LOMO Compact Automat User manual

CAMERA
LC-A
LOMO
COMPACT
AUTOMAT
OPERATION
MANUAL

Fig 1.

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1. PEEFACE
LC-A (LOMO COMPACT-AUTOMAT) is a miniature scale camera with telescopic viewfinder and
automatic program exposure working. The camera operates in temperature range from minus 15
to +45° C, direct solar radiation and precipitation excluded.
The camera is powered from a d. c. source, type LR-44 (CII.O.18-Y2), S-76.
Note. When using another power source with temperature operation range lower than that of
your camera, the camera temperature operation range is to be limited with that of the power
source.
Camera LC-A has some distinctive features. It is so small that you can carry it in your pocket or in a
handbag. Automatic exposure working is ensured in a wide range of object brightness. The camera
is provided with a device protecting the photo objective and viewfinder objective from mechanical
damages and contaminations in storage.
The camera is provided with electromechanical program shutter controlled with electronic
exposure meter ensuring automatic working of exposures.

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Camera viewfinder is telescopic. A luminous picture limiting frame with a parallax mark for taking
at near distances, a light indicator for control over power cells energetic level, a light indicator
warning of expected shutter speeds longer than 1/30 s are in the field of vision of the view-finder.
A wide-angle high power objective «Minitar»is rigidly built in the camera which considerably
extends opportunities of the camera (photographing of architectural subjects and landscapes at
short distances, photographing of landscapes in small premises and so on). In this case, some
vignetting (decrease of brightness and definition towards the margin of the field) is possible.
Focusing is carried out by the distance scale and by symbols Visible in the viewfinder field of vision.
For photographing with a flash bulb, a manual diaphragm setting in the range of 2.8 to 16 is
provided. At switching-over from automatic operation («A») to manual diaphragm setting, a
shutter speed 1/60 s is set.
Contact «X», is used for synchronization of the shutter with the flash bulb.

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Film advance and shutter cocking are carried out simultaneously by means of a hand wheel with
360° rotation angle. Frame counter counts number of frames taken, and it is set to Initial position
automatically as soon a s the camera back is opened.
Re wind crank is of a tape-measure type. For rewinding film advance gear disengagement knob is
to be fixed in the depressed position.
Provision is made in the camera for a special motor attachment for automatic film transport.
2. SPECIFICATIONS
Film accepted, mm........................................................................... 35
Frame size, mm................................................................................24x36
Number of frames............................................................................ 36
Photographic objective «Minitar 1»:
focal length, mm ..................................................................................32

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relative aperture ...................................................................................f/2.8
field of vision angle ...............................................................................63°
focusing range, m..................................................................................from 0.8 to ∞
stopping down limits.............................................................................from 2.8 to 16
Electromechanical program shutter is controlled with electronic exposure meter.
Shutter speeds, s...................................................................................from 1/500 to 2
Operation range of exposure meter with 100 ISO film
light sensitivity, cd/m2.....................................................................from 0.6 to 19000
Range of film light sensitivity, ISO.....................................................from 25 to 400
Telescopic shutter with luminous picture-limiting frame mark with parallax mark for taking
at a distance of 0.8 m.
X-type synchronization with flash bulb.
Shutter speed for taking with the flash bulb, s .......................................1/60
Tripod socket thread .............................................................................1/4"
Overall dimensions, mm, not over .........................................................107x68x43.5
Mass, kg, not over.................................................................................0.25

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3. DELIVERY SET
3.1. Camera LC-A........................................................................................................... 1
3.2. Shoulder strap ........................................................................................................ 1
3.3. Power cell LR-44 (CII.O.18-Y2) ................................................................................. 3
3.4. Operation manual................................................................................................... 1
3.5. Box......................................................................................................................... 1
4. DESIGN
Camera parts and main controls are given in Fig. 1-5.
1. Guard cover
2. Guard curtains
3. Photographic objective
4. Light-limiting device of photo detector

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Fig 2.
5. Viewfinder
6. Film light sensitivity setting
7. Film light sensitivity window
8. Objective focusing key
9. Manual diaphragm setting and operation
modes key
10. Release knob
11. Decorative plug
12. Frame counter window
13. Flash bulb joint
14. Guard curtains control key
15. Film advance gear disengagement knob
16. Cells container cover
17. Cells container

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18. Tripod socket
19. Shoulder strap
20. Motor attachment connector
21. Take-up spool shaft output
22. Shutter cocking and film feed lever
23. Viewfinder Inspection window
24. Rewind hand wheel
25. Rewind knob
26. Rewind hand wheel axle yoke
27. Cassette receptacle
28. Film position limiters
29. Film advance gear
30. Take- up spool
31. Pressure plate
32. Camera back

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Fig. 5.
5. PREPARING FOR OPERATION
5.1. Installing and Checking the Cells
To install the power source into the camera, move cover 16 (Fig. 4) in a direction pointed with an
arrow. Put the cells into the container so that sign «X» on the cells is looking towards sign «X»on
the camera container. Close the container cover. Watch attentively over correct setting of the cells.

