Two Great Soviet “Leica” Stories 

From  “LOMO”

 PART 1 - VOOMP

Text material from Oleg Tumazov

Translation from Luiz Paracampo 

Из истории отечественной фотоиндустрии: ВООМП

VOOMP FIRST MODEL 

VOOMP SECOND MODEL 

ВООМП – (The All Soviet Union Optical-Mechanical Association) was created in 1930. It was made from a conglomerate of all optical and mechanical enterprises of the era. The famous (ГОИ) was also a partner of the group. There were the main brains who developed all the Russian optics.

The working tasks of the Experimental factory “ГОИ” in its departments were shown by the magazine “ОМП” who opened the GOI archives. All the information was given by impartial observers, builders and the people who directly was part of the creation staff of the Soviet “Leica”. The original text is the most faithful, and the author try to make the reader feel the best approach to the thought of the people engaged in the Soviet “Leica” construction, entering in the atmosphere in which was born and was developed this small camera.

From historical data of Soviet photo industry: ВООМП really was the experimental factory ГОИ. Soon after the end of first prototype series of “Pioner” model 2, the factory department became “ГОМз”, the forerunner of present “LOmo”.

At this point plans were transferred to VOOMP of Moscow at the "Geodesia" plant.

 

After adapting the model to the factory conditions and correcting possible weak points, it was produced at April 1934 the first batch of  cameras…” , in June there were produced the first half hundred of units, being given to a group of photo reporters”  - said the magazine.  

 PART 1 – GOI/ LENINGRAD

 

 

Just after the end of  WW II , The Leningrad State Optical Institute prepared  a production of an original still camera aimed to be “ The utmost of perfection;  more modern than all the known foreign models”.

The first known notices about this camera being in the LOMO files, dates from 1947. At this time, the camera prototype was finished and they begun the trial production work. “Now the aim was a small series production of such camera, named "ГОИ".

Based upon the drawings and samples from the previous period, and including the changes made in 1947 expressed on the technicians’ desires at the “ Photo cameras Conference” organized by the Precision Industries Ministry in the first fourth of 1947”.

 

During 1948, it was planed put into production the camera “ГОИ” in one of the factories under administration of the Weapons Ministry.

 

At the beginning of April, 1948 the ГОИ department, had produced 10 copies of the already tested “ГОИ” cameras, and all cameras produced were now under study and tests at the Institute laboratory.

 

Probes were done under a special program made at the beginning of the 1948 second half year. According data, the production of the camera had a heavy workmanship and the reliability of final production was tightly tied to the production precision of the parts;

The results obtained from probes did not rule the camera construction reviewing from the beginning. (only a single point was revised being substituted by a new stronger one). The rotary shutter operated magnificently. Unfortunately, and by unknown reasons the camera never went into mass production. The “ГОИ” camera went into “Leningrad” which later changed its overall design. In 1958, this camera received the  Brussels Fair  “Great Award” with this new design.

This same shutter concept was later used in Kiev Reflex prototype and Kiev 10 and Kiev 15 cameras.

Опытный образец фотоаппарата «Ленинград» завода «ГОМЗ». [1954]

«Leningrad» Experimental Camera 1954 -the link to the final camera