98 - KMZ | Start Black Paint

KMZ | Start Black Paint Estimate: €1,600–1,800 Year: 1961 Serial No.: 6100695 Condition: B English: A black-painted example of the KMZ Start with a chrome Helios-44 2/58mm lens, no. 0043995. While standard production cameras were finished in chrome and black, only a very small number of entirely black-painted examples are known to exist. Of particular importance, this camera is the exact model illustrated and described in *Classic Camera*, February 2003, in the extensive article “Start, a Super Zenit from the Khrushchev Period” by Danilo Cecchi, Massimo Bertacchi, and Antonio Savini (pp. 28–34). It is specifically identified as a black-finished second version, featuring small control knobs, and is illustrated from several angles, including with the prism removed and the camera back open. The camera displays attractive, naturally aged black paint with characteristic wear and patina, consistent with its considerable age. The authenticity of the extremely rare black-finished Start cameras has been debated in the specialized literature, although the exceptionally careful craftsmanship of the known examples has been acknowledged. German: Black-painted KMZ Start with chrome-plated Helios-44 2/58 mm No. 0043995. While the regular production cameras were chrome-plated, only very few examples painted entirely black are known to exist. Of particular significance is the fact that this very camera was described in the magazine “Classic Camera,” in the detailed article “Start, a Super Zenit from the Khrushchev Period” by Danilo Cecchi, Massimo Bertacchi, and Antonio Savini (pp. 28–34). It is explicitly identified there as a black second version with small control buttons and shown from multiple angles, including with the prism removed and the back cover open. The camera features an attractive, naturally aged black lacquer finish with characteristic signs of wear and patina. The authenticity of the extremely rare black Start models is debated in the specialized literature; however, the exceptionally careful craftsmanship of the known examples is widely recognized.