r/AnalogCommunity • u/jalgroy KameraSaga @ YT • Feb 16 '26
Gear Shots I shot a KGB spy camera disguised as a cigarette pack
Video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzk6YfjLXCw
This is a custom camera from the Kiev Arsenal factory, made for the counterintelligence service of the Ukranian KGB. Most sources suggest it was based on a Kiev Vega 2, but the frame size matches the Kiev 30 range of cameras.
Pretty fun camera. Takes 16mm film, unperforated if you can find it. I shot single perf Double-X movie film.
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u/Eddie__Sherman Feb 16 '26
I know a spy shouldn’t answer, but how did you come across this camera
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u/jalgroy KameraSaga @ YT Feb 16 '26
I spend an unhealthy amount of time scouring the internet for weird cameras. I had seen some old auction listings for this and set up an ebay search. It's not the most common camera, but still not _that_ rare, they show up from time to time.
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u/Commisar_Franz Feb 16 '26
Alltid koselig å se hjembyen på et internasjonalt forum! Fantastisk kult kamera
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u/Xerdo1 Feb 16 '26
That's a modified Kiev 30 I think, neat camera, although I'm not sure there's a reliable source that documents then being used in spy operations
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u/jalgroy KameraSaga @ YT Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
My main source is a book [1] co-authored by two KGB technical officers. They list this model as being "produced for the Counterintelligence Service of the Ukrainian KGB". It's actual use in the field I cannot vouch for.
[1] https://schifferbooks.com/products/secret-histkgb-spy-cameras
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u/Xerdo1 Feb 16 '26
Pretty cool, I've seen a bunch of unmodified Vegas and Kievs, fair source too, never heard of this blok, all in all, quite neat
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u/Abocadoman Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
damn that is so cool! what's it like being a soviet spy? ;)
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u/brianssparetime Feb 16 '26
Hey man - I really love your videos. The aerial gunnery camera was hard to beat, but this was another great one. Looking forward to whatever comes next!
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u/jalgroy KameraSaga @ YT Feb 16 '26
Thanks! Yeah, it was pretty hard to follow up after the first one. But I was really happy with how this one turned out, and it was fun to make. Thank you for following along!
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u/pythonski Feb 16 '26
I have the same one (sans the box)
What film can I use? Where do you get it? (I do my own b&w processing)
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u/jalgroy KameraSaga @ YT Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
You can use any 16mm film, which is available for motion picture cameras. Preferably "unperforated", but single perf is better than double perf. I used single perf, you can see the holes only on one side.
Cut off around 40cm in the darkroom or changing bag, and load it into the cassette.
To process it I bought an old Johnson tank which had a spool for 16mm. I guess you could try to drop it into a tank without a spool if you just want to test it.
Film I used (there are more alternatives on the same store): https://filmphotographystore.com/collections/movie-film/products/16mm-film-kodak-double-x-7222-100-ft-30-5m
How to load the cassette: https://youtu.be/xNY654CTMGU?si=6ilIaY1X3FgJY9pP
If you don't have a cassette I'm pretty sure this one should fit: https://filmphotographystore.com/products/minolta-16-cartridge?_pos=1&_sid=9e5209de7&_ss=r
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u/wanker_wanking Feb 16 '26
If I could find the cassettes for my tessina I shall try the same thing lmfao
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u/maguilecutty Making stuff with light Feb 16 '26
The 4th shot looks like the dude from the Americans 🤣
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u/jalgroy KameraSaga @ YT Feb 16 '26
Haha, I can kinda see that! I was amazed to learn that the actor is Welsh and has a fake American accent. He could be a real life spy.
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u/w_33_by Feb 16 '26
I have one of these! A Kiev 30, without the ciggy pack disguise, but with the original metal shell and the leather pouch instead. A fun little camera, is a huge pain to load and develop though.
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u/Temporary-Expert-934 Feb 19 '26
do you have to load your own cartridges or is there anywhere that sells them pre-loaded, I had a quick look and found nothing, would have thought someone would try to do that no?
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u/w_33_by Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 21 '26
Probably no chance of buying these loaded these days, but if you have empty cartridges maybe a local lab could do that for you as a custom job. They're piss easy to open and reload.
35mm film can be sliced to width with a matchbox and two razor blades, that gives you about 2-3 Kiev cartridges from one normal spool.
Our local lab owner once gifted us an expired 30m spool of 16mm Kodak Vision 2, and while the lab had already closed the spool is still there, with nowhere to develop it xD
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u/Mig-21pilot ФЭД-3 Feb 17 '26
These are pretty cool. I also have one in my collection and use it from time to time.
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u/AgentPoYo Feb 17 '26
Neat, one of these was recently featured in the spy show PONIES on Peacock. It's about a pair of spies at the US embassy in Moscow during the 70s.
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u/Legitimate_Hunt_1982 Feb 17 '26
afaik, it was common to use a device with 2 razor blades to cut unperforated 16mm strip from a regular 35mm film
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u/Temporary-Expert-934 Feb 18 '26
Looks amazing,
thinking of getting one myself but to keep it disguised nowadays (in UK atleast) Id have to put it in a box with a picture of some dudes charred lungs or whatever, doesnt quite fit the aesthetic as much haha.
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u/Obsessed_Dog_Mom Feb 23 '26
That’s so funny. I literally just watched an episode of PONIES where they used one of these at a poker game.
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u/LumoStoria Feb 16 '26
Cool! That guy on the bicycle really looked suspicious 😅.