Kiev versus Zorki versus Fed

[satbunny]

Anyone have a view as to the pros and cons of the different 35mm FSU cameras?

 

[Skinny McGee]

I have a Zorki 1 that I bought before I bought my Leica's.. It is a fun little camera to shoot with.. It doesn't have the glide of the Leica but it also doesn't have the price tag.. There fore If it is a odd situation that I think my camra might get damaged I will carry either my Zorki or my GSN..

The Indstar lens that came on the Zorki is a great little lens color coated and nice and sharp..

 

[varjag]

I had an opportunity to compare late Kiev-4A and early Kiev-4 with Fed-2 (e) and early Zorki-4. The Kievs have the best build quality, Zorki-4 the worst. Z-4 is also a bit clumsy and the least convenient in operation of them all. FED-2 had smooth and quiet shutter (surpassed only by the early model Kiev) and fit well in my hands. Both FED and Zorki feel less 'dense' than the Kievs. Z4 has the biggest and the brightest finder, although lacks clearly defined frame lines. Z-4 and FED-2 have dioptre correction for the finders, while with Kievs you'd have to use eyepiece correction lenses.

The 1950s Soviet photography book I have describes Kiev as "high precision instrument for most demanding tasks" while refraining from such comments to other (Soviet) cameras of the time. Here, we pretty much in agreement with the book 🙂

Other practical issues is that the choice of LTM lenses is far wider than of Contax mount lenses. OTOH there's less so-so glass floating around for Kiev/Contax, and these FSU lenses command slightly lesser prices than their LTM versions due to lesser demand. The Jupiters for LTM often tend to be rougher and cheaper built; there was a world of difference between 1960s silver LTM J-8 and those on Kievs.

 

[kiev4a]

It has been my experience that the FEDs tend to be the most reliable out of the box (although I like the Zorkis better). The Kievs are tougher to repair and the quality tended to drop off toward the end. And you have to like the viewfinder system which is a little different. Light leaks seem to be thye bane of the Kievs.

 

[Kin Lau]

Well, 2 of the major FSU experts here on this site just weighed in (varjag & kiev4a). So all I have to add, are my user impressions.

The early Zorki's & Feds are most like the LTM Leicas. As a shooter tho, I like the Z4K with the bright VF and lever winder.

The Kiev's were Contax copies, with the wide RF base. That means slower focusing but very accurate. So while you can focus a 85/2 or 135/4 easily, framing it accurately might be a different issue since there's no parallax correction. Still I like my Kievs.... very solid and pleasant to use.

 

[CZeni]

It has been my experience that the FEDs tend to be the most reliable out of the box (although I like the Zorkis better). The Kievs are tougher to repair and the quality tended to drop off toward the end. And you have to like the viewfinder system which is a little different. Light leaks seem to be thye bane of the Kievs.

Yep on the light leaks...my 1955 Kiev 2 leaks in a couple of places... 🙁

 

[kiev4a]

Yep on the light leaks...my 1955 Kiev 2 leaks in a couple of places... 🙁

I have two Kiev 4As and one leaks. A friend of mine who is really into old Contax and Kievs has been fighting the problem on one camera for month.

On the other hand, I don't think Kievs ever suffer from uneven shutter curtain speeds that leave part of the photo darker than the rest. The shutter design keepts the speed consistant -- not the case with FEDs and Zorkies. The Kievs use the prewar Contax shutter design that eliminates this problem. I understand the postward Contaxes were redesigned somewhat and could have the problem.

 

[varjag]

I had leaks on my 4A too; it is certainly a thing to consider, unless you buy an already CLAd sample or a known good user. One should be aware though that getting a vintage camera is always a gamble regardless of the camera type; 2/3rds of FSU LTMs I've seen had some sort of rangefinder misalignment (less common on Kievs for technical reasons), Kievs can have shutter ribbons broken, etc etc.

If I was set to buy LTM, I'd hunt for a good Zorki-3M: IMHO it has great balance of "modern" features and classic Barnack look.

 

[Solinar]

The Kievs may leak light, but in my book they are still the creme de la creme of the Soviet rangefinders. The 90mm RF base is a confidence booster when using the Jupiter 9. Plus, it looks to me that the Jupiter lenses were essentially designed as Contax mounts, while their LTM siblings are adaptations. The Zeiss Ikon designed shutter box is quieter than a cloth focal plane shutter. The downside with the Kiev is it is a complex beast.

I have a FED 2, Zorki 3 and a 3M. I trust the FED 2 the most. It has low tech reliability and has the widest RF base of the three.

LTM wise the Zorki 3M is sweet. Mine has had its shutter curtains replaced and a CLA. The Zorki viewfinder is large and bright. My Zorki 3 was purchased while my 3M was in the shop and contary to most reports, it has been reliable. Now, if these two had the 63mm range finder base of the FED 2, I could reliably use a Jupiter 9 at f/2 or 2.8.

 

[hugivza]

I have a Zorki 1 QUOTE]

I too have a Zorki 1 which I picked from my arsenal for my current business trip - it is small, the Industar is sharp, and with the J-12, which I have used exclusively this trip, it is brilliant. I have other FSU cameras, and there is probably not much difference between the Zorki, Fed (I like the viewfinder adjustment on the Fed 2), and the Kiev: it's a matter of personal choice. I picked the Zorki 1 for this trip because of its size, it is a miniature!