Zorki 4 or Fed 2?

S

st3ph3nm

Guest
Zorki 4 is one of my favorite shooters, I have two of them. But they are neither "rare" nor particularly "collectable" as the seller states. Also, it is not historically accurate to have an Industar 61 on a Zorki 4 if that kind of thing matters to you. I believe original equipment for these cameras was limited to Industar 50 or Jupiter 8. (I am bracing for the corrections to come.) I sometimes use an Industar 61 L/D on my Zorkis. Anyway, like I said, I love the Zorki. Can't comment on the Fed 2, my experience with Feds is limited to the 5.
Good luck!
 
Steve, even though it is a minimalist camera, I'd go with the FED 2. It has a mere 5 shutter speeds, but with that collapsible lens it slips smartly into a coat pocket.

By the way, that particular Zorki 4 is suppose to be fitted with a Jupiter 8 or an non-collapsible Industar 50. The Zorki has the better viewfinder of the two and has every shutter speed imaginable between, 1sec and 1/1000th, but it is BIG.
 
I have both a Zorki 4 and now (2) Fed 2s. I think that the Fed 2 is a more elegant design. Its my current favorite.

As to the Zorki viewfinder, it is indeed big and bright, but for me as a near-sighted glasses wearer, I find it difficult to see the whole frame of the composition. Winding the shutter is easier on the Fed. And the takeup reel doesn't fall out of the Fed. But of course, the Fed doesn't usually come with a Jupiter 8. However I find the Industar 26 to be pretty dang good. Let's face it, you need to have both these cameras. It is Christmas time, after all.

My 2 cents.

Jon Flanders
 
What Jon said!

I started with a Zorki 4K with a Jupiter 8 and like it very much, then a *kind* member of the forum pointed out what looked like a nice Fed 2 so I took a chance and did a BIN on eBay. It turned out to be in wonderful condition and I think, overall, I like it better than the Zorki, slightly.

Jon mentioned you can't see the edges of the Zorki 4 frame when you're wearing glasses and I can confirm that. And I'll go a step further. Even when I take my glasses off, I *still* can't figure out where the edges of the frame are. The Fed may have a smaller VF, but the frame is very obvious.

But I use them both and enjoy them both and agree with Jon that the only solution is to have (at least) one of each :D

Gene
 
Well, I've so far avoided the LTM addiction (having fallen hard for a Contax/Kiev one... :D ), but I'll simply say that if I had the money to even get one of the two, that Fed is mighty attractive.I love the concept of the collapsable lenses and the greater shutter versatility would also push me that way.

Just my 2 kopeks :)

William
 
Any reason you’re not looking at buying out of Russia? These aussie sales are listed with "no warranty" so it may seem a bit safer but I doubt it. Looking at the Zorki 4 I notice its wearing a late FED lens so it in no way an original combo. Doing a quick ebay search for a Zorki 4 I found this nice kit that would work out to $102 AU inc postage 'BIN'. A lot more bang for you $$ IMO.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30030&item=3859704775&rd=1

The FED2 looks the better of the deals but still a bit pricy ‘BIN’ IMO. Another ebay search turned up this late FED2 with only a day to go that would work out to $67AU inc postage at its current price. Its a nice late dual logo version that had a recent 'CLA' from a trusted soviet seller (cupog).

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30099&item=3858400342&rd=1

I'm not saying to you should buy either of the auction I've linked, just that $100 Oz should get you a pick of a ‘very’ nice Soviet camera. But if you’re not feeling very adventurous and want a camera for xmas try and get that aussie FED2 for the low price rather than the BIN price, I'll be interested to see if it gets any bids.

Good luck with your shopping :)
 
I'll go against the consensus here and state my case for the Zorki-4. Given that the FED-2 has shutter speeds between 1/25 - 1/500, it's difficult to shoot at 1/10 or 1/5 if you don't have those speeds. The Zorki does. Nor does the FED have a self timer. And, all else being equal, the I-61 is likely to be the better of the two lenses.

Having gotten under the skin of both cameras, IMO the Zorki shows a higher degree of quality in both parts and finish.

Neither camera is "rare" in any sense of the word. The Zorki-4 is the most produced FSU camera ever with more than 2,200,000 produced. That includes the Zorki-4K while the MIR, a Zorki-4 with fewer shutter speeds, would add another 156,000. All variations of the FED-2 totaled roughly 2,000,000 followed by another 2,000,000 FED-3's.

In my hands, the Zorki-4 just feels better and with the other points I've mentioned in it's favor, it gets my vote.

Having said that, I don't think you'd be disappointed in either one.

And as long as we're pointing you towards alternatives, have a look here and scroll down to the Zorki-4K in excellent condition with a Jupiter-8 lens for a total of $62.00 US. Oleg has an excellent reputation and I don't see anything indicating that he wouldn't ship Down Under. Email him and ask. He answers his email very quickly. The link is: http://www.okvintagecamera.com/zorki.php

Walker
 
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Oh my! The speedy answers!

