The PhotoSniper, with firearms and weaponry expert Jonathan Ferguson

Ok, you probably saw straight through us, but you can’t blame us for trying. This isn’t an actual episode of What is this Weapon, which shall return next week with a special guest...
Happy April Fools.
Subscribe to our channel for more videos about arms and armour
Help us bring history to life by supporting us here: royalarmouries.org/support-us...
Sign up to our museum membership scheme here: royalarmouries.org/support-us...
⚔Website: royalarmouries.org/home
⚔Blog: royalarmouries.org/stories/
⚔Facebook: / royalarmouriesmuseum
⚔Twitter: / royal_armouries
⚔ Instagram: / royalarmouriesmuseum
We are the Royal Armouries, the United Kingdom's national collection of arms and armour. Discover what goes on behind the scenes and watch our collection come to life. See combat demonstrations, experience jousting and meet our experts.
Have a question about arms and armour? Feel free to leave us a comment and we'll do our best to answer it.

[@a3skywarrior929]

It takes 35mm cartridges 😂

[@kayagorzan]

That’s hilarious

[@a3skywarrior929]

@@kayagorzan 🫡

[@azgarogly]

Usually 24 or 36 shots per magazine.

[@a3skywarrior929]

@@azgarogly was just remembering that 🤣🤣

[@marty2129]

and the (focal) length of the barrel is 300 mm ;)

[@RoyalArmouries]

Remind me never to leave my camera lying around in the NFC again... - Josh

[@Mario_bland]

Thanks josh, keeper of cameras and lights at the royal armorys in leeds.

[@jally8638]

Is that Josh Heeley Keeper of camera and lights at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK. Which houses a collection of thousands of iconic cameras and lights from throughout history?

[@Legitpenguins99]

He favorited this now, but Johnathan will get so tired of this joke in the future

[@JacksonKillroy]

@@Legitpenguins99 ah, you must know him well. Could you get me an autograph, since you two are so close?

[@aluxtaiwan2691]

You beat me to it 😂

[@smfls]

It is Josh Heeley, Keeper of cameras and lights at the Royal Armouries museum in the UK, which houses thousands of iconic cameras and a lights from throughout history!

[@DiamandiL]

Clearly it's an SLR, Self-Loading Rifle.

[@grahampalmer9337]

No. Self Loading Relex.

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

There are Photosniper mounts for other SLR cameras.

[@carbo73]

in fact it's more like a bolt action. For a semiautomatic or automatic "fire" you should go at least for a spring camera like a Robot or a Leningrad, or wait till electric driven cameras.

[@astrovore148]

"It's like a bipod, just with one more leg" 😆

[@headshothunt3r414]

like a tripod?

[@joe125ful]

Yes ahahahah:)

[@AkaraTheLost]

Its nice to finally get a collaboration between Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armories Museum in the UK, Home to Thousands of Iconic Weapons from Throughout History and Josh Heeley, Keeper of Cameras and Lights at the Royal Armories Museum in the UK, Home to at Least One Iconic Camera from Throughout History

[@janslavik5284]

I really hope they have employee cards with these job titles

[@btbplanevids]

Ah the famous Zenith PhotoSniper. Pistol grips (albeit without a stock) were quite commonly used for action/wildlife photography back then - I used one at airshows on a variety of cameras. In the late '80s I got stopped by the police in London (near Trafalgar Square) because I was carrying a monopod which they took to be a weapon of some sort. They weren't entirely convinced by my explanation - "So sir, you're saying it's like a tripod but with only one leg?".

[@ExtraThiccc]

Funnily enough pistol grips, stocks, and comfy foregrips are useful for more than just shooting bullets. With anything is requires accuracy, they're very helpful. They even have a "shotgun microphone", which is a directional microphone that vaguely resembles a shotgun.

[@rdrrr]

@@ExtraThiccc Power drills have pistol grips. I've never seen one with a shoulder stock but I'm sure they exist. Have you ever seen one?

[@CabbageBloke]

Brings a whole new meaning to a ‘Kodak moment’.

[@rosscollingwood5189]

😂😂😂

[@johnmurcott1273]

Woah early. U need the stock to stabilise heavy recoil of 35mm film.

[@rosscollingwood5189]

😂😂😂

[@haroldellis9721]

At a museum, the subject was birds, they had a camera mounted on an M-14 stock, used to photograph birds in flight.

