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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

    The A-39 (Аэрофотоаппарат "РА-39") is a "daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera" It was used from an altitude of 200m to 5,000 m at a flying speed of 600–1,400 km/hr. The unit documented here (sn# 64T242) was made in 1964.1 The camera documented here was fitted with a heated Uran-27 (Уран-27) 100mm f/2.5 lens (sn# 641581).2 The A-39 was manufactured by KOMZ, (Казанский оптико-механический завод; Kazanskii Optiko-Mekhanicheskii Zavod [Kazan Optical-Mechanical Factory], Republic Tatarstan), manufactured most Soviet Aerial Camera equipment.3 The camera had a focal plane curtain shutter with three shutter speeds 1/730 (range 1/615 - 1/910), 1/1270 (1/1060 - 1/1580) and 1/1820 (1/1515 - 1/2280).4 The resulting negatives were 70 x 80 mm, with the camera having a 1.9m magazine of 80mm film. The camera is powered by 27V DC.5 This document, which provides a photographic documentation of the camera, forms part of a broader assessment of specialised cameras of the World War II and Cold War eras.6

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Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

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Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

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Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

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Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

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Figure 23.

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Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

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Figure 28.

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Uran-­‐27  Lens  

Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

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Figure 34.

Figure 35.

  Figure 36. Lens Schematic7

Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

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Intervalometer

Figure 37.

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Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

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Cables

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Figure 47.

Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

 

Figure 48.

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Carry Case

Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

 

Figure 54.

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Outfit

Preferred Citation

Spennemann, Dirk H.R. (2015) Photographic WalkAround of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and

bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0. [CAMERA | TOPIA] : (Albury NSW).

Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the Soviet daylight photo-reconnaissance and bombing-damage recording camera KOMZ A-39. vers. 1.0 [CAMERA|TOPIA] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved  

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

Endnotes 1

Such units are uncommon on the open market. With the demise of the Soviet Union and the associated draw down of the military in Russia and the other successor states, many such cameras were sold off as military surplus. Given the limited use of the complete cameras, most were stripped to extract the Uran-27 lenses (see footnote 2). 2 With an aperture of f/2.5, the 100mm Uran-27 lens is considered to be a ‘fast’ prime lens for medium format photography and is thus quite sought after among serious amateurs and professional photographers.—The Uran-27 2.5 / 100 (aperture stops 2.5; 3.5; 4.5; 6.3; 8; 11; 16) has field of view along the diagonal 54°, on the long side of the frame 43°40' and on the short side of the frame 38°40' (Аэрофотоаппарат (АФА) "РА-39А" www.photohistory.ru/1207248179959706.html). With an aperture of f/2.5, the 100mm Uran-27 lens is considered to be a ‘fast’ prime lens for medium format photography and therefore quite sought after among photographers. —A search of on-line sources and offers at online auction houses (e.g. eBay etc.) in July 2015 revealed a number of a lens and body combinations, from which additional serial number pairs could be extracted (as the body serial number is repeated on the lens cone, additional number pairs could be gathered even if the camera had been cannibalised for the lens unit). Examples are body sn #01004 / lens sn# 690971 and 910184 / 681742.—H86181 / 560102..—For Uran series lenses in general see (Википедия, 2012).— 3 See for example the S-13 machine gun cameras (Spennemann, 2015p, 2015q, 2015r). 4 Measured tolerances were: nominal 1/730; range 1/615 1/910), 1/1270 (1/1060 - 1/1580) and 1/1820 (1/1515 1/2280) (Аэрофотоаппарат [АФА] "РА-39А" http://www.photohistory.ru/1207248179959706.html). 5- Dimensions: 271 x 312 x27 8mm, camera weight 8.12 kg, incl. storage box (full outfit) ~ 25 kg. 6 These studies are comprised of technical assessments (Spennemann, 2015a, 2015b, 2015c, 2015d) and photographic documentation (Spennemann, 2015e, 2015f, 2015g, 2015h, 2015i, 2015j, 2015k, 2015l, 2015m, 2015n, 2015o, 2015p, 2015q, 2015r, 2015s, 2015t, 2015u, 2015v). 7 Original source unclear. Copied from: allphotolenses.com/ public/files/pdfs/7de619497805428ea42510ee494b671d.jpg.

References Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015a). History, Description and Technical Details of the Fairchild camera transit F227 Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015b). History, Description and Technical Details of the GW Target Aircraft Cameras designed for testing the performance of guided wapons during the Cold War era. Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015c). History, Description and Technical Details of the Soviet Aircraft Machine Gun Camera GOMZ S-13 (фотопулемет C13) Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015d). History, Description and Technical Details of the WREROC missile

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cameras Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015e). Photographic WalkAround of a Calibration Kit for a Gun Sight Aiming Point (GSAP) 16mm Camera Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015f). Photographic WalkAround of an Abrams Erector Assembly for a Gun Sight Aiming Point camera Type AN N6 Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015g). Photographic WalkAround of the Bell and Howell Gun Sight Aiming Point camera Type AN N-6A Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015h). Photographic WalkAround of the Cossor 1428 Oscillograph Camera Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015i). Photographic WalkAround of the Fairchild Gun Sight Aiming Point camera Type AN-N6 Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015j). Photographic WalkAround of the Fairchild K-22 Aerial Camera Replacement LensCone Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015k). Photographic WalkAround of the Fairchild Night Unit for K-19 Aerial Camera Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015l). Photographic WalkAround of the General Electric Lens Heater Unit for K-21 & K-24 Aerial Cameras Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015m). Photographic WalkAround of the Kodak 16mm Strike Camera KB9A Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015n). Photographic WalkAround of the MP Gun Camera Bore Sight Type A–2 Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015o). Photographic WalkAround of the Simmon Brothers Combat Camera PH-501 Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015p). Photographic WalkAround of the Soviet Aircraft Machine Gun Camera KOMZ S-13 Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015q). Photographic WalkAround of the Soviet Aircraft Machine Gun Camera KOMZ S-13 (Czech Airforce Set) Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015r). Photographic WalkAround of the Soviet Aircraft Machine Gun Camera KOMZ S-13 with 300mm Tele-lens

Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the ¶¶¶ . vers. 1.0 [CAMERA | TOPIA ] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved © Dirk HR Spennemann 2015

 

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Walk-around KOMZ A-39 Aerial Camera

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Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015s). Photographic WalkAround of the Target Aircraft Camera Dekko GW1 Mk 1A Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015t). Photographic WalkAround of the Target Aircraft Camera Dekko GW1 Mk 1C Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015u). Photographic WalkAround of the Target Aircraft Camera R & J Beck GW2 Mk2 Model 2 Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Spennemann, Dirk HR. (2015v). Photographic WalkAround of the WREROC Missile Camera Cameratopia. Albury NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society. Википедия. (2012). Уран (серия объективов). Retrieved Jul 10, 2015, from https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Уран_(серия_о бъективов)

Spennemann, Dirk HR (2015) Photographic Walk-Around of the ¶¶¶ . vers. 1.0 [CAMERA | TOPIA ] (Albury NSW) All Rights Reserved © Dirk HR Spennemann 2015