TSVVS 2 The Challenge!

Disclaimer: The following article is USSRPhoto.com member's personal views and opinions and theoritical speculation. Anything desribed below is purely to initiate a lively and interesting discussion and not to be utilized as hard proven facts.


Here are two views of a very strange and unknown cameras of the Soviet production. Extremely rare and seldom encountered, this model was a development of the former TSVVS, and technicaly a step ahead the inspiring FED 2 . As some of the TSVVS of 1949/ 1950 they have no name or manufacturer indication, but their finishing denotes the same Almaz manufacture. The FED philosophy was always present. As in the previous known model, this camera is a departure from the FED: now, the model 2 uses the original normal inner Contax lens mount. This new model has although very interesting improvements. Fist of all, they have the same bayonet that now is complete and can receive all range of interchangeable lenses, once there is present the outer Contax bayonet mount. Film sensibility reminder marked in DIN scale. Everything is coupled to the same wide base FED 2 range/viewfinder, now with an external wheel focusing. This viewfinder has a diopter adjusting ring around the ocular, à la FED 3 style. In the front panel there is a vertical interchangeable slide frame limiting the viewfinder field for rangefinder use in 85 and 135mm lenses, reminiscences of the original Contax I , Now the base and back is a one piece, also removable the same way some later original TSVVS, also Contax style. The great improvement however is the presence of the slow speed mechanism , unseen in FED 2 cameras. It operates in the “B” position of the high speed dial. One has to set the desired speed and cock the slow speed dial on each chosen slow speed previously to take a picture. Cameras had three plug contacts for “M” and “X” , reminding the Exakta and Rodina (the first one is moified for PC) . Some characteristics of this camera can be found in the later model 1 in the site: Probable Year of manufacture -1956
We include a FED 2 picture for comparison of the controls placement. http://www.dvdtechcameras.com/collect/fed/1/18.htm
The largest picture personally given by Dr Milos Mladek

*Two pictures show TSVVS2? in three positions clarifying caqmera controls.

*Another one compares the bayonet distance decaling angle of TSVVS2 ,TSVVS original Kiev/Contax (the largest angle) and Nikon. -Angle position was coosen to be between infinity and 1.5m (or equivalent).

*The following picture shows a comparison of controls placement of TSVVS2 and Nikon of the same vintage.