GOMZ Fotokor-1

The camera uses 9x12cm film plates.

It’s name comes from the user group it was designed for – Photo correspondents (aka photo journalist). 

To use it you would first “load” the film sheets into the metal cartridges in a dark room. To do that you place your film between the back metalsheet and glass that holds it in place. You then slide the front-side metal sheet in place – hiding the film from light. Once you’ve set up your scene, you slide in the whole cartridge in the backside of the camera and remove the front sheet of the cartridge. Exposing the film to the light inside the camera. You press the shutter, light hits the film and you slide the cartridge sheet back on to avoid overexposure. Unloading is again done in a dark room. So it’s rather labourious and requires a home-lab or a non-standard photo developing lab who do that for you. Hence – I haven’t taken any photos with it myself.

What I like about the camera apart from it’s unique looks in the collection is the focusing. Additionally to the method of just measuring the distance to your subject you can also “pre-focus” by sliding in a matte-glass on the back of the camera where the film cartridge will be and the “live view” is projected onto it if you keep the shutter open. See the example below (focusing on a playground).

It also has the glass prism and a “spirit-level” as additional guidance for framing (see the example with rubick cube).

If you are interested in buying the camera, write me an email.