Ajax-8 is a portable camera.

Ayaks-8 — portable photo camera.

The first Soviet portable photo camera «Ayaks-8» was designed in 1948 in a special photo-optical laboratory of the MGB in Moscow for covert photography of objects «of operational interest», primarily people and their actions.

Considering the post-war devastation and the acute shortage of developers and designers, this was an event in the history of Soviet photographic equipment.

In the pre-war and war periods, modernized FED cameras, as well as imported special cameras «ROBOT» and «MINOX» were actively used for special, operational photography.

«Photo from the private collection of Keith Melton, Florida, USA»

The new «Ayaks-8» was designed for photography from 2 to 6 meters.

Photography of people's actions and the surrounding area was also allowed at long distances.

However, the absence of high-quality, highly sensitive domestic photographic films at that time, the low parameters of the first post-war optics, as well as frequent jerks, shaking of the employee's body when releasing the shutter and possible sharp movements of the object required the implementation of the mandatory photography rule of those years — the optimal distance for covert photography should be equal to about 100 focal lengths of the camera lens.

In this regard, it was common practice to photograph people for use in investigative activities at distances of 3 to 5 meters.

In the new camera, the shutter was cocked and the film was rewound by an internal spring, which was wound by a side rod.

The Ajax-8 was usually located under the outer clothing of employees and took photographs through special buttons on a coat, jacket, or metal women's brooches with holes.

The camera had a remote control, by pressing the button of which the shutter was released via a photo cable, followed by rewinding the film under the action of the mainspring.

To work with the «Ajax-8», non-perforated film 21 mm wide was used, which was pre-cut with a special cutter from standard perforated 35-mm photo film.

The camera had special cassettes that ensured quick reloading of the camera in the light.

Compared to 35 mm photographic equipment, the negative size of the Ayaks-8 was 18 x 24 mm, but the first Soviet special camera allowed trained personnel to obtain fairly good quality photographs with sufficient lighting and properly selected exposure.

«Photo from the private collection of Keith Melton, Florida, USA»

Compared to the FED cameras that were in service with the Soviet special services at the time, the Ayaks-8 was significantly smaller and allowed for a significant increase in the secrecy of covert photography.

However, the high spring force, up to several kg, and the fairly high noise level at the moment of shutter release often prevented operatives from effectively solving the problem of obtaining high-quality photographs when conducting covert photography of their targets.

In addition, the first special A-1 photo lens, which the Ayaks-8 was equipped with, had low optical parameters.

All these shortcomings significantly reduced the reputation of the first Soviet special camera among MGB specialists, who rightly demanded a high-quality and reliable portable camera from the developers.

Already in 1949, the «Ayaks-8» was replaced by a fundamentally new model, the «Ayaks-9», which served as the main base model in the creation of the famous «F-21» series of cameras — the most widespread and popular Soviet special camera of the 20th century.