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The cells Installed check them for serviceability,
for this aim, move curtains control key 14 so as is
shown in Fig. 6. Open the viewfinder. Looking
through the Inspection window 23 (Fig. 5), press
down the release knob 10 (Fig. 2) until It is
stopped slightly.
If the cells are serviceable and inserted in a
correct way, a red color indicator should shine at
the upper left corner of the viewfinder (Fig. 7). If
the Indicator does not shine, checkup whether
the cells are inserted in a correct way and contact
areas are clean. If the indicator does not yet
shine, replace all the cells.
Fig. 6.

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Fig. 7.
To check up energetic level of power cells in the
course of taking, press down the release knob.
If, with release knob pressed, the indicator does
not shine, stop taking and replace the power
cells.
5.2. Camera Loading
Camera LC-A is rated for 35-mm perforated film
loaded in a standard cassette.
To Insert the cassette with film into the camera,
swing out knob 25 (Fig. 5) of hand wheel 24 and
pulling it upward as far as It goes open the
camera back 32. Put the cassette into receptacle
27 so that a film leader is facing to the right.

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Lower hand wheel 24 so that yoke 26 enters the cassette
spool Iug. Put the film leader (Fig 8) into the lot of the take-
up spool so that film perforation engages into mesh with
a tooth of take-up spool 30 (Fig. 5). Holding the cassette
with film with your hand and rotating hand wheel 22 with
the other hand, take up film slack. Make sure the film is
positioned between limiters 28, that it is engaged with
gear 29 and is fixed reliably at take-up spool 30.
If hand wheel 22 has turned up to stop while the film slack
has not yet taken up, press down release knob 10 (Fig. 2)
and continue taking up the slack.
ATTENTION! If the objective and viewfinder are covered
with the guard curtains, release knob 10 is interlocked.
Never press the release knob when the guard curtains are
shut.
Fig. 8.

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Fig. 9.
To unlock It, apply key 14 (Fig. 4) to open
protective curtains of the taking objective.
After the slack is taken UP, close camera back
32 (Fig. 5) and press it tightly to the body so that
the back- is fixed.
Turn hand wheel 22 (Fig. 9) up to stop and press
the release knob. Repeat the procedure twice
or thrice till digit «1» appears in the frame
counter window against the index. While pulling
the film, watch rewind hand wheel 24 (Fig. 5). If
the camera is loaded with the film correctly,
hand wheel 24 should rotate at rotation of hand
wheel 22.

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5.3 Setting Value of Film
Light Sensitivity
After installing the cassette with film into the
camera, it is required to intro- duce into the
exposure meter a value of light sensitivity of film
applied (the value given on the packing). For this aim
rotate film light sensitivity setting knob 6 (Fig. 2) till
a value required appears in window 7 as is shown in
Fig. 10. For subsequent operation, loading the
camera with a new film, it is required to introduce a
new value of light sensitivity.
The light sensitivity scale in the camera has
numberings 25, 50, 100, 200, 400 ISO. If there is no
light sensitivity value of your film on the scale, set the
value making use of Table 1.
Fig. 10.

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Table 1
Exact correlations of light sensitivity values
are given in thick print In the Table.
5.4. Focusing and Framing
Objective In the LC-A camera can be
focused by distance scale and by symbols
visible in the viewfinder.
To focus by distance scale, estimate
camera-to-object distance and bring key 8
(Fig. 2) to corresponding position with
respect to distance scale 33 as is shown in
Fig. 11.

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Positions of key 8 (Fig. 2) with respect to distance scale
33 (Fig. 11) are duplicated with setting the viewfinder
movable pointer against the corresponding symbol.
Distances can be set, therefore, by looking through the
viewfinder inspection window. Symbols, their values
and corresponding taking distances are given in Table
2.
Picture-limiting frame (Fig. 12) is provided to find
borders of an image in the viewfinder field of vision.
While taking at a distance of 0.8 m watch that upper
border of your subject does not trespass parallax
compensation line 2. While taking at other distances,
subject borders should not go beyond the picture-
limiting frame.
FIg. 11.

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Fig. 12.
Table 2