Iskra rangefinder patch issue

[arozenfeld]

Hello everyone!
First post here 🙂
Yesterday I received an Iskra-2 camera, which was serviced.
The camera seems to be in a very good condition overall, but I noticed that the rangefinder patch is non-uniform. In other words, if you align images to focus in the center of the patch, they are not aligned in the sides of the patch and viceversa, as if it was a distance gradient so to speak.
I contacted the seller and he said this is normal for this camera and other old rangefinders, that the glass became bent over time and that that he calibrated it for the center of the patch. This makes it very hard to use for my purpose, which is portraits at close distances and wide apertures, in which a -/+ 5cm margin of error (if you don't use a hair thin range in the very center of the patch), is not usable.
What is your opinion and experience with it? Should I really take it as normal and acceptable for this camera?
Thank you!

Adolfo Rozenfeld
Buenos Aires - Argentina

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Adolfo, welcome to RFF! No matter how obscure your question, someone here always has an answer.
Regarding the Iskra: Mine does exactly the same thing, and I don't believe it's a question of age or wear. I purchased mine from fedka.com, in virtually unused condition, and it was CLA'd by his tech in Ukraine prior to shipping. I suspect that what you're seeing is normal, and I suggest you do as I do; focus with the center of the patch, with your eye dead center of the finder. I've shot portraits wide open with mine, and had the focus spot on and perfect.
And congratulations on the new Iskra! Being an FSU camera, it gets snickers and condescension from many shooters. However, I will put its Tessar (Industar) up against any folder in terms of sharpness, and the camera itself is quite sophisticated in comparison to many of its contemporaries. You may read of frame spacing issues, but these are not a function of poor quality control. The backing papers of films made concurrently with the Iskra were thinner, and today' thicker papers will throw the spacing off. A good tech (such as the one who serviced mine) can correct this.
Good luck with your shooting; I love my Iskra, and I hope you enjoy yours as well.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

I just checked mine, and it does that “a little bit”, though I had to sight straight on to a flat wall with vertical lines on it in order to see it. In the years I’ve had the camera, I’ve never noticed it. I guess I always use the center of the spot to focus anyway. Never been an issue, though I never expected it to work within tight tolerances to start with.
As small as the rangefinder spot is, even if the subject was at minimum focus distance, I can’t see how this would ever be an issue in practice even if it did mean a tiny bit of focus and recompose.
Maybe try it before giving up on it? You might be surprised.
Stellar lens.

 

[arozenfeld]

Adolfo, welcome to RFF! No matter how obscure your question, someone here always has an answer.
Regarding the Iskra: Mine does exactly the same thing, and I don't believe it's a question of age or wear. I purchased mine from fedka.com, in virtually unused condition, and it was CLA'd by his tech in Ukraine prior to shipping. I suspect that what you're seeing is normal, and I suggest you do as I do; focus with the center of the patch, with your eye dead center of the finder. I've shot portraits wide open with mine, and had the focus spot on and perfect.
And congratulations on the new Iskra! Being an FSU camera, it gets snickers and condescension from many shooters. However, I will put its Tessar (Industar) up against any folder in terms of sharpness, and the camera itself is quite sophisticated in comparison to many of its contemporaries. You may read of frame spacing issues, but these are not a function of poor quality control. The backing papers of films made concurrently with the Iskra were thinner, and today' thicker papers will throw the spacing off. A good tech (such as the one who serviced mine) can correct this.
Good luck with your shooting; I love my Iskra, and I hope you enjoy yours as well.

Thank you so much. This helps a lot, seriously. I will try to use the center. I am surprised because on one hand I read a ton of reviews and they never mention this, but rather mention the quite large viewfider, etc. On the other, I do have several 35mm old rangefinnders, including Zorki 4K (similar rangefinder, I understand), and they are consistent inside the patch.
Of course I will try using the center. Thanks again!

 

[arozenfeld]

I just checked mine, and it does that “a little bit”, though I had to sight straight on to a flat wall with vertical lines on it in order to see it. In the years I’ve had the camera, I’ve never noticed it. I guess I always use the center of the spot to focus anyway. Never been an issue, though I never expected it to work within tight tolerances to start with.
As small as the rangefinder spot is, even if the subject was at minimum focus distance, I can’t see how this would ever be an issue in practice even if it did mean a tiny bit of focus and recompose.
Maybe try it before giving up on it? You might be surprised.
Stellar lens.

Thank you so much, Larry. It's helpful to see is common. In mine it isn't just a little bit - if I try to focus only a bit away from the center, focus can be 2 or 3 centimeters off. For portraits, it makes focusing anywhere but on the absolute dead center a guarantee of misfocused pictures. I imagine it's not an issue if shooting scenery at f/11 from 10 or 15 meters away, more critical if focusing on somebody's s eyes at f/3.5 from 1,5 meters 🙂
Of course I won't give up on it! I absolutely love it in everything else. Looking forward to see the first negative!