[@0neDoomedSpaceMarine]

Seems like it could have been devised by someone who had a strong habit for hunting bird, but needed to take 'shots' rather than shots, and that way he could imitate the swing of a shotgun.

[@eyeamstrongest]

​@@0neDoomedSpaceMarinerifle stocks are a simple and familiar way to keep 3 points of contact

[@haroldellis9721]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine This was like, over 40 years ago, so my memory may be a bit off. As I recall, it was about Audubon's paintings, and they described how he had to shoot birds to paint them, but now we can take photos, like using the camera with a large telephoto lens mounted on a M-14 stock. This was in the age of film, so you need twice the lens length for a given level of magnification.

[@alighorbani1658]

Happy April fools and easter to Jonathan and all the people at royal armouries😁

[@Telamon8]

As a camera and gun nerd, I love the old photosnipers and have always wanted to try one. They make perfect sense on paper, the principles of marksmanship and camera shooting are very similar, it's just, y'know, try and get past any sort of police or security with it lol

[@roygardiner2229]

It's about fifty years since I saw this camera body and tele lens comnination. I owned the Zenit E, the camera body shown here.

[@grahampalmer9337]

Still got one. Still scratching my head trying to think up a viable & universal way to convert film SLR's to Digital in a way that will 'rescue' all our thousands & thousands of [£/$/€/¥] worth of equipment - & make me my fortune. 😕 The Zenit being the least expensive to bugger up whilst 'perfecting' the method.

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

When I first saw a Photosniper, I thought it was a ridiculous gimmick, but then I thought some more and realized that the same ergonomics and systems that help aim and stabilize a rifle will also do so with a camera.

[@Hydrazine1000]

People forget that, with a telephoto lens of significant range (say 300 mm focal length and beyond) you'll have a hard time holding that stable in such a way that you don't get image blurr. You can compensate by reducing the shutter time, but that only works in well lit situations where a faster shutter will still result in a well lit image. That's not as much of a problem with modern gear, thanks to cameras with high sensitivity image sensors and lenses (or cameras) with optical image stabilisation mechanisms, but back when it was analogue film only, and not very fast (meaning high ISO/ASA) film, avoiding camera movement resulting in a blurred image took a lot of skill. This bit of kit makes a lot of sense if you look at the state of photography of, say, up untill the eighties.

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

@@Hydrazine1000 The photosniper has an interesting history according to KosmoFoto. During WWII it was issued to the Red Army, with the brass thinking that having similar controls and ergonomics to a rifle would be easy to teach and intuitive for the average grunt. One of the people who had one was Nikita Khruschev who was then a Soviet Commissar. During the war he used it to take many photos including in the middle of battles to document events and use it for propaganda. By the 50's he climbed up the ranks to General Secretary and then Premier of the USSR. It was then when he took his Zenit Photosniper to the KMZ factory to get jt repaired/tuned when he was told that the camera system was no longer being serviced or manufactured which he thought was a shame since he praised it as an innovative and useful camera system. Upon learning this, KMZ put the Zenit Photosniper back into production. It was said to have been standard gear by Soviet intelligence agents. I used to pass by a photography studio that doubled as a camera shop and they had one on display. The owner told me it's the best camera system for nature photography that requires a telephoto lens, especially for birds and the best for capturing fast action.

[@Hydrazine1000]

@@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive Well, I am an amateur photographer and I am very familiar with the challenge of shooting long focal length lenses hand-held. Now I'm lucky to have a 70-200 lens with build-in image stabilisation, and a 2x extender, but before that the situations with less than favorable light and no possibility to go tripod were seriously difficult. This sniper thingy may look very gimmicky to a non-photographer but it makes perfect sense to me. And thanks for that extra bit of historical background, that was interesting!

[@nickjames2370]

Sadly I am old enough to remember these being on sale new. 🤣🤣

[@roygardiner2229]

Me too. The distributor was TOE (Technical and Optical Equipment Ltd.). I owned the Zenit E camera body fitted wit the f/2 Helios lens.

[@michaelwright2986]

Yeah, I was a bit disappointed it was a lirpaloof, as I never owned one and would have liked to hear a bit about it.

[@williestyle35]

I would not say "sadly". Remembering this piece of equipment means we are well seasoned - we have knowledge and... "experience" to share and offer to those around us! I also can remember seeing this set up at sporting events, and wondering if it was worth all the attention it drew...

[@johnsuffill6520]

You're not the only one. I still have the Zenith E bought for me as a Christmas present way back in 1970-something. Built like a brick outhouse, it's outlived several 35mm SLR's made by top companies.

