Lomo Russian refurbs

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jdriffill

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Does anyone have any experience of these?
On the lomography web site http://asia.shop.lomography.com in the shop section they offer refurbed Kiev 4s and Fed 5Bs for prices that look not outrageous if the cameras are in good working order. The prices are higher than you may have to pay on e-bay, but maybe the goods are more reliable.

I am curious because I felt an urge to try out a Kiev rangefinder (or a Contax). There are the russian lenses, some nice old Zeiss lenses, and the new Voigtlander SC wide-angle lenses that can be used on them.

Rgds, John
 
Fedka has a great reputation. Check out his page. A quick look shows me a Kiev 4 with a jupiter for $109. A Kiev 4 with the Helios (like on Lomography) should be for for less.
 
For the price they're asking, you could buy half a dozen or more on Ebay, one of which would be sure to work. The lightmeter on the Kiev 4 isn't the most useful, I'd rather have a 4A and separate meter. Supposedly, the later "M" variants aren't as well made, though I can't speak from experience.
 
I'd back a refurb over a new camera, simply because there's been SOME quality control. Quite apart from that, they've been checked over instead of being left to ferment for half a century -- sometimes with the benefit (in those 50 years) of amateur 'repairs' and CLAs.

If you want one, go for it. But for every one person that falls in love with these cameras, I'd guess there are ten whose reaction ranges fom 'interesting historical artifact' (mine) to AAAARGH.

Cheers,

R.
 
Proteus, Wolves and Roger -- many thanks for your replies. I'll look into Fedka, and also I'll take a look in a Lomo shop when I next pass one, which will be in Tokyo or Hong Kong, and see if they have any of these in stock. Interesting historical artifiact or AAAARGH? I bought a Zorki 4 many years ago. The lens, a jupiter 8, has been fine and I use it a lot, but not on the Zorki. The body was very grubby somehow and the shutter very unreliable, but the focusing was very good. The shutters need regular lubrication and maintenance I hear to avoid damaging them, but the cameras are so cheap it is hard to get it done. Anyway, in the end I never used the Zorki. The Kievs have a better reputation though, and I am curious to try out a Contax or Kiev shaped body. We'll see!
All the best, John
 
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Proteus617 said:
Fedka has a great reputation. Check out his page. A quick look shows me a Kiev 4 with a jupiter for $109. A Kiev 4 with the Helios (like on Lomography) should be for for less.
Click to expand...

1+ in regards to Yuri at Fedka, he sells nice product and stands behind what he sells. I bought my Kiev 4A and Zorki-4K from Yuri. Both are beautiful cameras and while both developed problems, Yuri provided repair and full CLA on both before sending them back and even threw in an extra Jupiter-8 to compliment the Helios 103 that I already had.

In regards to the Kiev 4 vs. 4M vs. 4A vs. 4AM...I am a real fan of the meterless models based on appearance alone. Even if the meter works, selenium cells are not particularly sensitive and the meter is not coupled. Give me a compact CdS model like my Vivitar Model 24 any day! My first Kiev was a 4AM made in the early 1980s. It was very rough in every sense of the word. The bright spot was the excellent Helios-103 50/1.8. I exchanged the 4AM for a 4A made in 1961 and could not be happier with the switch despite the Contax "bumps". The difference is night and day in regards to fit and finish and smoothness of operation.

My advice is to pick up a 50s or 60s era body. The Helios-103 has a better reputation, but the Jupiter-8 is also a great lens and a little more compact than the Helios. Note that the Helios-103 will not fit in the non AM case. Note too that that most Kievs have a 3/8" tripod socket rather than the more common 1/4-20 thread.

In regards to the captive vs. loose take-up spool...the captive version is nice, and the loose version is a pain. The compromise is to glue the ends from a bulk-load cassette to the ends of the spool to act as a guide to hole it in place. Works like a charm.


