You are INSANE to go out with the gun version of this lens. I would never do it! hahahaaha. The regular Tair 3 is the non-gun version and it's also amazing (and much lighter).
Haha, I chose the less crowded part of the forest during a weekday ... Pretty sure no one saw me... can't believe in the 70's this kind of gear was " ok" to pull out in public
@@MathieuStern I'm pretty sure it raised a lot of questions even back than. My father told me in the 90's that this kind of gear was known through magazines and catalogs, but due to it's high prices it was very rare and mostly used by professionals only and certainly not for street photography or holiday snapshots. Press and sport events, nature photography and in situations were you needed a telephoto lens but couldn't afford a heavy tripod due to its heavyness or movability, were the fields of this kind of ... handheld stabilizers.
Oh my god! How the hell did you even learn about Vacation in Prostokvashino cartoon? I mean, it blows my mind that people outside Russia realize it exists. Great research!
And even films festivals hosting creations from Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Russia/USSR, Czekoslovakia, etc.), with some even inviting talented cartoonists. France is a country of cinematograph (a French invention) and the people has always been keen on all types of image creations, be it animation (not only cartoons), camera, CG imagery, etc. Have a look at Georges Mélies, the man who invented special effects in cinema and all the necessary gear to create them. He is the man behind this masterpiece titled "The travel to the moon", the version in colours being the most incredible thing you can expect to see ! This man sort of sowed the seeds of love for wildly creative cinematography, for the centuries to come. And TV channels broadcasting those cartoons from far away helped a lot in giving birth to millions of cinema fans. An exemple of this... aside from Japan, France is the n°1 country for "manga" and "anime", and I remember myself seating for hours to watch the early Goldorak adventures... then some heroes in Polish cartoons too.
I've been using a photosnaiper adapted to shoot with my Fuji X cameras for seven years and no one has scared with it. Even the police never gave me any trouble when they saw me using it on the street. It causes the opposite reaction on almost anybody: they will ask you about it, if it is a kit or you built it,... I love it for several uses, including street.
@@BadBCat For some reason i expected this kind of response from Spain. There is a lot of photographers in Spain though so maybe people are more used to seeing massive lenses and thus can spot cameras easier.
@@jakekaywell5972 OH WOW GEE WILLIKERS A WHOLE 120 DOLLARS PAPA?! THAT WILL SURELY BUY US TWO DAYS WORTH OF GASOLINE AND A COSTCO PIZZA, WE’RE SAVED! Lmao dude, I’ve literally given these things away and somehow still own three, gimme a break. Edit: and since I wasn’t clear if you buy an original housing Helios for 120 bucks you’re a sucker.
Likely safer to use in London than in Rome, given the difference in the level of military presence in the two cities, though I'd still say it'd be quite risky to pull out in any big city lol
That was the camera that started my whole vintage camera/lens collection. I found a new-old stock set in an antique shop for $50 15 years ago. Still the center piece of my whole collection.
Got one myself and I've had no problems taking it downtown in Helsinki where I live. Never had anyone get scared by it. The reactions people have are actually quite the opposite from scared, it's a great conversation starter and a lot of people are interested in hearing about it. I've never had any problems with the police either when carrying it, closest to that is when a security guard gave me a wide smile when he saw it while I was walking at a metro station. 😄
I'm a South Korean. I was surprised to see a South Korean movie in the middle of the TH-cam video. I have never seen the movie 'Over the Rainbow', but the movie scene is very interesting
When I bought it, I thought that the image quality wan't be good, becouse this lens has only 3 lenses in 3 groups, which is not that much. But I was impresed by very crisp image😮
The number of lenses are not an indicator of image quality. If the focal length corresponds with the physical length of the lens, you need only an achromatic lens with two cemented lenses. And that was done by novoflex in in combination with a moderate lensspeed. The image quality was superb and even Leica turned out the Leitz Schnellschuss Objektiv manufactured by novoflex. The Leica models were triplets instead of the only achromatic version. Later novoflex turned out a 400mm triplet under its own label.
@Александр Жуков having more lens elements in more groups in a lens like this doesn't necessarily mean better image quality! in fact, given the glass is of high quality and good build, less elements means more sharpness in most prime lenses with a not so wide aperture! more elements only makes wider apertures possible for prime lenses but not more sharpness really ... one reason zoom lenses cannot be as sharp as prime lenses is just that: so many elements and more groups! :-)
Those times when people did not think that it is something malicious in your hand and you come to harm them... Not needed video surveillance, "neighborhood watching" and other "looking for suspicious activity", everyone were much more open minded and without malicious intentions than today's madness..... simple people with simple pleasures. I think that images quality is great. As well in general very nice idea and comfortable for long lens.
