KMZ

KRASNOGORSK MECHANICAL PLANT (KMZ)

PJSC Krasnogorsk Plant named after S. A. Zverev, formerly Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ) is a large
optical enterprise located in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow region. The trademark of KMZ products
since 1946 is the image of a Dove prism with an arrow.
In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated November 21, 2008
No. 873 and the order of the State Corporation “Russian Technologies” dated January 11, 2009 No. 2, it
was included in the holding company “Optical Systems and Technologies” (now the holding company
“Shvabe”).
It specializes in the production of optical and optoelectronic devices – aerospace photographic
equipment and ground-based observation systems, sighting systems and fire control systems, medical
equipment, cameras, lenses, observation devices. Together with LOMO and the Arsenal plant, KMZ was
one of the three largest manufacturers of photographic equipment in the USSR: over the entire period of
its activity, the plant produced a total of more than 21 million cameras.
Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant (KMZ)
Story
The plant was founded in 1942 by order No. 63 of the People’s Commissar of Armaments of the USSR
dated February 1, 1942 on the vacated areas of the Lenin Plant No. 69 (formerly Pavshinsky Precision
Mechanics Plant No. 19), evacuated in October 1941 to the city of Novosibirsk. The plant was assigned
No. 393 in the system of the People’s Commissariat of Armaments (NKV) of the USSR.
During the Great Patriotic War, the enterprise’s activities were entirely aimed at defense needs. In March
1942, the plant began production of the first optical-mechanical devices and in July of the same year the
following were in production: large stereo tubes “BST”, tank commander panoramas “PTK-5”, periscope
artillery compasses “PAB”, mortar sights “MPB-80″ ” and “MP-5K”. The ASCHAFA-2 slit-type aerial
camera designed by V. A. Semenov is being put into production. In 1944, special design bureaus for
aerial cameras (SPKB-1) and artillery optical instruments (SPKB-2) were created at the plant, with the
simultaneous organization of pilot workshops. In total, in the period 1942-1945, the plant produced
more than 400 thousand various devices for the needs of the Red Army.
After the end of the reparations war, the Krasnogorsk plant received a large amount of documentation
and equipment from German optical enterprises. Since 1946, about 300 German specialists were sent to
the industry’s factories from Germany; the main part, over a third, worked for KMZ for about five years.
In the post-war years, the production of civilian products began at the enterprise and already in 1946 the
plant began producing a captured copy of the Zeiss Ikonta camera, named “Moscow-1”, projection
devices for the Library. Lenin, preparations begin for the release of the FED camera (which later received
its own name “Zorki”).
photocamera fed 1 liveviewer.ru 10
In 1948, the Central Design Bureau (TsKB) was created, which included SPKB-1 and SPKB-2 and organized
a number of new areas for the design of tank sights, infrared and other devices. In 1949, production of
the EM-3 electron microscope, developed at the State Optical Institute under the leadership of A. A.
Lebedev, began. In 1952, the Zenit single-lens reflex camera was launched into mass production, marking
the beginning of a whole line, one of the models of which became the most popular “DSLR” in the world
and was produced with a total circulation of more than 8 million copies.
In 1955, the plant organized radio engineering production to produce equipment for controlling air-to-air
and surface-to-air missiles.
In 1958, the plant took part in the World Exhibition in Brussels (Expo-58), at which samples of the plant’s
products were awarded gold medals and diplomas.
In 1959, the Krasnogorsk aerial camera “AFA-E1” as part of the phototelevision complex “Yenisei”
developed and produced by the Leningrad Scientific Research Institute-380 (Research Institute of
Television, now OJSC “NIIT”), installed at the automatic interplanetary station Luna-3, photographed the
far side of the Moon.
In 1960, the plant began producing amateur 8-mm Quartz movie cameras.
In 1965-1971, a high-precision astronomical installation VAU was developed and manufactured for
photographing space objects, determining their coordinates and orbits. The weight of the installation
reached 30 tons. Subsequently, the experience of working on this installation was used to create the
optical-electronic space control complex “Window”.
In 1966, serial production of the Zenit-E and Photosniper cameras and the 16 mm Krasnogorsk film
camera began. In 1967, the panoramic camera “Horizon” was released, which won several gold medals
at exhibitions. In 1968, the company mastered the production of lenses for television cameras.
In 1976, the enterprise was transformed into the Krasnogorsk Plant production association (PA), which
included a number of enterprises producing optical instruments. In the same year, the Zenit-TTL camera
was released, and in 1979 the company was named after S. A. Zverev. Work began on the development
and creation of the optical-electronic space control complex “Window” (installation of the complex was
completed in 1988, accepted for combat duty in 1999).
In 1990, the Shkval surveillance and sighting systems for helicopters and airplanes were put into
production.
In 1993, the enterprise was corporatized and transformed into OJSC Krasnogorsk Plant named after. S. A.
Zverev” (JSC KMZ). In 1995, the Central Design Bureau (CDB) was renamed the Scientific and Technical
Center (STC). In 2004, the enterprise received the status of a Federal Research and Production Center for
several years. In the 2000s, the plant tried to master the mass production of cameras of relatively
progressive models, in particular, the Zenit-KM, which was equipped with a built-in electric drive for
automatically cocking the shutter and rewinding the film. At the same time, modernized Zenits of the old
model range continued to be produced. Since 2005, the production of Zenit cameras was discontinued
by decision of the plant’s board of directors; only film panoramic cameras of the Horizon brand and
several types of interchangeable lenses remained in production.
