Looking for a budget 35mm RF

[Orthogonal]

either a Made in USSR zorki 4/4K, Zorki 6, or a fed 5b. I know these have low quality but decent lenses, and are interchangeable lens cameras which is a bonus to me.

My experience with soviet era cameras is that their biggest problem is less to do with being poorly made and more to do with the organic lubricants they used back then seizing up/drying out. In my Feds/Zorki, soviet RF lenses and East German Werra cameras, the lubricant often turned into a brownish sticky waxlike gunk. Once given a really proper CLA they can perform very nicely but IMO they're rarely worth that time commitment, also take any ebay listed FSU camera that claims to have received a CLA with a very big grain of salt.

Like the others say the Canon P/7 are a pretty amazing and probably your best choices at that budget. I'm also big fan of 70's leaf shutter RF cameras in general (like the Canon QL17 or the Olympus RD/RC) but I feel they're pretty difficult to find in really good working condition and often have (or develop) issues with their shutters. When I bought my QL17 GIII I dug through more than 15 "working" copies to get a good one - most had slow/sticky shutters or problems at slower shutter speeds, again I think mostly because of aging lubricant.

For that reason I think the Canon LTM bodies would be the surest bet.

 

[rfaspen]

The Bessa R is a solid recommendation. I have one and it's lovely with LTM lenses. Better than with a Barnack Leica, but oddly I tend to take those out more often. If I were serious about making lots of quality images, the Bessa R is the better choice. I also have some of the Canon bodies mentioned here. Also great fun. The Canon 7 is a fine camera.....I have 3.... but I like many of the other bodies a little more, just for their quirks and great quality. I don't have a P, but a few of the Barnack clones. Such as the IVSB. Fun with all of these!
So. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Bessa or Canon recommendations. Genuine Leica bodies are nice too.... and not so expensive. I got a couple of nice IIIf bodies for about $150 each not so long ago. Yes they do want a CLA but they work OK for now.

 

[GLL]

Lot's of great suggestions in this thread, but i'll add one - the Yashica Electro 35. They're fixed lens, but it's an excellent 40mm 1.7 that's arguably better than the FSU lenses you'd probably start with for a LTM camera body. They shoot aperture priority (which is more than you can say for any of the high-end rangefinders except the Ikon ZM and the M7). Exposure comp can be handled easily with the ISO dial.

They can be had very cheaply, and seem to sell fairly easily so if you use it for a few months and want to upgrade then you can sell for what you bought it for.

 

[jstanger]

Thank you folks for all the input, and sorry for the late reply, I’ve had sudden urgent matters to attend to. I will be looking closer into the models suggested, and will be making my decision in the next day or two. As for fixed lens cameras, my I am probably going to get one in addition to a interchange lens camera, as they seem to pop up frequently and cheaply locally to me.
Overall, I am leaning to getting a Russian camera Sure, they are cheap for a reason, but I can experiment with different models and lenses for a fraction of the price. If I don’t like it, I can sell it.
But I am still in the decision making process, so if anybody has some more input, feel free to put it in, I will post an update, when I make my decision, but that wont be for a bit, and I will work better to reply to the posts, as I have time to do so now.

 

[Andrea Taurisano]

If you go for a Russian camera, even if they assure you that all the mechanics work fine, check the viewfidner / rangefinder patch. Do it yourself if possible. All those I've had were so dim that it just killed all the joy of using them, even though I like their optics better than Leica's. That's why I ended up shooting Leicas with Russian optics on..

 

[David Hughes]

My experience with soviet era cameras is that their biggest problem is less to do with being poorly made and more to do with the organic lubricants they used back then seizing up/drying out. In my Feds/Zorki, soviet RF lenses and East German Werra cameras, the lubricant often turned into a brownish sticky waxlike gunk. Once given a really proper CLA they can perform very nicely but IMO they're rarely worth that time commitment, also take any ebay listed FSU camera that claims to have received a CLA with a very big grain of salt...

I couldn't agree more but it happens with other makes of camera as well; because of the Cold War the USSR continued to use old fashioned lubricants. There was an embargo on selling hi tech (for the time) stuff to the USSR; so blame the people behind the Cold War not the victims who were our allies when it came to beating the Nazi Govt.

FWIW, I have bought one or two almost unused Leicas and the pre-war lubricants were in just as bad a state and one had rust inside because they'd hardly been used. When the part was replaced and the gunge scrapped off and replaced with modern stuff the camera was excellent.

The moral is that if you treat a FED or Zorki like a Leica or Contax they behave like them. It's one of those silly political arguments that's used to stop you; the half full/half empty logic. In this case it's "maintaining your investment" by spending more money versus "throwing good money after bad" by spending more money...


Regards, David

 

[David Hughes]

If you go for a Russian camera, even if they assure you that all the mechanics work fine, check the viewfidner / rangefinder patch. Do it yourself if possible. All those I've had were so dim that it just killed all the joy of using them, even though I like their optics better than Leica's. That's why I ended up shooting Leicas with Russian optics on..

Rip-off artists sell other makes as well and even have impressive websites. Ask who serviced it and for a copy of the invoice. That usually works. 100% feedback on ebay is another good clue...



Regards, David

 

[nzeeman]

i also recommend canon p - i love russian ones but if you need 35mm lens you will need external viewfinder... so if u want russian drug is only that has them.. but why searching for obscure russian camera when you can easily find canon p so easy and cheap..

 

[jstanger]

Rip-off artists sell other makes as well and even have impressive websites. Ask who serviced it and for a copy of the invoice. That usually works. 100% feedback on ebay is another good clue...

I am always wary of claims like that on Evilbay, and if I buy something from there, I will make sure it has good feedback, and a return policy. I’ve known people that have been burned on eBay, and have been burned by buyers on eBay, it’s all in looking into the seller.