Hey there Mathieu. I don't know if you'll ever read or respond to this, but I just wanted to say your videos are beautiful and extremely creative. Last night I couldn't sleep because of my on-going insomnia and I stumbled upon your video about making a lens from ice. It is just captivating and creative and beautiful and emotional and inspiring and all the other positive adjectives I could ever think of, as well as all your 30+ other videos that I binge-watched last night. The music, the pictures, the video footage... toy photography tips, vintage and other weird lenses... You always have a story to tell and not just a review. It's simply beautiful. Kind of gives me some faith in humanity. Subscribed.
I also have a set. I placed a little switch where the trigger comes up and connected this via auxiliary to my cam. So you can use the set with digital cam. Pretty nice when you "fire" 10 pics/sec
I have some film photos made on a 3.5/300 Tair, which was produced for local market. I also use PhS-12 (ФС-12) body, which seems to be a slightly altered Zenit TTL. Photos come out lovely, with similarly swirly bokeh of Helios series
I'm in Canada and I pretty much daily drived the thing for two summers. Mine's the multicoated version. Great conversation starter generally, just do not bring it to tense protests. It and the Kamlan 50mm f1.1 MKII are my two trump cards. The Photosniper is for wildlife and the Kamlan for portraits. People WILL want portraits with this lens just to see what it can do. One thing I've notived about Soviet lens (I have the MC Photosniper/Fotosniper 12 kit, Jupiter-21A, Jupiter-37A, MC Jupiter-9, Helios 44-2, and some others) is that they have great sharpness in the centre of the frame and still manage to have much better bokeh then their aperture sizes would suggest. Cromatic aberations are not great, but acceptable even with fixing in post. Their newer MC coating gives much more vibrant colours and deeper contrasts, but I prefer the look you get with the older puplish and gold coating.
Anyone remember the infamous German Novoflex design - the "schnellschuss" system ("quick shot"; official name was PIGRIFF I think) - that originally came out in 1955? Here the trick was basically to be able to focus really quickly - this design was quite popular until wide into the 80ies. And yes, a lot of photojournalists remember funny situation with security personnel...
I have the same complete kit but it's all contained in a faux leather shoulder bag, which is original to the kit. Bought mine 15 years ago for $25 in Idaho USA. Like yours, the image quality of mine is excellent. The 58mm f/2 is also an excellent lens.
Greetings from Russia! I have Tair-3 FS. And I will say that it is inconvenient to focus with it. I have several M42 adapters, and with only one of them, the focus ring is set correctly. With others, it is located on the side. This should be kept in mind! Therefore, I advise you to find an option with a classic focus ring. It will be much more convenient. The lens is in white. Very sharp, especially when the apertures are closed.
I just got this lens in absolute MINT condition for 10 bucks. It even came with a 42 - E mount adapter. Crazy thing, INCREDIBLE for astro, stopped down to 5.6 this thing is immaculate. I love it
That is one absolutely legendary cartoon in former Soviet countries! Everybody adores dog Sharik and cat Matroskin and their "uncle Feodor"! And there is a very memorable phrase in there too, when Sharik got tired pursuing a hare to take a picture and finally took it and Matroskin said: - Now you're gonna run for half a day more... - Why is that? - To give him the picture! It's a phrase all kids from 1980-90s know to express that something takes a long time =)
you can't find this in Russia in this pristine condition for this price, lol on top of that you got the export version which is supposedly much higher quality than for inner soviet market
This is partly true, everything produced in our domestic market of photographic equipment was inferior in quality to please a wide range of buyers. For that, unlike imported models, domestic products were many times easier and faster to be modified. Since, in the USSR and in Russia, every 3 knows how to make homemade improvements. Therefore, old things can live with us for a very long time. It was also within the country that, due to poor quality, Soviet lenses received a unique, inimitable blur pattern. Which is highly regarded by art photographers. For example, google photos taken with Helios 44/2 lens
Got mine, on a flea market as well, 80€ the complete set, mine is a bit older, full russion inscriptions, with URSS quality control stickers. Didn't use it with the "pistol" yet, I imagine that it could draw some strange looks 😂, I'm completely in love with it, shoots perfectly
This combo is awesome what a beauty! All treasures, the camera, both lenses, etc. Can't stop thinking about what collectibles you must have in your shelf. Congrats! Greetings from Chile 🇨🇱 🙋♂️
I have got one as well. It was given to me by an unxle who actually used to use it! It looks and feels amazing. I am yet to take the lens out with my fuji camera but your video is making me really do it. Thanks for sharing!
