USSR stamped on the back. Removable Industar-69 lens, fully mechanical, no batteries. The film door popped open in Mexico. I kind of loved it anyway.
This quirky little camera from the USSR — yes, USSR is actually stamped on the back — has been on my radar for a long time. I am always looking for cameras that require no batteries and have full manual functionality in a small package.
The Chaika II has a removable M39 lens — the Industar-69, which is an awesome name. 28mm at f/2.8 with a close focusing distance of 0.8m. Fully mechanical, meterless, with shutter speeds from B to 1/250. The shutter release is on the front and triggered with the right index finger — sounds awkward but works quite naturally. It really feels great in the hand.
My biggest gripe: the film back popped open numerous times for no apparent reason. Once in my camera bag, once on the bedside table. A rubber band around the back mitigated the problem, but realistically half my shots were wasted because of this.
The images came back fine — soft and dreamy with muted colors, a very vintage aesthetic. My favorite from the whole roll was the dramatic light leak in the palm tree that occurred after the film door blew open mid-shoot in Mexico.