On September 7, 2012, the Helios trade and exhibition center was reopened, having operated for just
over two years (closed in January 2015).
On September 19, 2012, it was announced that the production of three previously produced threaded
lenses would be resumed: “MS Mir-20M”, “Helios-40-2” and “MC APO Telezenitar-M 2.8/135”.
In 2018, together with Leica Camera AG, the Zenit-M camera, developed on the basis of the German
Leica M typ 240 camera, was presented. This product is equipped with a Russian super-fast lens
“Zenithar” 1.0/35.
At the beginning of 2016, the photographic equipment plant produces several types of photographic
lenses.
Product catalog of 1200 USSR cameras
Directors of KMZ
Kolychev, Vladimir Aleksandrovich (1942-1946) – the first director of KMZ from its founding.
Skarzhinsky, Dmitry Frantsevich (1946-1950)
Solovyov, Andrey Fedorovich (1950-1953)
Egorov, Nikolai Mikhailovich (1953-1965)
Voronin, Lev Alekseevich (1965-1968)
Kreopalov, Vladislav Ivanovich (1968-1973)
Ustinov, Oleg Mikhailovich (1973-1975)
Trifonov, Vilor Grigorievich (1975-1986)
Goev, Alexander Ivanovich (1986—2006)
Zhigulich, Valery Petrovich (2006—2011)
Tarasov, Alexander Petrovich (2011—2014)[14]
Patrikeev, Alexey Pavlovich (2014—2016)
Kalyugin Vadim Stanislavovich (from January 12, 2016 to October 28, 2019)
Novikov Alexander Valerievich (since October 28, 2019)
Activities
The main activities of PJSC KMZ are the development and creation of:
surveillance and targeting aircraft systems;
fire control systems for armored vehicles;
space control means;
systems for remote sensing of the Earth from space and from airborne carriers;
laser rangefinders-target designators, all-day surveillance systems, sights for small arms (for example, the
Hyperon series);
optical-electronic equipment, civil, scientific equipment;
medical products in the following areas: gynecology, proctology, ophthalmology, endoprosthetics;
photographic equipment;
observation devices.
scientific instrumentation: scientific and analytical equipment for conducting fundamental research,
creating high technologies, new defense equipment, solving national economic problems in various
fields of science, technology and production;
calculation and design of optical systems, lens construction.
In addition, PJSC KMZ carries out measures for the repair of military equipment, warranty and author’s
supervision of its condition, implements proposals in the field of military-technical cooperation of the
Russian Federation with foreign countries in accordance with international treaties of the Russian
Federation.
Some products and developments
“Hyperon” is a series of pancratic sights designed for reconnaissance of targets and conducting targeted
shooting from sniper rifles (SVD, SVDK, etc.).
“Zarevo” is a thermal imaging sighting system designed to modernize the standard Raduga-Sh sighting
system of Mi-24P and Mi-35 combat helicopters.
“Aurora” is optical-electronic equipment in the visible range for remote sensing of the Earth, installed on
the small spacecraft “Mezhevikin”.
Abramov Georgy. Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant
Since it is impossible to imagine the history of the development of Soviet camera manufacturing without
a separate mention of the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant, I decided to write this material after visiting
the factory’s Museum of Labor and Military Glory. Many of us have a very ambiguous attitude towards
the plant and its products, but history is still facts, not emotions. In addition, it must be borne in mind
that photographic and film equipment, as well as optics for them, were never supplied to the plant main
products. Therefore, most of what the plant produced will remain outside the scope of this article.
* * *
The official date of birth of the plant is considered to be February 1, 1942. It all began much earlier. At
the beginning of 1918, optical production in St. Petersburg (which combined the two former Riga
factories of Zeiss and Hertz) was evacuated to Voronezh due to the government moving to Moscow and
the danger of the capture of Petrograd by the Germans. About 300 people arrived in Voronezh along
with the equipment. However, in the summer of the same year, when General Krasnov was advancing
from the south, the plant was transferred to Perm, where about 70 people were sent, high-quality
opticians, without whom it would have been impossible to establish production.
They arrived in Perm in early August and settled in an abandoned distillery. Less than two months later,
under the threat of Kolchak’s offensive, the plant was evacuated to Podolsk, where production was
located in the annex of the main building of the mechanical plant, formerly. Singer company. It should be
noted that the main products of the plant in those years were artillery sights and binoculars.
The plant remained in Podolsk until 1927. In the early 20s, a new production was launched at the plant –
spectacle optics. Here is an excerpt from the newspaper “Podolsky Rabochiy” dated January 11, 1924:
“Optical objects, including glasses, were imported into the USSR from abroad, mainly from Germany. A
famine for spectacle goods arose due to the closure of the foreign market and the blockade of the
USSR… That is why spectacle production was equipped in the city of Podolsk… The new… production
eked out a miserable existence in the first two years.
There were no devices, machines, or tools. The glass was poorly processed. Now, in 1924, with the
receipt of orders, the production of glasses began; powerful new machines were installed. Now up to 30
thousand dozen pairs of spectacle glasses are produced per month and 70 thousand frames for them.
Our spectacle products are only slightly inferior in quality to German ones.” During this period of time,
the annual purchase of spectacle optics abroad was made in the amount of about 2 million rubles in
gold. Since 1925, domestic (Izyum) glass began to be used for the production of spectacle lenses.
Due to the need to expand production, it was decided to move the plant to another location. The choice
fell on the small village of Banki in the Pavshinskaya volost of the Moscow district. Here, 20 km from
Moscow, the buildings of a former weaving and dyeing factory stood empty. In the spring of 1927, the
last train with equipment from the optical plant left Podolsk, and about 200 people, the best opticians,
went to the village of Banki (the future city of Krasnogorsk).