I remember when the Photography magazines of the 1970's looked at the Photo Sniper. The consensus was, the outfit was a bargain for junior/budget naturalists and voyeurs. Like with long-extinct Novoflex telephoto outfits, using such equipment might attract the attention of security/police forces.;) "Hey! You! Lower that RPG right now!"
I used to work in a camera shop in the late 80's. A customer came in and wanted this kit. He had a look, was impressed and was about to part with his money when I asked him what he was planning to photograph. This bloke said that he was off to Belfast to photograph the Army. It was at this point I realised that he hadn't really thought this through. Belfast at this time was still in the grip of the Troubles, to be on the street with a camera that looks like a firearm was dangerous, making him a target for both sides. I told the bloke that I wasn't happy selling it and even got the manager to talk to him, he was from France I believe and really didn't understand what the Troubles were. When we explained that if he used it on the street his life expectancy would drop to just minutes he took on board what we were saying and very gracefully accepted our advice not to buy!
Been considering one of these for a while, but prices are little too much on eBay, and will definitely go up after this. Hope I'll find one at a market locally like you did
Hello, I currently have a photosniper 300mm tair f4.5 and I would like to know if it is worth buying the 300mm L canon or what other 300mm lens would you recommend?
Круто! Прошлая цивилизация не просто производила, но и экспортировала такие аппараты!. Cool! The past civilization not only produced, but also exported such devices!
Some words about 'weird' lenses. Do you ever heard about soviet catadioptric lenses Rubinar-500 (Рубинар-500) or MTO-1000AM? I'm not sure that they are well-known in Europe. But in Russia it is possible to buy one for about €100 in a perfect condition. Just imagine: 140mm aperture, f/10.5, 1100mm focal length, donut-shaped bokeh, M42 mount. Also you can add a Turist-FL (Турист-ФЛ) optical module to convert your lens into a huge spyglass.🙃
Thanks for the video, I wanted one of those when I was a lad. May I ask how is the trigger linked to the Zenith shutter release? Is the camera non-standard?
I have one in pristine condition somewhere, unused directly from a closed police warehouse, cameras like this was used by Czechoslovak traffic patrols back in the 80s.
15€ for the box…. That is incredibly cheap. I also have it and i really love those 2 lenses. The sharpness and the Bokeh of the tair. Old Soviet lenses are my absolutely favorite.
Remember these when oin sale new but never tempted to buy one as you were limited to Zenit (also Praktica and Exacta cameras by modification. ) Optically not bad and mechanically a very good kit. Leica/Leitz made a similar accessory for the longer teles for the Leicaflex and Leica/Visoflex which I tried out. The focusing tube was interchangeable between different focal length heads so you simply bought one tube and the heads you wanted. Nowhere near as inexpensive though!
I sold mine about a month ago. Didn't find a good use to it. But it was fun. Instead, I bought Jupiter-8 and Jupiter-9, both in silver, from 1962-1963. They're awesome.
It's not an extremely bright lens but I would try it on digital with high ISO for sport scenes, with fast movement, like car races. The whole rig asks for action photos. I can visualize the crisp image of a rally car and the motion blurr on the surroundings. ( I did that several times, long time ago, with an old Zenith and 200/4 Pentacon, 400 ISO B/W film. Hand held, tracking the car, manual pre-focus and cable shutter release for reducing camera shake. I still keep the negatives and a few A5 photos from those times ).
Well that was a bit of a blast from the past for me. I had one of these back in the 80's. This , of course, was before I gained more knowledge of photography and no longer believed the hype!
This 300 is the Soviet 300 prime I have been dreaming of! I won’t go above 5.6 as a personal rule and I can’t abide Corona/contrast loss in bright light-can’t say I see either here. And the colors! That bird’s eye was as rich with micro contrast as anything I’ve gotten out of my Fuji glass. My eye is out for this-
Recently, my dad gave me the whole set. He used to take some photos with it when I was just a small kido. To be honest, so far I've used only the 58mm Helios, as I'm also quite afraid to take the whole gun outside haha By the way, great video and great price for the whole set! You can easily make couple hundred if you'd sell it
I have one of these old lenses. It is fun to use but the quality is not that good. It's ok but nothing to write home about. My problem is I can't get it to focus to infinity.
I had one. I went out to have fun with it in my hometown, and it took like 5 minutes for the police to yell at me to put it down. Moments like this make me appreciate that I'm not living in America.
Hi, I've just bought this camera too, but when I open it, I cut the cable with white head since it was hidden in the package. What is that?I can't find from internet, saw the parts graph but still don't know what it is...... Is there any way to reconnect it? Thank you.
