paulfish4570
Veteran
my fed-2, now that i have a properly cla'd one, is a slap-dab joy to use; the diopter is a pleasure, the rangefinder patch is superb, and the machine is very easy for me to load with my nerve hindered digits.
oftheherd
Veteran
In 35mm size cameras, having been almost exclusively an SLR shooter for over 30 years, it has been difficult to fall in love with my Kiev 4am (or any RF). Nothing wrong with the camera though. Worked straight out of the ebay seller's package. I just prefer SLR.
Since I bought into the negative size from the get go, using RF with the Mamiya Press was never an issue.
Just my strangeness.
Since I bought into the negative size from the get go, using RF with the Mamiya Press was never an issue.
Just my strangeness.
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
Ah, the expert has spoken. Thanks for the correction, I'm just a happy user/collector
fidget
Lemon magnet
I recall that I bought a rough Zenit 3M and was surprised how similar it was to my Zorki 6. The 3M was scrap, but I used nearly the entire winding mechanics from it in my Zorki 6.
I liked the 3M, and bought another with an I-50 on it. The first roll showed the mirror wasn't getting out of the way fast enough, but after a clean and lube it was fine. It took some pretty good images.
EDIT: Oops! Sorry for OT.
My dislikes? Small VF maybe. After a while the lever dioptre adjustment on my FEDs and Zorkis gets to be a little irritating if I have to reset it every time I come to take a shot. My (present) favouite FSUs, the Zorki 5 (a&b) do this. Perhaps I should tighten the linkages in there.
Dave
I liked the 3M, and bought another with an I-50 on it. The first roll showed the mirror wasn't getting out of the way fast enough, but after a clean and lube it was fine. It took some pretty good images.
EDIT: Oops! Sorry for OT.
My dislikes? Small VF maybe. After a while the lever dioptre adjustment on my FEDs and Zorkis gets to be a little irritating if I have to reset it every time I come to take a shot. My (present) favouite FSUs, the Zorki 5 (a&b) do this. Perhaps I should tighten the linkages in there.
Dave
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rjbuzzclick
Well-known
My biggest complaint is having to wind before setting the shutter speed. If I decide not to take a photo, I don't like to leave the shutter engaged for what could be hours or days until I next use the camera.
ZorkiKat
ЗоркийК&
Zenit
Zenit
The Zenit SLRs address the issue of closeups and TTL viewing, to make this on topic
The Zenit 1 was the Zorki 1 with a mirror box. The mechanism is very primitive- it is as if an external mirror reflex attachment was fused into the camera. Complete with the levers and pins, which are what will be found if the top cover of the Zenit 1 was removed.
There are other similarities as well: no flash sync and separate rewind switch. The separate rewind switch was introduced with the Zorki-2.
The Zenit-S (C) was based on the Zorki-2C. The mirror reflex mechanism was modified, using a string and pulley method similar to that used by the Contax S and D SLRs. Aside from that, both have flash sync, a variable sync timing dial, a rotating shutter dial with a central marker which allowed speeds to be changed before or after cocking, and the rewind switch was incorporated into the shutter release button.
Likewise, the Zenit 3 was based on the Zorki-5 (bottom loading), and the Zenit -3M on the Zenit-6.
There were no Zenit based on the Zorki with slow speeds, ie, 3 and 4. It appears that the extra slow speeds complicated the mechanism. Both the slow speeds and flash sync timing mechanisms were built around the main shutter drum shaft. An SLR would add another function to this already crowded section: the Zenit 1, C, 3, 3M had their mirror viewing mechanisms built on the main shutter drum shaft too. This is perhaps the reason why the descendants of the 3M, the popular Zenit B, E, 11, and 12 series (including the 122, 212, 312, and 412) have no slow speeds.
No slow speeds. Now that's another drawback (for some).
Zenit
Ah, the expert has spoken. Thanks for the correction, I'm just a happy user/collector
The Zenit SLRs address the issue of closeups and TTL viewing, to make this on topic
The Zenit 1 was the Zorki 1 with a mirror box. The mechanism is very primitive- it is as if an external mirror reflex attachment was fused into the camera. Complete with the levers and pins, which are what will be found if the top cover of the Zenit 1 was removed.
There are other similarities as well: no flash sync and separate rewind switch. The separate rewind switch was introduced with the Zorki-2.
