Which Rusky Do I Buy?

[ARCHIVIST]

I am fascinated by the Russian RFs. I am at a loss as to which one to buy. Can any one please advise me as to which would be a good reliable and accurate make / model to look for. I am a user not a collector as such. What is the repair / restoration market like?

Any thoughts and advice will be very much appreciated.

Regards
Peter

 

[Carlos Cruz]

I'll pick contax...am sorry kiev. I have used several ltm bodies over the years I had zorki 4, 5, fed 2 and all of them had problems with shutter, they didn't have low speeds, the manufacture quality was low maybe the only exception was fed 2. So I'll pick kiev they are well done, have full shutter speeds, and silent as hell.

 

[Jocko]

Peter, you're about to find that everyone has their favourite, so the usual advice is buy them all...

But.... The Kiev is a fascinating and addictive camera, a good one (which tends to mean an earlier model from a reputable seller) is a joy, yet they are not without their problems. Later models (like mine) were often very badly made and need significant work (like mine!). My advice would be to go for a FED 2, a strong, well-tried and genuinely well-thought out design.

Two quirkier outsiders might be the FED/Zorki 1 (for that Barnack touch) or the FED 5C, which can be bought new on E-bay and is constantly maligned on grounds of "ugliness". However - it has a meter, viewfinder lines and a very fine lens, so is a pretty good choice except for those pursuing a career in camera beauty contests.

With regard to repairs/restoration - cosmetic restoration lies with the user, but I assume some dealers clean up their wears or simply sell better examples. I should think that the LTM cameras could be serviced by just about any mechanical camera specialist (or at home, if brave).

Obvious sources of cameras or service include
Fedka - http://www.fedka.com/Frames/Main_Frame.htm
Oleg - http://www.okvintagecamera.com/index.html
Soviet camera store - http://www.sovietcamera.com.ua/
and Steve Ash - http://www.sdash.plus.com/

All the best, Ian

 

[sejanus]

I think I'd agree with Cruz - the Kievs are much nicer than the rest, unless you can find one of the early Feds in good nick. Personally, I'd stay away from the Zorkis, which tend to have more problems than is fair for one make of camera. I've owned three over the years and they've all succumbed to shutter troubles. On the other hand, the most I ever paid for one was $20.

😀

 

[robin a]

Hi,a nice Fed2 is a fun to use,easy to maintain,cheap to replace camera.You can get good lenses for them all over the internet.One will lead to another,I know...........Robin

 

[nzeeman]

i agree with others - get fed2 and also buy industar 22 lens for it. it is collapsible lens so fed become pretty compact camera with it. 😀

 

[santino]

I'm a Zorki 4 man, all my Kievs have problems but the Zorki 4s work perfect. You could go for a Zorki 4, they are cheap and don't lack slow speeds and the viewfinder is a lot nicer than the Kiev's one.

 

[hitmanh]

FED 2, Kiev, or Zorki 4k have been good for me 😀

I highly recommend getting your first one from one of the dealers mentioned above, so you get a good, solid, reliable camera. You can always buy cheap ones and fix them up yourself later... but of you start with a good one, you may be surprised at what it can acheive.

Matt

 

[ARCHIVIST]

Thanks for all the good advice.
I will opt for the FED2 - the hunt begins.
I did have a KIEV some time back - it was new i.e. unused when I got it but the finish on mine was rough and it never seemed to be working right - the on-top meter was always out.

Peter

 

[rbiemer]

I will echo the advice above about dealers, but I will also suggest a Zorki. A Zorki 3m. Fast speeds, slow speeds, perhaps the best FSU viewfinder, and strap lugs.
Oh yeah, you can use most LTM lenses on this one.
Rob

 

[kmack]

The Fed 2 is a good camera, it shows the best of the Soviet Era design and manufacturing technology. With a CLA the Fed 2 is a solid, reilable performer and like a lot of Soviet design, it is boring.

Go for something fun and quirky. The Zorki 3 has been mentioned. I would also suggest a Zorki 1 and or a Kiev III or early Kiev 4.

I would suggest a Kiev II but they are getting almost as pricey as a Contax.

 

[Keith]

Have a look here ... FSU's as far as the eye can see! 🙂

http://www.sovietcamera.com.ua/

 

[nikos]

Well i got a FED 5B. To my mind it is very trustworthy camera - perfect for the begining. Shutter timings are perfect for negative films (i hadn't made any slides yet). Other stuff like winding, viewfinder are also OK. In my case rangefinder needed adjusting but it is simple to do. I think for the beginning it is very good camera. In good shape and just ready to shoot after buying. You dont need to do any repairs. For 15$ you get good working instrument with v.good lens (I61 L/D).

 

[w3rk5]

I am fascinated by the Russian RFs. I am at a loss as to which one to buy. Can any one please advise me as to which would be a good reliable and accurate make / model to look for. I am a user not a collector as such. What is the repair / restoration market like?

Any thoughts and advice will be very much appreciated.

Regards
Peter

A excellent working conditiion FED maybe a little cheaper and easier to find than a Kiev. If I were to buy another FED I'd get it from Oleg. You can pay him a little more to have the shutter curtains changed regardless of it's condition just to make sure.

If you're the kind of person who is willing to work on your own camera than you should be able to find a better deal on *bay. If that's the case, I'd go for a Kiev from 1965 or earlier model.

 

[Stu W]

I go with Rob. The Zorki 3 or 3M are really well made cameras. They look cool too. Stu

 

[Pepe]

Well if you want; I have two Zorki 4k's ( one working, one damaged shutter) and one Jupiter 8 50/2... but I never use it. (too many cameras)

If you are interested, I'm willing to part with them for little more then the price of shipping them to you, seen as they are doing nothing other then gathering dust.

Yell ( though PM will be more effective ) if you're interested.

 

[Never Satisfied]

Hi Peter, I agree with the idea of a Kiev, I have a 4AM 35/50/85 and it's reliable and really nice looking. I've been given a Zorki 3M, which is brilliant, combined RF/VF and looks like a cross between an M and a LTM, but they aren't cheap compared to other Ruskies. I'm going to sell my Kiev kit if you decide on a Kiev, Merry Christmas, Andrew.

 

[David Murphy]

I just bought a Mir for $20. It looks pretty good. The Mir is a Zorki 4 without slow speeds. I like the removable back film loading, the all-metal construction, and the better quality leatherette -- nicer than the crude fabric-like weird stuff that later Zorkis have. The viewfinder is pathetic, but the rangefider seems dead on (the patch is a little faint, but OK). So far I like it better than the Kiev 4a I once owned (which was like a cruel pretender to a Contax III). It will get some film run though it before the years end, and then pass final judgement 🙂

 

[Nickfed]

I just bought a Mir for $20. . The viewfinder is pathetic

Why do you say that? I thought the Mir and Zorki-4 had a very good finder.

 

[jorisbens]

I would get a fed-2 and if needed a cla from oleg. I got the fed-2 but luckely didn't need the cla. 😀