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Rifle-style camera with telephoto lens
Photo Sniper was a camera, developed in Russia during the Cold War.
Having the look and feel of a rifle, it was ideally suited for
observation and surveillance tasks. It enabled the user to shoot steady images
of distant or moving objects, such people passing in a car.
The camera was used by counter intelligence teams of the KGB (2nd Chief Directorate), the Border Guards [1] and by the intelligence services of
the other countries of the Warsaw Pact. It was manufactured by KMZ.
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Photosniper consists of a modified Zenit E-type camera with Praktika mount, and a 300 mm telephoto lens,
mounted on a long boom with a pistol grip.
When assembled, it looks pretty much like a rifle.
At the rear end, the boom has a stock mounting that allows
it to be pressed firmly against the shoulder,
resulting in steady shots without the use of a tripod.
The camera was named Zenit ES and had an
extra shutter-release button at the bottom,
that mated with a pawl on top of the boom,
allowing the shutter to be released
by pulling the trigger.
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When operating the camera, the user could easily adjust the focus with
a large knob at the front end of the boom.
As the long lens takes away quite a bit of light when aiming,
the diaphragm can be opened by locking the
diaphragm control knob on the lens.
When pulling the trigger,
a spring quickly releases the diaphragm just
before the picture is actually taken.
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The shoulder stock is stored at the bottom of the
case, held in place by two clips,
whilst the pistol grip can be screwed to the bottom of
the container. The camera and the long lens are fixated to the front of the
container with a large black knob behind the
leather case grip.
The camera could also be used on its own, as an ordinary 35 mm camera.
It was usually supplied with a suitable leather case
and a standard 58 mm lens
that was stored under a plastic cup in the lid of the metal container. Spare films were stored in the top lid of the container.
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Two additional leather straps were supplied that
could be attached to the bottom of the container, allowing it to be carried
on the back, or to be strapped to something else.
The Photo Sniper is also featured in Keith Milton's excellent book
Ultimate Spy
[1].
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The Photo Sniper was initially made for the Russian market. The text on the
camera body,
on the pistol grip
and on the container was in Russian.
ФОТО СНАЙПЕР
means FOTO SNAIPER (Photo Sniper).
The container was usually painted in the typical Russian grey hammerite colour.
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The set was later also produced for the rest of the Warsaw Pact countries.
It was labelled with the name PHOTO SNIPER in Latin rather than Russian and came in a dark grey hammerite metal container.
The image on the right shows the Russian text on the pistol grip of the USSR
version of the camera.
Some more images of the Latin version of the Photo Sniper below.
Both cameras were manufactured by KMZ (Kraznogorsk Mechanical Works) in
Kraznogorsk near Moscow during the Cold War.
The company still exists today [2].
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KMZ or Красногорский Механический Завод
was also the manufacturer of the Zenit 35 mm cameras and the famous
Krasnogorsk F-21 button-camera
used by the KGB and others. After the collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR)
the company continued the production of analogue cameras, but finally closed
down most of their production lines in 2005 [2].
The only camera produced by the company right now is the Horizon
panoramic camera [3].
The company also produces military optics and has a mechanical engineering
division.
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© Copyright 2009-2011, Paul Reuvers & Marc Simons. Last changed: Wed,31 Aug 2011.07:00:59
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