Do we have any Drug users here?

L

Laika

Guest
So who's going to put there hand up and admit to being a Drug user? 😉


Last weekend I was just window shopping (honest!) on eb*y and had a "GAS" attack during a moment of weakness 🙄 .. So now hopefully there is a brown paper and hairy string package somewhere on its way to me containing my latest FSU RF purchase.. A Drug (Droog = "Friend" in Russian) LTM rangefinder. Do we have any other Drug owners here? It wasn't till my moment of weakness that I really checked out the spec's of this camera. It has a full range of shutter speeds (1/2 to 1/1000 & B) and to quote from Fedka's page ......

"The Drug is very well made, the body is cast and rigid, the finish is much better than on other Soviet cameras of the same vintage. The viewfinder window (combined with a short-based but very accurate rangefinder) has two brightline frames - for 50mm and for 85mm."

A Soviet RF with frame lines in the VF!! I've never heard of such a thing 😛 and I'm guessing if it has 50mm frame lines the VF shows more, anyone know how much more?? Also the bottom lever winder is very cool IMO (I would die for a Leica M with one of Tom Abrahamsson rapidwinders!), being a left eyed shooter it will be nice to keep my thumb out of my right eye when fast winding for a change. Fingers crossed this could be my dream Soviet everyday shooter.

Here is a link to Fedka's info on the Drug
http://www.fedka.com/My_collection/drug.htm


Here is a pic of what is hopefully my camera (Body and lens are dated 1960), I'll post some more and some first impressions when it turns up.
 
Leningrad and Kiev-5 have framelines in the finder too, plus countless p&s and fixed lens RFs.
 
Oh No! its the "PIG's" hide the goods... Everybody just act cool ..... Just act cool!
 
varjag said:
Leningrad and Kiev-5 have framelines in the finder too, plus countless p&s and fixed lens RFs.

I guess I should have said multiple frame lines 🙂
 
Skinny McGee said:
Oh No! its the "PIG's" hide the goods... Everybody just act cool ..... Just act cool!

Everyone chill... no need to eat or flush your stash down the toilet just yet 😀

Skinny.. I'm getting flashes of Neil from "The Young Ones"
 
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Well thanks leica, I really need another fsu gas attack right now! :bang:

thanks to your little report, I want to have one of these nice looking "friends".
 
50 and 85 IIRC.

And I think Leningrad has multiple framelines too, 35 to 135, (horizontal) parallax corrected.
 
Yep, that
Droug indeed appears to be in good condition. Enjoy it 🙂
 
Nice purchase Laika. I've always thought they were unique FSU's. Definitely different in a world of FEDs, Zorkis, and Kievs. I can't wait to get a review and some pic's when you get the chance. 🙂
 
I had a Drug (I usually spell it "Droug" just to avoid being provocative) but sold it to someone else on RFF.

My info page about it is still up at this link.

I was impressed with it; I thought it was one of the better-designed and better-made FSU cameras I've seen.

The framelines, incidentally, are the reflected type, similar to the type used on, say, the Canon VI and P (although, unlike the Canons, non-parallax-compensating.) Other notable features include:

-- 1:1 viewfinder image

-- Roller tip on the rangefinder coupling arm; no worries about your Japanese LTM lenses getting locked onto the camera body, as can happen on most FSU cameras with non-roller arms.

-- Easily accessible external rangefinder adjustments.

See the page for more, including interior pix.
 
jlw said:
....My info page about it is still up at this link.....

jlw, excellent info on the Drug, the best I've seen so far. I was especially interested in the photos of the internals.

And it's got a roller on the RF cam! Pretty swish for a FSU RF

I can see I'll have to start stalking the mail guy at work for my package 😀
 
Laika: I had read the site you gave. It quote McKeown word which said the camera got "Interchangeable 39mm Leica-thread lenses". It sounds charming. If it really got multiple frameline, it is really useful..........
But will this kind of "Drug" hard to found?
 
Laika said:
So who's going to put there hand up and admit to being a Drug user? 😉

Only prescription I tell ya!! 😀

While I've never seen one in the "flesh", all I've ever heard about the Drug camera has been positive. Like others here, I hope to hear a glowing report about yours when it gets to you. Nice find.

Walker
 
Laika said:
So who's going to put there hand up and admit to being a Drug user?

Hello,
I own a Droug/Droog/Drug - whatever you may call it.

There are some specials about this camera:

- It has a Leicavit style trigger at the bottom
- The film needs to be inserted on the right side (like Exakta Varex/VX)
- The Viewfinder has got framelines for 85mm and is very big and bright.

The Viewfinder from the Drug is one of the best FSU Viewfinders I know. The base of the rangefinder is not very long, but it is quite accurate.

Regards,
Andreas
 
Jocko said:
,

Not common, yauyaursk, but not as rare as one might fear: DVD technik have a couple for sale - http://www.dvdtechcameras.com/cameras/leica/71/71.htm

I had search the ebay too. The price go between around $130. The price seem not that rare......
It is interest for me......But not the first choose now.......
If more advice show out........I think I will addict on this "Drug"......
 
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