GeneW
Veteran
Has anyone here ever owned or used a Moskva 5 folding RF MF camera? It looks like an interesting folder, particularly at the 6x9 size, but I know nothing about its reputation, reliability, etc. They usually go for under-$100 on the auction site
Gene
Gene
taffer
void
One here Gene. I got a good used one with some tricks (non-working self-timer and B setting firing at 1/30 or so) for $30, including the 6x6 mask.
Now I feel ashamed myself for this but I've only run... 1 roll of film through the camera, enough to let me know that it's a really good performer at a bargain price.
Pshinkaw and Jdos2 here can give you more info about this camera and online sources for it.
Think of it as a cheaper Tessar type Super Ikonta.
Moskva 5 shot 1
Moskva 5 shot 2
Now I feel ashamed myself for this but I've only run... 1 roll of film through the camera, enough to let me know that it's a really good performer at a bargain price.
Pshinkaw and Jdos2 here can give you more info about this camera and online sources for it.
Think of it as a cheaper Tessar type Super Ikonta.
Moskva 5 shot 1
Moskva 5 shot 2
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GeneW
Veteran
Thanks Taffer. Those two shots look really good. This camera tempts me. But I've never purchased a Russian RF before and am not sure what is a good source. There are lots of these available on eBay for around $45.
Gene
Gene
taffer
void
Gene, ask Oleg Khalyavin at http://www.okvintagecamera.com and another seller with good reputation on ebay is alex-photo. You can write them directly if you don't find a M5 on their sites, lots of times they can look for a nice camera and let you know when found.
I've purchased from Oleg, and can only say good things from him and his cameras.
Good luck !
I've purchased from Oleg, and can only say good things from him and his cameras.
Good luck !
Gene, you can track the offerings of this ebay seller too. He specializes in folding cameras which he CLA's and refurbishes. His cameras may cost more, but should operate like new.
He has listed Moskov 5s recently, if I remember correctly, selling in the $175 range.
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=0&userid=certo6&sort=3&rows=25&since=-1&rd=1
He has listed Moskov 5s recently, if I remember correctly, selling in the $175 range.
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=0&userid=certo6&sort=3&rows=25&since=-1&rd=1
GeneW
Veteran
Thanks Rover. I really appreciate the info and the link.
I will admit, though, that the impulse to purchase a new camera is under better control today. I get buzzed by the possiblities, then come back down to earth and realize that I'm not even using the excellent cameras I already own nearly as much as I'd like. Adding more cams just muddles my thinking.
I'm not a true collector I guess...
Gene
I will admit, though, that the impulse to purchase a new camera is under better control today. I get buzzed by the possiblities, then come back down to earth and realize that I'm not even using the excellent cameras I already own nearly as much as I'd like. Adding more cams just muddles my thinking.
I'm not a true collector I guess...
Gene
back alley
IMAGES
"...then come back down to earth and realize that I'm not even using the excellent cameras I already own nearly as much as I'd like. "
oh thank goodness, i thought it was just me! lol
every day i look over the various classifieds on the net, plus ebay, and think how wonderful it would be to have this camera or that lens. i'm still convinced i will become a better shooter if i had a minolta 7sll, or if my fed 2 would only work properly, maybe i should get a real contax 2 or at least the kiev version (without the meter, of course), that a 90 would be so much better than my 75 or how on earth can i call myself a photographer without at least a 28mm (1.9 or 3.5??) or a second body - i mean, no real shooter only has one body for a lens set!!
aaaggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so yesterday, i loaded up my canonet, my konica and one of the olys, fitted them in one of those soft thermos lunch bags for permanet use out of the trunk of my car.
i really do need to shoot more...and i will!!
this messege has been approved by joe...
oh thank goodness, i thought it was just me! lol
every day i look over the various classifieds on the net, plus ebay, and think how wonderful it would be to have this camera or that lens. i'm still convinced i will become a better shooter if i had a minolta 7sll, or if my fed 2 would only work properly, maybe i should get a real contax 2 or at least the kiev version (without the meter, of course), that a 90 would be so much better than my 75 or how on earth can i call myself a photographer without at least a 28mm (1.9 or 3.5??) or a second body - i mean, no real shooter only has one body for a lens set!!
aaaggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so yesterday, i loaded up my canonet, my konica and one of the olys, fitted them in one of those soft thermos lunch bags for permanet use out of the trunk of my car.
i really do need to shoot more...and i will!!
this messege has been approved by joe...