Steve
 
For my sins, I bought one. But I didn't pay full price - I had a bunch of money-off vouchers I'd racked up from using their website for six months. I ended up getting a Fed 2 and tonnes of "Lomography" film - rebranded AGFA and Ferrania stuff - for £20. Bargain.

The result? Well, the Fed itself is in great condition. The rangefinder needed a bit of calibration, but the shutter speeds are all accurate and it's in great cosmetic shape.

The lens, however... well, it was perfect cosmetically and took great photos but the focusing ring was almost impossible to move. It felt like the old lube had just seized solid, so I doubt it was ever CLA'd at all. I sent it back to them and the replacement should be arriving tomorrow, so we'll see what it's like then.
 
Don't buy these from Lomography. My wife bought a Fed-2 for me. No take-up spool and did not focus accurately at any distance. I sent it back. The replacement's back was difficult to remove and almost impossible to get back on. I returned this one as well. They wouldn't refund our money because the second return was too far from the date of the first purchase ... No allowance made for return time, processing, etc. It was a terrible experience. Buy from Yuri at fedka.com.
 
I've had two experiences buying from Fedka, and both were great. The most recent one was really outstanding, a Zorki 1 that was cleaner than any second hand camera I ever bought of any type from any one.
 
I was wondering the same thing today as I checked out the Lomo store (didjoo know they have entire stores dedicated to over pricedLomo products?)

They had a Zorki 1, Fed 3, and a few Kievs on display... they all looked real nice, practically brand new. So very tempting.

But wow, if you pay their prices and get un-lubed lenses and uncalibrated bodies... wow.
 
Further to my previous post: I had the replacement arrive yesterday. The unlubed lens I sent them was an I61 which I was wary of losing; it was a good performer, just almost impossible to focus. And being as I already had an I26, I requested that if they couldn't clean + lube the I61, they just send me another.

So what do I get? An untabbed I26. And a totally different Fed 2 to the one I sent them.

I don't think they actually have anyone looking at their cameras, no matter what they say on their shop; relubing the I61 should have been an easy job, and not cause for a replacement. And these replacements - while seemingly functional - haven't been cleaned. There's dust dirt all over them. The case it came in had a broken strap. And the inside of the Fed has enough dust in to make me think that hadn't been cleaned, either. And the gears at the top of the take up spool don't mesh quite right, meaning that when the shutter's uncocked, the winding knob can actually be wobbled.

All that said, the shutter is lovely and smooth. I just wish I'd kept hold of the damn lens and relubed it myself.
 
I have looked in Lomography stores in Tokyo and Hong Kong and they do not have the refurbished Kievs in stock. They tell me they are only available from the on-line store. I am reluctant to buy one on-line, as there are so many issues with them. But, wandering around Hong Kong I found a Kiev 4 (a 4A I think, no meter, and a hot shoe, s.n. starts with 80) with a Jupiter 8 in a 2nd hand shop. seems to work OK, so have bought it. I might look out for a Contax IIA or similar also. Meanwhile I must try out the Kiev.

Thanks everyone for all the info and sharing all the experiences above.

John
 
The Kiev 4A seems to work fine. Here's a picture from Hong Kong
hong_kong_01.jpg
This is NOT a Lomo refurb, I hasten to add, but a camera bought from a 2nd hand shop in HK. I'm pleased with the camera (famous last words -- hope it keeps working!) and so I have since bought a Contax IIa with f2 50mm Sonnar. I'd like to find a Russian or Contax 35mm lens now.....

The V/C SC lenses fit on these cameras, but I would like to some Russian or German originals. Will try Fedka one of these days. And maybe the PCCGB Photographica fair in London in 2 wks will yield something.
 
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I went to the Photographica fair and found another Kiev 4, a 35mm in Kiev mount, and a 135. Also a Zorki 4. I think the Lomo idea is well behind me now. I'll try to use this equipment in the FSU competition that's going on now.

All the best, John
 
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