I have one, but I've found that it's not great with focusing on objects that are farther than 50 meters, is this a characteristic of the lens, if not is there a way to fix that?
I didn't know it's history in media- very cool. If you were out with other photographers doing photographs then I think this sort of support would be fine- even good. But did any designer ever stop to ask themselves if they should!? Could they not have some hand straps on the barrel? Using it on a monopod I think would get you 80% of the way there. Good video as always
Same idea as the Novoflex Schnellschuß Objektive from the early fifties. There were modular lenses from 135mm up to 800mm. Focussing was even faster by an spring loaded linear focussing grip. Until AF became standard that was the fastes focussing method in nature and sports photography.
As a Soviet kid I knew of it from the cartoon, but I could not think it's 300mm only. Makes more reason for me to be at least 500-600mm. On the other hand, it would be too big with those technologies... These days Canon makes 600mm and 800mm rather compact.
I have an all plastic version. The camera is crap, the lens not half bad. However I received mine in Washington DC circa 2003. I was told by a fellow videographer AND a DC cop NOT to use it in DC with the silly lens hood on it. Looked like a weapon mocked up to be a camera… Novoflex made a lens variation 50 years ago.
You are INSANE to go out with the gun version of this lens. I would never do it! hahahaaha. The regular Tair 3 is the non-gun version and it's also amazing (and much lighter).
Haha, I chose the less crowded part of the forest during a weekday ... Pretty sure no one saw me... can't believe in the 70's this kind of gear was " ok" to pull out in public
@@MathieuStern very different from in the United States. Cities are similar, yes, but guns have a much higher presence here, sadly
@@MathieuStern I'm pretty sure it raised a lot of questions even back than. My father told me in the 90's that this kind of gear was known through magazines and catalogs, but due to it's high prices it was very rare and mostly used by professionals only and certainly not for street photography or holiday snapshots. Press and sport events, nature photography and in situations were you needed a telephoto lens but couldn't afford a heavy tripod due to its heavyness or movability, were the fields of this kind of ... handheld stabilizers.
@@MathieuStern I love it and I'm not a gun person 🤣 I just just imagine explaining it to tsa that you're not carrying an actual gun.
As a marine ...if I'd see you pull a fast one like that ,you'll be dead in a sec
Oh my god! How the hell did you even learn about Vacation in Prostokvashino cartoon? I mean, it blows my mind that people outside Russia realize it exists. Great research!
When we were kids in France in the 1980s there where some eastern Europe cartoons frequently going on on TV...
And even films festivals hosting creations from Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Russia/USSR, Czekoslovakia, etc.), with some even inviting talented cartoonists.
France is a country of cinematograph (a French invention) and the people has always been keen on all types of image creations, be it animation (not only cartoons), camera, CG imagery, etc.
Have a look at Georges Mélies, the man who invented special effects in cinema and all the necessary gear to create them. He is the man behind this masterpiece titled "The travel to the moon", the version in colours being the most incredible thing you can expect to see ! This man sort of sowed the seeds of love for wildly creative cinematography, for the centuries to come.
And TV channels broadcasting those cartoons from far away helped a lot in giving birth to millions of cinema fans. An exemple of this... aside from Japan, France is the n°1 country for "manga" and "anime", and I remember myself seating for hours to watch the early Goldorak adventures... then some heroes in Polish cartoons too.
I've been using a photosnaiper adapted to shoot with my Fuji X cameras for seven years and no one has scared with it. Even the police never gave me any trouble when they saw me using it on the street. It causes the opposite reaction on almost anybody: they will ask you about it, if it is a kit or you built it,...
I love it for several uses, including street.
What country do you live in?
@@jmd1770 Spain.
@@BadBCat For some reason i expected this kind of response from Spain. There is a lot of photographers in Spain though so maybe people are more used to seeing massive lenses and thus can spot cameras easier.
Are you kidding me?? The Helios 44M itself is worth more than 15 euro!! Wow, amazing find
It's call the Good Luck 😊
The filters alone are worth more
Not by much.
@@travisshannon8562 What are you talking about? The Helios 44M is worth a bare minimum of $75. Can easily be sold up to $120 without breaking a sweat.
@@jakekaywell5972 OH WOW GEE WILLIKERS A WHOLE 120 DOLLARS PAPA?! THAT WILL SURELY BUY US TWO DAYS WORTH OF GASOLINE AND A COSTCO PIZZA, WE’RE SAVED! Lmao dude, I’ve literally given these things away and somehow still own three, gimme a break.