The following years were marked by reconstruction and construction. In 1930, when VOOMP was
created, which included almost all optical production in the country, it was decided to turn to Germany
for technical assistance – after all, we did not have our own experience in designing and building such
plants. However, the negotiations ended in vain, because German industrialists, in addition to 3 million
rubles in gold, demanded guarantees that the new plant would not sell equipment on the foreign market
for 10 years after completion of construction.
As a result, everything was done by hand. In addition to the construction of a foundry, mechanical, repair
and tool shops, a forge and the main assembly shop, in 1931 the factory FZU (factory school) began its
work, which was supposed to become a “personnel forge” for the enterprise.
By 1932, production output increased 4.7 times compared to 1928. 11 devices have already been
launched into the series. Here is an interesting statement by a Soviet physicist, one of the organizers of
the optical industry in the USSR, Academician D.S. Rozhdestvensky, dated 1922: “The future war… if only
there is one, there will be a cruel, technical, merciless war. Victory will not be determined by the number
of soldiers, it will be determined… at least by the ability to make photographic lenses for reconnaissance
photography from airplanes or sights for throwing destructive shells from airplanes.
But if there is no war, there will be a more immediate and urgent need to promote the progress of
optical glass, without which there is neither knowledge of nature nor power over it.” Gradually, in
particular thanks to strong ties with GOI, the quality and complexity of the products began to increase.
Not the least role in increasing production volumes and improving the quality of products was played by
the enthusiasm of the plant workers, “Stakhanovites”, “excellent students”, “shock workers”, etc. Now it
is difficult for us not only to understand all this, but even to even imagine it, but in those years it was a
reality that played an important role in the life of both the country and the plant.
By 1937, compared to 1932, the plant’s output increased 5.4 times. During this period, in addition to
military products, the plant also produced optimeters, microscopes, photographic lenses, binoculars, etc.
In February 1942, the enterprise received a new name – State Union Plant N393 of the People’s
Commissariat of Armaments of the USSR, which was later transformed into the Krasnogorsk Mechanical
Plant.
In 1942, it was decided to transport the remaining part of the machinery and equipment from the State
Optical-Mechanical Plant from Leningrad to Krasnogorsk. In the same year, 9 new devices for the front
were mastered, in particular: a large stereo tube, a tank commander’s panorama, a periscope artillery
compass, and a mechanical mortar sight. The first domestic slit-hole aerial camera, ASCHAFA-2, has been
finalized and put into production.
In 1943, a group of engineers and technicians from the Kharkov plant, where FEDs were produced in the
pre-war years, arrived at the plant from evacuation. In 1944, special design bureaus for aerial
photographic equipment and artillery optical instruments were organized with the simultaneous
organization of experimental workshops for the production of prototypes and pilot series of the
equipment being created – the basis of the future Central Design Bureau of the plant.
Immediately after the end of the war, KMZ received the task of producing peaceful products: projection
devices for the state library named after. V.I. Lenin, theater binoculars, the first batch of which was
purchased by the Bolshoi Theater, enlargers, and, finally, cameras. In 1947, the plant received a large
amount of new equipment and significantly expanded its production area.
It was at this time that the basis for the production of photographic equipment and scientific
instruments was laid. From this moment on, the plant’s products include the following equipment:
civilian products (photographic equipment and scientific instrumentation) and special (read: military)
equipment (aerial photography equipment, sighting devices and infrared equipment).
In 1946, the first domestic folding medium-format rangefinder amateur camera “Moscow-1” was
released. The device was not distinguished by grace. Difficulties were also experienced during its
manufacture – at first the technology did not go well, and the assemblers did not have the proper
qualifications and experience.
Nevertheless, over time, things progressed. The plant learned how to make shutters themselves – the
production of the “Moment” central shutter was mastered. A year later, in 1947, a new model of the
camera appeared – “Moscow-2”, which became serial for a long time. The first 25 pieces were made for
the 800th anniversary of Moscow. In the same year, a photo lens workshop was created.
In 1948, the first 50 Zorki devices were produced, based on the Kharkov FED model, and by the end of
the year more than 1.5 thousand of them had been assembled. This device is associated with the
appearance of the plant brand, which since July 1948 has been installed on all devices produced by KMZ.
The name “Zorki” itself appeared in April 1949. The first conveyor belt, launched in March 1949, is also
associated with Zorki.
With the launch of the conveyor, labor productivity increased 5 times. It is important to note that in the
Zorki cameras, unlike the FED, from the very beginning the working distance was standard – 28.8 mm.
Some models in 1948 were produced with an additional shutter speed of 1/1000 (similar to the FED-S
model), and starting around 1950, the shutter button was modernized – for a cable release.
The first lenses produced were “Industar-22” 3.5/52 in a retractable body and “Jupiter-8” 2/50 (originally
“ZK-50/2”), as well as “Jupiter-3” 1.5/50 (“ ZK-50/1.5). Moreover, some of the lenses were made with
bayonet mounts for “Kyiv” cameras. At first, the photographic lens workshop produced no more than
300 pieces per month, and three years later, productivity increased to 4 thousand pieces per month. By
the beginning of the 50s, the workshop had mastered more than two dozen products. In 1949, the
world’s first electron microscope began to be manufactured, created in collaboration with scientists from
the S.I. Vavilov State Optical Institute.
