If you had to keep only one FSU rangefinder

My 1994 purchased 1972 Kiev 4 with the Zeiss Opton 50mm/f1.5 Sonnar lens.
I like using it and it is a great performer.
 
Metered Kiev. It's heaviest and therefore makes a better paperweight.

As a user? Zorkii 4K, for much the same reasons given in the post below.

But it's a fairly pointless question. Why would anyone be forced to keep an FSU RF as their only camera? I've been given better cameras, and I've given better cameras away. As a bit of fun, yes, why not any of them? As an only camera, why any of them?

Cheers,

R.
 
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Well i have only tried a FED-3 FED-5 FED-2 and Zorki-4K and out of those it would be the Zorki-4K. it's very much 'like' a Leica M in the hand (in the loosest possible sense) and has a nice big RF even though the patch is a little questionable. it feels great with a Jupiter-12 and that would be my keeper lens if i had to choose only 1 because it produces lovely images.

the Zorki is far off perfect and i constantly feel like there are a number of things that will break on it if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction but then i don't think any FSUs can really be accused of reliability.
 
p.giannakis said:
... which one would it be?
What are the reasons that would make you decide to keep it?
Click to expand...

When I trimmed my collection to only frequently used cameras I made this very choice.
I nearly chose a Zorki 4 and Jupiter 8, but in the end I kept my Kiev 4a and Helios 103, mostly for sentimental reasons.
 
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"If you had to keep only one FSU rangefinder"

The OP asked with reference to keeping only one FSU rangefinder.

If the question were "If you could only keep one rangefinder", I would keep my Shintaro painted Nikon SP. Purely for non-logical reasons, like it came out the year I was born.

But for the original question, I'll stick with the Zorki 3M with the '56 Jupiter-3 on it. It's older than I am.
 
I have only one: FED-2d. I like the diopter. I like the rangefinder and viewfinder, believe it or not; it fits my right eye very well. The ergonomics of the thing fit my hands well, too, which helps moderate tremors.
But it does not have strap lugs; ergo, I would like to have a FED-2b or some such with the lugs. My I-61 and I-50 would be suitable on either; I like those lenses very much ...
 
Back to the topic. 3 years ago, an old friend of mine gave me Leica R4 with Summicron 50/2. I shot few rolls and my wife told me "Kiev makes better photos, or you make better photos with Kiev", so i gave it back (i gave him a word that i would not sell it to make profit). Answer is Kiev!!! It is my only 35mm camera which i use.
I have Zorkis and Feds, but they are not in the same league with Kiev.
 
i suggest that for the sake of the original poster (who, i'm sure, didn't intend for this to happen in response to his post) and the thread it's self that everyone simply move on and only make comment from this point on if it is in connection with the original post and anything else be taken elsewhere.
 
I was hoping a FED 2d in good condition would be a cheap alternative to having an IIIc serviced.

Unfortunately, my J12 doesn't mount on one (ie doesn't screw in at all) and on a parts body, screws in but doesn't fit the rangefinder arm (it looks like it is too low).

After the IIIc, the FED 2 also feels a little large and loud, though I could probably adapt. The lens problems have been a big turnoff though honestly unless I can sort out making it fit. Maybe a Zorki 1/Fed 1 would have been a better option for me.
 
Tegla said:
Back to the topic. 3 years ago, an old friend of mine gave me Leica R4 with Summicron 50/2. I shot few rolls and my wife told me "Kiev makes better photos, or you make better photos with Kiev", so i gave it back (i gave him a word that i would not sell it to make profit). Answer is Kiev!!! It is my only 35mm camera which i use.
I have Zorkis and Feds, but they are not in the same league with Kiev.
Click to expand...

A fascinating story, the more so as Zorkiis and Feds and Kievs normally share the same lenses. It is quite an argument for the view that image quality depends more on your liking a camera than on its theoretical test-bed quality.

