Before on the left, after on the right, more info below the cut!
I've had these two Smenas for a good while. The Smena 8 on the right was the first film camera i bought, even. All the way back in mid-2024 after seeing it in a 2nd-hand store and wondering what a camera with Cyrillic on the front was doing in the Home Counties. The Smena 8M on the left i bought a little while ago for bugger-all, and somewhat predictably, neither worked. The Smena 8's film advance is broken (hence the lack of top cover), and the Smena 8M's focusing helicoid is... Somehow Broken™. I don't know how yet, i haven't dismantled it.
Fortunately, i'm in luck. Once you get past the different externals, the internals to the Smena 8 and 8M are very similar. See below.
The Lens/Shutter units are held on by two long screws, and two long screws alone. The screws are identical in design and length between the cameras, same head, same thread, same everything. Very handy, considering these two cameras were made, in my case, twenty years apart. '69 for the 8, '89 for the 8M. The Screw pattern on the backs of the Lens/Shutter units is, unsurprisingly, also the same. See below.
The linkages are, unsurprisingly, identical also. As is the shutter, and the lens. Same unit, different styling. This makes things REAL handy to swap over if, in cases like mine, you've two cameras with different malfunctions.
I'm gonna be testing the Smena 8G ("Гибридный"/"Gibridnyy", "Hybrid", according to google translate) whenever i have the energy, which currently i do not. It's bloody cold here and it's sapping all of my energy and motivation. My kingdom for a dry sunny 25C+ day, good fuckin' god.
Once i've put a roll through it, i'll be posting updates. Keep an eye out!
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The Smena 8M holds a special place in the history of lomography—and in my own journey with film photography. It was my first true Lomo camera, manufactured by the iconic LOMO factory (Leningrad Optical Mechanical Association, Russian: Ленинградское Оптико-Механическое Объединение), the namesake of the lomography movement.
Design and Build 🌟
Produced between 1970 and 1990, the Smena 8M embodies late Soviet-era aesthetics with a utilitarian design that in the late 00s was cherished as ‘hipster.’ The camera’s body is mostly plastic—apart from the metal plate on the front and the lens—giving it a charming toy-camera vibe. But don’t let this toyish exterior fool you; this camera is capable of producing surprisingly high-quality photos, thanks to its glass lens.
Specs and Features 📋
The Smena 8M is a 35mm fully manual camera, boasting:
40mm f/4–f/16 glass lens
1/250 to 1/15 shutter speed, and a bulb mode
A dial on the front of the lens allows you to manually adjust the aperture settings based on the film's ISO. Meanwhile, the weather pictograms at the base of lens mount are used to set the shutter speed according to the current lighting conditions.
The Smena 8M works best with 100 or 200 ISO film, though higher ISOs can handle cloudier conditions (with a risk of overexposure in bright sunlight). For advanced users, the fully manual nature of the camera allows precise control over your settings, making it a fantastic tool for learning the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
Shooting Experience 🎥
Using the Smena 8M requires some intuition and practice. To shoot, you:
Set the focal length using the pictograms or numbers on the lens.
Use the simple viewfinder to frame your shot (keep in mind it’s not entirely accurate).
Rely on your skill and creative instincts to adjust settings and compose your shot.
The Smena 8M thrives in sunny conditions at f/11, making it ideal for outdoor shooting. The unpredictability of the camera can lead to happy accidents—one of the reasons lomographers love it.
Creative Potential 🎨
The bulb mode opens up exciting possibilities for light painting and double exposures, two techniques I experimented with the most. While results can be hit-or-miss, the joy of experimenting with film is part of the experience.
My Experience 📸
While I enjoyed my time with the Smena 8M, I ultimately passed it on to someone else. As a neurodivergent person, I found the fully manual controls and lack of a conventional viewfinder a bit unnerving. That said, it remains one of my most cherished film cameras for its creative potential and unique aesthetic. I’ll be sharing my photos under the #smena 8m tag on my blog.
If you’re curious about experimenting with lomography or want to explore analog photography, the Smena 8M is a wonderful starting point. It’s a camera that truly embodies the spirit of lomography: embracing imperfection, creativity, and the joy of the unexpected.
Modern Glam-Up 🎀
Here’s a modern reinterpretation of the classic Lomo Smena 8M, decked out in Barbie pink with a 'Hello Kitty' inscription and pastel lilac colours!
I couldn’t find any information confirming if this was a factory-produced model, so it’s likely a custom creation. Either way, these vibrant colors transform the camera into not just a tool for photography, but a bold eye-catching accessory.
Have you used a Smena 8M? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
📢 This post was created for the Lomography Community on Tumblr. If you love experimental photography, we’d love to have you join in! 🌟
📸 Photo Credits: Images of the Smena 8M featured in this article are courtesy of Photo Thinking. Custom camera design images sourced from a private seller listing on Avito.
I'm starting to love the soft, dream-like quality of the Smena Symbol's lens the more I shoot with my crisp 00s telephoto on the SLR the more unique the '77 Soviet camera's photos look
