Krasnogorsk (camera)

Krasnogorsk-3

The Krasnogorsk-3 is a spring-wound 16mm mirror-reflex movie camera designed and manufactured in the USSR by KMZ. Production of the Krasnogorsk-3 ceased in the early 1990s.

It was one of the most popular 16mm movie cameras in Eastern Europe, where it made a prominent appearance in Krzysztof Kieślowski's 1979 film Camera Buff, and continues to enjoy considerable popularity in the West.

Technical information

The Krasnogorsk-3 uses standard 100-foot (30 m) load of 16mm film (single or double-perforation). There is no provision for an external magazine. There are two different lens mounts used on the Krasnogorsk-3. One is the M42×1 lens mount. The other is a Russian bayonet mount. The screw-mount allows for the use of lenses from 35 mm still cameras. The stock lens is the f/1.9 17–69 mm zoom lens Meteor-5-1.

The camera has a single pulldown claw and no registration pin. At 24 frame/s, the Krasnogorsk-3 will run for about 25 seconds on a full wind. Film speed is adjustable from 8 frame/s to 48 frame/s. A single-frame release at the back of the Krasnogorsk-3 allows for animation and other single-frame applications.

The PX640 battery required to power the internal light meter is no longer sold due to its mercury content. Using an alkaline replacement will not give accurate results due to the differing voltage and discharge slope of alkaline cells. However, a zinc–air battery will work fine with an adapter.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Krasnogorsk-3 camera.

External links