Have you bought from this ebay seller?

[totifoto]

http://stores.ebay.com/Asterliks


I have bought a Zorki from the Ukraine before that was in mint conditions, and it looks like new but the shutter leaks 🙁 I wanna give it anoter try to find a good one on ebay and found this one. he has 99.1% pos. feedbacks but you never know 😕

All his camera description sound the same: " Everything works properly
Lens clean and clear without fungus"

he has 2 cameras I´m intrested in.......

http://cgi.ebay.com/ZORKI-4-Red-body-Russian-35mm-Leica-copy-Camera_W0QQitemZ320177761593QQihZ011QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItem


and...........

http://cgi.ebay.com/FED-5B-in-BOX-Russian-35mm-Leica-copy-BLACK-Camera_W0QQitemZ320177761685QQihZ011QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItem

 

[FallisPhoto]

http://stores.ebay.com/Asterliks


I have bought a Zorki from the Ukraine before that was in mint conditions, and it looks like new but the shutter leaks 🙁 I wanna give it anoter try to find a good one on ebay and found this one. he has 99.1% pos. feedbacks but you never know 😕

All his camera description sound the same: " Everything works properly
Lens clean and clear without fungus"

he has 2 cameras I´m intrested in.......

http://cgi.ebay.com/ZORKI-4-Red-body-Russian-35mm-Leica-copy-Camera_W0QQitemZ320177761593QQihZ011QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItem


and...........

http://cgi.ebay.com/FED-5B-in-BOX-Russian-35mm-Leica-copy-BLACK-Camera_W0QQitemZ320177761685QQihZ011QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItemhttp://cgi.ebay.com/FED-5B-in-BOX-R...7761685QQihZ011QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZViewItem

Going over about a month's worth of feedback, and reading the negatives, what I find is that every once in a great while, someone gets a clunker (no great surprise with FSU cameras), and when that happens, he won't answer their email. I'd conclude from this that the odds are 1000 to 1 that you will be reasonably happy with your camera (as much as if you'd gotten it most other places anyway), but if you are the one in a thousand who gets one that is badly messed up, you're going to be stuck with it. The odds are better than you're going to get with most sellers.

That said, I'd go for the Zorki, on the grounds of an old rule of thumb that I go by when buying older FSU cameras (from pretty much anywhere that doesn't overhaul them, like Kiev USA): Soviet cameras that work usually look worn, because they have been used. Soviet cameras that don't work look new, because no one has used them.

 

[fidget]

Soviet cameras that work usually look worn, because they have been used. Soviet cameras that don't work look new, because no one has used them.

Yes, the not-used-don't-work versions are my favourites, provided they haven't been messed with. A simple fix (and a bit of luck) could end up with a near mint example... But, it helps if you are happy to tinker with them. If you are relying on buying a good working camera, based on my buying experiences on fee-bay, only on in five would be usable (but then I don't buy them fully CLA'd). There are very few non CLA'd examples that work well when so old....

 

[Joao]

Hello
Please be aware that some of the colorfull cameras sold by this seller are painted by himself (usually a good painting job, I must say). Most of the colours you see are not originally factory painted.
Good luck
Joao

 

[Malcolm_J]

... based on my buying experiences on fee-bay, only on in five would be usable (but then I don't buy them fully CLA'd). There are very few non CLA'd examples that work well when so old....

This is a bit pessimistic. I find that you can get amazing bargains off eBay. The only camera I bought that had a light leak was a supposedly CLA'd job from Fedka, but the leak did not appear until the second role of film....

Choose your seller with care. Look at the prices! I bought an excellent Zenith 3M with a Helios lens for £13 and post only added about £8 to that. This is for equipment that takes superb pictures with that Soviet glass special quality! It is stupidly cheap. That is what attracts me to Soviet cameras. You can get ace equipment at stupid prices. OK, now and again you get a dog, what do you expect?

But against that 1 in 1000 is way too optimistic. If you buy Zeniths from reputable dealers you should be OK, maybe just a 1 in 10 failure rate. The older rangefinders are probably not as good as that, but at £25 a pop, does it matter? Blow £500 on a DSLR if you want ultimate reliability and certainty.

My experience with the CSU sellers on eBay is that the established ones do their best to sell cameras in good working order, but untested. At these prices you cannot expect to get cameras that have had a great deal of attention or testing.

I wonder if these good times will last? Secrets do not last forever and I can see Soviet cameras becoming trendy, especially the rangefinders. Enjoy it while you can!

 

[pesphoto]

Ive heard of this seller, but as far as FSU goes I would only buy from Alex-photo.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Yes, the not-used-don't-work versions are my favourites, provided they haven't been messed with. A simple fix (and a bit of luck) could end up with a near mint example... But, it helps if you are happy to tinker with them. If you are relying on buying a good working camera, based on my buying experiences on fee-bay, only on in five would be usable (but then I don't buy them fully CLA'd). There are very few non CLA'd examples that work well when so old....

