Anyone else think the FED, Mirs and Zorkis are undervalued?

[David Doler]

Just got another FED via eBay. A FED 3a type 2 to be exact. What a hoot. Built like the Mir space station (I suppose). Why aren't these things more popular? I just don't get it.

I have to run a roll of film through it and see what happens. It's too hot and humid in my area now to work in my non-airconditioned darkroom so I'll wait a while. But seriously, is it that the cameras are a bit tricky to work with that makes them somewhat ignored?

As far as feel and general fit and finish is concerned, they're OK too me. Granted they're not 'fine' per se, but quite servicable. Anyone else think the FED, Mirs and Zorkis are a bit under appreciated?

 

[parks5920]

NO! They are WAY over priced, not worth it at ALL! Totally worthless pieces of junk they are! NO one should waste hard earned $$ on one!

(Dave, shhh! LET's keep the truth about these gems on the quite side!)

 

[David Doler]

Man, whats wrong with me. Of couse, you're right. Everyone (except you and me) should avoid these dogs. 😉

 

[parks5920]

YES! Terrible things they are! As a matter of fact, everyone who owns one on the board should send them to you and I so we can safely dispose of them!

Just to be safe, better put Kiev's on that list as well, don't want anyone to lose an eye! 😀

 

[XAos]

Well, to be honest, most people are still dumping film cameras as fast as they can. I think the ratios of us to them is still small enough that we can get excited without causing a price hike. But the internet is a funny thing.

 

[parks5920]

Yes, it is. Look at the GIII!

 

[phototone]

If they are undervalued in the West, it is because we did not grow up with them readily available, as export to Western Countries was limited. Therefore we don't have a tradition of FSU cameras from our youth to look back on fondly, like we do with Contax and Leica.

I would imagine our RFDR Forum Members located in FSU Countries might have another take on this.

 

[atelier7]

well, talking up a camera model and driving its price up isn't always bad .... particularly when you're trying to sell one.

 

[back alley]

Yes, it is. Look at the GIII!

and the other canon too...the p🙂

 

[Kin Lau]

If they are undervalued in the West, it is because we did not grow up with them readily available, as export to Western Countries was limited. Therefore we don't have a tradition of FSU cameras from our youth to look back on fondly, like we do with Contax and Leica.

I would imagine our RFDR Forum Members located in FSU Countries might have another take on this.

It doesn't hurt that _millions_ were made. More FSU LTM RF's were made per year than the entire production history of Leica for most of the years. To a lesser extent the Kiev production run also dwarfs the run of Contax cameras.

That there were also many poorly built FSU cameras also help to drive down the price.

A closer comparison could probably be made with the Argus bricks, also built by the millions and under-appreciated by most. Of course, the Argus doesn't have the fancy Leica/Zeiss history either.

 

[XAos]

Are 8 tracks are undervalued?

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Frankly, I think our list is almost solely responsible for driving prices for old rangefinders. I really think the Russians caught on and have raised prices based on demand. I also noticed (since last December) that prices for Japanese rangefinder cameras have risen. The "steal" QL GIIIs are rarer and rarer.

Undervalued FSU cameras? Nah, they are appropriately priced. There are a few examples that are selling for a lot more than I would pay.

 

[kiev4a]

Kin Lau has is right. For instance, between 1948 and 1973, more than FOUR MILLION Zorki models were built, including 800,000 Zorki 1s and 1,715,000 Z4s and 4Ks, Thats not including all the FED models, Kievs, Leningrads, Drougs, etc, etc. To command high prices, something has to be relatively scarce.

Then there's the quality control issue. If you buy a 50-year-old Canon or Leica that was well cared for, it will probably still work to some degree, even if a repair person has never been inside it. There are FSU cameras that came off the assembly line (usually toward the end of the month) not working properly. Hence the old FSU collector's phrase -- "If it's mint, there's probably something wrong with it."

There's another reason why the quality of Soviet cameras varies greatly. Somewhere I read that in the Soviet Union there weren't a lot of camera repair shops and repairs cost money. So a lot of citizens, if they did have a problem, sat down at the kitchen table and tried to make repairs using a bread knife.

Don't get me wrong. There is some great FSU gear out there. I have a couple of Zorki 1s (that I suspect were made for VIPs) that would he tough to tell from a Leica II by sound or feel. But they are exceptions (and I paid more for them).

The big problem in value, however, is numbers. And the values won't go up unless the supply dries up and the demand increases. The supply may eventually dry up but with the film camera market going downhill and older Nikons worth half what they were two years ago, I don't expect the demand for Russian cameras to increase to any great degree.

But that doesn't mean I'm ready to dump my FSU gear. Every camera has a story and is part of the history of one of the most powerful nations on Earth--that no longer exists. That's pretty heavy stuff. The sad thing is that when we're gone, most of our gear is likely to end up in a thrift shop or the landfill because not a lot of people have that appreciation for cameras or history. Maybe all us FSU camera owners should will our gear to the forum--to be sold to people who appreciate it with the money going to help keep the story alive.
That's probably a little far fetched but I don't expected the 40 or so FSU cameras I have are likely to pay for my grandaughter's college education.

 

[parks5920]

????? 🙄

 

[varjag]

There's another reason why the quality of Soviet cameras varies greatly. Somewhere I read that in the Soviet Union there weren't a lot of camera repair shops and repairs cost money. So a lot of citizens, if they did have a problem, sat down at the kitchen table and tried to make repairs using a bread knife.

Well, there were repair shops in every city or moderately large town. However, not everyone was willing to pay for repair (though it didn't cost a fortune), or deal with unmotivated and lazy repairpersons. Another issue is that in USSR every male was thinking of themself as of highly competent technician in any field (usually overestimating own skills quite a bit) and weren't thinking twice before attempting any remotely technical activity, from hammering a nail into wall to fixing their ever-breaking cars.

 

[brians]

"Built like the Mir space station (I suppose)"

Isn't the Mir space station deteriorating?! 😀

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

I like my Feds. There seems to be an umlimited supply of them. So, they simply aren't rare.

Yet I continually see FSU cameras posted as rare models. FED 2s, Sorki 4s and 4Ks- all of them are labeled "RARE" on the "bay." And the prices are often way more than Argus C-44s. Which, frankly, there don't seem to be that many of.

Add to that the shipping prices seem to have taken a great leap in Russia.

I think they have become over-valued.

 

[brians]

WOW, I HATE SOVIET CAMERAS ! I DONT THINK I'LL EVER BUY ONE AGAIN! AND I DONT THINK ANYONE ELSE WILL! MIGHT AS WELL USE AMERICAN! THE ONES I HAVE KEEP ON MAKING A CLICKING NOISE (.....) UGH! Worthless!

 

[TPPhotog]

Please keep the noise down, I agree it was a thread like this that drove the price of Canonets up 🙄

 

[parks5920]

Hell ya, I couldn't agree more! SHHHHH!