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CHAJKA-2 / Chaika 2 How to use the Russian half camera

by EinCamera

Hello! This is Ein Camera 🙆
This time, we will introduce how to use the rare Russian half camera called Chaika❗️

🤔First of all, what kind of camera is the Chaika?

1960s,

A fully manual half-camera made in the Soviet Union (now Minsk, Belarus).

The fully manual half-size camera "CHAJKA-2" .

A masterpiece with a total production of over 1 million units!

The number of photos you can take is huge, and

The unique contrast of Russian lenses is attractive.

It's a mechanical camera No batteries required for shooting!


The image is classic and tasteful,

This is a camera that really lets you experience the joy of film photography.

Let's start using it right away 🫡

🔴Turn the red circle dial to change the shutter speed!

  • 🔴Red line: Shutter speed (e.g. 1/250)

  • 🔵Blue line: Film counter (shows how many shots you've taken)


Focusing is by rangefinder method !


Just select the icon and the focus will be set to the perfect distance.

  • 📏Minimum focusing distance: 0.8m : The distance where your upper body is captured

  • 🧍 1 person mark : distance of 1 person

  • 🧍🧍🧍 3-person mark : The distance where three people can fit their entire bodies.

    👉 Shooting at this distance makes it easier to focus and reduces mistakes✨

  • 🏡House symbol : Building, a subject a little further away

  • 🌄Infinity (∞) : Perfect for landscape photography!

🔽 How to determine aperture (F-stop)❗️


Simply turn the knurled ring on the lens to change the aperture.


✨ F2.8 → brightest


・When you want to blur the background

- Indoors or dark places (F2.8 is the best choice!)


📸 F4-5.6 → Ideal for snapshots


・A day when the light outside is stable

・Less likely to fail when taking photos of people or the streets!


🌞 F8-16 → When you want to focus clearly


・On a sunny day

・F16 is a safe choice when taking pictures of landscapes or distant scenery.



🔽 How to determine shutter speed ⏱


Just turn the dial on top (circled in red) 👇


🌌 B → Bulb shooting


The shutter remains open

・Starry sky

・Perfect for special photography such as fireworks!


🏠 30 → Indoors or dimly lit areas


- It's easy to shake, so keep your arms close to your body and hold the camera firmly when taking the photo!


☁️ 60 → Cloudy/Rainy Days


・In a slightly dark environment


🌤 125 → Standard


・This 125 is basically easy to use!

・If you want to shoot with a fixed shutter speed, this is the first


☀️ 250 → Sunny day


Bright outdoors

・Good for preventing overexposure

💫Film counter reset

If the film counter advances or you take several blank shots,

Lift the dial on the bottom of the camera up to reset it to 0.


👆Film chamber (how to open the back cover)

Slide the silver tab next to the camera up to unlock and open the back cover!

👆How to insert film

Tilt the film slightly and place it in the left pocket.

Then, pull the tip of the film (👇This is called the "flip")


➡️Insert it all the way into the gap in the spool on the right side of the camera.

(*The insertion direction is from left to right as shown in the image.)


Once inside,

👉 Just turn the spool gently and watch the film being wound up!

✨Points

・Please note that if the tongue is not inserted deeply, it will spin freely and will not reel up.

If the film is taut, it's securely inserted.

- If the winding becomes heavy after closing the cover, it's a sign of success!

👇It would be even better if you could achieve this state!

As shown in the attached image, it is important that the holes in the film fit firmly onto the protrusions on the spool .

  • Move the film flap slightly to the right

  • Align the "protrusion" on the spool with the "hole" on the film.

    (It's OK if the part circled in red is chewed!)


📌Points​

If two or three holes in the film are firmly caught on the protrusions, winding will not slip and you will be less likely to make mistakes.

Close the back cover

  • Once you have confirmed that the tongue is biting into the protrusion,

    Close the back cover while pressing it firmly

  • Slide the silver tab (lock) down to lock the back cover.


📌 The film tends to slip off when closing the back cover,

The trick is to press lightly while closing it.

Then, wind the film up all the way and release the shutter.

Repeat until the film counter goes from 0 to 1 !


📸When the counter reaches "1", normal shooting begins❗️


At first,

- Shutter speed (125 recommended)

Aperture (4-5.6 recommended)

・Range meter (the one that adjusts distance using icons)


By "fixing" these three things,

I recommend starting with a roll of film and shooting freely .

✅Once you've finished shooting...


When you finish shooting, you can no longer pull the film advance lever or it stops midway.

First, lift the black dial on the bottom of the camera and turn it clockwise to wind the film.


Roll it up until it becomes light!

It will obviously become lighter , so if it becomes easier to roll, then it's OK.


Open the back cover, remove the film, and take it to the developer.

What do you think? It's surprisingly easy!


The Chaika image is also very interesting with its unique contrast that is different from Japan,

If you find one, I highly recommend getting one!


Below are some example photos of Chaika 📸


Well, see you next time!

It was Ein Camera 🐶

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