Thanks a heap, guys. Dammit, I know I shouldn't do it, but they're so KEWL!!!

Thanks, especially, Laika. I think I'll take your advice - and maybe hold off till next year when the finances look a little better. It's just you don't see them in Australia that often, and usually freight from just about anywhere else is a killer. Thanks for showing me the light on that.

Hmmmm....

I'm going to wander off now and have a good think, and count copper coins...

Cheers,
Steve
 
I started out with a Fed2, and loved it. But winding the film is a drag, and the VF is small and dim. IMO the I-61 LD is better than the I-26 or the I-61.

Then I got a Zorki 4. That camera was a revelation compared to the Fed2. The Fed's design is very attractive but the film lever makes the Zorki 4K much easier to wind. Also, the VF is indeed MUCH bigger and MUCH brighter; although not in the same leauge as the Bessa or the Leica M series, this VF is really nice. The Jupiter-8 50/2 lens is a gem! It's my favourite and standard 50mm lens.

Try to buy from one of the Russian/Ukranian sellers on eBay. They're trustworthy, and though their prices are a little higher they'll sell you quality stuff.

My vote goes to the Zorki 4K (mind that the "4" doesn't have a film lever!).
 
I bought a Zorki 4 last summer from an Ebay seller in the Ukraine. It came with a Jupiter 8 and the combination is a gem. I paid $26. US plus $15. postage. I don't see how a Texan can call this camera big, as RF's go it is actually on the small side and similar to a SM Leica II or III. The camera delivered in 12 days after payment was received from PayPal was just as pictured but the case was different and not in very good shape. For that price why quibble? The camera appears to have been CLA'd although nothing was said about that on the offering. I also got a "brand new" red Fed 5B from a different seller, but I prefer the Zorki although both work perfectly.
Kurt M.
 
Well, one possible problem of getting a Fed-2 is that there are so many variations and sub-models that it could become a collecting bug by itself :D

The fed-2 is IMO one of the most elegant designs among Soviet RF's (or so I thought before seeing that GOI-Leningrad and the 'General' Zorkis on Princelle's book :eek: but those ones are out of reach). And once you start using it the limited shutter speeds are not that much of a problem as you may think, mainly if using some b&w emulsions. The longer RF base is also another plus...

And as for the Zorki 4... don't own one myself (yet), but if you can have them all, why choosing only one ? ;)
 
question about Jupiter-8..... Does it matter whether it's chrome or black...Russian lettering or English?

Thanks.

...oh, and the crank on Zorki 4K...is it the only difference b/w Zorki 4 and Zorki 4K?
 
LilRedSpy said:
question about Jupiter-8..... Does it matter whether it's chrome or black...Russian lettering or English?

Thanks.

...oh, and the crank on Zorki 4K...is it the only difference b/w Zorki 4 and Zorki 4K?
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Lil,

I think the colour of or the lettering on the J-8 don't matter much but it seems that in general russian lenses produced after 1960 decline in build quality, reaching a low from the 1970s. So, you'll want to get a J-8 with a serial number under 60xxxxx.

I think the crank is indeed the only difference between the 4 and the 4K. I can tell you that it does make a HUGE difference! Being able to wind the film with the crank increased my enjoying shooting with the Zorki immensely. Winding the film forward on the 4 just slowed me down so much I started to resent the camera; the 4K changed all that for me.
 
RML said:
Lil,

I think the colour of or the lettering on the J-8 don't matter much but it seems that in general russian lenses produced after 1960 decline in build quality, reaching a low from the 1970s. So, you'll want to get a J-8 with a serial number under 60xxxxx.
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I have several of the J8 types and my best results come from a black export model (marked 'Made in USSR') s/n 74XXXXX. One of the biggest problems with the older lenses is scratches, it seem almost impossible to find they with nice outer elements...something listed on ebay as 'has some cleaning marks' may end up looking like someone has been using steel wool for a lens cloth :( The black J8's are often are listed 'as new' and that’s how I bought my sweet user.
 
RML said:
I stand corrected. :)
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I wouldn't go that far :) .. I think the build quality is better in the older models. The rule of thumb I've picked up from people is to get a older model (as you mention) with nice glass (hard to find) or a late black model (as found on many Zorki 4k's). I also think the export models might have tighter quality control, but thats just IMO.
 
RML said:
I think the crank is indeed the only difference between the 4 and the 4K. I can tell you that it does make a HUGE difference! Being able to wind the film with the crank increased my enjoying shooting with the Zorki immensely. Winding the film forward on the 4 just slowed me down so much I started to resent the camera; the 4K changed all that for me.
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One of the truisms of travelling is that no matter where you go, you always meet someone coming the other way. Our tastes and preferences are like that too. I got the 4K mainly because it had a crank and was a little suspicious about the Fed-2 rewind knob, but in practise I found I loved the knob -- it felt 'right' for the period of the camera. This convinced me I'd love a 3M (which is on its way from the Ukraine as I type this).

Just a personal thing. I like the retro feel of using the knob :D

Gene
 
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