Hello, I'm new here!!!

[silverliner]

Hello everybody,
This forum is really Nice!! I am very new as a rangefinder user. I just acquired a bunch of cheap FSU cameras, they are 2 FEDs (3 and 5), Zorki 4-K, Kiev 4M and 4-A with these lenses, I-61 L/D, J-8, J-12, Helios-103. I still don't have time to test run these beasts. I am not familiar with 35mm stuffs, mostly I took pics in B&W with my Rolleicord and 'Flexes. I do my own developing and printing. It had been a tough work processing and printing 35 mm negatives using those Minolta SLR's, but with 120 format it's much easier.
I'll give myself a try on these lovely Russian metals. Hope I can learn many great ideas from this forum. Thank you all for the information I collected from this site. 😉 😉 😉

 

[simonankor]

Welcome to the forum, silverliner.

Sounds like you're going to have a lot of fun - with that much FSU gear, how could you not? 😀

Enjoy!

 

[jorisbens]

After you've used those fed's zorki's and Kievs, you probably wonna sell a rolleiflex to buy a bessa and some lenses and then sell some rolleiflexes and buy a leica ... I can predict your future filled with GAS 😀

Well I'm just kidding TLR's are very fun to photograph with 😉

Joris Bens 😎

 

[darkkavenger]

Enjoy your cameras and welcome! I'm new here too, even if I've been browsing the site for quite a while. I'm sure you'll love using RF cameras!

I am in love with my soviet RF's as much as my medium format cameras! I'm leaving on a trip this weekend, and so I packed with 4 cameras, 2 RF [Zorki4 and FED3], a TLR [Flexaret VII] and a SLR [Praktica PLC2] ... I guess i'll have a great time!

 

[Richard Black]

Welcome,
Many of use a lot of different equipment. I just got a contact sheet back with some photos taken with a Rolleiflex and am impressed each time. Consider a Fuji 645 for a bigger negative and a rangefinder to boot. Warning, I got started just like you and the closet is full! Have fun!!!

 

[peter_n]

Welcome silverliner, sounds like you have plenty of photographic experience so we will be learning from you too! 🙂 Also welcome to darkkavenger - nice to see the new members!

 

[darkkavenger]

Cheers Peter, it was some time that I was browsing around .. and finally I registered 🙂

 

[silverliner]

Thanks guys. 😉 😉 😉 And to Darkkavenger "Have a great time". One more thing I have not told you is the first FSU RF I have is a Moskva 5, that's the camera that led me to another and another RF from FSU........ 😎

 

[darkkavenger]

Yeah I know the feeling, it's hard to stop ... when i'll be a bit richer i'll get me a Leica, but for now soviet RFs are right perfect for me! Leica must be a good tool 🙂

 

[peter_n]

They are great! But I see you live in Prague - you lucky thing - what a beautiful and photogenic city! So maybe you have some pics from there that you can upload into the gallery? If you can get the hang of how to use the software... 😉 I haven't managed it yet - still confused. 🙁

 

[darkkavenger]

It's a wonderful place, believe me! I'm living in this country for 3 years and have no will to return back in France. My main photo and art gallery is located at http://darkkavenger.deviantart.com and you can access it through the "Gallery" section 🙂

 

[peter_n]

Thanks for the link! I'll look at it later, I'm on a coffee break at work and I have a deadline tonight so I better get on with it! 😀 Have a great time on your weekend trip!

 

[darkkavenger]

Oh okay! It's quieter here at work, and i'm preparing myself for a maintenance + trip about 100km westwards of Prague, in Plzen, city of beer! (and where I've been living for 1.5 year)

I'm bringing alongside with me 2 RFs, 1 SLR and 1 TLR ... for the fun of the moment!
The brand new HP Server will wait monday for configuration 🙂

 

[kiev4a]

Repeat after me:
"I will not buy another Russian camera."
"I will not buy another Russian camera"
"I will not buy another Russian camera........"

 

[JoeFriday]

welcome, silverliner... I'm a recent FSU RF addict, as well.. you're in good company here!

 

[darkkavenger]

Repeat after me:
"I will not buy another Russian camera."
"I will not buy another Russian camera"
"I will not buy another Russian camera........"

I repeat every time I get out of work, and every time I see one exposed in the two photography shops here in the center of Prague, it is very hard to control myself. In fact, the latest addition, a Zorki-6, was bought when I was kind of drunk, after a hard work day with my colleagues from the embassy of Prague and the embassy of Vienna [yep i work for french embassy] and after three strong "special" beers we went on a tour to the shop... and there it was, this Zorki-6, weeping silently with a look that said "buy me please, i'm so lonely"... and so I did ... yep... life is about choices, and I make the "bad" ones!

 

[reagan]

Hello everybody, I just acquired a bunch of cheap FSU cameras...

Man, if I had gotten that much FSU gear at one time, I would have had to take a sabbatical just to play with all those bad boys. :angel: My job is cutting into my RFF time like it is!

Yep, you're definately hanging with the right crowd. I'm still a newbie to FSUs and RFF myself, but I've found that if these guys can't keep you hooked by openly sharing their technical expertise, they get you with their great pics in the Gallery. RFF is a very encouraging forum that I'm sure you'll enjoy for a long time. Welcome, welcome both silverliner and darkkavenger!!

 

[silverliner]

Hi!
I just posted the pic of my Kiev 4A with black J-12 which I bought from Rusfoto. Everything works like usual. I have run many tests including rangefinder check with grond glass and loupe (focus is spot on, alignments are perfect both vertically and horizonally), all shutter speeds fire crisply, all knobs are smooth, flash sync at 1/25 and below, next test will be a test run with film to check possible light leak. I think this seller, Rusfoto on eBay is the most reliable Russian seller I've ever dealt with. The other cameras, A Zorki 4k bought from British seller has shutter problem, a Fed 5S from Ukraine also had shutter problem and the glass is not clean as claimed. I highly recommend rusfoto on eBay.

 

[Richard Black]

I have enjoyed similar service from rusfoto. I purchased J-9 that was so clean a camera junkie traded me a Leica IIIc straight up for it. Oleg gave it a going over and it is smooth, but I miss the J9. I got one of his painted black Mirs and am blown away. Great seller, highly recommend his products!

 

[silverliner]

I have finished the first roll of Fuji 400 and posted some pic here. I like the color rendition of J-8M and the sharpness was great for both J-8M and J-12. Both gave very good shadow details. I can almost see no distortion from both lens!! 😛 😛 😛