In 1952, a new small-format SLR camera “Zenit” was born, which laid the foundation for a whole family
of cameras.
It is curious that in the 40s – 60s the plant really cared about improving the quality of its products: for
example, if in 1949 the plant received 0.94% of complaints regarding production for the Zorki camera,
then in 1952 – only 0.24%. Pick up any Zenit or Zorki from the mid-50s and compare the quality of their
manufacturing and assembly with modern Zeniths. I think the conclusion will be clear.
It should be noted here that the history of the plant, like any other enterprise, cannot exist on its own,
without the personalities and destinies of people who, without exaggeration, gave the plant the best
years of their lives. To be fair, it should be noted that the history of the Krasnogorsk plant as presented
by V.L. Rapoport consists of 90% stories about people. However, within the framework of this note, I did
not plan to cover all aspects of this difficult issue.
By the end of 1954, despite a number of difficulties, the production of cameras was significantly
increased: for example, the production of “Moscow-2” increased by 78%, “Zorky-3” – by 86%, “Zenith” –
by 202% compared to 1953 year. Now, instead of three, the photo assembly shop had 11 conveyor lines.
If in 1953 the total production of photographic equipment was more than 180 thousand cameras, then
in 1954 it grew to 300 thousand. By the end of 1955, about 3,000 of the first Jupiter-9s were produced
for rangefinder Kyiv.
In 1956, production of lenses “Industar-24”, “Helios-44”, “Jupiter-11” began. Preparations were
underway for the production of lenses “Mir-1”, “Helios-40”, “Tair-3”, “MTO-500”, “MTO-1000”. Also in
1956, the plant organized an exhibition of Soviet and foreign photographic equipment. Here is one of the
entries left by a group of designers in the guest book: “Our devices are not inferior to foreign ones in
operation, and our image quality is better. The finishing of our devices is worse, and attention should be
paid to this…”
Section of the assembly line for photographic lenses at KMZ, 1956
At the turn of 1956-57, it went into production with the Zorkiy-4 series – perhaps the most widespread
and most popular domestic rangefinder camera. A year later, “Zorkiy-5” and “Zorkiy-6” appeared – lever
cocking, hinged rear wall, solid-cast body, enlarged rangefinder base, modernized design and at the
same time, for some reason, a reduced range of shutter speeds (unfortunately, the history of domestic
camera manufacturing consists entirely of achievements and such illogicalities). During these same
years, the semi-professional “Start” and a miniature SLR, completely unique for its time, “Narcissus”
appeared. Also in 1957, the Iskra medium format camera went into production.
In 1957, the first photographs of the earth’s surface from space were obtained using serial aerial
photographic equipment created by the plant (AFA-39). In the same years, at the plant, under the
leadership of Moscow State University professor Lebedinsky, together with KMZ designers A.V. Grushisky,
V.I. Shtannikov and others, the S-180 camera was created, which made it possible to automatically
photograph the sky with a viewing angle of 180°. The camera was charged with regular 35mm film, the
stock of which was designed for 3 thousand frames.
In 1958, especially for the World Exhibition in Brussels, designers G.M. Dorsky, A.P. Orlov, V.I. Pluzhnikov
created a small-format camera of a fundamentally new design with automatic setting of shutter speed
and aperture, called “Comet”. At the same time, G.M. Dorsky, Ch.S. Zamanskaya and others developed
the Astra stereoscopic apparatus. And although these cameras were not put into mass production, they
“demonstrated a high level of development of design capabilities in the preparation of new Soviet
equipment” (Rapoport V.L., “Masters of Optics”).
The result of the plant’s first participation in international exhibitions was the receipt of the highest
award (“Grand Prix”) in Brussels for a set of photographic lenses (these were lenses for “Start” – “Mir-1”,
“Helios-44”, “Tair-11”, “Jupiter-6”, “Tair-3”). The EM-5 electron microscope, the FP-22 high-speed film
camera and the S-180 camera were awarded the Diploma of Honor and the Gold Medal.
The movement of inventors and innovators was of great importance in those years. Integrated teams of
innovators were created at the plant. One of these teams came up with a proposal to combine the top
cover, the outer housing cover, the curtain shutter housing, the objective plate and the camera
rangefinder housing into one cast part (previously, these parts were made separately and attached to
each other).
To evaluate the effect of introducing this proposal, you need to imagine that the top cover of the camera
went through 19 mechanical and finishing operations; the curtain shutter body had 18 mechanical
operations. Just by reducing the machining of parts on each machine, the time savings amounted to
about 46 minutes. In monetary terms, the total savings when switching to casting was at least 200
thousand rubles per year (for comparison, the average engineering salary in the country at that time was
about 800 – 900 rubles).
In 1959, for the first time in world practice, the far side of the Moon was photographed. The AFA-E1
photographic equipment created by the plant was installed at the interplanetary automatic station.
In 1961, the plant mastered 22 new products, including serial production of 8-mm film cameras “Kvarts”
and “Kvarts-2”.
By 1963, the plant produced its 4 millionth camera. It turned out to be Zenit-3M. At this point, “Zorkiy-4”
was coming off the assembly line every minute and “Zorkiy-6” every minute and a half. “Zenit-4”, “Zenit-
5”, “Zenit-6” were prepared for release. Also in 1963, prototypes of new devices were manufactured –
“Zorkiy-10” and “Zorkiy-11”. By the mid-60s, the production of new lenses was launched: “Orion-15”,
“Vega-1”, “Industar-24M”, “Jupiter-21”, “Telemar-22”, “Mir-5”, “Mir” -6”, “Tair-38”, “Rubin”, “Helios-
65Ts”, “Jupiter-25Ts” (the last two for Zenit4 – Zenit6 cameras).