[@WizzardPrang]

The Zenit E was the first SLR I bought, always wanted the Photo-sniper. Ah, the '70's...

[@MrGrimsmith]

I got about 30 seconds in and suddenly thought "What's the date today? Oh..." :D

[@rosscollingwood5189]

😂😂😂

[@ashleywebster2659]

I'm surprised you didn't recognise it as an SLR, Jonathan - a Single Lense Reflex!

[@DjDire]

I’ve got the same Zentih PhotoSniper back in the 90’s. It is pretty heavy, but makes good photos of the birds i watch back then.

[@vasilis_k_97]

How was it taken by the random people that saw it? I currently have that camera set but I have never dared using it in public (I live in EU)

[@DjDire]

@@vasilis_k_97 i wasnt that scary, everyone knows the Zenith here, and if you unscrew the stock it cant even reminds anyone to a gun :)

[@azgarogly]

I started to write a comment about how it is a camera and it actually has being used for photo reconnaissance and has special color filters to beat the camo... And while I was typing the video was getting weirder and weirder... And then I realized, what date it is today...

[@emergingloki]

​@@vasilis_k_97see my comment! 😂

[@DjDire]

@@azgarogly Only the KGB version with the soft, fake leather, bag has the filters. Mine was a third edition for civilian use, with only UV and polarized filters.

[@goetzliedtke]

I have one of those. My father-in-law mounted a 500mm lens fitting his Exakta Varex camera onto the stock from an M1 Carbine. I inheritied it and used it a couple of times. With patience, you could hold it still enough to minimize the blur.

[@giklab]

The crossover we didn't know we needed.

[@wilsonlaidlaw]

That is a little baby One. Leica made a number of different and considerably larger versions. The one I had had a 560mm f5,6 long lens (not a telescopic lens) and was about the size of a rocket launcher, with its very large tubular lens hood and was complete with shoulder stock and pistol grip. I was concerned to use it in public, in case some trigger happy policeman decided to shoot first and ask questions later.

[@davidgarland7736]

I actually had a shoulder stock with trigger for my camera. I gave it to a movie prop house because I didn't need to get shot by some paranoid cop who didn't know a camera to see one.

[@scirrhia_kruden]

I am glad THIS is the video that reminded me that it's April 1st. Phew.

[@me.ne.frego.]

The "carbine" configuration of the Fotosnaiper makes very easy to take sharp pictures at slow shutter speeds with the big and heavy 300mm lens, I made decent pictures at 1/60 with mine. In my country those are relatively common and very well known among film enthusiasts and collectors. I miss my FS-12, had to sold it because poverty. The old style 16 blade iris of the Tair-3s lens is magnificient, but it's "auto" feature is classic Zenit soviet/russian level of primitive and clunky, it even has some recoil!

[@smokerjim]

One like this was used in the prologue of an episode of The Professionals - innocent guy stalking a stag, finally gets a good shot, guy up to no good stalks Mr Innocent thinking he's the authorities, Mr Innocent turns and takes a photo of Mr Bad Guy as Mr Bad Guy shoots him dead, before running off to clear his hideout and leave the area.

[@AntonAdelson]

Something like this is also used in a very famous Soviet cartoon "Prostokvashino". A talking dog there is convinced to hunt with this camera instead of a real gun to respect the animals. I really liked the message of it!

[@williestyle35]

​@@AntonAdelson now that is a deep cut memory of a now bygone era! Though I also very vaguely remember something like that as well. 😊

[@mikeneale9790]

The episode was "Everest Was Also Conquered", first aired on Feb 17, 1978. The man with the camera was Roy Boyd, playing the character Frank Hamer who was not exactly an "innocent guy stalking a stag", but was a retired policeman who had accepted a large backhander to ignore the murder of Suzie Carter in 1953.

[@grogvaughan5649]

In 1984 I worked on my Highschool newspaper as a photographer. President Reagan was in town and I drove to the airport and was able to get a press pass. The Secret Service inspected my camera and equipment to the point where I had to show them the camera functioning. Ended up on a flatbed truck inbetween CBS and NBC when the President exited Air Force One.

