Fsu Camera Bug! I Have It!!!

[eleskin]

I must admit I am becoming fascinated with FSU cameras. Recently I bought a Zorki 4 and was impressed by the use of heavy cast metal and the industrial personality of the camera. Now, I ust bought a Kiev 4 made in 1980. I shoot with other gear (Leica M8, Medium Format of all types, etc,,) but there is something neat about this Soviet equipment, not to mention the good prices.

What fascinates me is that under the right conditions (High quality film, light, etc,,) these cameras are known to produce great photographs. I would love to put a slow speed film in and come out with a 16"x20" and display it in front of people who use only Nikon, Canon, etc,,, and shock them.

I teach darkroom classes and frequently I have younger students that are on limited budgets. For them (older people too) , these cameras seem a great way to experience quality rangefinder photography without breaking the budget!

I guess there is a cold war aspect to this as well. The Idea of those in the West being shocked at what a Soviet camera can really do!

 

[Mauro]

Your comment on FSU cameras is really interesting, I agree with you in full!
I own several FSU cameras + lenses, and I am enjoying them quite a lot.

 

[ZorkiKat]

....

What fascinates me is that under the right conditions (High quality film, light, etc,,) these cameras are known to produce great photographs. I would love to put a slow speed film in and come out with a 16"x20" and display it in front of people who use only Nikon, Canon, etc,,, and shock them.

I teach darkroom classes and frequently I have younger students that are on limited budgets. For them (older people too) , these cameras seem a great way to experience quality rangefinder photography without breaking the budget!

I guess there is a cold war aspect to this as well. The Idea of those in the West being shocked at what a Soviet camera can really do!

The well-made ones are capable of producing high quality photos which will rival anything that Nikon, Canon, or even Contax or Leica can do.

They can be addictive too. After using them and realising that they can do as well as the more expensive cameras can, you might soon find yourself leaving the expensive gear at home and using the FSU cameras in just about any situation where you'd need to be more care-free and not be burdened with concerns about expensive cameras being damaged, devalued or stolen.

During the cold war, amateurs in America were snapping with unsophisticated plastic Instamatic cameras with fixed focus meniscus lenses running on a single shutter speed, amateurs on the other side had the likes of the Smena. It was plastic, but had a real anastigmat lens and allowed adjustments for focus, aperture and shutter speeds. The Instamatic 126 probably yielded colour snapshots on wallet or album prints. The Smena on the other had made negatives with the potential of getting enlarged to a much greater size.

 

[konicaman]

FSUs are very much like driving a Citroën - you either get totally addicted, or you simply hate it.

Regards
konicaman (happy owner of a 10 year old Xantia and a handful of much older FSUs)

 

[payasam]

FSU equipment is now to be had chiefly from sellers in Russia and Ukraine; and my recent experience has been that they are not too particular about the condition of what they sell.

 

[Steve M.]

You'll be sorrrry! I know, they're beautiful cameras, but stick to the lenses. No one could tell me anything though, now I own 3 Fed 2's w/ bad shutters/ light leaks. If you get a good one they're fine, but it's like, excuse the pun, playing Russian roulette. There's a reason they're 25 bucks.

 

[40oz]

"on limited budgets."

The thing is, a Leica "on a limited budget" will need fixing. That's why they were priced cheap. Imagine the work in front of you if you bought an M3 for $25 off ebay.

I have three working Kievs. Several more clean lenses. I paid "too much" according to many on this forum, but mine all work fine. Seems to me I paid the right price (all at least $100 with clean J-8 and case). My selenium meter is accurate on the 3a, can't tell me those folks couldn't make a decent camera.

Buy from Fedka or another reputable dealer. Fedka is really nice if you live in the US because shipping in the case of issues is a non-issue - it's a matter of days for shipping rather than potentially months from a Russian seller. Yes, it costs more than you can find them for on ebay. But if the end goal is a working user body, why cheap out? It's still cheaper than a Leica or used Bessa. As many can attest, the bad taste of disappointment lasts far longer than the pain of saving up money.

I use my Kievs as my main camera. I have other bodies but I like to use the Kiev. Not everyone likes the Contax grip, but I've grown to like the fine focus control. And the images from the lenses are really what I like. It's not obvious to the casual viewer, but lenses are not all the same. There is something about the way Kiev-branded Zeiss designs draws the image that I cannot deny.

 

[colyn]

You'll be sorrrry! I know, they're beautiful cameras, but stick to the lenses. No one could tell me anything though, now I own 3 Fed 2's w/ bad shutters/ light leaks. If you get a good one they're fine, but it's like, excuse the pun, playing Russian roulette. There's a reason they're 25 bucks.

I've seen many Leicas in the same condition..

 

[ZorkiKat]

You'll be sorrrry! I know, they're beautiful cameras, but stick to the lenses. No one could tell me anything though, now I own 3 Fed 2's w/ bad shutters/ light leaks. If you get a good one they're fine, but it's like, excuse the pun, playing Russian roulette. There's a reason they're 25 bucks.

I've seen a Nikon S2 which had 7 "B" settings (all speeds from 1 to 1/30 s acted like B), and an RF way off.