During these same years, imports developed successfully – 59 countries bought the plant’s products. The
cameras “Zenit-4”, “Zenit-5”, and the movie camera “Kvarts-3” were in particular demand. Here is what
the English journalist J. Buxton wrote in the magazine Today at the beginning of 1964: “I have recently
tried several of the latest Russian cameras and can honestly declare that they are excellent products. …I
got acquainted with the entire set of Russian lenses… and I was especially impressed by the
compactness of their telephoto lenses; our telephoto lenses are often very bulky. Russian products are
carefully made, very comfortable, and exceptionally well designed.”
Nowadays, few people remember that in the early 60s there was a good offices bureau “Spasibo”, which
repaired photo and film cameras on a voluntary basis (i.e. free of charge – a great marketing ploy!).
Initially, the bureau worked in Krasnogorsk, then it was transferred to Kinolyubitel on Leninsky Prospekt
(Moscow). This tactic led to an increase in the popularity of the plant’s products and a revival in photo
community circles.
Why am I bringing all these facts here? Many may think that I, like ideological communists, have
remained entirely in the past, consoling myself with thoughts like “everything used to be better than
now” or “the best products in the world are Soviet.” Agree – funny. Moreover, now I am happy –
freedom, choice, opportunities, the implementation of which depends only on you.
However, I am very upset by the words that all Soviet photographic products are complete crap! Yes,
unfortunately, what we see now on store shelves (and in many ways these are KMZ products) is really
almost unusable, especially in comparison with imported photographic equipment. And this situation
did not begin to develop yesterday. But! Firstly, what was produced before the early 70s worked, and
generally not bad. By the mid-70s, as we know, the situation began to change – new models appeared
less frequently, and the build quality began to decline and is now at an all-time low. Don’t forget, in
addition, that imported photographic equipment (except for small quantities of the expensive Praktika)
was not sold in the country, and many of us were happy when we bought our first Zenit. And secondly,
given the economic system under which our country existed before perestroika, it could not have been
any other way!
It’s surprising that at least some of the products worked well. And thirdly, it seems to me that we cannot
evaluate the situation of the past only from the perspective of today, because we can very easily fall into
error. And finally. Reading the respected magazine “Photography & Video Cameras” (from the
“Consumer” series) No. 11’99 in the heading “School of the ‘Consumer’ – History of Photographic
Equipment” we find a fascinating article by Mr. D. Chichkin “A Brief History of SLR Cameras”. Excellent
material with good illustrations, from which, however, it turns out that such a country as the Soviet
Union or Russia did not exist at all. For which I congratulate all of us.
So, back to the story. By the mid-60s, when the main dominant idea in Soviet industry was the
development of new products, the plant went into production of new Zorki – 10, 11, 12. However, the
desire to quickly launch new brands of devices into production led to a rush that affected on quality.
Some products turned out to have design and technological flaws. Thus, “Zorkiy-10” won international
recognition (in particular, a Gold medal at the International Fair in Leipzig, 1965), but its mass production
was difficult and expensive.
One of the problems in those years was the petal tape, which was used to make central shutters. Until
the early 60s, the only company that owned the secret and monopoly of the production of high-quality
petal tape was a certain (?) Swedish company. KMZ was in dire need of such domestically produced tape.
One of its creators was the chief metallurgist of the plant, I.E. Dunaev.
For six years, a team of inventors led by Dunaev went to the Izhevsk Metallurgical Plant and did this
work. In 1963, our industry finally began to produce a leaf tape better than the Swedish one: central
shutters made from imported tape had a shutter speed limit of 1/500 of a second, while the Soviet tape
allowed a speed of 1/1200 of a second. Needless to say, this had a significant economic effect.
By 1964, Zenit-4, 5, 6 began to be produced, and Zenit-E, Photosniper, and the Krasnogorsk movie
camera were being prepared for release. By the time the Zenit-E was released (1966), its permanent
sighting mirror was a significant innovation for the plant.
In those same years, the plant continued to produce its main, non-household products. In 1965, the
development began (manufactured in 1970) of a unique high-precision astronomical installation (HAU)
for photographing space objects in order to determine coordinates and flight trajectories. Installation
weight – 30 tons. In 1967, together with the Institute of Earth Physics of the USSR Academy of Sciences,
a high-speed installation was developed – a waiting time magnifier (ZhLV-2) with a maximum shooting
frequency of up to 4.5 million frames per second.
In 1968, serial production of gyro-stabilized devices for working with moving objects with a built-in basic
rangefinder began. That year, with the participation of the State Optical Institute named after S.I. Vavilov,
the design and production of a large high-resolution lens “Mezon-2A” was developed and used in
equipment for photographing the earth’s surface from artificial Earth satellites. Lens weight is 500 kg,
lens diameter is 600 mm.
In 1967, the previously produced panoramic camera FT-2 was replaced by the “Horizon”, which received
the VDNKh gold medal. In 1968, preparations began for the release of the Mir-10 lens, and the next year
the first Photons appeared – analogues of the imported Polaroid.
By the end of the 60s, cameras bearing the plant’s brand were exported not only to developing
countries, but also to Germany, Italy, Austria, France, and England, where they successfully competed
with Western products. In 1968, several thousand cameras were sold in England, and orders for them
were growing. The Zenit-E and the Quartz movie camera were in greatest demand. 4 thousand English
stores sold Soviet photographic equipment.
