Down to the end of Russian cameras for me.

[davelrods]

I think I've rounded most of the corners from Fed and Zorki 1's to Fed 5's and Kiev 4's. All that coming from a first look with a Bessa R4A, what a springboard to come from in all its unfairness. Who could hope to match the new camera with the old ones.

That wasn't the intention, though. The intention was fun and learning. It has been a nice run and I have accumulated a bunch of nice pieces in the process. Here are some observations:

The early cameras are better than the later ones. The rough metal looking ones with lightmeters and such are pretty clunky. I enjoy the true Leica II and III knock off look the best, but the performance of later ones better. I've been trying to nail down some perfection, but have just about totally failed. I just don't think you are going to get it in a FED or Zorki 1. There might be a possibility in a Fed3 or a Zorki4. I like the viewfinder in the Zorki 4 the best because of its size - much larger. The Fed 3 seems to give me the best results over all. It is smooth and the viewfinder seems fairly accurate, and it can get to the end of a roll of film without feeling like you are cranking over a 39 Ford.

I have three each of the original 1's, Fed 3 and Zorki 4. My striving is for a perfect Zorki 4 but I've failed. They are just too stiff is my main complaint. They turn hard and hurt your fingers. The Fed 3 is much much smoother but the viewinder much smaller. It is a nice compromise, though and might end up being my best Russian camera.

I have a little over a dozen of them now and can honestly say I have yet to get one that is perfect. In fact I rather doubt I have yet to get one that was perfect right out of the box, might not be possible.

 

[Phoenix Phil]

Dave thanks for your observations. I've had serious GAS over the years in wanting to acquire one of these given the potential value that they could provide. I have resisted them (but not other RFs - I've got a Oly 35 SP on its way). I guess I just have to increase my planned budget.

Phil

 

[rbiemer]

Dave,
If you like the look of the FED/Zorki 1 and the VF of the Zorki 4, you might want to try a Zorki 3 or 3m. I find that camera--specifically, I own the 3m--to be the best combination of all the features I want--Slow and fast shutter speeds, a big fairly bright VF, and strap lugs--and they are, in my opinion, the best looking of all the FSU cameras.

A well sorted example is the key, I think.

I have owned two; one I bought knowing it needed serious attention--my intent at the time was to re-paint it black and have it brought back to spec by Oleg Kahyavin. Ultimately, I decided I didn't have the skills or time to do that but I sent it off to Oleg and he did an excellent job and I got a very well working camera for not much money. I passed that one along here at RFF.

I used the other one as my main RF for several years until last summer when it developed some light leaks. That one is now in the Hands of Eddy Smolov here in the US. As well as fixing the light leaks, I've asked him to replace the shutter curtains. I'd never had any issues with them but the camera is 50+ years old and I was starting to be concerned about possible failure of the curtains so the new curtains are a preventative measure. Once the camera is done, it will have cost me about half of what my Bessa R did. And hopefully last longer than I will. As well as I will have a camera I will enjoy using my J-12 lens with. That lens won't fit my Bessa and so I have kept my FED 5 as clunky as it is so I can use the Jupiter.

I absolutely think that if any camera is getting in the way of taking photos, one should find a better choice and not look back.
Rob

 

[blazejs]

It's funny. I went the other way.
I bought a Bessa R and it was a lovely little camera. Worked perfectly, though I didn't keep it too long. I sold it and went back to my Kiev4a.

I had bought Bessa R about half year ago then bought Kiev 4a and Jupiter 3 in Kiev mount about 2 months ago. I use Bessa with FSU lenses (can't afford Leica or Voigtlander yet - except for that these are very rare in Poland and hard to get). Well, I knew there are issues with focusing in Bessa+FSU lens combo. Lately I noticed there are not only problems at close distance but even worse at longer distances (not in focus). Maybe it's a matter of FSU lens, maybe rangefinder require adjustment at infinity. But what's my point? I wanted that Bessa because it's modern, light, built-in frames and lightmeter. But I have ended buying another old camera some months later (Kiev) that now I like even more than Bessa (it's much more quiet, focusing is more accurate and J3 is incredible lens - the only issue is typical gaps between frames problem). In my case old cameras start to be addiction🙂 I have sold all of my autofocus cameras some months ago and I don't regret. I have found I prefer old lenses than modern zooms. Next week I expect delivery of another old camera ;-)

