Zorki, Fed, Kiev focusing?

[totifoto]

I bought a Zorki on ebay about a year ago, the shutter leaks 🙁
I´m thinking of buying another russian rangefinder and wanted to ask you guys first what RRF camera had the best viewfinder and is most easyiest to focus.

I also have a 2 Yashica rangefinder cameras and have some trouble focusing on them but I love the viewfinder in the Zorki, big focusing pat 😉

I like the look of the Kiev (contax copy). Is the viewfinder on that similar to the Zorki?

Does any of the rrf cameras have a 35mm framelines or lens, I only seem to find 50mm and 75mm lenses on ebay for these cameras 🙁 I would like to have on with a 35mm lens.

Thanx.

 

[brachal]

I can only compare Feds and Kievs. For some reason I don't have a Zorki. The Kiev finder is, IMO, much better than the Fed. Brighter, but still with good contrast. It's also very long, so focusing is accurate. You have to practice the "Kiev Grip" to hold it properly without blocking the rangefinder window.

I think the only FSU rangefinder with built in framelines is the rare and expensive Kiev 5. All others need an external finder. I like the komz turret multi finder -- handles 28, 35, 50, 85, and 135.

The Soviet 35mm lens is the f/2.8 Jupiter 12. They're easy to find and not expensive. It comes in LTM and Kiev mount. They're very, very good lenses, but maybe a little prone to flare.

 

[wolves3012]

Based on the cameras I own, Zorkis have a brighter VF but less contrasty RF, FEDs are the opposite and the Kiev comes somewhere in between. In poor light the Zorkis score better. This is purely my opinion, some people prefer the higher-contrast FEDs even in low light. Zorki 3 & 4 have by far the biggest, brightest finders and a 1:1 image but this does not mean the other models are poor. I actually find the Zorki 1 one of the easiest to focus, since the RF is about 1:1, despite the "squinty" window.

There are no commonly available FSUs with framelines, you'll need an accessory finder of one sort or another if you plan to use lenses other than 50mm. The most common lenses available are the Jupiter 9 (85mm), Jupiter 11 (135mm) and Jupiter 12 (35mm), these can be found in Kiev (Contax bayonet) or 39mm screw mounts. All are very good lenses.

 

[rbiemer]

I have used FED( 2, 3, and 5), Kiev (4 and 4a), and Zorki (3m) cameras. Plus a few others. Of them, I like the Zorki's VF the best. The FED 2 did not work well for me and I was disappointed--I really liked the camera except for the VF. The 3 and 5 are better for me but not the same as the Zorki. The Kievs are different but good.
As has been mentioned above, there are good lens choices, in fact, the Jupiter-12 is one of my favorite 35mm lenses. You will want some kind of auxiliary viewfinder to easily use any other lens but a 50 and there are good and inexpensive choices for those, too. I like the turret finders but there are Russian/Ukrainian finders made specifically for the J-12(35mm) and for the J-9(85mm). And a ton of other finders.
I do have one other suggestion for you: you could get the Zorki you already own serviced. Not very much money and the person I'm about to suggest works pretty quickly as well.
Go look at this site:
http://www.okvintagecamera.com/index.html
and look at the repair page.
Instead of trying again to get a good camera, when you get yours back from Oleg, you will have a camera that works very well, indeed!

Good luck!
Rob