dee
Well-known
hmmmm .. I wonder if the Soviets could ever guess that the Kiev would find such an enthusiastic following in it's twilight years of Komparitive freedom !
dee
dee
payasam
a.k.a. Mukul Dube
Wonder if Leitz anticipated the continued popularity of their screw models even after the introduction of the M3. Might just be that the things work too well for too long.
dee
Well-known
A Leica II fits in the pocket .. nuff said ?
dee
dee
ErnestoJL
Well-known
I´m sure that none of the designers of the original prewar Contax, as well as those who designed the pre and post war LTMs for Leitz would ever imagine that their designs would last for that long, specially after the introduction of digital image acquisition technologies which were suposed to make a clean sweep with all film based equipment.
The survival of those "old" cameras demonstrate clearly that the original designs were really good, up to the point of being preferred over newer incarnations from same makers.
Cheers
Ernesto
The survival of those "old" cameras demonstrate clearly that the original designs were really good, up to the point of being preferred over newer incarnations from same makers.
Cheers
Ernesto
dee
Well-known
.. so excellent that I am commited [ some say I should be ] to buying a pair of all black Kiev 2 and Kiev 3 simplified to the essentials ...
hopefully to last me until ...
.. and I have an M 8 , and don't want an M 7 !
dee
hopefully to last me until ...
.. and I have an M 8 , and don't want an M 7 !
dee
QUAsit
Established
dee
Well-known
Hmmm - I'm not so certain about that QUAsit - I guess we in the west [ worst ?] are fascinated by a country which , until recently , was completely closed to us .. but I think that Russian cameras provide an inexpensive opportunity to enjoy classic cameras and rangefinders unobtainable from any where else .
For me , later Kievs allow me to personalise without the guilt of messing up a rare Contax .
dee
For me , later Kievs allow me to personalise without the guilt of messing up a rare Contax .
dee
dll927
Well-known
Kults (spelled thus or otherwise) have a way of growing. Maybe if we hold on to our prized FSU possessions long enough, they will be rare enough to be worth something!!
As for love of the Soviet Union, let's now make that Russia. Although their philosophy of government may not mesh well with ours, they do have some things worth visiting. I dare say one could spend some worthwhile time at the Hermitage, for instance. And good old St. Basil's has had its share of cameras aimed at it.
As for love of the Soviet Union, let's now make that Russia. Although their philosophy of government may not mesh well with ours, they do have some things worth visiting. I dare say one could spend some worthwhile time at the Hermitage, for instance. And good old St. Basil's has had its share of cameras aimed at it.
Dave Wilkinson
Veteran
Olsen
Well-known
I did a lot of business in St.Petersburg right after 'the fall of the curtain'. I can assure you that the Russians were soon to pick up that there was some sort of LOMO craze going on in the West. From 1994 to 95 the street price had tripled.
I even visited the LOMO establishment. Parts of it is top secret since they make submarine periscopes, IR sights for fighter jets etc. I saw some parts of their production with middle aged women dressed all in white putting together electronics that was impossible to recognize. Not cameras.
The street sellers could offer just everything. Like a complete preasure suit for high altitude flying with MIG 25 - or a more or less complete Messerschmidt 109 wreakage. - A German I ate breakfast with was busy trying to get such a wreak out of Russia. I hardly think he was successful, however.
Of cameras I was offered some remarkable good Leica copies. I never bought any, which I regret, because they are really 'original' and well made with Luftwaffe emblems and all. I boutht a lot of binoculars, though. Surely, more than 20, of which I sold most of to friends back home. Some I have kept. Like a very good 'military' Swarowsky copy.
Another group of remarkable products you could buy in Russia back then, for a song, were copies of classical paintings made by the museum's curators that maintain the huge collection (the world's largest?) classical paintings stocked up at all the museums and castles around Russia. Now this copying business has become an vulgar industry of laughingly bad copies, sad to say. While you have to pay a fortune for a Rembrant - than nobody can see isn't a copy. - If you can find one.
I even visited the LOMO establishment. Parts of it is top secret since they make submarine periscopes, IR sights for fighter jets etc. I saw some parts of their production with middle aged women dressed all in white putting together electronics that was impossible to recognize. Not cameras.
The street sellers could offer just everything. Like a complete preasure suit for high altitude flying with MIG 25 - or a more or less complete Messerschmidt 109 wreakage. - A German I ate breakfast with was busy trying to get such a wreak out of Russia. I hardly think he was successful, however.
Of cameras I was offered some remarkable good Leica copies. I never bought any, which I regret, because they are really 'original' and well made with Luftwaffe emblems and all. I boutht a lot of binoculars, though. Surely, more than 20, of which I sold most of to friends back home. Some I have kept. Like a very good 'military' Swarowsky copy.
Another group of remarkable products you could buy in Russia back then, for a song, were copies of classical paintings made by the museum's curators that maintain the huge collection (the world's largest?) classical paintings stocked up at all the museums and castles around Russia. Now this copying business has become an vulgar industry of laughingly bad copies, sad to say. While you have to pay a fortune for a Rembrant - than nobody can see isn't a copy. - If you can find one.
NickTrop
Veteran
Another thing the FSU did very well - better than cameras imo (no known issues with QC), is mechanical wristwatches. Favorite watch, a serviced 1960's nice 17 jewel black dial Poljot w/ date. $40-ish, shipped? Wearing it right now, a beauty. Warning - this is another form of GAS. Be very careful.
mhv
Registered User
I was thinking the same thing when I read that article from the Globe and Mail the other day:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv...353589&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true
Apparently, Westerners are not the only one who are interested by the FSU. The article is for paying subscribers only, but in substance, it says that many people who lived through the Soviet Union are keeping their memories alive in all sorts of creative ways.
