which one?

caveman

caveman

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Hi (comrades?)
i love yashica rangefinders but im interested in buying a couple of russian rangefinders, could you please give me an idea of which ones to buy/steer clear of?
regards
cavey
 
they are ALLL GOOD!

my personal favorites are Fed2 (long RF base) and recently a Fed3.

Zorkis 3 and 4 have a great VF. Zorki 5 is nice and compact and sweet looking, but with bottom loading.

I dont like the Fed 4 and 5, because of their looks, but they are still good cameras.
 
Privet (Hi)
I like the Fed 2 but i would as i own one ... a blue one too :)
Rather than the make concentrate on getting one that works well and has been serviced by someone who knows what they are doing.
Maybe there is one for sale on this site or you could try Oleg or Fedka.
Paka (bye)
 
Hi cavey, welcome to the FSU corner. If you weren't wearing your GAS mask when the idea to get a "couple" of FSU rangefinders struck, then you're already doomed to wander the web in search of a full set of Zorki/FED/Kiev. At first you might be able to convince yourself that it's under control, you can limit the GAS to, say, knob winder Zorkis only. Sadly this pretense will be temporary and you will be stalking that slightly rarer lens/model/colour/engraving at all hours of the night. Pity those souls who believe that being armed with a screwdriver set and a pot of grease will lead to the manna of cheap and working beauties:angel: Don't let this happen to you, buy a Voigtlander R, it will be cheaper!;)
Too late? Ordered one? Well lets hope that you can escape this sad existence.

If there's still a chance to dissuade you, then I could recommend a FED5. Ugly as sin, poorly made, quite likely to work without assistance from the tool kit and possibly a cure for FSU GAS. Could be one you don't want to be seen with. (Yes I know other people here use them, and think them good. Delusional, you see) :D

Otherwise, a worker of any flavour, FED2 makes a nice start.
Let us know how you get on.....
Dave...
 
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fed 2 is perfect for a start. If you want a fed 5, then get a fed 3. its pretty much the same camera, but is slightly smaller and looks a lot classier ;)
 
Fed 2 is a fun camera to use. The viewfinder can be a little squinty if you wear glasses, as I do. An external VF would help.
 
As said before, a FED 2 is a good starter. My favorite is the Kiev, however. Much brighter VF and just downright fun to use!
 
Caveman,
More important than which specific camera is, I think, to buy from a good dealer so that you can be confident about getting a usable camera. After you have used that one for a while and decided that you need another one, you'll be better prepared to take some chances on ebay.
That said, I strongly recommend two sellers:
Oleg:http://www.okvintagecamera.com/index.html
Honest, not too pricey, ships quick. There is not always a lot of choice but you can email him and ask about specific models and he'll likely have one.
And Fedka:http://www.fedka.com/catalog/.
Another excellent seller. For the same reasons as above.
If you know the specific features you want/need; things like slow speeds or not, bottom loading or not, strap lugs or not. Or you just want to get a particular "style", there is a pretty good site that has photos of most of the various FSU(Former Soviet Union) cameras:
http://www.commiecameras.com/.
A good basic overview of what's out there.
My personal choices are the Zorki 3m and the FED5. I have used others but these two are what I end up shooting with. I own and like a Kiev 4a but the lens choices(not the lenses themselves, just the variety) are better with the Zorki and FED.
Welcome to our obsession!:D
Rob
 
I echo the others here that say to be sure it is a good working copy. I have two fed-2s that each have good qualities. Between the two of them though, they'd make up one very nice camera. Unfortunately, I don't have the skills to put them together.
For pure beauty, you might consider a Zorki-3/3M.
 
I must add though Ive always wanted to try a Zorki 6, the back loading and film crank would make it a more practical shooter.
 
Have you checked in the classifieds here?
One or two of our members have some FSU kit up for sale.
You could even be the owner of a RED FED2, Oh mommy!
 
If you can't get the Zorki 3... get the older Zorki 4 with the engraved logo and dials. The older one has the same coat as the Zorki 3, and it has strap lugs. Try both the Industar 22/50 and Jupiter 8 lense if you can, they are both good lenses but produce another kind of image.
 
pesphoto said:
I must add though Ive always wanted to try a Zorki 6, the back loading and film crank would make it a more practical shooter.
Click to expand...

I like mine quite a bit. Paired with an Industar 50 collapsible it makes a very compact shooter. The only problem might be the lack of slow speeds but I've never missed them.

William
 
Fed-3 is a nice camera. I actualy prefer it over my Zorki-4k. Get all the russian cameras you find. You'll get em anyway sooner or later ;)
 
I'd go for a Zorki 1d. These appear to be amongst the best made of the Feds & Zorkis. I also have a Fed 2, a Fed 3 b and an early Zorki 4, But in my honest opinion the Zorki 1d with the Industar 22 is the nicest camera by a mile, combined with the fact you even get the "Leica" experience. I agree t is important to buy from a good seller such as Oleg or Fedka.
 
thanks for your answers gentlemen, looks like a fed 2 is the one most of you recommend, are zorki 5's any good? i know where theres 1 for sale...
regards
cavey
 
I had a Zorki 5a for a week or two and really liked how it handles. the downside is the bottom loading and somewhat small VF (like fed2). the good thing is its small size and it has a large RF base (like fed2) and is lever wind. Make sure it works properly, i think (i read) they are a bit more sensitive than other fsu cameras.
 
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