Edit: and since I wasn’t clear if you buy an original housing Helios for 120 bucks you’re a sucker.
"I'm just taking a picture of the President..."
Mr. President can i have one shoot, please !
@@CahyoPrabowo *Cocks film reel
I hear this comment
That episode from "Prostokvashino" cartoon was the first thing I thought about when I saw the title of the video)))
“Police gun down TH-cam Photographer”
‘He was armed with soviet rocket launcher’, say eyewitnesses.
(Be careful where you use it 😉)
😂😂
Lol
Likely safer to use in London than in Rome, given the difference in the level of military presence in the two cities, though I'd still say it'd be quite risky to pull out in any big city lol
That was the camera that started my whole vintage camera/lens collection. I found a new-old stock set in an antique shop for $50 15 years ago. Still the center piece of my whole collection.
I have a one i want to sell it for how much can i sell it
@@joecooper2529 you'd have to check Ebay, I don't know what the going rate is now. Probably more than I paid.
Got one myself and I've had no problems taking it downtown in Helsinki where I live. Never had anyone get scared by it. The reactions people have are actually quite the opposite from scared, it's a great conversation starter and a lot of people are interested in hearing about it. I've never had any problems with the police either when carrying it, closest to that is when a security guard gave me a wide smile when he saw it while I was walking at a metro station. 😄
$15 euro!?! Dude. Damn. The magic is free at that price.
magic lens ? :)
And "don't get shot," was definitely my first thought living in the US.
that's 1/10 of its value!!!!
This will be expensive now
@@thibaultdubaret9863 1/20 after this video does the rounds :)
I'd definitely "shoot" film with this gear :D
As always much appreciation for making these videos!
thanks a lot for watching too
Imagine the chats you'll have with airport security : )
I'm a South Korean. I was surprised to see a South Korean movie in the middle of the TH-cam video. I have never seen the movie 'Over the Rainbow', but the movie scene is very interesting
Me living in U.S. using this kind of equipment:
*chuckles* "I'm in danger!"
When I bought it, I thought that the image quality wan't be good, becouse this lens has only 3 lenses in 3 groups, which is not that much. But I was impresed by very crisp image😮
me too !! what a good find
What's the magnification factor?
@@DucatiKozak I don’t know, depends on which sensor you using
The number of lenses are not an indicator of image quality. If the focal length corresponds with the physical length of the lens, you need only an achromatic lens with two cemented lenses. And that was done by novoflex in in combination with a moderate lensspeed. The image quality was superb and even Leica turned out the Leitz Schnellschuss Objektiv manufactured by novoflex. The Leica models were triplets instead of the only achromatic version. Later novoflex turned out a 400mm triplet under its own label.
@Александр Жуков having more lens elements in more groups in a lens like this doesn't necessarily mean better image quality! in fact, given the glass is of high quality and good build, less elements means more sharpness in most prime lenses with a not so wide aperture! more elements only makes wider apertures possible for prime lenses but not more sharpness really ... one reason zoom lenses cannot be as sharp as prime lenses is just that: so many elements and more groups! :-)
Спасибо за интересное видео. Тоже хотел найти такой аппарат. Нашел только объектив Таир 3.
Кстати,этот мультфильм мой любимый)
Those times when people did not think that it is something malicious in your hand and you come to harm them... Not needed video surveillance, "neighborhood watching" and other "looking for suspicious activity", everyone were much more open minded and without malicious intentions than today's madness..... simple people with simple pleasures.
I think that images quality is great. As well in general very nice idea and comfortable for long lens.
Hey there Mathieu. I don't know if you'll ever read or respond to this, but I just wanted to say your videos are beautiful and extremely creative. Last night I couldn't sleep because of my on-going insomnia and I stumbled upon your video about making a lens from ice. It is just captivating and creative and beautiful and emotional and inspiring and all the other positive adjectives I could ever think of, as well as all your 30+ other videos that I binge-watched last night. The music, the pictures, the video footage... toy photography tips, vintage and other weird lenses... You always have a story to tell and not just a review. It's simply beautiful. Kind of gives me some faith in humanity. Subscribed.
WoW that’s the most important comment I received in months ! Thank you so much to give me the energy to keep on doing my work
@@MathieuStern And thank you for your reply and for your lovely content!
Okay, now shoot photos from the hip, Rambo-style.
Then focusing will become a guesswork
@@GungKrisna12 not if you yell loudly enough
I'd love to see some 35mm negative photo scans shot on this. Perhaps a follow-up vid?
