Russian economy and currency tanking

[uhoh7]

I found Russian lenses not so cheap because you need to buy so many to get a good copy.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Finally something about photography here 🙄
Statement above isn't vey uncommon.

I have third J-8 now, all three are good.
I also have J-3, I-22 and I-26m. In the past I used to have another I-26m, I-61 l/d, I-10 and J-12. They are all good for $30-100 price.
Clean outside and on optics. I find it much more difficult to find not trashed and issues free old Leitz comparing to all FSU RF glass I have.
Some of lenses I have has to be shimmed. I think most of those who are telling about how many copies they have to try never did this. But it is normal procedure to check and adjust FSU RF lens.
Or they are talking about SLR lenses 🙂

 

[valdas]

I find it much more difficult to find not trashed and issues free old Leitz comparing to all FSU RF glass I have.

I guess the reason for this is that contrary to Leitz FSU glass was made in millions and price wise was very affordable. Anyone could afford it in FSU thus very often it ended up sitting on the shelf rather than being used. It explains the amount of not trashed lenses. Quality wise... Well, there were even jokes in FSU - "What are the worst lenses? Answer - those assembled on Mondays". I grew up in that part of the world using FSU cameras. As soon as German and Japanese stuff became available I switched and never looked back. Never will...

 

[Calzone]

I'm not talking about personal responsabilities, but unfortunately the errors of the majority are paid by everybody, and alas this is true in every country.🙁

That's where I'm coming from also, and I agree.

Cal

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

The lowering of oil prices led to the falling of the Russian currency, and to the beginning of the end for fracking .... (?)

My regards to you, Raid. Interesting to be in an economics discussion here on RFF. In any case, I'll continue...

Seeing a big shift, is it part of a cycle, or a long-term trend? In this case, I'm betting cycle.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I guess the reason for this is that contrary to Leitz FSU glass was made in millions and price wise was very affordable. Anyone could afford it in FSU thus very often it ended up sitting on the shelf rather than being used. It explains the amount of not trashed lenses. Quality wise... Well, there were even jokes in FSU - "What are the worst lenses? Answer - those assembled on Mondays". I grew up in that part of the world using FSU cameras. As soon as German and Japanese stuff became available I switched and never looked back. Never will...

It was also salari day and end of the year, if I'm not mistaken.
Not anyone could afford it in FSU, actually. The cost of Zorki, Kiev, Zenit and lenses was very significant for average working family in fifties through eighties. FED-2 and Smena were made and sold in millions because of what. Only in nineties it became as something less expensive, in general.

FSU optics aren't prone to the separation, fungus and soft front glass as LTM Leitz seems to be. I don't think it is related to the use, but glass, glue formula.

Yes, it was and still common USSR-made belief what "import" is better.
While big quantities of Soviet photo gear was sold abroad successfully.

I'm not saying what FSU made photo gear was as good as free world made, but I don't want to bash it either.

 

[Fotohuis]

Next time when I am Ukraine I will take more notice of the Grivna price which has been 20% lower comparing to one year ago.

On the other hand it is time to support family in basic food now so you can imagine it is not funny anymore overthere if you can only make small money.

 

[Huss]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/18/iraq-baghdad-underground-train-network

http://www.imaginaryatlas.com/2013/05/08/the-baghdad-subway/

Yeah, the one link is from 2008 talking of future plans.
And the other:

"The fake metro group on Flickr is devoted entirely to “public transit maps that are completely made up.” While there is a single surface commuter train that comprises the Baghdad Metro, there’s nothing like what’s represented in this imaginary metro map, posted to the group by @nsryberg. Perhaps one day…"

Things have become a lot worse there since 2008.

 

[Calzone]

My heart is with people who are suffering. Sorry if this is off topic and not about cameras anymore.

Cal

 

[tunalegs]

As for quality issues, I find the quality of some of the soviet cameras very good. My knob wind fed 3 is easily as well made as consumer grade Japanese or German cameras from the same era. By the mid 1980s the quality was pretty bad, but to be fair I doubt the Germans or Japanese could have produced such cameras for the same prices with any better results. The Japanese had to shift to plastics and electronics, and the Germans went out of business or built factories in Singapore.

 

[Pioneer]

I wish the best for our Russian friends. It is very difficult to feed yourself and keep a roof over your heads when things are normal. Under the current circumstances it can be almost impossible.

 

[valdas]

FSU optics aren't prone to the separation, fungus and soft front glass as LTM Leitz seems to be. I don't think it is related to the use, but glass, glue formula.

Yes, it was and still common USSR-made belief what "import" is better.
While big quantities of Soviet photo gear was sold abroad successfully.

I'm not saying what FSU made photo gear was as good as free world made, but I don't want to bash it either.

I have limited experience with FSU RF (apart from two Zorki's I owned), so maybe you are right. SLRs were quite terrible... Glass is ok, i can agree, but mechanical part was often a problem... And import was better, even from DDR, that is why most of journalist photographers were using east German Practica's or Pentacon.