[@yaki_ebiko]

It's 1:30 AM in AU and I thought I was safe, no I am not it's still 1st April SOMEWHERE, dang it.🤣

[@magaz]

Zenit Photosniper! My first SLR was a Zenit 11. There was a photo of the photosniper in the manual. I’ve wanted one all this time and still haven’t had my hands on one. I remember hearing a story about a bloke who used one to photograph birds was approached by the friendly lads in blue with MP5s while out on a shoot once…

[@stamfordly6463]

One of these was used in an episode of "The Professionals" if I remember correctly. It was being used for espionage under cover of photographic "deer stalking".

[@MrDgwphotos]

It was used by the real KGB for doing surveillance in counter espionage.

[@Stevarooni]

Nicely done, boys! 😂

[@typograf62]

I have one, albeit with a Praktica, not a Zenith camera (works well, same 42 mm socket). It came with an extra leather strap and some huge colour filters.

[@user-kr7yh8vw9m]

That was very great and hilarious🤣, happy april fools Jonathan and Josh.

[@williestyle35]

and Josh Heely as well! Keeper of Cameras and Lights at the world famous Royal Armouries in Leeds, UK

[@paulsstuff1969]

I used to have one of these and didn't think I would ever get to see another one.

[@colinwalker7204]

I used to have one of those, or something very similar many years ago, it was a Zenith camera and it took some really decent photos, I know mine had the huge lens you'd use the gun for, and a smaller macro lens as well in the tin box.

[@mafew6461]

Of all the videos I have watched this is the only one I got from the start. Zenit Photosniper! I had (and still have) a Zenit TTL as a kid and always wanted one of these. The basic camera isn't Through-The-Lens metering, and in the video you can see the light meter in front of the prism so I've always wondered what is the best way of taking a light reading.

[@randyhavard6084]

The OG point and shoot

[@OwOUwUOnO]

Ferguson disarmed that camera like a PRO~~!

[@davidmarsden9800]

In the late 1970s I worked in 2 camera shops, Leeds Co-op Camera Centre and then Photomarkets UK both on Albion Street, Leeds. I sold quite a few of the Russian 35mm Zenith Photo Sniper kits as they were popular at the time. The Zenith cameras were competitively priced although older technology that allowed you to have capable kit that would have cost hundreds more in the leading Japanese camera ranges but you would have to know more about the technical side of photography to operate them successfully. I wouldn't recommend the use of that kit outdoors these days though, especially somewhere like central London or airports etc, as an armed response is highly likely to be provoked. It was about a couple of hundred quid at the time I think.

[@williestyle35]

Thank you for the detailed background! Wasn't it usually printed as "Zenit" - to avoid copyright issues with the American electronics company?

[@davidmarsden9800]

@@williestyle35 I only ever saw Zenith on their goods, except for the range finders with various names Zorki was one I think, but they were all copies of 1930s Leicas and other German cameras. Carl Zeiess had a Western company after the war and in East Germany, the DDR was Carl Zeiess Jena which was run by Communists producing older style lenses and optics at a cheap price but older technology which like the Zenith cameras and others you had to know enough about photography and the technology of the older cameras from earlier decades of the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 1960s with their manual operation, pre-set apertures and sometimes focusing. They also did an older Rolliflex twin lens medium format copy for a fraction of the cost of a real one although with less quality and function. The YashicaMat, Mamiya C220 and Rolliflex were the top choices, the Russian version wasn't anywhere close to as good but wasn't as bad as the Chinese Seagull. I have seen the Zenith name but I think it was in a later period after 1980.

[@RoyalArmouries]

Thank you for that interesting info! Once you understand how the light meter system works it's a pretty intuitive camera I found - just a shame it's so finicky and frustrating to respool your film otherwise I'd use it more than my Olympus. The Helios lenses that come with them very popular and widely used in the filmmaking circuit today because of their swirly bokeh - Josh

[@williestyle35]

@@davidmarsden9800 ok, thanks for the detailed answer.

[@peterbell9915]

Brilliant

[@craigdavidson4378]

I think I have the grip and stock for one of those in my scrap cupboard. Unfortunately, modern cameras don’t use that form of trigger nowadays

[@VulcanDriver1]

I had one of those in the 70s. Great for rock gigs 😂

[@pawepluta4883]

This is unique also in this respect that it takes cartridges but these cartridges contain belt. However it is a single shot action only and you need to manually reload after each shot. It has very little recoil, though.

[@Meganought]

Haha! Perfect I would like to see a whole video on this "weapon" at some point tho, it looks very interesting lol

[@ronwingrove683]

Astonishing. Finally something from the Royal Armouries that I own myself!

