ndustrial

I would like to draw your attention to a folding camera equipped for 6x9 photography, i.e.
Moskva-5. These cameras were extremely popular in the interwar period. Of 6x9 negative
no enlargements were necessary as a contact print was enough. German Ercona's (Contax
Zeiss Ikon) were very popular on the Polish market. However, the last model to be found in
the Polish shops was Moskva-5, which stayed in production from 1956 to 1960 in
Krasnogorsk plants (where Zenith and Zorki were produced). The Moskva-5 was the best
series of Moskva folded cameras (the previous models were Moskva-2, -3 and -4). It was
equipped with all facilities, a camera of this class could have at that time, a coupled
rangefinder included. The Moskva-5 is a folded (bellows) camera. It folds open by pressing
the small button on the top right of the camera. To unfold it just close the camera. When
closed, the camera takes less place than normal 35 mm camera and can be taken with you
on a walk and no-one could guess that you are carrying a true dual format camera. It's a
pity that this type of cameras is almost forgotten. The central built-in shutter gives the speed
from 1/2s. to 1/250s. To take a picture, cock a shutter, and by moving upwards the small
lever that is located on the top right of the camera. The camera has a self-timer and a
possibility of using flash lamps. You can wind on the film with the knob on the right. There is
a system protecting from a double exposure. The film counts itself, because through the
appropriate red window in the back, you can see at just which exposure number the film is
now. Such windows are two, because the Moskva-5 is a dual format camera designed for
6x9 (max 8 pictures on 120 film) and 6x6 (max 12 pictures on 120 film) photography. At the
back of the camera there is a lever, which can be set on the pressure plate to 6 6 or 6 9,
depending on the format you want to use. If you want 6x6 negatives, you should place an
appropriate insert (that goes with the camera). On the top plate, there is a format switch, but
the only thing it does, is place or remove a 6 6 mask in the viewfinder. The Moskva-5 has an
Industar-24 10.5 cm f/3.5 with antiglare coatings. Lack of thread for filters is a real
disadvantage because there was a necessity of using adapters. The biggest advantage of
Moskva-5, which differentiates this camera from others, is a quite precise rangefinder. The r
angefinder window is to the left of the viewfinder window (they are not combined). Firstly,
keeping in mind that you are using a coupled rangefinder, try to focus the lens by turning
the focusing scale and checking focus through the rangefinder window. The subject is in
focus when the two superimposed images fall together. Then, frame the image in the proper
viewfinder and take the picture. The camera has a port for flash lamp but without a central
contact. The camera is of good workmanship, though, the edges of the camera are painted
with a black lacquer of poor quality, which is frustrating, when the layer scales and peels off
in the course of time. The camera was sold with the brown leatherette case.

Technical specification:
camera format: rangefinder roll-film
frame size: 6x9 and 6x6 cm
shutter speeds: from 1/2s. to 1/250s.
flash sync timing: at every shutter speed
focusing: coupled rangefinder
standard lens: Industar 24 3,5/105
self-timer: yes