To tide me over...

[Stephanie Brim]

...until I decide...well...what the heck I'm going to do about a new or "new" rangefinder, I need something to tide me over. I want a bottom loader. My options are really as follows in that camp: A Leica II or III, a Canon bottom loader, or an FSU camera. Leica and Canon are pretty much out of the question right now unless one comes up at an incredible deal, so I've pretty much narrowed it down to an FSU camera of some sort. This is where the problems come in.

What of the FSU camp are true bottom loaders and what should I be looking for in one? I figure that $60-80 on something to get me used to bottom loading would be nice...especially if I go with a Leica camera, new or used.

 

[FrankS]

There was a very active thread jsut today called "favourite FSU camera" or similar, that covers a lot of questions you may have.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

Ah, I shall search. I've only ever had one, so I'm almost an FSU virgin. 😀

 

[kmack]

Fedka has a Zorki body for sale at a good price.

 

[clarence]

The Zorki 5 was bottom loading and had a good rangefinder baselength. It also had a lever advance. No slow speeds though, so you won't be able to shoot at 1/15 with it, Stephanie.

Clarence

 

[Stephanie Brim]

Yeah, I'd prefer to have the slow speeds, but unless I send it to Oleg they may not work anyway.

 

[FrankS]

Here ya go:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34296

 

[Stephanie Brim]

Yeah, found it. I was already pondering the much celebrated Fed2, but now I'm also looking at a Zorki 3M and a 4K.

 

[gb hill]

Hi Steph, The Fed 2 is not a bottom loader. The whole back comes off of mine and I load regular way. Maybe some of the earlier versions were bottom loaders. My Zorki 2c is a true bottom loader and has the slow shutter speeds and a brighter viewfinder than the Fed I have. The 2c is a nice camera. Check em out.


Greg

 

[bgb]

The Fed 2 is a great little camera to use and just carry about, it doesn't base load ... the whole back and base slide off. Easy enough to load that way but if you but the back down try to remember where you put it 🙂

 

[back alley]

may i suggest a fixed lens rf camera?

a nice oly 35rc, a konica s2 or canonet?

there are 2 oly xa cams for sale now in the classifieds.

all of the above will take fine pics, will get you back into rf on the cheap and leave more cash on hand to save for the camera that only you will ever have left a mark on.

joe

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I still have my Canonet, so that's covered. I want something that'll use screwmount lenses and will also get me used to the bottom loading stuff. I'm leaning drastically toward that M2 (or another one, dunno), and this way I have some practice and a cheap, usable rangefinder to work with until then. Hell...maybe I'll like the FSU camera so much I'll completely forget about the Leica...

...

...

...

One can always hope, right? 😀

 

[ferider]

I still have my Canonet, so that's covered. I want something that'll use screwmount lenses and will also get me used to the bottom loading stuff. I'm leaning drastically toward that M2 (or another one, dunno), and this way I have some practice and a cheap, usable rangefinder to work with until then. Hell...maybe I'll like the FSU camera so much I'll completely forget about the Leica...

...

...

...

One can always hope, right? 😀

Stephanie, FWIW, the M2 is much easier and different to load
than older bottom loaders. In particular if you find the quick load
system somewhere.

Best,

Roland.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

The real idea is to get me used to bottom loading at all. After loading an FSU bottom loader I kinda have the feeling that I'm going to think most of the Leicas are a piece of cake. 😀

 

[clarence]

Indeed. No back door to flip open on the Zorki 5.

Clarence

 

[rover]

OK, I have to say this.....

The real idea is to get me used to bottom loading at all.

Why?

You still have a P no?

I love my Canon IVsb2, the best bottom load RF ever made (never had a IIIG to play with). But loading these things is impossible for me. I have my 3.5 Elmar on mine just waiting to be slipped into a pocket and used, Ultimate Street Machine. I can't get film into it. That is one retro technology that we are all lucky to be past.

And will another "little" purchase get you closer to the big one you want to make? No, it is a step backwards.

OK, I know, sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I have a 3m too, I just had to do it. Loading is much easier as the back comes off, not really a bottom loader.

 

[Xmas]

The Fed 1 and Zorki I and II are (almost) Barnack clones and have their own charm.

A Zorki V seems to be like an M but doubles for meat grinding with bone material, crunck crunch.

Borrow one

Noel

 

[oscroft]

I was already pondering the much celebrated Fed2, but now I'm also looking at a Zorki 3M and a 4K.

No bottom-loaders there - they all have removable backs.

 

[Diggin99]

Fedka has early Zorki's, would those be bottom loaders?

 

[clintock]

ZOrki 2-c bottom loading, separate vf and rf, has lugs, prices are low because I guess they look odd, cast body.. The vf is really bright and has more of a defined edge than the later zorkis, plus it's closer to the lens so less parallax error. Build quality to me feels better on my 2-c than any other soviet I have.
Industar 50 ridgid is not a pretty lens to look at though..