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Krasnogorsk‑3 (K‑3) 16mm Cine Camera — Complete Kit
The legendary Soviet 16mm workhorse, and the camera that got a generation hooked on shooting real film. The K‑3 is prized for the look it produces — soft, painterly, grainy 16mm imagery with a dreamy, organic character that\'s almost impossible to fake digitally. It\'s a spring‑wound mechanical camera (no batteries needed to run), robust, simple, and a fantastic entry into 16mm for film students, artists, and anyone chasing that timeless celluloid feel.
This is a full, ready‑to‑shoot bundle including everything you need to get going:
- Krasnogorsk‑3 (K‑3) 16mm camera body
- Meteor‑5‑1 17–69mm f/1.9 zoom lens (the original K‑3 optic — bright and versatile)
- Original leather case
- Lens hood
- Shoulder mount / stabiliser
- Original strap
- Three original screw‑in filters (marked 1× / 2× / 4×): one clear (possibly a UV/close‑up), one yellow with a rotating ring, and one darker with a rotating ring (the rotating pair appear to be polarising/ND‑type). I\'m not 100% certain of each exact type — please go by the photos.
Condition — please read (selling as‑is):
Mechanically it runs well and has produced beautiful footage the large majority of the time. In full honesty, though, on occasion footage has come back with some jitter/unsteadiness in the frame — I believe this is the well‑known K‑3 \"gate weave,\" a common trait of these cameras rather than a serious fault, but for that reason I\'m selling strictly as‑is, no returns. A service/CLA would very likely tighten it up further. It\'s priced accordingly, so there\'s room to have it looked over and still come out ahead. Cosmetically it shows some honest wear consistent with age and use (see photos).
Good to know:
- Shoots standard 16mm film (spring‑wound drive).
- Native K‑3 lens mount — commonly adapted to Nikon F / M42 if you want to run other glass.
- As with most K‑3s of this age, treat the built‑in selenium meter as unreliable and use a handheld or phone light meter.
Please buy based on the photos and description, and feel free to message me with any questions before purchasing. Happy to provide more pictures. A wonderful, characterful 16mm camera going to someone who\'ll put film through it.
