New FSU member and user...

[avidmaster]

Hi all,

New to the forum in general and fascinated with the history and use of the various FSU rangefinders. In a fairly short amount of time, I managed to obtain a few models and have been fortunate to have positive experiences with purchases from the Ukraine. I have been involved with still and motion picture photography for all my life attending RIT in the early 80's. I wanted to post one of the first photos that I made with my FED 3 Olympic with an Industar 61 lens. The other photo of the FED 3 was made with a Yashica Minister-D. Both Tri-X 400 speed developed traditonally with D-76 1 -1 .

Thanks for looking and I hope to be a very active presence on this forum.

Mike Kaplan

FED_3_meters by Michael Kaplan, on Flickr

minister_D_FED_3 by Michael Kaplan, on Flickr

 

[farlymac]

Nice camera, Mike. I got one earlier this year, and am happy with it. The lens though is another matter, a post-Soviet I-61 L/D. My J-8 runs rings around it. I do have a proper year model J-61 L/D that was made closer to the year the camera was made, and came on a different camera, so I'll have to do a comparison test some time later.


Always good to have another FSU adherent around.


PF

 

[xayraa33]

Welcome to the forum.

Most of us here love FSU RF cameras and lenses.. with all their foibles and DOA qualities and lack of QC but sometimes we luck out on some good examples.

 

[ornate_wrasse]

Welcome Mike! You'll enjoy your time here on RFF.

 

[Keith]

Hey Mike ... welcome to RFF.

I have two FSUs ... a Kiev with a mystery light leak and a Fed2 with a capping shutter. (sigh!)

😛😛😛

 

[Swift1]

Welcome to the dark side 😀
The FED 3 is very cool and I think a bit underrated among the FSU rangefinder cameras, and the Industar-61 can be a superb performer. My FED 3 was the first FSU camera I ever bought. I love how the frame counter spins when you wind it 🙂

 

[CMur12]

Welcome to RFF, Mike!


- Murray

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

Welcome Mike, you have found your home!
I love to churn FSU cameras, and my current "keepers" are a Zorki-Zorki and a Zorki 3M. They work way better than you would expect based on the cost of acquisition. The J-8 is the jewel in the crown of Russian lenses, and I should have never sold that '57 one.
Remember: in the FSU, the camera shoots you!

 

[avidmaster]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the nice welcome. Looking forward to spending some time here!

Mijke

 

[wolves3012]

Welcome to the dark side and to RFF. Despite plenty of naysayers, FSU cameras can be very good users and not always a source of frustration. Above all, have fun.

 

[tunalegs]

I have a knob wind Fed 3. Smoothest operating camera I have outside of the Lecia IIIf.