By the beginning of the 70s, lenses such as “Industar-60N”, “Helios-9-7M”, “Variogoir 1-T”, “Mart-1”,
“Meteor-5”, “Meteor-8M”, “Jupiter-21M”, “Era-6M”. In 1972, production of the Zenit-EM camera began,
which truly enjoyed nationwide love.
In 1973, the production of new aerial cameras for planned and long-range photography began, the first
in the Union hydro-stabilized aircraft device and an optical-photographic slit apparatus for large-scale
photography from space. In the same year, Zenit-TTL and Zenit-16 appeared on the shelves – a camera of
a fundamentally new design. Both new products had TTL metering, which was a step forward compared
to previous models.
In the mid-70s, the Czechoslovakian magazine “Photography” wrote: “Zenit-E” is a camera that can do
everything… “Zenit-EM” and “Zenit-E” are among the cheapest and at the same time the highest quality
devices, which are very popular in Czechoslovakia, England and other countries.”
In 1979, production of Zenit-19 began, and the following year – Zenit-18, which was soon discontinued
due to design flaws. Also in 1979, the popular English magazine for amateur photographers “What
camera?” recognized “Zenit-EM” as the best device of the year.
* * *
From the memoirs of Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kalinin
The development of Soviet space optics began at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant. In the 60s, our
plant, together with the Leningrad State Optical Institute, was tasked with developing optics for space
stations. The main purpose of these cameras is military reconnaissance. The main thing in the design, of
course, was the lens – the heart of the camera.
The 10th workshop was engaged in the production of the experimental model. I was the head of the
technical control department and selected products. The device was very massive and heavy. The main
problem was precisely the fastening of the equipment, and there were increased requirements for it. But
at the plant there was only the old casting technology – they poured it into the ground, and the metal
turned out to be porous and weak. Porosity interfered with strength. Everyone understood that such
casting theoretically did not satisfy the requirements of the project, and time was running out and it was
time to report and present a sample. The military representative at the plant was N.I. Mozgalev, who was
also in a hurry.
And so, the two of us selected several of the most suitable designs*, prepared an experimental sample
and submitted it for testing at our own peril and risk. When the device was launched, we all expected
the fastening to break. They thought it wouldn’t last. But the tests gave good results. This experiment
began Soviet space reconnaissance. The plant was constantly developing new models of equipment, and
experiments were carried out regularly. However, not all developments had the necessary equipment,
and a lot had to be done ourselves.
So, when we were developing autopilots for space rockets, we needed a frequency of 400 Hz for
measurements. The industrial frequency at that time was only 50 Hz, and the plant did not have a single
device of the required frequency. Then, in laboratory conditions, we had to create a 400 Hz device from
static devices* tuned to a frequency of 50 Hz. The device was made, certified by the Chamber of Weights
and Measures, and thus the laboratory was equipped with the necessary equipment for work.
KMZ has always produced about 50 percent of civilian products. For example, military enterprises similar
to ours* produced no more than 7 percent. The quality of our civilian electronics, unfortunately, was
poor. For good quality, parts made of gold, silver, platinum, and other rare metals were needed, and
these were all considered strategic raw materials and were used exclusively for military equipment.
The plant then had its own** company in England – “TOE”. It was there that most of our products were
sent, which ensured a serious influx of foreign currency. The British knew about the features of our
products and carefully controlled us. When we handed over the cameras, the British almost completely
disassembled them***, checked the quality of parts and assembly, then assembled them, packed them
in beautiful bags of their own making, and only then sent them to stores.
Notes:
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kalinin – worked his way up at the plant from a tuner to the First Deputy Chief
Controller of the plant.
Source: Advertising newspaper “New Avant-garde”, February 4, 2002.
*) – No comments, because There are too many puzzling questions for the author…
**) – The company TOE (Technical Optic Equipment) did not belong to KMZ, so the word “our own” can
only be used in a figurative sense…
***) – This statement, according to the recollections of other participants in the events, does not
correspond to reality.
Vyacheslav Feday. Lenses with the KMZ brand
The first lens produced by the plant – “Industar-23” 4.5/110 (assembled according to the optical design
of the world famous “Tessara”, mounted in the central shutter “Moment-1”), was intended for
installation on the first “Moscow” type cameras.
This lens turned out to be successful; its optical unit in a frame for an enlarger is still available for sale.
The “Industar-24” 3.5/105, which was equipped with the “Moscow-5” camera, received significantly less
popularity. A small batch of these long-focus lenses for small-format Zenit-type DSLRs was also
produced. The Industar-58 3.5/75 lens for wide-format cameras turned out to be a good development.
Owners of Iskra camera models speak highly of the quality of this lens. The first lens produced by the
plant – “Industar-23″ 4.5/110 (assembled according to the optical design of the world famous “Tessara”,
mounted in the central shutter “Moment-1”), was intended for installation on the first cameras of the
“Moscow” type.
The next one was “Industar-77″ 5.6/120 for the single-stage camera “Photon”, which, unfortunately,
never appeared on wide sale.
With the release of the “Zorki” camera, mass production of the first lenses “Jupiter-8″ 2/52 and
“Industar-22” 3.5/52 began; their optical designs are similar to those of the German lenses “Zonnar” and
“Tessar”. In photographic reference books of the late 40-50s. You can find the original name of this series
of lenses (“ZK”), which later received the name “Jupiter”.