R
Rich Silfver
Guest
This guy: http://www.edandjacqui.com/ uses a Moskva 5 camera.
A little bit further down on that page is a link to the Moskva 5 gallery.
His comment when posting one of the shots is fun:
"A very tasty 6X9 taken with my lovely 1955 vintage Moskva-5 bellows camera. You should see this blown up really big...it looks wonderful. I got the Moskva off eBay for £23. Smug? Me?
"
And I'm sure you've read this page: http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/moskva5/index.htm
A little bit further down on that page is a link to the Moskva 5 gallery.
His comment when posting one of the shots is fun:
"A very tasty 6X9 taken with my lovely 1955 vintage Moskva-5 bellows camera. You should see this blown up really big...it looks wonderful. I got the Moskva off eBay for £23. Smug? Me?
"And I'm sure you've read this page: http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/moskva5/index.htm
GeneW
Veteran
LOL, Richardrsilfverberg said:This guy: http://www.edandjacqui.com/ uses a Moskva 5 camera.
A little bit further down on that page is a link to the Moskva 5 gallery.
His comment when posting one of the shots is fun:
"A very tasty 6X9 taken with my lovely 1955 vintage Moskva-5 bellows camera. You should see this blown up really big...it looks wonderful. I got the Moskva off eBay for £23. Smug? Me?
And I'm sure you've read this page: http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/moskva5/index.htm
Get thee behind me ...
I'm tempted enough as it is ...Gene
GeneW
Veteran
I hear ya, Joe!
Gene
Gene
taffer
void
Gene said:
Hope I could say that of myself !
P
pshinkaw
Guest
I've got 2 1/2 Moskva-5's (the 1/2 is for parts).
I took the best one on a vacation to Honolulu two summers ago. Some of the pictures arehere:
http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=245729
-Paul
I took the best one on a vacation to Honolulu two summers ago. Some of the pictures arehere:
http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=245729
-Paul
GeneW
Veteran
Those are very nice shots in your gallery, Paul. The Moskva looks like it has a very good lens. Thanks for the link!
Gene
Gene
P
pshinkaw
Guest
Thank you. The lens is pretty nice. However, it seems to be a slight wideangle in the 6X9 format. When I have tried group pictures, the people at the ends of the frame have looked a few pounds heavier than real life.
Just a word of warning...
-Paul
Just a word of warning...
-Paul
jdos2
Well-known
I've got a shot in the gallery with mine. I bought one from Oleg, and all functions work.
Always fold the lens board out and then wind on otherwise I got strange shaped negatives from warped film.
Otherwise, it's a competent 6x6/6x9 folder. The lens is decent, but not too sharp. It's hard to find hoods to fit and flare can be an issue. Close focus seems to be a hit or miss affair sometimes, even if the rangefinder is perfectly adjusted.
I'd bring it on vacation again.
Always fold the lens board out and then wind on otherwise I got strange shaped negatives from warped film.
Otherwise, it's a competent 6x6/6x9 folder. The lens is decent, but not too sharp. It's hard to find hoods to fit and flare can be an issue. Close focus seems to be a hit or miss affair sometimes, even if the rangefinder is perfectly adjusted.
I'd bring it on vacation again.
P C Headland
Well-known
Another Moskva 5 owner here. Picked mine off eb*y for $30 (without mask) and apart from having to adjust the door latch, everything works fine (although the self timer lever is awol). Seems sharp enough too, although probably not quiteas sharp as the Iskra I've also got. I'll need to run some slide film through it to get a better feel, but it seems to be a good one.
Focus snaps in quite easily, and the viewing window is quite bright. Seems to be a camera for lefties, and is not quite as easy to use as the Iskra.
As for flare, I didn't see any (yet). Filter sizes? Don't know yet, but can't possibly be harder than the Iskra (33mm screw on).
I always open the camera, check the scene, meter, then wind the film on. I do this for the other two (RF) folders as well.
