Kalimar: Kalimar SR200

Notes related to specific cameras
bill339
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Kalimar: Kalimar SR200

Postby bill339 » Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:44 pm

The Zenit E was a Russian-built SLR camera body for M42 screw lenses, made from 1965-1968. The Zenit range was quite popular since it was priced moderately; furthermore, it was offered under several other brands: (Kalimar SR200 1973, Foto-Quelle Revueflex E 1967, and Wirgin Prinzflex E 1967 to 1970.
The camera offered only shutter speeds of 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250 and 1/500, plus 'B' for longer exposures. The distance scale was drawn against the calculator scale, showing the acceptable tolerance, depending on aperture. The minimal focusing distance was about 0.65m with the Industar 50 (50mm f3.5) objective (and 0.46m with the Helios-44 58mm f2) but a set of extension rings was manufactured for this camera, allowing close distance macro pictures. The Kalimar SR200 requires the user to manually stop down the diaphragm before exposure; the lens has an extra ring for this purpose. It has a selenium meter. The meter's photocell was placed above the lens mount behind a protecting window, and its instrument was placed beside a two-slice analog exposure calculator. A ring in the meter was coupled to that calculator on which the film speed had to be preselected, and when the meter's needle matched the ring the calculator showed the correct shutter-speed/aperture combinations. This device was not connected to the actual speed/aperture controls. The camera has a self-timer release button in the front with a timer lever below it, a flash unit port front right, an accessory mount on the top, a ¼” 20 thread tripod mount, and a single action film advance lever. The Kalimar SR200 was produced in both black and silver, and there were commemorative versions for the upcoming 1980 Moscow Olympic Games with the five Olympic rings on it. There were two styles of markings, a Kalimar SR200 badge and Kalimar embossed in black on one side and SR200 on the other. The Kalimar SR200 like the Zenit E comes in all black or clad in black leatherette with a silver top and bottom.

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