel, dry rice, etc.) will thinness, this coating can be easily abraded withgive to it more protection. improper wiping or cleaning. To protect the anti-
be If the camera had been exposed to rain or mist, reflection coatings, the lens surface has to
or after shooting near the sea, wipe the camera with protected from contamination so that cleaning is an less often. Attaching a colourless *Slrylighto 1A ora soft, clean cloth. Don't leave the camera in UV filter on the lens can give it ample protection,
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be within acceptable specifications. They are not Being colourless, these filters can
permanently left on the lens. The filter will absorb considered as defects and will not affect the quality
the brunt of contamination, and are easier to clean. of images.
Easier and cheaper to replace too, if damaged. If the camera is brought from a cold
Protect the lens from, and do not store it in, a damp environment into a warmer one, let it warm first in
environment. Dampness can cause spotting and its case and stabilize to ambient temperatures to
moulding, which damage the coating. prevent moisture condensation.
Bubbles may be found in complex Soviet and If the camera malfunctions, take it to an
foreign lenses. The process by which the optical authorized service center for repair. Do not attempt
glass found in these lenses is made inevitably to do your own repairs at home. The cleaning of a
causes bubbles to form. The bubbles which may be matte field surface and wedges of a focusing screen
found are very small in size and quantity, and are also requires professional skill and extra care.
donated to www.butkus.usView original page 22From the M. Butkus archive. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
Check the model and edition against your equipment.
PDF verified 2026-10-10.