I also have a set. I placed a little switch where the trigger comes up and connected this via auxiliary to my cam. So you can use the set with digital cam. Pretty nice when you "fire" 10 pics/sec
Guy to the right at 5:30 "He's got a gun! He's got a gun!" :P
I have exactly this, full kit, got it from my granddad. Very sharp and I like the look of photos
I have some film photos made on a 3.5/300 Tair, which was produced for local market. I also use PhS-12 (ФС-12) body, which seems to be a slightly altered Zenit TTL. Photos come out lovely, with similarly swirly bokeh of Helios series
I remember the Novaflex 'squeeze to focus' lenses back in the 70's. They got a few photojournalists shot at.
Yep, i review this bazooka lens 2 years ago :) and it was even more scary than this one
I am incredibly jealous of your find!
I'm in Canada and I pretty much daily drived the thing for two summers. Mine's the multicoated version. Great conversation starter generally, just do not bring it to tense protests. It and the Kamlan 50mm f1.1 MKII are my two trump cards. The Photosniper is for wildlife and the Kamlan for portraits.
People WILL want portraits with this lens just to see what it can do.
One thing I've notived about Soviet lens (I have the MC Photosniper/Fotosniper 12 kit, Jupiter-21A, Jupiter-37A, MC Jupiter-9, Helios 44-2, and some others) is that they have great sharpness in the centre of the frame and still manage to have much better bokeh then their aperture sizes would suggest. Cromatic aberations are not great, but acceptable even with fixing in post. Their newer MC coating gives much more vibrant colours and deeper contrasts, but I prefer the look you get with the older puplish and gold coating.
Anyone remember the infamous German Novoflex design - the "schnellschuss" system ("quick shot"; official name was PIGRIFF I think) - that originally came out in 1955? Here the trick was basically to be able to focus really quickly - this design was quite popular until wide into the 80ies. And yes, a lot of photojournalists remember funny situation with security personnel...
Man, what a find! And the entire kit in that condition too. Interesting history, I didn't even know these were a thing.
I have the same complete kit but it's all contained in a faux leather shoulder bag, which is original to the kit. Bought mine 15 years ago for $25 in Idaho USA. Like yours, the image quality of mine is excellent. The 58mm f/2 is also an excellent lens.
Thanks for the info!
Greetings from Russia! I have Tair-3 FS. And I will say that it is inconvenient to focus with it. I have several M42 adapters, and with only one of them, the focus ring is set correctly. With others, it is located on the side. This should be kept in mind! Therefore, I advise you to find an option with a classic focus ring. It will be much more convenient. The lens is in white. Very sharp, especially when the apertures are closed.
The lens can be found as Tair-3 without the FS, that one has a normal focus ring.
I don’t know how much the TH-cam algorithm mess the colors of the picture but damn the pictures colors are realistic
I just got this lens in absolute MINT condition for 10 bucks. It even came with a 42 - E mount adapter. Crazy thing, INCREDIBLE for astro, stopped down to 5.6 this thing is immaculate. I love it
That is one absolutely legendary cartoon in former Soviet countries! Everybody adores dog Sharik and cat Matroskin and their "uncle Feodor"! And there is a very memorable phrase in there too, when Sharik got tired pursuing a hare to take a picture and finally took it and Matroskin said:
- Now you're gonna run for half a day more...
- Why is that?
- To give him the picture!
It's a phrase all kids from 1980-90s know to express that something takes a long time =)
Well, now me too !
you can't find this in Russia in this pristine condition for this price, lol
on top of that you got the export version which is supposedly much higher quality than for inner soviet market
This is partly true, everything produced in our domestic market of photographic equipment was inferior in quality to please a wide range of buyers. For that, unlike imported models, domestic products were many times easier and faster to be modified. Since, in the USSR and in Russia, every 3 knows how to make homemade improvements. Therefore, old things can live with us for a very long time.
It was also within the country that, due to poor quality, Soviet lenses received a unique, inimitable blur pattern. Which is highly regarded by art photographers. For example, google photos taken with Helios 44/2 lens
Love those auto-winder sounds from the hand-wound Zenit-12 in the Korean movie!
Got mine, on a flea market as well, 80€ the complete set, mine is a bit older, full russion inscriptions, with URSS quality control stickers. Didn't use it with the "pistol" yet, I imagine that it could draw some strange looks 😂, I'm completely in love with it, shoots perfectly
I KIND of want to try that thing!!!
for a test in the woods it's ok but forget about a city test :))
This combo is awesome what a beauty! All treasures, the camera, both lenses, etc. Can't stop thinking about what collectibles you must have in your shelf. Congrats! Greetings from Chile 🇨🇱 🙋♂️
The person who kept all that in that condition all packed together... Well done!
