Simon, the people who follow you pretty much love anything you do with these videos. Whether long or short, I know I will watch it. That said, I do like what you have planned with this series. If making shorter videos is easier for you, and that allows you to make more videos, then Godspeed man! This was a great start to this series! A lens that is super unique and it will never be made again. Ever. The whole "plunger" comment was hilarious! You are a brave man to take that rig out into public. You probably would have gotten less strange looks had you simply brought out 6x7, land camera on a huge tripod and hood! Please continue with this series!
I designed a 3D printed grip that makes it a little less conspicuous. Living next to an airport I was quite hesitant to use the original grip, but without it, it is kind of a hassle to focus. The design is available for free at maker world and printables, if someone wants it. The lens really produces some nice images, but due to the weight and form factor it does make you work for it.
When I was in my teens back in the 1970's I lusted after one of these Zenit Sniper camera kits at the time I think it was around £70 used. Still like the look of it.
Very interesting piece of kit but could cause a major misunderstanding in some parts of the world, I’m looking forward to more great reviews in this new series.
I really enjoy both using my Photosniper kit, and your RU-vid channel. So for you to make a nice short video on the tair-3 was fantastic. Thanks for all that you do, and I would enjoy more short and Longford videos. :)
The non-photosniper version, the 300A, is also a very good piece of kit. The focus ring on mine is a bit stiff probably due to whatever grease the soviets put into it deteriorating but other than that I can't find significant flaws. Another plus of these lenses is that they're heavy enough that they can be used as a self defense implement when the wildlife gets a bit too friendly and given its built like a tank such an encounter is probably going to leave the lens unharmed.
"But for this gear, people definitely kept their distance." 😅 Imagine using that gear while wearing camo clothes (to be able to get closer to e.g. birds)... ...and you may have a SWAT team coming your way real soon... 😊 Thanks for another good and fun video! Cheers!
Simon, an excellent idea. I look forward to your long videos and will certainly watch the shorter ones. Your videos are highly interesting and liberatingly free from all forms of self-absorption and very informative. So go for it 🙂
Nice to see you back again.. Yes I've had a few of these over the years and a very underestimated lens it is to.. I too was reluctant to use the supplied trigger kit just in case I had a visit from a swat team some night!! You certainly can't mount on camera without ripping camera apart but I managed to utilize the 3/8" screw near aperture trigger and fashioned a 'Heath Robinson' type tall-ish (To clear trigger) tripod mount out of aluminium box section. Perfect balance with my 5D3 on end and no qualms about breaking things.. Looking forward to next vid.. : )
That takes me back some, Simon! A great start to what I hope is going to be a fascinating series... "leaving aside its weight, that seems to increase..." Made me chuckle, it seems so much more apt now that I'm old...
Hi Simon I have one & love the results especially when I use it with my Sony A6500 which gives me a 450mm view. I use it with a wired remote that is held onto the pistol grip with Velcro. So far nobody has paid any attention when I use it. The setup when used with the Sony In body stabilisation is very good, resulting in great shots of birds, wildlife etc. Like the new format keep up the good work.
Got the original non-sniper vedsion of this lens. With a 00xxxx serial number and the 1958 inscription. Love to use it, but I can imagine the focus wheel of the S version is handier for quick focusing.
I would make kind of remote shutter for my Sony with the trigger :D love this think, but I guess running around with the full kit requires some guts :D
I remember selling them to customers in the 80's. I never thought much about them because of the snooty prejudices I had using my Nikon and Olympus gear. If I'd only known who I'd be 30years later I would have been collecting the fabulous Russian gear that was coming through back then. Same with Praktika brands (whose lenses I now love), and this maker had some stylish cameras back then. I was a keen German compact camera user back then though. Agfa cameras especially had some seriously good lenses.
plunger.. generals 😂 you killed me man. There was Egyptian 1980 action movie (Darbet Shams) about journalist and he used this weird piece of kit in the movie.
I’m super interested in this lens, but I live in Washington DC so I’m pretty sure if I took this thing out onto the streets with the trigger mechanism, it quickly wouldn’t end well. Heh.
I think the trigger is a great ergonimic boost, so much so that I made a mod so that it will release the shutter of a Sony camera via the MULTI connector. Also you unlock automatic fire for the rifle in the process
Sold my fs-3 sniper kit just a month ago or so. I did like the Tair performance but didn't like to use the pistol grip in public and without it i found it easier to use my MOG Telemegor or Orestegor. I rate the Orestegor slightly higher anyway although it is quite a bit heavier than the Tair. I like both formats and I'll hope you continue them both.
Hi Simon interesting video :). At a time where a 50mm seems to need 17 internal lenses to be good enough (last sigma f1.2) … it s quite good to see what a 3 lenses can do … even if I understand that a 300mm is easier to build than a standard one:). And this is not too bad :). A bought one of these monster just to complete my zenith reflex collection and I never tried the 300mm yet. This will push me to do it quickly. Thx for that and I am eager to see some new videos of this serie. See you soon.
the lens is excellent, i'm even ok with it's classical weight. yet it's hard to nail the focus in distance, the focus knob/ring is waaay too short, i'm going to modify it.
Have you done a video on the Helios 103? I just bought one and ordered the focusing adaptor for it I’m excited to try it out on my a7r4 and I also just got my mmz 44-2
I used it when it was released to the public, very good with bw film. I was very, very close to buy the kit, it was pretty expensive back then. But... Nowadays what should I do with it? I don't have too much space to store all kind of things, I don't have enough time for photography and, why shouldn't I recognize, I don't have money to spend for unnecessary things. I have Sigma 150-600 mm, what should I do with it now?
If i went outside in Chicago with that kit, i know a SWAT team would show up immediately. If i survived that, even if they figured out it was photo related, id probably have my house raided, and be locked up for at least disturbing the peace. Actually i suspect the prosecutor would think up more creative charges. Real gang members have an easier time navigating the system than honest imbeciles.