Several Canons whose shutters have melted, fused and soldified. More than what I have seen for a typical FED which comes in the mail.

A Canon P's shutter looks solid because its metal. But the hidden parts are still silk cloth. And they break just like those found in any Zorki. They also cap, go off specs, and hang at slow speeds.

Canon 7 which don't just leak light, but expose the entire roll during the rewind. Shutters don't cap properly and that's inherent to its design.

Yashica GSN with dead 'pads' and ultra hazy finders. These are just 35-40 years old, compared to 60 year old Zorki with still brilliant finders.

The last three Leica I got had crumbled shutters, hazy mirrors, and broken vulcanite. There are three Leicas sent to me, waiting for shutter and beam splitter replacements. One Leica's shutter has cloth with so many holes that it looks like a sieve.

Shutter cloths, whether on a Nikon or Canon or Leica, get holes and need to be patched like those in a Zorki.

What seems to be main reason for the faults given here? Being Russian? or Ukrainian? No. They're just old. A neglected and badly serviced Nikon S2 or Canon 7 is going to be worse than a FED-2 in the same state. Why? Because Nikons and Canons and Leicas cost more than a sad FED.

A properly serviced FED or Zorki will behave as good as any of the more expensive cameras. I know because I have lots of them. None has failed yet after getting the proper servicing.

 

[selloutboy]

I'm just a student but I wanted an interchangeable lens RF. Can't really afford a Leica M so I just risked it with a FED 5V.

Only problem I got with it is the curtain has pinholes which I was able remedy easily.

It's a bit heavy (The camera weighs a lot) but for the cheap price and awesome lens (I-61) I must say it truly does not break the budget 🙂

 

[payasam]

Good attitude, selloutboy. I hope you can soon afford other lenses and a finder.

 

[ZorkiKat]

I'm just a student but I wanted an interchangable lens RF. Can't really afford a Leica M so I just risked it with a FED 5V.

Only problem I got with it is the curtain has pinholes which I was able remedy easily.

It's a bit heavy but for the cheap price and awesome lens (I-61) I must say it truly does not break the budget 🙂

AG, great to hear that our kamera sessions have amounted to something! 😛
The Industar 50mm on your FED suffices most of the time; don't be messed up with thoughts of unnecessary accessories. You don't have to get them unless you really need them. 🙄

 

[Proteus617]

The best camera is the one with you and loaded. I have a few moderately valuable cameras that tend to stay at home. There is always a Fed or Argus loaded and ready in a dunking donuts bag on the floorboards of my truck.

 

[selloutboy]

Good attitude, selloutboy. I hope you can soon afford other lenses and a finder.

Why thank you for that good luck!

Although for now I'd rather concentrate my limited resources to build my own developing kit and purchase a decent scanner so I could shoot more and hone my skills further.

For the mean time, I'll make do with what I have and I think what I have is great 😀

 

[payasam]

Clearly I was misled by your words: "...an interchang[e]able lens RF."

 

[rbiemer]

I am a fan of the FSU cameras and the value for $ I get from them is very high.
"Russian Roulette"... well, maybe. But because of where I live, there is no place for me to go to to buy any film camera so I buy all of my cameras, lenses, etc on line. It is a gamble for every camera, every lens, and all the assorted stuff that goes with them.
I minimize my risk by being fairly choosy about who I do business with but there have been some cameras that if I'd been able to handle in person for a minute or two I would not have bought; the Canon P comes to mind. I got a pretty good example of one and I really wanted to like that camera but the VF just didn't suit me and my particular eyeglasses. About two minutes with one in a store and I'd have passed.
By now, I have a reasonable sense of what to expect and what to hope for from any "new" FSU camera and by sticking with the same few sellers I have done business with before, my risk of getting a lovely paper weight/doorstop is very low.
Do your research, have a good idea of what you are buying, and decide first who you want to do business with.
Oh, I think of the FSU bug as akin to malaria; virulent at first then seemingly gone for long periods of time only to suddenly flare up.
Rob

 

[fidget]

.................
Oh, I think of the FSU bug as akin to malaria; virulent at first then seemingly gone for long periods of time only to suddenly flare up.
Rob

Oh no!
Although I don't use my FSU cams for anything other than "fun" photography, when I get them out of their box/shelf for a play, I do get the idea that I would like one of the models missing from my line-up. Must be treated carefully to avoid a flare up.
My last bout of FSU GAS caught a nice but dinted (and not quite working right) Zorki 5(b).

 

[Armoured]

Although I enjoy my FSU cameras and they give good results, for students looking for a good, cheap film camera, almost any 80s SLR may be a better choice. I picked up a Nikon FE2 recently for a hundred bucks.

If they just want to try rangefinder photography, most of the 70s fixed lens rangefinders are cheap and (in my experience) more reliable. You can find them in lots of places for ridiculous prices. (I mean low, although I see them sell sometimes for absurdly high prices too).

For a completely different experience, there are some good TLR medium formats out there, and not too expensive.

But if you want the interchangeable lenses in a rangefinder, of course, the options are more limited, and like I said, I'm not disagreeing - I have three or four FSUs myself (functioning mostly perfectly).