Great Ebay FSU seller

[clintock]

I just got a couple of cameras, because 30+ was not enough!
The seller babulya1925 lists things like the old days, where you get a 'raw' fed 2 or whatever for 9.99 plus shipping.. with sane shipping..
I got a Z2c and a fed 2, each for 9.99, he discounted shipping for the two, and unlike many FSU buying experiences, the cameras showed up in three days, not three weeks.
I tried to get a Z3c, but got the beat down:bang:.

Also, takes paypal!

Like all 'raw' fsu cameras, these will need to be cleaned and lubed, but we all know that by now. I call them raw if they seem to be just as they were pulled from the smokey closet in the old country, dried lube and everything. Just like I like 'em..

I'm always happy with FSU purchases if the glass is not scratched, all the parts are there, the screws are not damaged, and the shutters have no holes. Dragging and squeaking shutters I have come to expect, as well as lens focus that is so stiff it tends to unscrew the lens from the body.

I love the smell of naptha in the morning.. smells like- camera repair!

 

[pesphoto]

cool! Thanks for the tip.

 

[dakotah]

I checked the sellers current listings on eBay and I feel that his shipping/handling charges are somewhat high. He's charging $8.00 for DVD's, and the small Russian Rangefinders between $12.00 to as high as $18.00 for standard shipping.

Over charging on shipping & handling is one of my major gripes about doing business on eBay. Also I love these guys who state, "I know nothing about cameras, or this camera in particular, but if you have any questions be sure to ask me". If he knows nothing about cameras, or the camera he's selling, how is he going to answer any of the questions?!!:bang:

 

[Les Lammers]

I checked the sellers current listings on eBay and I feel that his shipping/handling charges are somewhat high. He's charging $8.00 for DVD's, and the small Russian Rangefinders between $12.00 to as high as $18.00 for standard shipping.

Over charging on shipping & handling is one of my major gripes about doing business on eBay. Also I love these guys who state, "I know nothing about cameras, or this camera in particular, but if you have any questions be sure to ask me". If he knows nothing about cameras, or the camera he's selling, how is he going to answer any of the questions?!!:bang:

FYI, shipping has gone up quite a bit. I sent a small package to Australia from Florida and it was $40 airmail. Surface was $24.

 

[clintock]

I agree that the custom of charging more shipping than the post office does is not the best, but most FSU sellers charge more, granted from overseas (relative to US).
The trend began as a way to pay less ebay fees I suppose, and stuck.
In this seller's case, he has brought the cameras to the US, so to be fair he may be considering his efforts to bring the cameras here worth something in the shipping price. I think that's fair.
In my one data point, the auctions I got must have been shipped minutes after the auction closed, as it was three days after that the cameras arrived. From CA to MA in three days is really good.
Some sellers don't learn that one of the best ways to repel bids is to have a jacked-up shipping fee stated.

As to questions about the camera and his emails, I only corresponded to ask about combining shipping and for him to wait until the second auction finished so I could pay all at once. He replied promptly and nicely to that.

There are so many thieves and bunk sellers now on ebay, when I have a good camera-buying experience I feel the need to share.

 

[Trius]

Thanks for the tip, Clint. Once I return to buying cameras, I'll make this seller my first destination.

 

[jmartin]

Hmmm... mind if I disagree ?

I think buying from this fellow requires a very experienced eye. If
you have one that appears to be original and untouched w/respect
to repair, you should consider yourself lucky. Many of his cameras
have been hacked by techs with bad tools and heavy hands, have
parts installed from later model cameras (eg. current 3C has a Zorki-4
pressure plate installed) and clearly come with the wrong lens. In
short, if your warning bird doesn't take wing with this guy, you don't
know enough about Russian cameras. And no matter how you look at it,
a 100% markup (in some cases) over actual shipping is not 'sane'.

Still, if you can get one for $25 or less delivered, you won't lose
too much. And no matter what the hidden defects, if any, the camera
would serve as a good learning tool for repair, especially if you've
got a Dremel.

Caution is advised.


Martin

 

[clintock]

Oh, maybe I shoulda titled the thread "Good single ebay buying experience" instead of my more general title.
My expectations may be lower than some when it comes to FSU items.
Still I got two fsu bods and lenses delivered for 44.98.
Though one of the lenses is the dreaded ugly industar 50..