You can see some pictures at http://pch.fotopic.net/c150836.html (each photo has a description to show camera + film)
(long time lurker, just joined)
Focus snaps in quite easily, and the viewing window is quite bright. Seems to be a camera for lefties, and is not quite as easy to use as the Iskra.
As for flare, I didn't see any (yet). Filter sizes? Don't know yet, but can't possibly be harder than the Iskra (33mm screw on).
I always open the camera, check the scene, meter, then wind the film on. I do this for the other two (RF) folders as well.
You can see some pictures at http://pch.fotopic.net/c150836.html (each photo has a description to show camera + film)
(long time lurker, just joined)
jdos2
Well-known
rover said:
WARNING. If you CONSIDER buying from him, I've got a 3 month $500 saga to tell ya for a "CLA'd" Ikonta. The shipping charges back and forth just to fix the light leaks were almost the price of the rangefinder mis-adjusted, coating damaged camera.
Thanks for the warning JD. It is good to hear the good and bad stories about ebay sellers. May I ask how the camera was described in the auction? Obviously he states he CLAs all of his cameras, so the rangefinder mis-alighnment and light leaks are not acceptable under any circumstances.
jdos2
Well-known
I bought it from him directly, actually. $300 for a Zeiss Ikonta with a Novar, in good condition.
I had asked for a good "working" camera, as I was going to use it and made that fact very clear to him.
When I got it, there were several light leaks in the bellows. I had to send it back 5 times for him to fix everything. From the beginning, the mirror on the rangefinder was bent (it's on a thin post on those cameras and easily bent- easily fixed, too).
Basically, I ordered a working camera from him and got one that he hadn't obviously tested. I had taken several test rolls (>6) of film and had them developed (no small cost there!) and printed only to find persistant light leaks and focusing issues, to say nothing of one of the cells of the lens with a damaged/missing coating that was quite obvious just by looking at the reflections in the lens.
When all was said and done, we finally DID get the camera working (and I say "we" because I had a local shop columnate the camera, and I pulled the top myself to bend the rangefinder mirror back into position), but by then, the karma associated with it (he did include a lens hood for it on the final trip back to me) didn't come close to making up for what was truly a mediocre camera meant to fill the need for a small and portable medium format camera.
He might be better- his standards might be higher, and he might be more thorough with his rating system, but being burned by the fact that he obviously never tested the camera with film leads me to stay away from him.
I did learn several lessons from the experience. I will buy from someone after spelling out the very specific requirements under which I'm willing to purchase. I make an agreement that the camera will come to me in a specific condition for the use I intend for which to use it. I will no longer send cameras back to people that "assumed" that it worked fine. I also want them to pay for return shipping and the associated film developing costs.
ANYWAY. Buyer beware.
I had asked for a good "working" camera, as I was going to use it and made that fact very clear to him.
When I got it, there were several light leaks in the bellows. I had to send it back 5 times for him to fix everything. From the beginning, the mirror on the rangefinder was bent (it's on a thin post on those cameras and easily bent- easily fixed, too).
Basically, I ordered a working camera from him and got one that he hadn't obviously tested. I had taken several test rolls (>6) of film and had them developed (no small cost there!) and printed only to find persistant light leaks and focusing issues, to say nothing of one of the cells of the lens with a damaged/missing coating that was quite obvious just by looking at the reflections in the lens.
When all was said and done, we finally DID get the camera working (and I say "we" because I had a local shop columnate the camera, and I pulled the top myself to bend the rangefinder mirror back into position), but by then, the karma associated with it (he did include a lens hood for it on the final trip back to me) didn't come close to making up for what was truly a mediocre camera meant to fill the need for a small and portable medium format camera.
He might be better- his standards might be higher, and he might be more thorough with his rating system, but being burned by the fact that he obviously never tested the camera with film leads me to stay away from him.
I did learn several lessons from the experience. I will buy from someone after spelling out the very specific requirements under which I'm willing to purchase. I make an agreement that the camera will come to me in a specific condition for the use I intend for which to use it. I will no longer send cameras back to people that "assumed" that it worked fine. I also want them to pay for return shipping and the associated film developing costs.
ANYWAY. Buyer beware.