The 1930 Fotokor-1 was the first mass-produced camera in the Soviet Union and the basic camera of the Fotokor series. Its design was based on the folding bed plate cameras of the German company Zeiss Ikon, which sold shutters to the Soviet Union, for seven gold rubles apiece. All other components of Fotokor cameras were manufactured in the USSR. The camera was designed and produced by experts at the Leningrad Optical and Mechanical Plant. The first batch consisted of 20,000 cameras, and over the following 10 years, more than a million Fotokor-1 cameras were produced.
The camera was foldable, with a flip-down front panel and a retractable lens board. The plate had a format of 9×12 cm. The double-extension bellows were light-tight. They connected the cassette to the lens board, which could slide horizontally and vertically to de-center the lens. The Fotokor-1 had a mirror lens and a frame viewfinder, and the focusing was performed by extending the bellows. Having chosen the desired aperture and shutter speed, a photographer would remove the back cover and insert a cassette with a sensitized plate. Then they would remove the dark slide and take the picture.
The Fotokor-1 was the most popular and affordable Soviet camera before the Great Patriotic War. It was significantly cheaper than similar imported cameras and was extremely popular among Soviet amateur photographers. The Fotokor-1 was known as a versatile camera. Due to the wide exposure range, the Fotokor-1 was used for shooting outdoors and indoors under different lighting conditions. Professionals used the camera for studio shooting with a tripod. The Fotokor-1 was used to take pictures of urban architecture and family portraits, and to prepare photo reports.
In addition to advanced technical characteristics, the Fotokor-1 also looked impressive. Metal parts were plated with chrome, and the camera body was covered with black artificial leather. As the body of the camera was made of aluminum, it could easily be damaged if dropped. The standard kit included a leather case on a strap with the inscription “Fotokor-1” embossed on it. The camera weighed a little over one kilogram.
The camera was foldable, with a flip-down front panel and a retractable lens board. The plate had a format of 9×12 cm. The double-extension bellows were light-tight. They connected the cassette to the lens board, which could slide horizontally and vertically to de-center the lens. The Fotokor-1 had a mirror lens and a frame viewfinder, and the focusing was performed by extending the bellows. Having chosen the desired aperture and shutter speed, a photographer would remove the back cover and insert a cassette with a sensitized plate. Then they would remove the dark slide and take the picture.
The Fotokor-1 was the most popular and affordable Soviet camera before the Great Patriotic War. It was significantly cheaper than similar imported cameras and was extremely popular among Soviet amateur photographers. The Fotokor-1 was known as a versatile camera. Due to the wide exposure range, the Fotokor-1 was used for shooting outdoors and indoors under different lighting conditions. Professionals used the camera for studio shooting with a tripod. The Fotokor-1 was used to take pictures of urban architecture and family portraits, and to prepare photo reports.
In addition to advanced technical characteristics, the Fotokor-1 also looked impressive. Metal parts were plated with chrome, and the camera body was covered with black artificial leather. As the body of the camera was made of aluminum, it could easily be damaged if dropped. The standard kit included a leather case on a strap with the inscription “Fotokor-1” embossed on it. The camera weighed a little over one kilogram.