 

[Trius]

Having just spent some time tearing down a filthy Canonet GIII QL17, my interest in an FSU from this seller would be to get a body and lens on which I could do a CLA without being worried about my "investment". If I get stuck, that's what RFF is for! 😀

 

[vanyagor]

Hmmm... mind if I disagree ?

I think buying from this fellow requires a very experienced eye. If
you have one that appears to be original and untouched w/respect
to repair, you should consider yourself lucky. Many of his cameras
have been hacked by techs with bad tools and heavy hands, have
parts installed from later model cameras (eg. current 3C has a Zorki-4
pressure plate installed) and clearly come with the wrong lens. In
short, if your warning bird doesn't take wing with this guy, you don't
know enough about Russian cameras. And no matter how you look at it,
a 100% markup (in some cases) over actual shipping is not 'sane'.

Still, if you can get one for $25 or less delivered, you won't lose
too much. And no matter what the hidden defects, if any, the camera
would serve as a good learning tool for repair, especially if you've
got a Dremel.

Caution is advised.


Martin

I totally agree with Martin. I'm into feds for just 2 months and into Zorkis even less than that. However I have the same feeling about that sellers items. Couple more things to add:

I definitely get a feeling from his item's description that he avoids mentioning defects, also this item for instance:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEDW:IT&viewitem=&item=270055356221&rd=1&rd=1

looks like a fake to me. (the font and colour of Festvalnyj engraving seems wrong as well as the engraving of the serial number).

For 25$ or even 30$ shipped it is still a reasonable deal though.

Also considering the seller is in US shipping does not look that cheap! I got cheaper shipping from sellers located in Russia or Ukraine.

Anyway as I have learned the hard way buying an old FSU (or probably any used camera on ebay) is a hit and miss game. And it's easier to buy from US if you are located in US.

Btw, I did bid on items of the mentioned seller and have even won 1. But I would suggest to be careful and ask questions about the item you want, the seller does indeed respond quicky!

 

[clintock]

Indeed, it is Ebay after all, which is the new word for 'buyer beware'.
Still, I'm talking raw, unrefined stuff here, the kind of cameras you are fully expecting to have to service, at least clean. I like those- for the repair end of the hobby. I buy fsu stuff as much to work on as I do to shoot with. (note my lack of gallery)
I don't really look for the lens matching the body, and I'd never know it if a 3c pressure plate was on a zorki 4, as long as there was a plate at all- not for such low money anyway, these aint leicas.
If one wants a 'turnkey' model, fedka.com is good..

One of his auctions now shows a fed2 with the back off and the curtain obviously stuck..
At least you can tell the shutter is stuck from the large clear photos.. but not from any text!
Probably just needs ronsonol bath and new oil, as they all do.

Large clear photos, takes ebay, answers email-does not take much to impress me now days, really I've had pretty good luck with most FSU sellers..


I probably should have done a search for 'fsu seller experiences' or something instead of a new thread.

Sometimes I actually seek sellers that put way too high of a shipping charge on, as that tends to repel bids, so often the total winds up being way less than an auction with the actual postage quoted. That does slap some of the risk onto the buyer, as shipping is not ever covered for a return/refund- but we're talking about the price of a good pizza here. It's all a game. If you did have to send it back, at least it would be to the US instead of Whateverstan.

On another note, I'm way suprised at how good the rf and vf of the 2c(s) is!
What an ugly camera, but what a good one too! The finders on that camera are better dirty than the fresly cleaned ones on my Leica IIf are.
I hope some new oil will get the zorki as easy to advance as my Leica is, but i'm not holding my breath. As it is now, I think i'd build a callous on my thumb and index finger if I shot a 36 ex roll all in one day.

As all Fed 2, the finder is a glare fest with all those silly elements in there for the eyesight correction rig, but it should clean right up..

Is the fat, ugly industar 50 any good? It's ugly but it's slow, maybe it's sharp?
Looks more like an enlarger lens than an camera objective.

