the worst rangefinder

My Best FSU would be the Zorki 3M or 3C - I like the design and feel of the camera. My Worst FSU would be the Kiev 4a - just couldn't get along with it!!
 
rbiemer said:
jean-marc,
I think there is a large difference between "my worst" and "the worst" FSU(or any) camera. And I suspect all the FSU cameras when working correctly take better photos that I can.
My worst changes; last time it was a Kiev 4a that I had just opened to change the film in and missed what could've been the best photo I took that time. Another time it was a FED Micron2 that lost the screw for the advance lever while I was using it. Only took me 45 minutes to find it in the snow. :rolleyes:
I'm not expert enough in engineering or mechanical design to have a valid opinion about the worst.
Rob
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I agree with you, in fact I wanted to know your worst and your better rangefinder. I wanted to know if one camera may be the worst for some one and the best for an other one... It is not for a scientist publication, but just for the fun. I am sorry but my english is not so good...
Thank you everybody for your answer, and for your mails. :)
 
I really like FED-1's and Zorki-1's, as outdoors shooters. With a collapsible lens they fit into almost any pocket. They look cool too. Indoors they're not much use, as they don't have slow speeds and I like available light photography.

And I have a Kiev 4a with the silkiest shutter release of any camera I own.

But nothing beats a Leica M viewfinder....
 
jean-marc B. said:
I agree with you, in fact I wanted to know your worst and your better rangefinder. I wanted to know if one camera may be the worst for some one and the best for an other one... It is not for a scientist publication, but just for the fun. I am sorry but my english is not so good...
Thank you everybody for your answer, and for your mails. :)
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Your english is fine, Jean-Marc, but I will try to be more specific about my likes/dislikes:
My least favorite FSU camera is the FED Micron2. Decent size(I think it's the same dimensions as the FED Micron but the Micron2 is full frame while the Micron is half-frame) and OK controls but it just doesn't thrill me like the other FSU gear I own.
My next disliked camera was the FED2. I bought one from a member here and while the camera was in excellent condition, I never could get used to the tiny viewfinder. So I sold it to another RFFer. I really wanted to like that camera; fit my hand well, very cool looking, capable of excellent photos. But it just didn't work for me.
The cameras I like the best are the Kiev 4a and the Zorki 3m.
The Kiev was the first or second FSU camera I bought from a soviet camera auction site (that doesn't seem to exist any more--my bookmark didn't work the last time I tried it :( ) and I was pretty nervous sending the admittedly small amount of money by Western Union. But the camera came with out undue delay and it is still wonderful! It looked new and still works well. One of the strap lugs is starting to wiggle a little which I'll need to have looked at eventually.
The Zorki I bought from another FSU dealer( http://rafcamera.com/ )that mostly sells movie cameras but has some still camera gear. That one was/is the best looking FSU camera I own. I made the mistake of trying to change the shutter speed before advancing the film. It broke and so I sent it for a CLA(I've got a thread abou it if you're interested: "CLA in the USA?"). I bought another(in poor condition) one thinking I might fix and repaint it but ultimately decided to send it to Oleg for rehab. Soon as I get them back, I will be very happy. Big VF, full shutter speeds, and strap lugs.
The FSU camera that has surprised me is the FED5. I own two of them, one 5C and one black 5. Ugly they are but they work. No strap lugs and top speed of 1/500 but I have been able to live without those things pretty well.
The silver one I am going to repaint and releather into something obnoxious or cool depending on one's taste: John Deere green and yellow "leather" but I'm going very slowly on this project.
Rob
 
rbiemer said:
One of the strap lugs is starting to wiggle a little which I'll need to have looked at eventually.
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Most likely you need to tighten the holding screw, under the leather.
 
varjag said:
Most likely you need to tighten the holding screw, under the leather.
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Thanks, Eugene! I wasn't sure how the lugs were held in place. Hmm, This sounds like a good "reason" :rolleyes: to get new leather for this camera.
Good, clean, frivolous fun!
Rob
 
chinese zorki replicas

chinese zorki replicas

has anyone seen these? ive seen copies of the zorki 1 (leica2) and zorki 3. its called shanghai something. the funny thing is these camera sell for about 200 USD! which is double that of the zorkis and near as much as leicas on ebay! granted these seem to be recent copies and are in good condition bt the machining looks rough
 
Macpod said:
has anyone seen these? ive seen copies of the zorki 1 (leica2) and zorki 3. its called shanghai something. the funny thing is these camera sell for about 200 USD! which is double that of the zorkis and near as much as leicas on ebay! granted these seem to be recent copies and are in good condition bt the machining looks rough
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There is a thread here in the "Russian RF" section called "chinese Red Flag 20 and lenses" that has lots of lovely Chinese Camera Porn. And good info.
Rob
 
kmack said:
It's a real shame to limit this to FSU cameras. In all actually the worst rangefinders may have been American.

For example: The Perflex Speed Candid
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Uhm, no, actually, there are a very large number of american cameras that are far worse in the real world. All you have to do is take an Argus C33 for a few minutes and you will have several brused fingers a short time later...

In the end, I want a battle rifle. Why does that have to be such a MotherfFu*ker?
 
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