FSU rangefinder recommendation

Bobar57

Bobar57

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Hello,
I have been reading the thread on selecting FSU rangefinder cameras,but still I'm undecided.I'm a bit inclined for the Kiev5,but not sure.
Which of the brands and models will you recommend as less prone to mechanical problems-I know that is a "Russian roulette",no pun intended-but there3 must be some opinions from users and collectors.Also looking for a good lens that can deliver contrasty B&W photos-I know too that this almost impossible,someone mentioned these lenses give the "traditional" look in B&W photo-and with a lightmeter(it might work or not,who knows!)
Also,and pardon so many question for a newbie:Any good reliable source to buy them from?
My dream is to buy a Bessa R3A w/ a Nokton 40 f/ 1.4,but that will require more than a year of saving from my part.
Thanks in advance,

Robert
 
Get a Canon Model P off our classifieds and be much happier. They're sturdy, troublefree, lots of lenses are/ were made for them (including FSU) and getting cheaper by the day. You'll also have to get a lightmeter too, but would also w/ a FSU body. A good source for FSU lenses is Fedka in NYC.
 
When Fedka has any, the Zorki 6 will probably live up to your expectations. A Jupiter 8 or Industar 61 will be a good companion as a lens. When you definitely want a Bessa, the Canon will live up more to your expectations but will slow down the 'saving money project' for your Bessa'

Good luck!
 
FED 2 is a very sturdy little RF camera that can be had for $100 or so from Fedka. Equipped with a Industar-61 lens it's a good choice for B&W. Buying from Fedka saves you from additional CLA costs too which is a big plus.
 
I have a Kiev 4AM as well and like it. However, you will probably want a FED or Zorki, and Fedka always gets good reviews.
 
Hi Robert,
I believe that you should specifically want to experience the ownership and use of FSU rangefinders. They have a way of working that has appealed to many and offer unrivalled opportunities to learn how they work as you seek advice and attempt to tinker with them.

I like them myself, but if you see FSU rfs as a reliable route to RF photography, then you will have to spend a little more getting them prepared and even then put up with some of their peculiarities.

I would recommend them, even better as a second camera. If it's pure photography you want, then maybe a good fixed lens (Canon, Konica, Yashica to name a few) would give you a more reliable start.

Dave..
 
I had the same dilemma a few months back, and ended up with a Canon P body. Absolutely delighted, but watch for the rangefinder register for FSU lenses on Leica register cameras... my Industar and Leica glass lines up at different distance markings... important in some circumstances, but stop down and the results'll be fine.

You can shim the lenses but it's a bit complicated.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92050

Good luck with your choice!
 
Hello Robert, I own some FSU cameras and my favorite is Kiev 5. The viewfinder is great and is parallax corrected. IMHO it's the finest among FSU rangefinders. Best, Jean
 
Well, I dunno... At first glance this seems a straight-forward question and the answers have been equally straight-forward and so I wonder if I dare throw my tuppence worth in.

I'll assume that the questioner has decided on a FSU range-finder for the obvious reasons and is not interested in others. The problem with them (FSU's CRF's) as I see it is that they are second-hand and - like any second-hand item - you should expect problems. I speak as the owner of several lowly FSU cameras and an exalted range of Leicas: all of which I like and use.

Buy either second-hand and you should expect problems: a lot of the FSU problems can be traced back to articles on the www saying how easy they are to repair using just the tyre changing tools from your car or bicycle. That doesn't mean you won't find one now and then that's in mint condition and with an asking price of a tenner but there's not many about.

There's another point; very few enthusiasts buy just a camera and a lens. Many think they are, but end up buying an outfit; meaning several lenses, lens hoods, lens caps, filters, a meter and a tripod etc.

So looking ahead we ought to be thinking of (say) a Jupiter range of lenses like the 35, 50 and 90mm ones. All classic designs and available fairly cheaply. The best body to match that would be the FED 2 with its wide RF base and removable back. Plus it offers flash synch and the FSU universal turret finder or the Japanese made Albada ones fit it and work well.

The only accessories needed are the tripod etc (meaning a cable release and 3/8” to 1/4” adapter), flash (thousands around that will work with it for pennies these days) and a decent meter. Built in meters are a bit so-so, in my opinion, compared to (say) an old Weston with the incident light fitting. And there's thousands of old Westons around and experts who can check and repair them for you. Plus they are the one accessory that will work with one hand with anything photographic.

As for contrasty or soft B&W, that's more to do with external factors like the film, setting up the shot, exposing and the subsequent film processing and enlarging. In other words nothing that could be summarised in a sentence or two. More to the point it's a matter of experience based on what you want the picture for; obviously a few 5” x 7” prints can be turned out using almost any camera made in the last 30 or 40 years and beyond (he added thinking of his fully serviced Leica Standard with the Elmar... ). But I guess you wouldn't be asking the question here if you didn't want to go down the FSU route.