Personally, I find Kievs delightful when I press the shutter release -- that lovely, slow, inefficient 'clop!' at the lower mid-range speeds -- and OK to wind on, but I'm not keen on the fantastically complicated focusing movement (I prefer to disable the infinity lock) and I really dislike changing lenses. The Zorkii 4K is a vastly rougher camera in every way, including the 'knife through ballbearings' lever wind, but I find it easier to use.

Cheers,

R.
 
I would keep a Kiev 4a that I sold to someone (which I totally regret, because it was the only one that worked perfectly)

The only problem with FSU's is that you have to buy so many before finding one that works well. They are fun, though.
OP- you never said which one you would keep (I'm not sure if you have one or not) but it is a neat little discussion topic (or at least it was before the Joke So Feeble It Is On Life Support - sorry, didn't mean to type that out loud! -Steady, Jokester - no need to have the last word here!)

I also like the fact that the 4a doesn't have that ugly meter thing - so much better looking than the 4 or the 3.
 
I have a Zorki 4k I think with a nice red/brown colour leatherette. This sits as an ornament on a shelf. As a user they are just too much hassle and for the same money or less some of the nice old 1970's Japanese rangefinders are far more pleasurable. The lenses work nicely on my E-p1 though.
 
Roger Hicks said:
A fascinating story, the more so as Zorkiis and Feds and Kievs normally share the same lenses. It is quite an argument for the view that image quality depends more on your liking a camera than on its theoretical test-bed quality.
Click to expand...

In my family for decades there was only one model of photo camera - Kiev RF. My parents and grandparents were happy with overall cost/quality. So i gave up on Leica R4 because i'm not used to take photos with MF SLR. Also the cost of the lenses for Leica R. I have full Kiev/Contax system collected over the decades.
Maybe Kiev, Zorki and Fed share same lenses, but on Kiev i can, and a do mount Zeiss Jena and Zeiss Opton lenses. And that is a different story. I just don't like Zorki and Fed because of their small and dim RF patch, and that is most important in every RF camera. One year ago a friend of mine bought Bessa R3A. It has worse RF patch than on Kiev, and that is unacceptable on modern RF camera.
From 35mm cameras i make small prints, sometimes 8x10 on selected photos. With that size of prints every 35mm camera with descent lens will give me excellent result. It is about with what camera i'm most comfortable to take photos.

Cheers
 
NathanJD said:
i suggest that for the sake of the original poster (who, i'm sure, didn't intend for this to happen in response to his post) and the thread it's self that everyone simply move on and only make comment from this point on if it is in connection with the original post and anything else be taken elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Worth reading the above again before posting a reply folks:bang::bang::rolleyes:
Yep, thats a sarcastic roll eyes.

Between Kiev4, Fed4, Zorki4,
Metered Keiv 4, the meter still works, i am fully comfortable with ergonomics, best patch, controls feel more `precise'. Jupiter is Ok but i would like to try out a couple of others.
regards
CW
 
My KievII has given me no trouble in the time I've owned it so it would get the nod!

I don't like the viewfinder all that much but the rest of it is brilliant ... and it's also the only body I own that I can use my J-3 on.
 
Has anyone had a fully working Leningrad? Spring drive, Leica mount, Kiev-type build quality (Kiev at its best, that is). In my limited experience (owned 2, handled a third) the sprocketless film transport leads to overlapped frames at the beginning; the very widely spaced frames at the end are disconcerting, but not really a problem. At least with B+W, though automatic slide-cutters (not widely used in the Soviet Union in 1956, when it entered production) would be a nightmare. I particularly like the finder: full-frame for 35mm, then permanent engraved lines for 50-85-135.

I sold my first one because I was warned (by my Polish emigré camera repairer) that the cast-zinc chassis was prone to fatigue and fracture, and because of the spacing problem. My other one (long story) is in Moscow. For a thorough and amusing analysis of the Leningrad, see http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/Leningrad.html.

Cheers,

R.
 
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