The Zenit-S (C) was based on the Zorki-2C. The mirror reflex mechanism was modified, using a string and pulley method similar to that used by the Contax S and D SLRs. Aside from that, both have flash sync, a variable sync timing dial, a rotating shutter dial with a central marker which allowed speeds to be changed before or after cocking, and the rewind switch was incorporated into the shutter release button.
Likewise, the Zenit 3 was based on the Zorki-5 (bottom loading), and the Zenit -3M on the Zenit-6.
There were no Zenit based on the Zorki with slow speeds, ie, 3 and 4. It appears that the extra slow speeds complicated the mechanism. Both the slow speeds and flash sync timing mechanisms were built around the main shutter drum shaft. An SLR would add another function to this already crowded section: the Zenit 1, C, 3, 3M had their mirror viewing mechanisms built on the main shutter drum shaft too. This is perhaps the reason why the descendants of the 3M, the popular Zenit B, E, 11, and 12 series (including the 122, 212, 312, and 412) have no slow speeds.
No slow speeds. Now that's another drawback (for some).
ZorkiKat
ЗоркийК&
Actually you may be able to, depending on the camera you have. The "cock first before changing" rule doesn't apply to all cameras- only those with slow shutter speeds (Zorki 3 and 4; FED 3,4,5; Dryg; Leningrad) will be seriously damaged if this rule is ignored. Kiev cameras do not require this rule.
With the early ones like the Zorki-1 or FED-1, Zorki 2/2C, FED-2 and Zarya, Mir, no damage will happen. The worst is that the shutter won't be set to the proper value if the dial is shifted without cocking first.
With many cameras, the shutter dial has a central indicator which allows the user to set the speeds whether the shutter is cocked or not, and still be assured that the correct value is obtained when the shutter is eventually cocked and fired:
This sort of dial appeared first on the Zorki-2; then used for the Zorki-2C, Zorki-5, and Zorki-6. It is also found on the later versions of FED-2. Zenit SLRs with rotating dials (from Zenit-C to Zenit E/B/EM) also used this dial.
This central indicator shutter dial is never found on cameras with slow speeds- thus this would be an indicator that these cameras must always be cocked first before shutterspeeds are changed. Leaving the shutter cocked for a day or two won't really be that bad for the shutter.
Frontman
Well-known
I have a couple FSU that I use from time to time. The first is an old FED/48/Zorki. The camera works well enough, the shutter speeds are spot-on, and the old single-coated I-22 lens is nothing short of wonderful. The main drawback is the viewfinder/rangefinder. The viewfinder is squinty and small, and the rangefinder has very little contrast. My solution is to use a Leica VIOOH finder, and scale focus. Film loading is a pain, but I have become pretty quick at it.
My other FSU is a Kiev 2, which has few faults. The only thing I really dislike about it is how far the lens must be turned to focus from 1 meter to infinity. It takes about 3/4 of a turn, and if you use the little focusing wheel on the front of the camera it takes time to get the camera in focus. In comparison, the FED/Zorki lens goes from 1 meter to infinity in only 1/2 a turn.
My other FSU is a Kiev 2, which has few faults. The only thing I really dislike about it is how far the lens must be turned to focus from 1 meter to infinity. It takes about 3/4 of a turn, and if you use the little focusing wheel on the front of the camera it takes time to get the camera in focus. In comparison, the FED/Zorki lens goes from 1 meter to infinity in only 1/2 a turn.
wolves3012
Veteran
I don't find any drawbacks to mine. That's possibly because I accept an RF has limitations and is not suited to some photographic jobs (macro/micro for instance). I'll happily use an SLR or a digital as required - horses for courses. I can sit and think of numerous "faults" for most of them if I try but all cameras have some faults if you want to be picky enough. The only irritating one I can think of is that Kievs focus oppositely from every other camera I have.
kievman
Kievman
Strange how may complain about the dim and squity viewfinder on the kievs I have kiev 4 from 1980 and the viewfinder is not dim at all. I have found that the viewfinder brightness varies among the kievs The early 4s are the darker ones. the ones from the late 70s and 80s are much more brighter and less squinty due to the shape of the rear hole being larger. I have replaced all of the ta ke up spools on my kievs with ones from reloadable spools. I cut a slot in the take up spools with a hacksaw blade. and most of the time its relatively easy to load my kievs now. For fast focusing and composing with a 50mm, there's really nothing better than kiev. the undampened focusing, the full frame 1:82 magnification of the kiev's uncluttered viewfinder makes for fast framing of scenes, reminds me a lot of my Nikon AF film camera's HP viewfinder - Best _kievman
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