How sharp is your Moskva?

[Mike Kovacs]

Ground glass isn't so accurate - I suggest you double check with this method:

http://elekm.net/zeiss/repair/collimate/

I use my Nikon FM2N with a 200/4 - focus target is a glass microscope slide, a piece of tape with a scalpal scribed "X" facing the lens side. You can also try drawing off the glass, but using the tape helps account for a little bowing of the film in the gate.

 

[x-ray]

Thanks very much. this should be easy to do.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=5045

 

[desmo]

"How sharp is your Moskva?"

I picked mine up by its edge yesterday instead of it's strap: it cut me to the bone and I bled like a stuck pig.

;-)

 

[optikhit]

I have two Moskva 5. I once owned a Moskva 2 for only 2 days. I took one roll but I failed to see any clear picture in it because the front glass plate was fixed to the infinity. I can move the focusing wheel but the lens can not move. I don't know if X-ray has the same problem?

😀 Glad to see your problem has been solved.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Like what lushd said, folding cameras are not the happiest machines around when it comes to pin sharpness. Their construction prevents realisation of absolute flatnesss and this becomes obvious when shooting close or with large apertures or both. Old snapshots from years ago shot with folders always showed a peculiar 'focused/defocused' look which wasn't or hardly found in shots by other types of cameras.

Such shouldn't be considered a defect. I like to look at it as a sort of creative, charming effect. My Moskwa-5 focuses quite well, but it has one defect which isn't focusing in nature. Its viewfinder suffers from a serious parallax defect. The actual field captured on film shows about 1/3 more to the left and 1/3 less on the right than what is seen in the viewfinder. This happens at the 6x9 format and even at the masked 6x6 frame. Heard this defect from at least 2 other Moskwa users.

Jay

 

[Mike Kovacs]

The focus wheel mechanism is held by friction. When the grease on the lens helical or the gears in the rangefinder mech get sticky, the wheel can freely turn. In fact, a small slip can knock the rangefinder out of alignment.

Your camera simply needs a rudimentary service.

BTW, it shares the same design with the Super Ikonta.

I have two Moskva 5. I once owned a Moskva 2 for only 2 days. I took one roll but I failed to see any clear picture in it because the front glass plate was fixed to the infinity. I can move the focusing wheel but the lens can not move. I don't know if X-ray has the same problem?

😀 Glad to see your problem has been solved.

 

[pangkievrange]

I have two Moskva 5. I once owned a Moskva 2 for only 2 days. I took one roll but I failed to see any clear picture in it because the front glass plate was fixed to the infinity. I can move the focusing wheel but the lens can not move. I don't know if X-ray has the same problem?

😀 Glad to see your problem has been solved.

After you have it fixed, you should rotate the lens cell instead of the focusing wheel for the focusing purpose.

pangkievrange

 

[pshinkaw]

I've been very happy with the sharpness of my Moskva-5.

-Paul

 

[MartinJ]

I had two Moskwa-folders, a Moskwa-2 and a Moskwa-5. Both were very beautiful and looked like new, no play in the mechanism, clear lenses, the rangefinder showed logical values etc. Unfortunately, both were only a little bit sharper than pinhole-cameras, even from a tripod normally used with LF-gear and with several tests with slightly varied focus.

They were just plain bad, a 2x enlargment was acceptable, but noting more. I sold both and got a 1949 Rolleiflex Automat instead, this one delivers razor sharp pictures.

Martin

 

[x-ray]

I guess adjusting the fron cells solved the problem. Looking through a high quality loupe shows some fairly sharp neg. They're not like my hasselblad but they're darn good. My negs before adjusting would have made OK contacts but not a 5x7. Now I feel I could get very good 12x20 inch prints out of them. Very pleased with the results.

Thanks all!

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=5045