I have got one as well. It was given to me by an unxle who actually used to use it! It looks and feels amazing. I am yet to take the lens out with my fuji camera but your video is making me really do it. Thanks for sharing!
That's awesome!
I had a similar one once. Watching this I instantly can smell the case.
I AM JEALOUS MATHIEU! Such a cheap bargain you found!
I think I've seen the modern version of this in China 😂 used to "shoot" birds with big tele lenses.
Looks hilarious but kinda make sense
I have one of these. Very fun to use and just a great overall collectable. Can't use in public though 😅
Or get ready to have a lot of people chasing you with pitchforks
Lovely stuff Mathieu, remember buying Zenit B and wanting the Photosniper kit as a teen. Memories ha ha.
I remember these for sale..They were cheap new, always been amazing value.
Yea, can't believe i got it for so cheap
If you don’t mind altering this collector item, painting it in a light color will make it obvious its is not harmful! (pink, blue, orange..)
I remember when the Photography magazines of the 1970's looked at the Photo Sniper. The consensus was, the outfit was a bargain for junior/budget naturalists and voyeurs. Like with long-extinct Novoflex telephoto outfits, using such equipment might attract the attention of security/police forces.;) "Hey! You! Lower that RPG right now!"
Very nice find, a complete kit in that condition, well done, I must say I would hesitate to go out shooting with the complete gear, looks dangerous !
The auto focus is so smooth, who would of guessed
I used to work in a camera shop in the late 80's.
A customer came in and wanted this kit. He had a look, was impressed and was about to part with his money when I asked him what he was planning to photograph. This bloke said that he was off to Belfast to photograph the Army.
It was at this point I realised that he hadn't really thought this through. Belfast at this time was still in the grip of the Troubles, to be on the street with a camera that looks like a firearm was dangerous, making him a target for both sides.
I told the bloke that I wasn't happy selling it and even got the manager to talk to him, he was from France I believe and really didn't understand what the Troubles were. When we explained that if he used it on the street his life expectancy would drop to just minutes he took on board what we were saying and very gracefully accepted our advice not to buy!
Well you saved a life and maybe the camera was used for better photography
Love the old Reflex cameras, and the perfect city to test it out Paris
Been considering one of these for a while, but prices are little too much on eBay, and will definitely go up after this. Hope I'll find one at a market locally like you did
I own this gun too, every photo taken by this lens is brilliant
When you see through viewfinder, is it clean and sharp? mine is very blurry .
I have a white/grey version that looks a lot less tactical than the black. Amazing kit.
Отлично. Даже захотелось на барахолке найти такую штуку себе.
Hello, I currently have a photosniper 300mm tair f4.5 and I would like to know if it is worth buying the 300mm L canon or what other 300mm lens would you recommend?
Круто! Прошлая цивилизация не просто производила, но и экспортировала такие аппараты!. Cool! The past civilization not only produced, but also exported such devices!
I just "inherited" one of these as a full kit, it's quite eye-catching
I have the photosniper without the Gun. Such a nice lens and those Aperture blades!
Some words about 'weird' lenses. Do you ever heard about soviet catadioptric lenses Rubinar-500 (Рубинар-500) or MTO-1000AM? I'm not sure that they are well-known in Europe. But in Russia it is possible to buy one for about €100 in a perfect condition. Just imagine: 140mm aperture, f/10.5, 1100mm focal length, donut-shaped bokeh, M42 mount. Also you can add a Turist-FL (Турист-ФЛ) optical module to convert your lens into a huge spyglass.🙃
Thanks for the video, I wanted one of those when I was a lad. May I ask how is the trigger linked to the Zenith shutter release? Is the camera non-standard?
The camera has a mechanism under it that connects to the shutter, when you press the trigger it shoot your photo.
I have one in pristine condition somewhere, unused directly from a closed police warehouse, cameras like this was used by Czechoslovak traffic patrols back in the 80s.
I have lens from this kit. Tair 3s is amazing, especially iris. It's also fantastic for astrophotography.
Totally agree!
15€ for the box…. That is incredibly cheap. I also have it and i really love those 2 lenses. The sharpness and the Bokeh of the tair. Old Soviet lenses are my absolutely favorite.
I'd totally use something like this with my Fuji camera, it's comical and functional. Amazing 😎👍
Totally!
Remember these when oin sale new but never tempted to buy one as you were limited to Zenit (also Praktica and Exacta cameras by modification. ) Optically not bad and mechanically a very good kit. Leica/Leitz made a similar accessory for the longer teles for the Leicaflex and Leica/Visoflex which I tried out. The focusing tube was interchangeable between different focal length heads so you simply bought one tube and the heads you wanted. Nowhere near as inexpensive though!