 

[photobizzz]

I have owned several CV RFs myself, 2 Bessa Rs and an R3A and although they are nice for the light meter and built in framelines there is something I like about these old Kievs I have just bought. I have yet to shoot any film through them as I was waiting on a Luna Pro to insure that I know if the shutter speeds are correct when I shoot a roll. Otherwise they will be going in for a CLA. Yea the feel a bit heavy and I am still getting used to the Contax "Grip" but they feel solid in my hand and you just cant beat the price. I found a Jupiter 9 in almost new condition for $85 from a seller here in the states, and picked up a Jupiter 12 from David in Cali for $40 so I have a nice kit for a reasonable price. I just had too much money invested in the M6 TTL, M3, lenses ect that I sold a while back. I felt guilty for spending so much on a camera, when these Kievs will take as good or almost as good a photograph.

 

[wolves3012]

I'll go along with the Zorki 3M as being one of the nicest combinations in the FSUs. As for the Zorki/FED 1, I have one Zorki 1 that's quieter and almost as smooth as my Leica IIIC. Not the same build quality for sure but it does pretty much as good a job. However, it has been totally stripped, cleaned and re-lubed with modern lubricants. That, I think, is the key to any of them working well. They are all quite old cameras and were mostly not serviced, on economic grounds.

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

They say FSU cameras are the gateway cameras. Just try one of those and before you know it you've got a leica sitting on your desk.

Sometimes they can be a pain. Heavy, painful winding sequence, slow loading sequence, light leaks, ect

But we still use them. Besides, wouldn't using a perfect camera all the time get boring? Maybe just me. It's not everyday I'm 100% shooting. I can carry them for fun, and that's alright with me if the camera isn't always on its game.

 

[photobizzz]

I went with a FSU camera this time around (got out of RFs for a bit) for the price and the winding, which I know sounds weird. I tend to shoot too fast, a bad habit I have tried to break that I got from DSLRs. I no longer own a DSLR but the knob wind makes me slow down and I tend to like my shots a lot more when I do.

 

[BillBingham2]

My trip with FSU gear was not as pleasurable. Poured a lot more money into them than I expected, never got them working well. Sold and traded them, spent more money helping the guy I sold one to trying to get it fixed, he too had no luck.

On the very positive side the Kievs led me to my Nikon RF, which is my only RF these days and will be for a long time (trying not to say never, done or those sorts of words).

B2 (;->

 

[David Hughes]

Well, for a practical worker I'd go for the FED 2 any time. Trouble is they are old and will probably need a bit of work on them but build that cost in and you've a decent CRF and the price of the lens for it more than justifies the price of the repairs or overhaul or servicing.

But the FED 1's and the Zorki 1's do look nice... But now we really are talking anything up to 70 years old and several dumb owners.

Regards, David

 

[Kontrapunkt2006]

My first (and still only) FSU camera is a FED 5B - quite huge and ugly, but working fine up to now! I bought it for only 25 EUR (lens included) and just had to adjust the rangefinder. Maybe it helps that those cameras are not as old as many others.
Somehow I find myself a bit strange that I prefer to take the FED instead of my Bessa R2M with me during the last weeks ... but maybe that will change again after some time.

Regards, Eike

 

[wolves3012]

I've said this before but I'll say it again. These cameras are somewhere between old and very old. The exports were subsidised and sold cheaply, the home ones were in a low-income society (ok, I'm making sweeping generalisations but it's still true). Quality wasn't overly hot in manufacture either. End result: an old, unserviced or amateur-serviced piece of mechanics. It's naiive to expect them to work properly without some effort!

Of the 25 or so FSUs I have or have had, only two were working perfectly as-bought. ALL the others required work, ranging from new curtains and full overhaul to a tweak of the RF or re-lube of the lens. I've scrappped two - a FED 5b with holed curtains that wasn't worth the effort to re-curtain and a Zorki 4K that had a defective-from-new RF prism and was bought non-working. All the others are 100% working as-new (or better, with modern lubricants).

Just don't buy them thinking they're a modern-mechanical marvel that doesn't need some TLC.

 

[john341]

For quality my favourite is the Zorki 3S-nice viewfinder, quality feel to it. Later model 4s were a bit rubbishy but I guess for their age, they are doing very well. I had a CLA done on one of my Zorki 1s and it goes very smoothly now..I think it was worth it.