 

[Wulfthari]

I guess the reason for this is that contrary to Leitz FSU glass was made in millions and price wise was very affordable. Anyone could afford it in FSU thus very often it ended up sitting on the shelf rather than being used. It explains the amount of not trashed lenses. Quality wise... Well, there were even jokes in FSU - "What are the worst lenses? Answer - those assembled on Mondays". I grew up in that part of the world using FSU cameras. As soon as German and Japanese stuff became available I switched and never looked back. Never will...

Well if you are living in Eastern Europe it is comprehensible to "hate" Soviet stuff because it's basically the only thing that was available at that time (besides DDR gear I assume), but that doesn't mean they produced just bad products, otherwise the lenses and the cameras we use today would have already been unusable after 20 or 30 years of working life.

The Soviets made very good lenses for SLRs too, I consider the Zenitar 58 mm f1.7 better than for instance the Pentax M 50 mm f1.7.

I have limited experience with FSU RF (apart from two Zorki's I owned), so maybe you are right. SLRs were quite terrible... Glass is ok, i can agree, but mechanical part was often a problem... And import was better, even from DDR, that is why most of journalist photographers were using east German Practica's or Pentacon.

Prakticas and Pentacons are overbuilt and overengineered, they would probably survive WWIII, Zenit SLRs, in particular the 12 are also pretty sturdy and simple, they were also sold in the West with good results at the time of the Cold War, even if they were n't very "advanced" cameras...at all.

Probably the best Soviet SLRs were the Zenit 19 (sturdy even if it's made of plastic) and the Kiev 20, the Almaz when works is also a very good camera even if it was too complex for a company like Lomo to be produced with the professional quality it was supposed to deliver.

 

[David Hughes]

I found Russian lenses not so cheap because you need to buy so many to get a good copy.

Hi,

If everyone who bought one and found it lacking got it sorted out there would be a lot more good ones about and gradually the duds would be transformed.

I often wonder what is done with the duds. There could be just a handful being passed around and annoying everyone...

I also wonder about people who get them sorted out and then sell them. I'd keep them and use them. As I do the dud German and Japanese ones and so on.

Regards, David

 

[burancap]

I own a solitary FSU lens. I bought it on a whim as the price was less than a case of Samuel Smith's NBA.

It is a freewheeling aperture J8 in black. You know what? Fantastic lens. Absurdly fantastic for what I paid for it. Did I get lucky? I don't know, but I guess I did from all reports. 🙄

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

A lot of us seem to be "lucky" with FSU lenses; odd isn't it?

Regards, David

 

[KnipsOmat]

I found Russian lenses not so cheap because you need to buy so many to get a good copy.

From personal experience, I believe this is much more a prejudice than a fact.

I have - and use - many of them. I haven't come across a significant number of them which did not perform as good as you could expect. 99% of them were absolutely o.k. for what they were.

You don't expect wonders from a 1930's uncoated 4-element Tessar-like design, do you? So it's no surprise a 1935 Industar-10 might not have the same image quality than a 1970s or 80s Zeiss Planar or Leica Summicron.

I don't believe Soviet glass is the Holy Grail. But after starting to actually use it, I found out it's much better than it's reputation was. And it's still dead cheap for most standard stuff like 35 / 50 / 135. Special, rare items like the 20 mm Russar are now collectible and as with all collectibles, they are not cheap.

 

[David Hughes]

I found Russian lenses not so cheap because you need to buy so many to get a good copy.

Hi,

As I see it you ought to buy one with your eyes open; meaning it will be second-hand and (on ebay) bought without being checked over by you.

Having got it and checked it either send it back or - what I do - get it repaired. The lenses are dirt cheap (best not to buy dear ones when talking about anonymous, unchecked stuff) and so a check and repair by any competent camera technician will get you a good, usable lens. And lenses don't cost the earth to get repaired. So you won't pay much for it even after adding the low cost of the lens in the first place.

I'm aware that some are dear and postage etc can be dearer but there are honest sellers out there and honest technicians. Put the two together and the problem's solved.

Regards, David

 

[oltimer]

The lowering of oil prices led to the falling of the Russian currency, and to the beginning of the end for fracking .... (?)

About Fracking? Raid, it will be very interesting how the largest oil reserve (Bakken) find in the world, located in North Dakota, and into the 2 Canadian Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba goes any further with the falling oil prices? My personal feeling is that they will continue with this project to protect the future supply. Canada is also being hit very hard with the falling oil price as well as Russia, and too much of the Canadian Gov. income is realized from oil.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I have no clue about Canadian economy, don't we export not just oil?
My family economy is improving then local gas mafia has to lover their speculative prices which based on oil prices sometimes, while "normally" it is high jacked if it rains slightly more at another end of our ... Planet. Or it is just long weekend.