“When the Arax 60 first arrived in the post I was surprised by just how big it was. I had read it was like a ’35mm SLR on steroids’ which was accurate. It’s quite bulky and heavy and you know you’re holding a camera. Initially, I wasn’t sure if we were going to get along but after spending some time with the Arax and even resorting to ‘reading the manual’, which goes against my gender’s instincts, I found it very easy to use and soon began to learn ‘how it saw things’ and adapted my own view accordingly. My reason for buying this camera, like a lot of the gear I own, is that I start out with a lens I want to use and then buy a body to fit with it. I bought the Arax 60 because I owned the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 50mm f4. Interestingly, I use the standard 80mm Arsat which came with it more than the 50mm. My relationship with the Arax is mixed because although it’s a very capable camera, built like a Russian tank and has a very good line-up of affordable glass to use, I still tend to pick up my Hasselblad or Bronica more than I do the Arax. Unfortunately my Arax is now in pieces due to my cat knocking it off a shelf, but Im hoping to repair it myself in due course.”

The ARAX-60 is the upgraded version of the KIEV-60. It is a fully mechanical 6×6 medium format SLR camera. It is equipped with a black cloth shutter and flocked interior for quieter and more reliable shutter operation and no reflections within the camera body.

Arax Foto is a Ukrainian tuning company located in Kiev. Until 2003 Arax sold their production only in the former Soviet Union.

ARAX upgrades all types of Kiev medium format cameras, lenses and accessories produced in the Arsenal factory, which is also located in Kiev. This is includes the Kiev-6C, Kiev-60, Kiev-88, Kiev-88CM, Salyut, Salyut-C, Zenit-80 cameras.

See the full article and images here: http://citylab.cc/#2762144/Paul-Cooklin-ARAX-60

Excerpts from araxphoto.com and Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

All images by Paul Cooklin.

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  35mm, 400, 2011, Canon EOS 1V, Diafine, Film, Kodak Tri-X, Occold, Rapeseed Stubble, suffolk

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  Canon 1V, Ilford PanF+, Lynmouth Beach, North Devon, 2011

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  Hasselblad 500cm, Ilford SFX, Infrared film. Rocks, Combe Martin, North Devon, 2011

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  Hasselblad 500cm, Ilford SFX, Infrared film. Rocks, Combe Martin, North Devon, 2011

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  Latin female dancer with Isis wings, Havana, Cuba

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  Fresnel lens. Inside Havana lighthouse

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  Bronica ETRSi

Fuji Velvia 50, 120

Maple Leaves, Suffolk, 2011 (Paul Cooklin)