Jocko
Off With The Pixies
Michael I. said:
Chuck's lens wouldn't fit, Michael - but in fairness I think the Kievs have perhaps the nicest rf/finder of all....
Cheers, Ian
kmack
do your job, then let go
Michael I. said:
The Kiev's will give you a more accurate focus with the longer rangefinder baseline and the RF patch can be quite clear and contrasty when properly cleaned and adjusted. The Kiev's are fun to shoot and very quiet and none of them have viewfinders that are brighter or larger than the Zorki 3 or 4.
I have never looked through the VF of a Kiev V however.
HuubL
hunter-gatherer
I just checked (again). The finder on my first model Zorki-4 has a > 1:1 viewfinder. It's more like 1.2:1. When keeping both eyes open the image through the finder is definitely bigger than life size.
Chuck A
Chuck A
The Kievs look nice as well but I would probably stay with the LTM models because of the SM lenses that I have.
Someone mentioned the quietness of the Kievs. What do the shutters on the FEDs and Zorkis sound like. I imagine that they are similar volume to the Bessa R models. Certainly not anything near the Leicas. Am I correct.
Someone mentioned the quietness of the Kievs. What do the shutters on the FEDs and Zorkis sound like. I imagine that they are similar volume to the Bessa R models. Certainly not anything near the Leicas. Am I correct.
wolves3012
Veteran
I have to agree with you on that one, I really find the Zorki 1 & 2C easy to use despite the rather tiny windows. Sadly my FED 1 has a very faint RF spot (yet to be fixed) so it's unusable in low light unless there are bright lights in the frame. Spectacle wearers would find them hard to use, however. Horses for courses I guess...Jocko said:Oh yes! I totally agree! To be honest, Wolves, I think the truth is that none of the usual FSU LTM cameras have a better than adequate finder: each involves some sort of compromise. It may be an eccentric choice, but the FED/Zorki 1 has much to commend it - the finder is small but bright, the RF (all being well) is contrasty (especially on the FEDs, IMHO). They may be an inch apart, but nobody's perfect
All the best, Ian
wolves3012
Veteran
Sweet-looking indeed but you're paying quite a premium for a camera that will perform no better. I don't own any "fiddled with" cameras but I'd worry about why it was painted in the first place. The explanation is all too often because the original was too tatty to command a good price. Sometimes they are made from several originals too, which may or may not cause problems but is a gamble.Chuck A said:
If you're willing to pay the extra though and take the chance - why not? They can look very nice!
Chuck A
Chuck A
wolves3012 said:
I can't see paying this price for a FED 2. Even painted black. I will wait around for a plain Jane FSU in good shape. Thanks for the responses.
wolves3012
Veteran
They can vary a fair bit. A smooth running, properly serviced model can be fairly quiet, not much louder than a Kiev, if at all. I don't own a Leica (nor am I likely to) to make a comparison but I don't think the noise is THAT much of an issue in most circumstances. It does seem to matter to many though, so perhaps I'm in a minority!Chuck A said:
dazedgonebye
Veteran
Chuck A said:
My Fed-2 shutters are much quieter than my Bessa R3A.
The Fed-2 viewfinder is squinty to be sure. For the 50mm use you describe, I doubt the longer rangefinder baseline is all that important.
Zorki 4/4k are practical shooters and usually a bargain. Still, were I doing it over, I'd likely get a Zorki 3/3M because they're just so darn good looking.
dazedgonebye
Veteran
Chuck A said:
I can recommend Fedka for service. Better yet, just buy a camera from them. If you buy one off of the auction site, you'll likely end up sending it for service anyway (unless you do that sort of thing yourself).
Far less frustrating to buy one that's been recently serviced from Fedka (or others).
santino
FSU gear head
IMHO the Leningrad it's not a good user camera.
rolleistef
Well-known
The Kiev VF is quite dim, I mean, very dark, but the RF patch is neatly visible. But I wouldn't advise it to any glass wearer though.