Unless you like tinkering with cameras, it would take a bloody miracle, particularly if you get them there. The bay is where FSU cameras go when some guy who is all thumbs has done "working" on them, by running toothpaste through the gearing. I'd love to get my hands around the throat of the guy who started that particular piece of fiction.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Hello
Please be aware that some of the colorfull cameras sold by this seller are painted by himself (usually a good painting job, I must say). Most of the colours you see are not originally factory painted.
Good luck
Joao

I was wondering about that. There was this really nice looking FED 3 in white ... Anyway, I checked the seller's store and found them in baby blue, yellow, bright green, all described as rare collector's items. I had decided that they were either spray painted or he'd gotten hold of some colored vulcanite; I wasn't sure which, but figured it was probably spray paint. I'm glad I passed that one up.

 

[alexM]

Even with the better FSU sellers you could endup with a dog. Recently, I bought a Kiev 4 from Alex-photo, and the shutter stopped working after 3 rolls. 😱

 

[fidget]

I envy those here who have bought fully working Kievs. My next Kiev will be my 5th, maybe it will work correctly, maintaining my 1 in 5 experience, as the first 4 don't/won't work well.
In giving this 1 in 5 experience, I am also giving them the benefit of the doubt in that I exclude minor operator adjustments like RF alignment and clutch tension.

 

[Malcolm_J]

I envy those here who have bought fully working Kievs. My next Kiev will be my 5th, maybe it will work correctly, maintaining my 1 in 5 experience, as the first 4 don't/won't work well.
In giving this 1 in 5 experience, I am also giving them the benefit of the doubt in that I exclude minor operator adjustments like RF alignment and clutch tension.

Fidget, my sympathies. I have bought 2 Kievs and they both had light leaks. I think it goes with the breed. I have bought 3 Zenits and they are all fine. My Fed 2d is fine. I've bought 2 Zorki 6s and 1 works OK except it won't fire a flash. Of 2 Zorki 4Ks, 1 works fine, the other was back cover for a Jupiter, very nice thank you, drop camera straight in the bin.

Soviet cameras are a wonderful amusement and totally harmless fun. They cost between a third and half the price of a tank of petrol or a night out, so I have to say, well, so what? The good ones work so well that the many bad ones don't bother me that much. Most of them are 40-60 years old after all.

The Zenits seem to be better built than all rangefinders but the FEDs.

The best thing is... I have still to explore the wonderful digital world!

 

[fanshaw]

Even with the better FSU sellers you could endup with a dog. Recently, I bought a Kiev 4 from Alex-photo, and the shutter stopped working after 3 rolls. 😱

Not only FSU sellers. I bought a supposedly excellent Kiev from a US Ebay seller with a non-working shutter and a lens with glass missing.

 

[Bill58]

I have three lenses I bought from Yuri at Fedka and cannot say enough good things about him. He's the ONLY person I would send my money to for anything Russian. Why anybody would consider anybody else, confounds me.

If I was a drinker, I'd even buy my Vodka (which he currently doesn't offer) from him!!!!!!

 

[januaryman]

I like Yuri very much and have bought from him. But the Kiev I wanted was twice the price alex-photo on ebay wanted. THAT's the reason someone might not buy from Fedka. It's like gambling. The chance to win is right there.

 

[robin a]

Hi,I've used this seller with no problems.The item was a J9 and it got here on time and in great condition...............Robin

 

[Tuolumne]

I have found Fedka to be very reliable, if you don't mind paying a little bit more. But his stuff is as described and works:

http://www.fedka.com/Frames/Main_Frame.htm

/T

 

[Cutly]

I bought a zorki from him, lens was crap (he said that it was in "perfect condition") and then I told him.
I got an answer once, saying he'll send an other one. then I never got any answers back again.
I definitly not trust him, even for cheap camera: buy to someone else.
There's, for exemple, a "leon jazz" with no negative feeback, and I apreciate doing business with, really an honest guy. When he says "good condition", it's usualy much better than any "perfect" from an other ebay seller.
really, If someone want to buy from ebay: buy from him. And if you want something he don't have in his store, ask him, he'll find it for shure.
(specially for lenses, which are the most difficult thing to find in good condition from an fsu ebay seller.)

by the way, I have something to say about "sovepedia" too . He sold me a badly working kiev, and I told him (but I discoverd it after posting a feedback). The only answer is that he "banned" me, I can't bid on an item from this seller again.
So, about ebay sellers, there's lot to say. (but many sellers are honest too)

 

[USSRPhoto]

I bought about 20 to 30 cameras from Asterliks.. I can tell you this much: He's a great seller if you are a collector. I get a nice cameras from him and put them on the shelf. Although a few cameras that I used that I got from him I can't compain.. haven't encountered any usability issues yet...

If you are a user though, and expecting your cameras to work 100% of the time - I agree with Bill58 above - go with Fedka, you'll spend a bit more but you know you're getting a workhorse.

 

[MartinP]

I would put in a good word for seller "blyatnikov". He has a line of cla'd Fed-2's in his shop and the one I got is very good indeed, from shutter to r/f all working great (for a couple of months so far anyway).

 

[pesphoto]

I would put in a good word for seller "blyatnikov". He has a line of cla'd Fed-2's in his shop and the one I got is very good indeed, from shutter to r/f all working great (for a couple of months so far anyway).

took a look.....never seen so many painted black Fed 2's. Kinda cool looking.