View showing Interchangeable  waist level  viewfinder fitted to camera. This was  quite a common  practice on cameras of the period.   The factory fitted pentaprism was easily changed by sliding out and replaced with this separately available  waist-level finder. On the back of the camera adjacent to the viewfinder is a locking device. The waist level finder is quite small, with a small magnifying glass for critical focusing.  Albeit I have always found the focusing a bit hit and miss on this camera probably due to low quality control in manufacturing.  However this camera regardless of quality issues is a very polished advanced design of its period  and as you can see looks absolutely stunning.  What would you really prefer to have hanging around your neck a Zenit or a Start? 

Also seen in this view is the complex lens assembly  and shutter release  button -   if you can call it that!  The dot on the release button is for switching from semi to automatic  aperture preview.  Behind this weird shutter release mechanism can be seen the self timer and its release button. The knurled ring at the back of the lens and adjacent to the camera body is the breech lock lens mount. There is also two flash sockets. These being for bulb and electronic flash options. As the camera has a slit type cloth rubberized shutter the flash sync speed is a modest 1/30th second.

Three photographs of a Skoda Estelle based copy of a classic Porsche sports car. These were  taken with my Start camera at Rougham Wings Wheels and Steam 2005.  At the moment I took these an official press photographer from a local newspaper wanted my picture using the Start with this car as a backdrop! 

As you can see and also  mentioned towards the beginning of this website.  This website is a work in progress and not that well organized.  My excuse is that I see this as  a sort of scrap book -  OK it is just a first attempt at using free software to create an interesting website. The next camera I decide to do will be more polished and will probably be the Zenit 3m SLR or the folding Kodak Retinette.  I am still on a steep learning curve on how to create a site using Linux.  For those interested in free software I suggest the following for Linux  

 Links    -    NVU HTML    DigiKam     KDE ShowFoto Guide    GIMP    JAlbum   &  MEPIS Linux    

For MS Windows users I suggest  

 Links    -    GIMP    Gimpshop     Paintdotnet   irfanview    &  Xnview  

 I would advise MS Windows users to try  Gimp or the Paint.net option as I think these are the best and quickest way to get into free photo editing without spending loads of money Paint Shop Pro, Elements or Photoshop.  There is even a version of Gimp called Gimpshop which  attempts to look like Photoshop.  Most of these options are also available for the Apple Mac OS.