[@il6993]

Josh Heely - Keeper of Cameras and Lights at the Royal Armouries museum in the UK

[@tomlobos2871]

those pop up frequently in vintage camera collector groups and film photography forums. always joked to get it hand checked at the airport on next vacation trip.

[@Swedishmafia101MemeCorporation]

This gun makes shots in full 8K resolution!

[@emergingloki]

I had one! I did on one occasion cause a small security scare at the secure check-in area at Gatwick when I was flying out to Israel once. You pull the pistol grip section (the butt is a separate piece) from the case, people look worried, buttons get pressed, and next thing you know 2 MP5s wielded by police officers are heading your way... All cool when they saw what it was, but still a bit brown trousers!!

[@henrya3530]

I've actually used one of these. It's Russian. Based on the Zenit E and Zenit EM 35mm SLR cameras. Amazingly popular with wildlife photographers long before digital photography existed. Inexpensive and extremely rugged cameras. When fitted with the standard 50mm f1.4 lens they can be swung by the strap for use in hand-to-hand combat.

[@DrGzhero]

I love it and I genuinely want one.

[@tomalexander2710]

This was wonderful

[@sim.frischh9781]

The perfect April 1st episode XD

[@dbmail545]

This reminds me of something that I saw many years ago in the TV show "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"

[@WindmillGS]

Used to have one of these in family and it's a damn shame it got thrown away ages ago. Especially since film photography is cool again.

[@peterlovett5841]

I am very familiar with what it is as I used to own one many decades ago. From memory the Russian kit came with a 400mm and a 50mm lens. The focussing on the 400mm lens was done with the front wheel on chassis, the rear one was the locking nut. Was very handy for photographing moving objects but was heavy and unwieldy for anything else. Kept the camera but sold the rest of the system and replaced the lenses with Vivitar zoom ones.

[@smackarel7]

I had a lecturer who told us a friend that was a wildlife photographer who attached a wooden stock to a camera in order to take better pictures and it worked.

[@Mick028]

I left the army for a career in the retail photo trade in 1974 and started selling these, all Russian stuff was heavily subsidised at the time and these were £129.99. Margaret Thatcher famously cleared out the management of the importers by expelling them allegedly for spying in 1985.

[@TheWirksworthGunroom]

I know who that is! I saw a chap with one of these on the Scilly Isles Ferry on a family holiday in, I think, the mid eighties. He had on a dark overcoat, sported a thick black beard and was clearly trying to pretend he was a spy! It looked the part.

[@Mick028]

@@TheWirksworthGunroom Looking back they always attracted a certain type of customer; usually male, mid thirties who still lived at home with mum.

[@carlwackan5909]

we use to sell loads of these at one point the Praktica Sports Camera came in that big tin case... and from memory sold for just under £200 back in the mid 80's...

[@gdutfulkbhh7537]

Never owned one of these, though I considered buying when I saw one second hand some years ago. I recall that it was branded 'Fotosnaiper'. I assumed they all were. Ultimately, it was just wasn't worth all the hassle you'd face if trying to fly with one in your luggage.

[@peteturner3928]

I used to have one of those, a Zenit ES 35mm SLR (not the gun variety) and the 300m f/4.5 telephoto lens. You could by them from the Littlewoods mail order catalogue in the UK back in the day.

[@jonathancullis9155]

I half expected the video was going to pan around and show Jonathan fixing an MG42 onto a camera tripod.

[@CAP198462]

Seems like the camera would be bad at taking “stock” photos.

[@PhillipBicknell]

I vaguely recall a telephoto lens that had a squeeze-grip focus mechanism - in the mid-80s there was a camera mail-order warehouse in Godalming, Surrey, UK - has all sorts of odd-ball stuff.

[@LQY]

I love it!

[@72polara]

I had to research the camera... Very interesting.

[@KikinImpossible]

Amazing!

[@skilletfan932]

Those photos are amazing!

[@RoyalArmouries]

Thanks! - Josh

[@spudgunn8695]

I remember seeing those in a Freemans catalogue back in the late 1970's and '80's. Always wanted one, but never had the £120 odd to buy one.

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

YES. This is what I've been waiting for.

[@Connordabunny]

Used to have one, sold it years ago.

[@dallasgrant]

I figured this was an April fools vid but I've actually seen one of these at an air show here in Qld Australia, it was pretty cool and at first I did think the guy was gonna shoot the planes.

