info on rangefinders

[gabrielelopez]

Hi to everyone, I'm kind of new to this wonderful forum..I've read it for a while with a lot of interest, tough..

This thing about the russian rangefinders is one of the things that most temptes me...I'll buy one (or more) before or later, I currently use a Contax G, used M6 and Bessa in the past, the G is surely my favourite, but the Fed would be surely another different thing for me..

I just wonder, taken in confusion from all that we can read around, which are the models that require to not changing the shutter speed until the shutter is cocked?

After all, I think that this kind of limitations are the ONLY limit to order a model somewhere, can some of you please give me some info on some troubless russian rf...the fed 2 is what temptes me most, for his size in particular..

Thank you all and we'll hear soon again..

 

[jdos2]

I've never seen a FSU camera that didn't have the recommendation of cocking the shutter before setting the speed, but I do it to my Moskva V as it's a Compur copy and feels less stressful to do it.

I used to do it on my Kievs, until I read Henry's rational for not, and I do pay attention to him.

Otherwise, on my Kiev 88 (sorry, rangefinder sticklers, of which here seem to be NONE, thank the Maker!) I am more careful than with the FED, as it was actually a bit expensive.

With FSU cameras, always cock the shutter, then change speeds.

 

[sockeyed]

If you want 'troubless', a Fed 2 is a good bet since it has no slow speeds to go wrong. Its wide rangefinder base is great for focusing, although as with all FSU rangefinders, the viewfinder is generally small and dim. Zorki 4/4k's are also a nice bet.

 

[kiev4a]

I would say ALWAYS cock the shutter on FSU gear. That's easier than trying to figure out which ones need it a which ones don't. The shutter on my Zorki 2 allegedly can be set at any time but I've never taken the chance.

 

[doubs43]

I've never seen a FSU camera that didn't have the recommendation of cocking the shutter before setting the speed. Otherwise, on my Kiev 88 (sorry, rangefinder sticklers, of which here seem to be NONE, thank the Maker!) I am more careful than with the FED, as it was actually a bit expensive. With FSU cameras, always cock the shutter, then change speeds.

I've just purchased a Kiev-88CM from Kiev Camera. I was able to personally visit Michael Fourman in Atlanta and examine the camera that I bought. Michael made a point of instructing me to ALWAYS cok the shutter before changing speeds. This point is also mentioned on the Kievaholics Club web site and the Kiev Report site.

If you're a user of FSU cameras, it's a good habit to develope and use consistently whether the camera you're using requires it or not. This is one area where erring on the side of caution is advised.

Walker

 

[dll927]

This raises a question I'm curious about - was the "wind before changing" routine also true of the old screw-mount Leicas? I've read a time or two that it was true of any 35mm camera on which the shutter speed dial rotates during exposure. If not true of Leicas, why were the Russians so tempted??

I have also seen supposedly reliable people say that the procedure is NOT necessary with Kievs. Maybe it's just something to get into the habit of to avoid problems.

Which, in turn, raises another question: How does one know that some Russian peon always observed that rule with a FED or Zorki that one buys 40 years after the fact????

 

[einolu]

I have also heard that it doesnt matter which order you do it for kievs but what does matter is which direction you rotate the speed selector to activate the slow shutter speeds (am I right?). The one I had was already broken by the time I got it so I really dont have too much experiance with the camera except to say that I loved the way it felt (luckly I didnt pay for it).

 

[phototone]

Screw mount shutter speed changing.

Screw mount shutter speed changing.

Whether you should or should not change the shutter speed on a screw thread Leica before winding the shutter, is kind of a moot point, as the shutter-speed selector knob rotates during exposure, and does not come to rest on the shutter speed you have selected, therefore you HAVE to wind the film/shutter for the shutter speed knob to actually reset itself to the start position indicating the shutter speed the camera has been set for.

All of the Russian/Ukrainian screw thread cameras that are "clones" so to speak of the Leica II have the same phenomenon. When you fire the shutter off, the knob rotates and comes to a stop nowhere near the position it started in, therefore until you wind on/recock the shutter there is no TRUE shutter speed indicated. Even though it might be physically possible to lift and rotate the knob to a different position before recocking the shutter, there is NO WAY to know what shutter speed you are setting, unless the shutter is recocked first.

As mentioned in a previous post, the Kiev/Contax type cameras do not have a shutter speed dial that rotates during exposure, therefore the true indicated shutter speed is always discernable.

 

[kiev4a]

Phototone summed it up nicely.

 

[Kin Lau]

I have also heard that it doesnt matter which order you do it for kievs but what does matter is which direction you rotate the speed selector to activate the slow shutter speeds (am I right?). The one I had was already broken by the time I got it so I really dont have too much experiance with the camera except to say that I loved the way it felt (luckly I didnt pay for it).

What's wrong with the Kiev... I could use another one.

 

[einolu]

Not sure what went wrong with the keiv. In the middle of the first roll that I shot with it the shutter just stopped firing. I would wind it, press the button and nothing would happened. I developed what I got out of that film and most of the shots actually seemed fine. I later thought it would be fun to see whats inside the camera so I started taking it apart, this turned into an embarrassing mess. The only good thing is that I now have a Helios 103 in perfect condition. The camera is kind of in pieces, but if you want it for scraps contact me at:

einolu
at
gmail

 

[kiev4a]

Some folks dive int the innards of Kievs. They are braver men than I am, Gunga Din. The Contax-Kiev shutter is much more complicated than the FED-Zorki-Leica shutter. Unless you really want to get involved the best idea is to get a Kiev from a dealer with a good reputation and if it doesn't work, get another one. I will say that, in general, 40-year-old Kievs are more likely to work properly than FEDs and Zorkis of the same age.

Buying old Russian cameras tends to be a crapshoot until you've done it for awhile and developed some idea of which dealers are reliable.