What's your favorite FSU RF??

I have a Fed 2, and a Kiev 4, no Zorkis. Now thanks to you guys, I started to think about Z6... :bang:
 
I have a Fed 2, and a Kiev 4, no Zorkis. Now thanks to you guys, I started to think about Z6... :bang:


ug, i know, me too! Been scoping out Z6's for a while now.

Hey Will, you in New Mexico? IM jealous. Go to Ojo Caliente hot springs, it's near Santa FE.
 
I bought a FED2 to begin with (a type 'b' I think with the leica style wind knob) and I have just bought a Zorki 3M (in need of a good CLA and soon to be sent off to Ed Trzoska).
I have the Industar 26 with the FED2 and the Zorki 3M has the Jupiter 8 lens, I bought the Jupiter 12 (black version) to accompany the FED2 ages since and have just won a Jupiter 9 (black version) on ebay.

I personally prefer the brighter Zorki viewfinder and plan to use it as my regular shooter once I've had it CLA'd (currently the focusing is out).

Whilst other FSU cameras do interest me these two were the most interesting to me as I consider them to be the prettiest of all the FSU cameras.
 
I have a Kiev-4 and a Kiev-4A. The Kiev-4 I like more because of the meter. I also have the Zorki-4 which I don't like much anymore. It is hard to handle and fit in the hands. Recently I got a FED-2 which I am playing with now. The FED-2 is becoming a favorite now because of its smaller size and it is faster to use than the Kiev.
 
If you like the style of the Zorki 3M, you do realise a Zorki 1/FED 1 is inevitable? :D

Way way ahead of you there, I keep checking these out on ebay but for now I have just enough self restraint to prevent me buying one. With a camera awaiting CLA and a car in need of a thorough service before my summer roadtrip i think I'd best be careful with my money for the time being.
 
From Oleg Kiev 4m Helios & Fed 2 and collapsible .
Twin black Oleged Fed / Leica copies .
... and my gorgeous wartime Zorki 1 / Zorki S like new , remade '' Leicas '' from moscow photo...
i.e - all cla and near new !
but my favourite ? - can't choose !
 
... Now, heresy perhaps , but the attraction of the Zorki 3 / 3m / 4 escapes me .
i know that they are more advanced , maybe it was the experience of a Z 4 in the 70s ... seemed big and clumsy ... when most of us really wanted a Leica IIIc and before I even knew about the Zorki 1 etc . The Zorki 3 looks like a lopsided Leica IIIc !

dee
 
to answer this question i've bought a few different cameras in questionable condition in order to save cash. by and large they worked fine and i had a lot of fun comparing them. i don't doubt they'd perform better if I had them done over, but this has been a cheap way to learn a lot about what features are important to me in a camera
 
I have a Fed 2, a Kiev, and several Zorki 4 cameras. The Kiev is a fine camera, but I don't care for the ergonomics. The Fed is nice, but I like the feel of the Zorki 4. The two Zorkis that see daylight the most are of 1957 and 1962 vintage. Both have J-8 lenses of the same vintage. These are my "Sputnik" and "Cuban Missile" cameras and I will probably keep them for no other reason than that. They are all very usable cameras, but I prefer my Bessa RFs.

Mike
 
> Now, heresy perhaps , but the attraction of the Zorki 3 / 3m / 4 escapes me .

It's like having a Nikon S2 that takes Leica Thread Mount lenses. A 1x viewfinder, combined VF/RF, and removable back.
 
I use a I-61 on my Bessa R. Black late model that has the click stops. I have an older I 61 that is silver that is on my Fed 2. It has no click stops. The I-61 is a good sharp lens for the money. My favorite combo is my Zorki 2c with a Leitz elmar 50/3.5 col. This is a fun combo to use. I also carry along my Leningrad 6 exposure meter to experience the whole Soviet effect.:D I just got a J8 but haven't picked my results up from the lab, but I think the I-61 will be hard to top.
 
Hey Will, you in New Mexico? IM jealous. Go to Ojo Caliente hot springs, it's near Santa FE.


Nah, I'm back in Dallas :(
Barely scratched the surface both with my shoes and my cameras, if I can convince my wife, next year, I'll be back there and try Ojo Caliente for sure :)
 
Nah, I'm back in Dallas :(
Barely scratched the surface both with my shoes and my cameras, if I can convince my wife, next year, I'll be back there and try Ojo Caliente for sure :)

Trust me your wife will like it there. :) Aside from all the open air natural hot springs, they have private hot spring tubs! I'll leave it at that........
We stayed at Ojo for a week on our honeymoon. They have a website.
If we could afford it, we'd have a second home in Santa FE.....someday.
We plan on going back as soon as we can.
 
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