 

[rbiemer]

Clintock,
Thanks for the heads up about this seller!
The shipping costs are a little bit on the high end but are still not outrageous (in my experience at least).
Good pictures of the items and, as you say, quick response to questions.
I think I want one of the FED3 cameras he/she is selling... I bid on one and if I get it for my bid+the $12 shipping cost, I will be very happy with the deal.
The worst case of a seller abusing the shipping charges I have seen was a charge of $20 to ship to a US address and a $75 charge to ship the same thing to Canadian addresses. That was BS shipping and handling.
Rob

 

[rbiemer]

Cool!
I won the FED3! $24.99 shipped. Just what I needed; another FSU camera🙄 I'm hoping that it is some where in the middle of the FED2 and FED5--more usable than the 2 and less ugly than the 5.
I have been thinking of "hot-rodding" this one a bit. I have thought about a project like this before and haven't acted on the thought. But it will give me something to do this winter while I save my $ for another(much better) camera.
Rob

 

[clintock]

I got a zorki 3c coming my way from the same seller too..
A tad higher in price, but the zorkis go for more than the feds usually..
I like the fed 3- it's easy to open up and clean the finder- that and oiling it are probably all it needs for the next few decades.
I like FSU cameras as travel cameras.. you can leave them on the towel at the beach as you swim, and not only will the towel not blow away, the camera will actually repel thieves- keeping your shoes safe too!
Oh plus they work great.

 

[rbiemer]

Thursday last, the camera was waiting for me at work. Well packed and just about what I expected.
Couple of things about it have me stumped: This has a pc socket for flash--the synch speed is 1/30? And I can't seem to turn the speed dial to the 1/30 speed anyway but I thought the dial turned the same way as my FED5 so I haven't forced it but have tried setting the 1/30 by turning past 1/500 and "B" to 1/30(clockwise).
This is the lever wind version of the FED3 and it winds much smoother than the FED5! The VF is relatively bright and clear, good contrast between the RF patch and the rest of the VF.
The lens that came with it(a "silver" I-26) is not working--the aperture ring has been turned away from its correct orientation and it focuses very hard--but I'm not a big fan of that lens anyway so I am shooting the first roll with a good J-8(which will be the main lens for this camera) and the good news: Infinity is and close seems to be correct also. I'll know better when I get the film back.
I don't think the back is original--there is a number on it as well as the camera body and these #s don't match and there is a 1/4-20 tripod socket. I'd thought the FED3 cameras had the 3/8" socket. But it fits well and locks into place solidly and I didn't have do do surgery on the lovely brown leather case that it came with, I can use the bottom of the FED5 case I already cut the top off of.
So far, I think this is just what I hoped. Less ugly than the FED5 and more usable than the FED2.
Rob

 

[vanyagor]

Rob, that's great that you like it. Personally I see little difference in design of fed 3 and fed 5. (both are rather ugly imho camparing to fed 1 or 2). Unfortunately for me the fed 3 I have is not in a good shape. Cover is lose, some screws missing and B mode not working. My fed 5 is in a very good shape though and I enjoyed shooting with it. However I do not use it much, probably because of it's ugly appearance.

 

[clintock]

The Zorki 3c showed up, and looks good-
as I expected: the J8 is almost too dried up to turn, the rf needs to be cleaned and the leather case could use some oil.
That's all normal easy stuff! The good is the shutter does something at all speeds, and has no holes in it. All the glass is unmarked, and all the screws are there.
Got a fed cap instead of zorki, but came with a fine yellow filter! Oh a plastic instead of brass take-up spool, but it works..
On my never-ending list of things I hope to do is a bunch of pictures etc of the mild teardown for the CLA to get a FSU in this typical found condition ready to use. mmm naptha

 

[rbiemer]

Rob, that's great that you like it. Personally I see little difference in design of fed 3 and fed 5. (both are rather ugly imho camparing to fed 1 or 2).

Ivan,
I agree these are both "appearance challenged" 😀 but the 5 does the job and the 3 seems to be working (except for the 1/30 speed) fairly well. I much prefer my Zorki 3m for looks but the FED3 has a minimalist appeal for me that I enjoy.

On my never-ending list of things I hope to do is a bunch of pictures etc of the mild teardown for the CLA to get a FSU in this typical found condition ready to use. mmm naptha

That would be much appreciated!
I mentioned "hot-rodding" the FED3 a little and think I'm going to start with transplanting the fixed take-up spool from a FED5 into this camera.
Rob