Smena Symbol
The Smena Symbol was part of a super long running line of Smena cameras that were meant as low cost, easy entry, simple use cameras for amateur and hobbyist photographers. The Symbol, for example, was produced for about 20 years from 1973 until 1993 and saw a production run estimated to be in the tens of millions.
The Smena Symbol is a simple viewfinder camera with a Bakelite body. It makes use of zone focusing and a shutter speed selection where individual shutter speeds are represented by images of different weather/lighting conditions with the goal to make gauging exposure easier for untrained photographers. The Symbol features a coated T-43 40mm f4 triplet lens that produces high contrast images with a distinct look. The lens gives the Smena Symbol an appeal similar to that of the original LOMO LC-A.
Between 1977-1979 an upgraded Symbol, named the Symbol-136, was produced that featured a 40mm f2.8 Industar-73 lens but these versions are fairly uncommon and harder to find.
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