“Wide-angle” “Jupiter-12” 2.8/35 began its life under the name “BK-35”. “Jupiter-9” 2/85 and “Jupiter-
11” 4/135. They used optical designs of Zonnar lenses for the Contax camera. The lenses of the “Jupiter”
series were designed in a frame with a threaded connection for the “Zorky” M39x1 and a working length
of 28.8 mm and turned out to be long-lived. “Jupiter-9” and “Jupiter-12” are still produced in small
quantities today.
At the end of the 50s. The standard Industar-22 lens, which was equipped not only with the Zorki
cameras, but also with the first Zenits, was replaced by the Industar-50 3.5/52. Outwardly, it did not
differ from its predecessor, but the recalculated optical design provided a significant increase in its
optical characteristics, which made it possible to obtain sharper and more contrasting negatives.
The manufacturability of the assembly of optical elements, the simplicity of the frame, and therefore the
low cost ensured Industar-50 a long life. It should be added that “Industar-50” in a frame for “DSLRs”
was used to complete Zenit cameras of various modifications literally until recently. Another lens for
rangefinder cameras was the Mercury-1 2/52 for the Comet camera, noted at the Brussels World
Exhibition in 1958.
However, Mercury-1 did not go into industrial production, although it had high optical characteristics.
The magnificent five-element lens “Vega-3” 2.8/50, which had almost record-breaking optical
characteristics at that time, became standard.
The presence of a central shutter in these cameras made it possible to obtain negatives with excellent
sharpness. For the first time in the country, a 14-element lens with a variable focal length “Rubin-1Ts”
2.8/37-80 was developed for the Zenit-8 camera. As replacements, a small batch of “wide-angle” “Mir-
1Ts” 2.8/37, “telephoto” “Tair-38Ts” 4/135 and “Jupiter-25Ts” 2.8/85 for portrait photography were
produced.
The automatic cameras “Zorkiy-10”, “Zorkiy-11” were equipped with an “Industar-63″ 2.8/45 lens
specially designed for them, and the half-format “Zorkiy-12” was equipped with an excellent “Helios-98″
2.8/28” lens. .
The release of the first Zenit SLR camera at the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant raised the question of
developing interchangeable lenses for it. At first, Zenit was produced with the Industar-22 lens, which,
with a shortened frame, was able to be used with a flange length of 45.2 mm. Then “Zenith” began to be
equipped with a high-aperture lens “Helios-44” 2/58, designed according to an optical design similar to
the German lens “Biotar” 2/58 for SLR cameras “Exakta” and “Praktika”. “Helios-44” went through a
number of modifications and was produced for cameras “Zenit-ET”, “Zenit-12SD”, “Zenit-122”, “Zenit-
automatic”, “Zenit-Am” and “Zenit-Am-2” ”
With the transition of SLR photographic equipment to the M42x1 connecting thread with a working
length of 45.5 mm, which corresponded to the threaded connection common in the world, the lens
began to be produced with these new parameters and received, like all other lenses, an additional index
“2” in the name – “Helios- 44-2”. The first attempt to introduce a jumping aperture mechanism into a
lens was made for the Start-2 camera, but this lens did not go into production.
In the Helios-44-1 lens for Zenit-7, it was not the perfect design of the jumping aperture mechanism that
forced it to be radically redesigned. Therefore, cameras such as “Zenit-EM” and other subsequent
modifications that have jumping or pressing aperture mechanisms received a new “Helios-44M” lens.
This type of lens has a mode switch for controlling the aperture from the camera mechanism – “A” and
manually – “M”. All interchangeable and standard lenses with the designation “M” after their name are
equipped with a jumping (more correctly, blinking) aperture mechanism.
Manufacturers of photographic equipment in Japan back in the late 60s. mastered the production of
lenses with multi-layer coating, which significantly improved image quality by increasing light
transmission, color purity and contrast transmission, as well as reducing light scattering. An indication of
the presence of multilayer coating is the abbreviation MC (from English MultyCoating), which has
become widespread among most foreign companies, which is usually placed before the name of the
lens.
KMZ began producing the first lenses with multilayer coating only in the early 80s. (MS “Helios-44M-4”).
There are conflicting opinions about the quality of Helios-type lenses – some examples provide mediocre
image quality, while others provide excellent image quality, which indicates that the Helios optical design
has not fully exhausted its capabilities. This confirms the release of the Helios-44M-6 MS lens with
improved optical characteristics (the resolution according to the specifications is at least 45mm-1 in the
center of the field, at least 25mm-1 at the edges of the field). Currently, serial production of the Helios-
44M-7 MS has begun with a resolution according to specifications in the center of the field of at least 50
mm-1, and at the edges of the field of at least 30 mm-1.
Let’s return to considering the line of lenses for Zenit. Along with Helios-44, the Mir-1 2.8/37 “wide-
angle” was developed, which was awarded a Gold Medal at the Brussels World Exhibition in 1958. The
lens provided excellent image quality, which won universal recognition. It was produced at KMZ for
several years, its production was transferred to other enterprises, and currently under the name “Mir-
1V” it is produced by the Vologda Optical-Mechanical Plant.
KMZ mastered the production of lenses for portrait photography: “Jupiter-9” 2/85 and “Helios-40”
1.5/85, which are still in constant demand. Currently, the production of “Jupiter-9” 2/85 has been
transferred to the Rubin Production Association, and “Helios-40-2” 1.5/85 is still in production.