It's not so much about "the good ol' days." In fact, many of the people interviewed in the article said they would never go back. It's more about how memories form a part of your identity: to let them go is to lose yourself, the sense of who you are.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv...353589&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true
Apparently, Westerners are not the only one who are interested by the FSU. The article is for paying subscribers only, but in substance, it says that many people who lived through the Soviet Union are keeping their memories alive in all sorts of creative ways.
It's not so much about "the good ol' days." In fact, many of the people interviewed in the article said they would never go back. It's more about how memories form a part of your identity: to let them go is to lose yourself, the sense of who you are.
btgc
Veteran
Come on, guys, and be real...with all my respect to russian people (and I know some of them), I don't see why in Russia they'd produce cameras. I'm not speaking about technical aspect, though.
About 10-15 years ago they wanted to build modern compact class hatchback. Prototypes were sketched like Korean vehicles of same class. In 2004 it were released.
Recently I saw one with reg.plate of Russia on street (so they came to visit relatives or just for excursion) and Holy Shaft - Lada Kalina looks exactly like Korean car from 1990. After a quick search I can add that there are many fan clubs in Russia and ex-USSR countries, so people are driving it.
One of world's most largest countries is building cars, best from which are BMW's assembled by Russians in Kaliningrad. Here's another point - years ago I've read germans claiming that russians assemble beemers better that it's done in Germany. Because there were (are?) working educated engineers and skillful workers who simply by their design can't mess up work. Because they understand how it works and value engineering. Here comes another conclusion - russians, they itself "can", but country, system - it's something different, and this explains why best russian car is BMW. And this russian mysticism, called also russian soul, "avosj" or whatever, is what attracts westerners who by nature are rationalizing beings. This is same as westerners are intrigued in Orient - and intrigue here is even deeper, because logical westerners want explain Russia logically and they can't. Sometimes, I guess, even russians can't. And here starts all fun.
About 10-15 years ago they wanted to build modern compact class hatchback. Prototypes were sketched like Korean vehicles of same class. In 2004 it were released.
Recently I saw one with reg.plate of Russia on street (so they came to visit relatives or just for excursion) and Holy Shaft - Lada Kalina looks exactly like Korean car from 1990. After a quick search I can add that there are many fan clubs in Russia and ex-USSR countries, so people are driving it.
One of world's most largest countries is building cars, best from which are BMW's assembled by Russians in Kaliningrad. Here's another point - years ago I've read germans claiming that russians assemble beemers better that it's done in Germany. Because there were (are?) working educated engineers and skillful workers who simply by their design can't mess up work. Because they understand how it works and value engineering. Here comes another conclusion - russians, they itself "can", but country, system - it's something different, and this explains why best russian car is BMW. And this russian mysticism, called also russian soul, "avosj" or whatever, is what attracts westerners who by nature are rationalizing beings. This is same as westerners are intrigued in Orient - and intrigue here is even deeper, because logical westerners want explain Russia logically and they can't. Sometimes, I guess, even russians can't. And here starts all fun.
Last edited:
Olsen
Well-known
To run a car industry as efficient as the Germans and the Japanese demands more than a flock of unemployed skilled workers. Like clusters of suppliers, consultants, designers, money etc. There lives only 145 million people in Russia. Just to utilize their huge volume of natural resources, from timber & oil to minerals & energy demands a huge labor force. To do any large scale fabrication, with exception of weapons has little meaning and can't be a national strategy in Russia.
Russia still has hefty 'export tax' on just anything from crude oil and cars. It is this export tariff that makes all Russian manufactured goods very little competetive in the overseas. While the difference in domestic and foreign - say - crude oil price can make you a billionaire over night.
giovatony
Well-known
Not so much Cult as el cheapo.
A lot less interest would be shown in these FSU`s if they were the same cost as a similar Leica of the era.
Lets be honest. The main reason FSU`s are somewhat popular is they are cheap to purchase.
John
A lot less interest would be shown in these FSU`s if they were the same cost as a similar Leica of the era.
Lets be honest. The main reason FSU`s are somewhat popular is they are cheap to purchase.
John
nzeeman
Well-known
i think dee is slowly becoming new ruben...
Valkir1987
Well-known
I really love the fine mechanical and optical instruments made by the FSU, but unfortunaltely their pianos I have seen for so far are not so good. I've had a Chaika/Czerny piano for years, before I became a piano technician and tuner.
Can't find any more info on Russian piano's unfortunately. But because they have a tradition of very good music and a range of famous composers, I still believe they did made good pianos somehow or somewhere.
Can't find any more info on Russian piano's unfortunately. But because they have a tradition of very good music and a range of famous composers, I still believe they did made good pianos somehow or somewhere.
dee
Well-known
Of course it's because they are ..inexpensive .. add a CLA , and I can't call it cheap ... especially Kiev 2 now .
But my Leica IIIc and Leica II are lovely .. as is my M8 [ I should b....y well think so ! ]
But a Kiev is superb in it's own right - a classic design at a sensible cost - and not as old as a genuine Contax .
.. and I would not mess about with a Contax or Leica ... but I have those wartime Leica pretenders too - and I love ' em to bits .
The entire scene offers something unique in camera history , evolution [ The Zenit 1 from a Leica II design ! ] and just playtime !
dee
But my Leica IIIc and Leica II are lovely .. as is my M8 [ I should b....y well think so ! ]
But a Kiev is superb in it's own right - a classic design at a sensible cost - and not as old as a genuine Contax .
.. and I would not mess about with a Contax or Leica ... but I have those wartime Leica pretenders too - and I love ' em to bits .
The entire scene offers something unique in camera history , evolution [ The Zenit 1 from a Leica II design ! ] and just playtime !
dee