The Z4 (not the BMW eh!) VF is nicely bright with a diopter adjust , but the RF patch is too blurred.
The Z4 (not the BMW eh!) VF is nicely bright with a diopter adjust , but the RF patch is too blurred.
beachhutblues
Newbie
On a related issue....
I have a Fed 4 with an AWFUL viewfinder for a glasses wearer like myself, and yet, I still want to keep it because it takes good pictures.
Can the annoying glasses-scratching dioptre be removed revealing a larger viewfinder?
I have a Fed 4 with an AWFUL viewfinder for a glasses wearer like myself, and yet, I still want to keep it because it takes good pictures.
Can the annoying glasses-scratching dioptre be removed revealing a larger viewfinder?
wolves3012
Veteran
You could remove the ring and the whole dioptre system but you'd have a hole to look through. I'm not sure how usable it would be. It doesn't reveal "a larger viewfinder" :-(beachhutblues said:
beachhutblues
Newbie
wolves3012 said:
Any ideas how I can solve this then?
Chuck A
Chuck A
I am still looking for ideas as to how you folks deal with the lack of strap lugs. I know that using the case is one way but are there any other types of wrist straps that can be used? BTW, is there even a tripod hole on these babies and what is the thread size?
Jocko
Off With The Pixies
beachhutblues said:Any ideas how I can solve this then?
There is, dear Beachhut - I used a FED 4 for many years. Although severely shortsighted I never had any serious problem, but scratched my lenses badly... There was no obvious answer then, but I think you will find that these will now help greatly - http://aki-asahi.com/store/html/kiev-4/eyepatch/index.php
My eyesight is better these days - a mere 10 dioptres off - but for the record I have never had problems using the Kiev or FED viewfinders - including the FED 1 - or the Zorki 1, 5 or 6. Aki's patches make all a pleasure.
Cheers, Ian
rbiemer
Unabashed Amateur
Take your camera with you to a hardware/plumbing supply store and ask about rubber O-rings. You should be able to find some in a size to match the VF surround on your camera. Cheap, as well. Then a small amount of rubber cement to attatch the O-ring to the camera and you're done. I suppose you could use contact cement or super glue but I prefer the rubber cement since that's not permanent.beachhutblues said:Any ideas how I can solve this then?
Check here for straps:
http://www.electricedge.com/gordy_s_straps/index.htm
And , yes the FSU cameras do have a tripod socket. Either 3/8-16 thread or some of the later cameras have 1/4-20 threads.
Rob
Jocko
Off With The Pixies
rbiemer said:
Very good advice Rob, but alas, not always applicable in a British context. My local DIY store charges £3.99 ($8.00) for a minimum quantity (20) of O rings. Add the cost of rubber cement and it is cheaper to buy from Japan
In addition, the rubber rings increase the distance between the eye and viewfinder, admittedly only by a couple of mm, but on a camera with a very deep dioptre ring like the FED 4, this is not so desirable.
All the best, Ian
mike goldberg
The Peaceful Pacific
The VF on my Kiev4a is quite bright, and the RF patch is fairly easy to line up.
The shutter is quiet at 1/50 and below... you can hear the spring action.
Above 1/50, the Kiev's shutter is a loud 'thunk.'
Lens mount here is Kiev/Contax.
I ordered a Fed-2[with ears] recently, because I look the looks and feel of
this camera. Also, the Bessa R opened a whole new world of m39 screwmount
lenses. I have two J8's, and the better one [collimated by Brian Sweeney]
is superb.
Good luck,
mike
The shutter is quiet at 1/50 and below... you can hear the spring action.
Above 1/50, the Kiev's shutter is a loud 'thunk.'
Lens mount here is Kiev/Contax.
I ordered a Fed-2[with ears] recently, because I look the looks and feel of
this camera. Also, the Bessa R opened a whole new world of m39 screwmount
lenses. I have two J8's, and the better one [collimated by Brian Sweeney]
is superb.
Good luck,
mike