Wow.. .it looks like it is in mint condition.. Im happy for you
I sold mine about a month ago. Didn't find a good use to it. But it was fun. Instead, I bought Jupiter-8 and Jupiter-9, both in silver, from 1962-1963. They're awesome.
Yes Jupiter lenses are a must
Looked like it was new! Nice find!
It's not an extremely bright lens but I would try it on digital with high ISO for sport scenes, with fast movement, like car races. The whole rig asks for action photos. I can visualize the crisp image of a rally car and the motion blurr on the surroundings.
( I did that several times, long time ago, with an old Zenith and 200/4 Pentacon, 400 ISO B/W film. Hand held, tracking the car, manual pre-focus and cable shutter release for reducing camera shake. I still keep the negatives and a few A5 photos from those times ).
Can we trigger a fuji camera with a relese cable from this?
Well that was a bit of a blast from the past for me. I had one of these back in the 80's. This , of course, was before I gained more knowledge of photography and no longer believed the hype!
Really beautiful lens quality
This 300 is the Soviet 300 prime I have been dreaming of! I won’t go above 5.6 as a personal rule and I can’t abide Corona/contrast loss in bright light-can’t say I see either here.
And the colors! That bird’s eye was as rich with micro contrast as anything I’ve gotten out of my Fuji glass.
My eye is out for this-
Recently, my dad gave me the whole set. He used to take some photos with it when I was just a small kido.
To be honest, so far I've used only the 58mm Helios, as I'm also quite afraid to take the whole gun outside haha
By the way, great video and great price for the whole set! You can easily make couple hundred if you'd sell it
Not going to sell it soon, but i hope it will be more than 15 euros :)
"be sure you eat the bell for notifications" hahaha dude!
yum
I have one of these old lenses. It is fun to use but the quality is not that good. It's ok but nothing to write home about. My problem is I can't get it to focus to infinity.
I had one. I went out to have fun with it in my hometown, and it took like 5 minutes for the police to yell at me to put it down. Moments like this make me appreciate that I'm not living in America.
What a find! I appreciate how you put this video together!
Glad you enjoyed it!
now you really shoot a picture
Hi, I've just bought this camera too, but when I open it, I cut the cable with white head since it was hidden in the package. What is that?I can't find from internet, saw the parts graph but still don't know what it is...... Is there any way to reconnect it? Thank you.
Wow. Great lens and what a deal. I WANT ONE !!!!!!
I have one, but I've found that it's not great with focusing on objects that are farther than 50 meters, is this a characteristic of the lens, if not is there a way to fix that?
Oh, I remember those from back then, very intrigued by it, never got around to even fiddle with them.
до этого момента, думал что фото ружье существует только в мультфильме Простоквашино, где пёс гонялся за зайцем
I didn't know it's history in media- very cool. If you were out with other photographers doing photographs then I think this sort of support would be fine- even good. But did any designer ever stop to ask themselves if they should!? Could they not have some hand straps on the barrel? Using it on a monopod I think would get you 80% of the way there. Good video as always
So if I use this to shoot professional portraits, can I say "BOOM HEADSHOT" after every actuation?
Same idea as the Novoflex Schnellschuß Objektive from the early fifties. There were modular lenses from 135mm up to 800mm. Focussing was even faster by an spring loaded linear focussing grip. Until AF became standard that was the fastes focussing method in nature and sports photography.
Цены у Вас просто смешные !
I used to lust after this kit when I was a young, could never afford it though. 👍
I have the photosniper, not in the best of shape, but it's still working. Have to say that when I use it outside it sure draws attention ;)
this is the one time where you WANT to have the lens cap OFF all the time when you're shooting outside
As a Soviet kid I knew of it from the cartoon, but I could not think it's 300mm only. Makes more reason for me to be at least 500-600mm. On the other hand, it would be too big with those technologies... These days Canon makes 600mm and 800mm rather compact.
I still have Photosniper from the 70s still work as well has it did new
That's what comes to my mind when I hear "shoot a picture"
That is insanely immaculate!
I have an all plastic version. The camera is crap, the lens not half bad.
However I received mine in Washington DC circa 2003.
I was told by a fellow videographer AND a DC cop NOT to use it in DC with the silly lens hood on it.
Looked like a weapon mocked up to be a camera…
Novoflex made a lens variation 50 years ago.
I think you could use this lens as it is on fujifilm cameras and connect the shutter release cable?