Anyway, it's just my 2d worth.

Regards, David
 
Had a Fed 2 arrive today. First thing I checked was the shutter. The rear curtain had 3 pinholes all next to each other.
Sigh.

I find my Kiev 4a just about indestructible…especially the metal shutters.
 
the best recommendation for fsu cameras would be: skip the fsu stage 🙂)
sorry!
Click to expand...
I believe that is the sad truth.If I want to save for the Bessa R3A&Nokton 40/1.4 MC,I should skip this phase that will probably will cost me more than just a camera and a lens,I will likely collect more lenses or cameras.And that will delay my goal.
But if I did it will be a Kiev 4a.

Robert
 
If you get a Kiev, you´ll have to scrap your lenses when you get a Bessa, unless of course you get a Bessa R2C (Contax mount), which limits your options somewhat. Getting one of the other FSU´s would be better as the LTM lenses will be of use on any of the regular Bessa´s. Meaning you can choose whichever finder magnification you prefer, AE-auto or manual etc.
 
I will likely collect more lenses or cameras.And that will delay my goal.
Click to expand...

Well they used to say 'beware of the man with only one rifle'.

As a collector I use many camera's, but I cannot really stuck to one. It's indeed better to get used to one specific set of gear to get the max out of it. 🙂
 
Pherdinand said:
the best recommendation for fsu cameras would be: skip the fsu stage 🙂)
sorry!
Click to expand...

It's difficult to follow this; I can't think of a single make of camera that I haven't had trouble with and some of the bills have been dreadful. Worse still, a lot of them were very young compared with the FSU mainstays. You don't expect a 10 year old camera to be completely dead and then find that no repairer will touch it.

At least with (say) a FED 1 or 2 you know you have an elderly camera that's repairable for a reasonable amount: if it needs a repair. And by reasonable I mean Oleg's prices which are very straight forward. I had a 1950 Zorki 1 completely overhauled and two new blinds fitted for US $48 recently. The result is a camera that's a joy to use and that will probably still be soldiering on in another 60 years time.

OTOH, my wife had a very young (7 or 8 years old) P&S (with a very famous name on the front) repaired. The power switch had failed and just needed to be cleaned or repaired or replaced. It cost about US £60 to do and we had a lot of trouble with it a few months later, due to a screw coming loose and being lost. Such fun...

Trouble is, a lot of people expect FSU's to be as new, at rock bottom prices and don't understand that a lot can happen to a camera in 50, 60 or 70years. And when they are disappointed they put something on the forum and people believe that all FSU's are like it.

The same applies to Leicas, I've a IIIc that cost a fortune but which is probably going to double or treble in price to get repaired. And I've had Leica lenses that were beyond repair but looked OK and it cost me a lot to find that they were well past the point of repair. The are all a bit of a lottery but FSU's are cheap and repairable cheaply if you are unlucky.

The other problem is that people sell the duds and it starts all over again. For all we know the same few duds could have had three or four owners by now and three or four posts about them...

Regards, David
 
I would suggest placing a Want to Buy ad in the classified; they are free.

You want one that is being used, and on RFF you are likely to find people using them. Usually, that means the camera has been serviced. It is usually less expensive to buy a recently serviced camera, used to take pictures, than "ebay luck" and paying for the service later.

Put a price range in the ad. What you might find: RFF members that went overboard buying cameras, and now looking to place some into good homes.

For example: I sold one of my Zorki 3M's, that had been recently serviced by Oleg.
 
I like FSU's because they just seem so much more ... accessible (not a very good word for it) than other cameras.

If I had a Leica, and it had a problem, I would send it to a repairman and lose hundreds of dollars over a small issue. The same applies for a Bessa (perhaps to a lesser degree though). However, if it is a Zorki, or some other FSU, I have no qualms about completely stripping it down, and slowly building it back up to a completely functional, as new, state. For very little money I can have a perfectly functional camera that will give the same quality pictures (if I use the screw mount CVs or old Leica glass) that a camera that would set me back hundreds (thousands?) of dollars would give. Repairing a camera also gives a kind of satisfaction that a brand new camera will not give.
 
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"Whatever works". Literally. A camera that works is more important than which model you buy. This means buying from a reputable source and/or budgeting quite a bit for repairs.

With that in mind, the early Leica-style Feds are pretty and the Zorkii 4K is probably the closest to a working modern camera.

Cheers,

R.
 
I agree with Roger as to the "whatever works" principle and as to the merits of the Zorkii 4K, but consider also the Zorki 6.

It has certain handling advantages over most FSU cameras, viz a long base rangefinder without irritating focus wheel and lock like the Contax-style Kievs, a hinged back for easy loading, and the speed can be set at any time (i.e. regardless of whether the shutter has been wound) without risk of damaging the mechanism.

On the other hand its range of speeds is limited (1/30 to 1/500).

Regards,
D.
 
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