FSU Contest eyeopener

[tkluck]

Looked through the FSU contest gallery. Like some, love some, unmoved by some, and somewhat bewildered by some. Typical gallery viewing expedition.
Then came the light! Supressed an urge to run naked through the streets shouting Eureka...

These cameras work. They take good pictures. Tighten that loose nut behind the viewfinder and they can take some very very nice photographs indeed!

I may not be cured of GAS, but I may be healing from Contax/Leica/zillion $ camera envy. I've been suffering ever sence I realized that I could afford a high class range finder camera if I decided I realy wanted one. (just put off some other foolish purchase and volia...)
Everything a Leica could do for me personaly my Kiev can already do. Like my target pistol, it'll shoot better than I can aim.

(and I can get that "Fine German Craftsmanship" thing out of my system by playing around with my Minox...)

 

[reagan]

Agreed, tkluck. Upside = they work and they're cheap. Downside = they work and they're cheap (therefore, you can't just own one 😉 )

 

[w3rk5]

So true Reagan. 🙂

 

[Michael I.]

The problem that they break down ocasionaly.thats why i buy mine after a cla at Oleg

 

[Creagerj]

I agree, I am very impressed with my keiv 4a. The J8 takes great pictures and so far I have not had any major issues. However if I were a profesional I wouldn't even consider using an FSU body. I would want some dependable german craftmanship.

 

[nzeeman]

Looked through the FSU contest gallery. Like some, love some, unmoved by some, and somewhat bewildered by some. Typical gallery viewing expedition.
Then came the light! Supressed an urge to run naked through the streets shouting Eureka...

These cameras work. They take good pictures. Tighten that loose nut behind the viewfinder and they can take some very very nice photographs indeed!

I may not be cured of GAS, but I may be healing from Contax/Leica/zillion $ camera envy. I've been suffering ever sence I realized that I could afford a high class range finder camera if I decided I realy wanted one. (just put off some other foolish purchase and volia...)
Everything a Leica could do for me personaly my Kiev can already do. Like my target pistol, it'll shoot better than I can aim.

(and I can get that "Fine German Craftsmanship" thing out of my system by playing around with my Minox...)

that was one of reasons i suggested fsu contest. i just wanted all of us to show that you dont need a lot of money to make great photos and that photography is not so expensive as many people think.

 

[ZorkiKat]

I agree, I am very impressed with my keiv 4a. The J8 takes great pictures and so far I have not had any major issues. However if I were a profesional I wouldn't even consider using an FSU body. I would want some dependable german craftmanship.

Some FSU cameras are more prone to break down than others. In my experience, it's the Kiev which I've not have much luck with....Kiev in almost all formats 😀 The only one which has given me least problems is the submini Kiev 30. Perhaps it's because there's so little in it to break or perhaps it's because I've not used it that much.

I've used Kiev in most of its formats: Kiev 88 are very delicate. Kiev 60 are more durable but the film advance have given me problems. Gone through many of these Kiev MF already. The Kiev 19 SLR is really lousy.

The Kiev RF- what I fear most about them is having the shutter straps break at the least opportune moments. And this has happened. 🙁 Three of my 8 Kiev
RF have broken their straps. I'm now down to only three which have no problems.

On the other hand, the older Zorki and FED (I'm a Zorki-1/FED-1 freak 😀) are mostly at par with equivalent Leicas. With reasonable care in use, they can remain on spec and shoot as well. My FED and Zorki shoot as well as my Leica IIIs.

Many of the Zenit are reliable too. I can vouch with my Zenit 11, TTL, and E models. They have in several instances saved the day when batteries died down on the "main camera" or in applications where I had to shoot in situations where risking a more expensive camera is not a feasible option.

And yes, I've shot "professionally" (shoots ya' get paid for) with dependable Zenit, Zorki, and FED....😀

Jay

 

[rover]

Here is the FSU contest gallery. Really great stuff in there, I agree.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=6069&page=1

 

[Michael I.]

The problem that they break down ocasionaly.thats why i buy mine after a cla at Oleg

on the other hand soviet war reporters used early feds(handpicked from a bunch) to great success in warzone ranging from extreme winter to steppes and swamps and forest.

note to me:
speaking to oneself is schizophrenic

 

[Valkir1987]

I started taking pictures with my grandfathers Zenit E, thats where the fun started and it was a very good camera for a beginner. Everything is brought back to the basics so you can think and do everything yourself. After a while I started buying several second hand cameras at flee markets and the internet, and most Russian cameras only need some cleaning and oiling to let them work again. If not, I take Maizenberg's book and find out how to repair it. I'm not quite a good photographer but the image quality of the lenses are very good. Serious creativity and fun is worth more than a too expensive camera you are afraid to use. (Like Leicas ending up in a glass showcase)

 

[Xmas]

tkLuck

After you rebuild a Kiev (Contax) they tend to be reliable, I've only has a screw come lose so far, my fault for not using nail varnish. Many of them have been neglected, over many Russian winters, some of mine are rust buckets, I've only removed the mould/fungus.

The optics were (considered to be) better than Leitz pre WWII, and used by the press until Nikon eat Zeiss's lunch, for cost/performance, even then the Zeiss were still better in comparitive tests.

My Ru glass samples seem 'bubbly', and have needed mechanical adjustement, and black paint, but dont seem to be worse for performance then my early '70s Leitz glass.

Only on distorsion (of J12s) have I noticed problems, my (pristine) Lux has a flare signature all its own contra jour, which the j12 (cleaning marks galore) don't seem to have, I do have to use 400 ASA rather then 100 but I can live with that. The winder is slow, the shutter kicks slightly more and the feel is different, but all these things are marginal.

e.g. Lancelot Vining (Fleet Sreet hack) used a Contax II with f2, throughout WWII and after, he complained when he photographed HMS Exeter's battle damage winter of '39, after she had taken on a Ge pocket battleship - 2nd battle of Falklands, the shutter froze from the cold and he had a blank film, but that was about his worst problem.

Noel

 

[tkluck]

I agree, I am very impressed with my keiv 4a. The J8 takes great pictures and so far I have not had any major issues. However if I were a profesional I wouldn't even consider using an FSU body. I would want some dependable german craftmanship.

If I were a professional I doubt that I would use any RF camera as a primary bread winner. (but I would sure as hell use the job as an excuse to own a realy dandy one!)