C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →compact-35mm
The Smena Symbol is a Soviet 35mm scale-focus compact made at LOMO (Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Association) from 1971. It is a direct evolution of the Smena 8M, retaining the same T-43 40mm f/4 triplet lens and fully mechanical, battery-free operation. The principal change is the introduction of an EV (Exposure Value) scale that links aperture and shutter speed settings, allowing the user to select an EV number and then freely shift between aperture-speed combinations without recalculating exposure. In all other practical respects - body shape, dimensions, scale focus, and lens - the Symbol is identical to the 8M.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →C41
Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
A refined Smena 8M with an EV-scale exposure system - the same T-43 lens in a slightly more user-friendly wrapper.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Lens | LOMO T-43 40mm f/4 (triplet, fixed) |
| Focus | Scale focus (0.8 m - infinity) |
| Shutter speeds | 1/15s, 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/125s, 1/250s + B |
| Flash sync | 1/30s (PC socket) |
| Meter | None |
| Exposure system | EV scale (manual, no automation) |
| Body material | Plastic |
| Weight | ~200 g |
| Battery | None required |
The Smena line had been in production at LOMO since 1953. The Smena 8 and subsequently the 8M (1970) established the definitive form factor. The Symbol launched a year after the 8M, in 1971, as a slight upmarket variant intended to simplify exposure selection without adding an electronic meter. LOMO ran both models in parallel throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s. The Symbol was discontinued around 1993, slightly before the 8M line faded out. Production volumes were lower than the 8M, though both were mass-produced in the millions.
The EV scale system the Symbol introduced was a common feature on mid-range German cameras of the 1950s-60s (Voigtlander, Agfa) and its appearance on a Soviet mass-market plastic camera was an attempt to bridge beginner cameras and more systematic exposure control without adding cost. The camera is less famous than the 8M simply because the 8M's bare simplicity made it more iconic. For collectors the Symbol is a useful variant to compare: nearly identical images, slightly easier exposure workflow. The T-43 lens, shared with the 8M, is the genuine asset - the EV scale is a convenience feature.
C41
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is an affordable, consumer-oriented daylight-balanced color negative film at ISO 200. Known for warm, slightly muted color rendition, fine grain, and wide exposure latitude, it is currently in production and widely available in Asia and select global markets.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →LOMO Smena Symbol
Image coming soon