[@mikewilburn5884]

Excellent

[@Lankythepyro]

I was hoping for a look at the photosniper camera 😂 I'd love a look at the famous AKMSU which I understand is in the Royal Armouries collection; the hodge podge brought back from the Middle East by a soldier during the 90s

[@abnurtharn2927]

Funny enough, I had something similar back in the 90s. I mounted my camera on the stock from an old air rifle, made it easier to use the telephoto lens.

[@someguy3766]

Clearly a semi-automatic camera, possibly with a polaroid ejector for extracting spent photographs.

[@williestyle35]

Well we do know the Zenit was an SLR... don't think it was meant to work with the Polaroid system tho .. 🤣 😉 🤣

[@shakie6074]

I have one of these! unfortunately with not with the original stock but rather one allegedly made for a similar Leica that resembles the U-shaped stock on a SPAS12. I hope Jonathan (or Josh) eventually does do a recap on this thing, because its a really cool camera and does have Sniper in the name, lmao

[@Dan-nd1zv]

The Royal Armouries Royal Camera man? Saint josh himself has joined us.

[@vasyapupken]

it's a Zenith "Photosniper". it was developed in WW2 for military use but after the war was over it came to a consumer market. the concept was "shoot film not guns". 60's that sweet time when people knew what war really is. but that time have passed and seems like war became cool again :/

[@Iowa599]

A bipod with one more leg is a tripod, which used to be my nickname, in highschool.

[@stephensmith4480]

I remember you could Buy these things here in The UK I think in the early 80s but I'm not sure on that. I don't think they ever caught on but I remember seeing them advertised in Magazines.

[@pagancrew]

I was really hoping that this would continue with Josh talking us through an SLR, with the occasional interruption from Jonathan. Please may we still have that video? ❤

[@160rpm]

Hahaha, I had one of those about 20 years ago 😂

[@doomdood]

i NEED to know, does the trigger actually take a photo

[@johnsuffill6520]

Yes

[@joshh61]

Yep, it pushes up a lever on the top of the chassis that pushes a shutter button that's on the bottom of the camera.

[@Kumimono]

The, 35mm rounds go in the back, there's a mechanism to open the rear end. Single shot, but, I think later models had full auto, attachments? For what it's worth, the optics on these are excellent.

[@Revup1]

As a life long camera nerd I at first I thought this was a total mock up for April Fools, but no, the joke is that this thing actually did exist. The Zenit Photo Sniper, was genuinely a widely produced piece of equippment for soviet espionage teams! Who'd have thunk it!......I've got to have one......as an ex serviceman who took his camera on every Op Tour, I should have been issued with one! Clearly I fought for the wrong side......!

[@OfficialWilly]

I do a substantial about of deer stalking in the UK (c.250 deer per year) and occasionally take photos with a telephoto Sony setup. Have always wanted to do this but appreciate for practical use I’d be likely to end up the same way as the chap with a chair leg in a bag

[@edwardfowble9429]

Nice. Stasi Museum in Berlin has one.

[@thechantedWhite]

It takes 35mm caseless cartridges.

[@cammobus]

A wonderful April Fools Joke Cheers

[@Grasyl]

0:38 If the film is the Magazine, this should be count as Bullpup, am I right?

[@Mzerron]

Love it. 😂🤣

[@rainerbehrendt9330]

In the 80s you saw Photographers at Football Games with Telelenses from Novoflex that looked like a Bazooka. That was before the Autofocus Era and the simple Way to get a sharp Picture of fast moving Players or in this case Targets.

[@alphatonic1481]

I always wanted one of those for my DSLR but i am afraid i might get someone to call the cops on me.

[@williammoxham9556]

Good April Fools, 😵, I brought one those when they came out in the UK, I had to go to a sort retail Outlet attached to the Russian Embassy, to pick it up.

[@mikesmithg0rfd356]

good one

[@Skorpychan]

Damn, I thought it might be a camera mounted to a gun stock for better stability with long range lenses.

[@grahampalmer9337]

Jonathan. I'm sure that somewhere in the 'Soviet' box of dirty tricks is a camera set up very similar that has been modified as a firearm.

[@ljdellar]

Lol! I actually used to own one of these!

[@JacksonKillroy]

One of these was actually for sale in a local pawnshop, just the lens and "pistol grip" mount. Honestly probably a decent telephoto for the price, these russian lenses are dirt cheap.

[@AdmiralMZ]

I´ve got this one in my collection^^ Not easy to try it out im public without getting---ahm---understandably initial harsh reactions;-)