For some time, televisions developed at the plant were produced: “Jupiter-11” 4/135, “Tair-11” 2.8/135,
“Jupiter-6” 2.8/180, “Jupiter-21” 4/200, “Telemar-22” 5.6/200, “Tair-3” 4.5/300, “MTO-500”, “MTO-
1000” with connecting thread M39x1 and a working length of 45.2 mm. Since the beginning of the 70s,
when all “DSLRs” switched to an M42x1 threaded connection and a working length of 45.5 mm, the
design of the frame on some lenses was changed, and it became possible to use a replaceable adapter
(shank) to attach the lens to various cameras.
These lenses received the index “A” in the name: “Vega-13A” 2.8/100, “Tair-11A” 2.8/135, “Jupiter-21 A”
4/200, “Telemar-22A” 5.6 /200, “Mir-10A” 3.5/28. The production of Mir-1, Jupiter-9, Jupiter-11, Tair-3,
MTO-500 and MTO-1000 lenses was transferred to other enterprises. Lenses with a jumping aperture
mechanism were mastered.
“Industar-61M” 2.8/52, “Helios-97M” 2/50, “Era-6M” 1.5/50 with high optical characteristics were
developed as standard ones (see table). Small batches of them went on sale, but did not go into mass
production. The same fate, unfortunately, befell the good lenses “Vega-13A” 2.8/100 and “Vega-13M”
2.8/100.
At the end of the 70s. For the new family of DSLRs, which began with Zenit-19, a standard Zenitar-M
1.7/50 lens was developed. With a device for electrically transmitting aperture values to the camera’s
control unit called MS “Zenitar ME-1” 1.7/50, it was produced for a short time for the “Zenit-18” camera.
“Wide-angle lenses” “Mir-20M” 3.5/20 were developed and sold in small series (in a modernized frame,
with multi-layer coating called MC “Mir-20M” 3.5/20; it is still produced now), MC “ Mir-24M” 2/35
(“SF”, 1986, no. 9).
Lenses such as MS “Zodiac-2M-2” 3.5/15 fisheye type, “Mir-10M” 3.5/28, MS “Telezenitar-M” 2.8/135 (
not to be confused with MS APO “Telezenitar M” 2.8/135), MS “Telezenitar-M” 4.5/300. These lenses
were demonstrated at various exhibitions and fairs, were listed in product catalogs, were awarded
VDNKh medals, but never appeared on the shelves. In 1990, a new standard lens MS “Helios-77M-4”
1.8/50, made by the Vologda OMZ software according to the design development of KMZ, went on sale.
It differs from the usual “Helios-44M-4” in having a slightly larger relative aperture and angular field of
view and smaller dimensions. The increased resolution of the lens does not provide a noticeable
advantage over its predecessor.
Last year, a new six-element lens MS “Zenitar-M” 1.9/52 with high optical characteristics appeared. It
goes on sale as a replacement lens, and it is expected that in the future some Zenits will be equipped
with it. Since 1986, the Zenit-automatic, the first camera with a K-type bayonet connection and a
working length of 45.5 mm, began to go on sale. This connection, developed by the Japanese company
Asahi Pentax for the new generation of cameras, has become widespread.
It is now possible to use all lenses with an M42x1 thread and a working length of 45.5 mm through the
adapter ring. “Rico”, “Chinon”, “Kosina”, “Vivitar”, “Exakta” equipment is equipped with a “K” type
connection. Currently, with the accession “K”, “Zenit-Avtomat”, “Zenit-Am”, “Zenit-Am-2” are available
for sale complete with a standard MS lens “Helios-44K-4” 2/58. We had to wait until 1990 for
replacement lenses for this type of camera. The first lens to lead the future line of K-mount lenses was
the MC Zenitar-K 2.8/16 fisheye.
In the future, all lenses for Zenit cameras will be called “Zenitar”, “Variozenitar”, and “Telezenitar”. To
expand the creative capabilities of the fisheye lens, the plant released a kit consisting of 10 filters for
special effects in art photography, which went on sale. The MS “Variozenitar-K” 2.8-3.5/25-45 is on sale,
filling the places of “wide-angle” lenses in the line of “K” type lenses. According to the optical design of
Mira-64, the Zenitar-K 2.8/20 MS is being prepared for production, which will possibly replace the Mir-
20M 3.5/20 MS.
The development of the ultra-high-aperture “wide-angle” MC “Mir-46K” 1.4/35 did not go into mass
production. The Helionar optical design is implemented in the Zenitar-1K 1.4/85 MS lens, a small batch
of which was already on sale. The development of a high-aperture normal lens MS “Zenitar-K2” 1.4/50
using a new optical design is being completed. An interesting development was the telephoto lens MS
APO “Telezenitar-K” 4.5/300, which has not only record optical characteristics, but also dimensions (its
length does not even reach 150 mm). The elements of the optical circuit use special types of glass whose
optical properties are close to fluorite.
Focusing of the lens is carried out not only by moving the optical unit, but also by moving the internal
components of the optical circuit, which made it possible to create a small-sized design. It is planned to
develop frame designs with a “K” connection for a high-quality MS APO “Telezenitar-K” 2.8/135 lens,
which is produced with a threaded connection. The MS “Variozenitar-K” 4/70-210, the small-sized MS
“Variozenitar-K” 3.5-4.5/35-105 and the MS “Variozenitar-K” 3.2- 4.5/35- are being prepared for
production 70. Of course, these are interesting new products, and they will be discussed separately. In
the space of a journal article, it is impossible to talk about all the developments that were carried out at
the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Plant; much remained beyond the scope of the material presented. In
conclusion, I would like to wish the plant’s employees that new developments do not gather dust on the
stands of numerous exhibitions, but quickly move on to store shelves, and from there to numerous
photography lovers.