Zorki or Fed?

[totifoto]

I´m thinking about buying a Fed or a Zorki. I have been looking at the Zorki 4 and the Fed 5 and it seems to my after browsing through photos on flickr.com taken with theese cameras that the Fed has more light leek than the Zorki. Is that the case? What do you guys think? Fed or Zorki?

Thanx.

 

[outfitter]

I would go with the Zorki 4 if you can live without the rapid advance lever as it is really a Zorki 3M with flash sync and self timer and therefore has a good RF (at least for my eyes). Avoid the Zorki 4K as the speed markings frequently wipe off as they are only printed not engraved. The Fed 5 functions well but has a cheesey feel to it and squinty viewfinder IMO.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Either camera would have the same issues. One isn't necessarily better than the other - if one is found 'inferior', it would likely be due to the way the camera was made, or (ab)used by the previous owner. That's to say that a Zorki can be as prone to light leaks as any FED can, if that particular camera happened to be badly made.

@outfitter-

Some Zorki-4 had printed shutter speed numbers. That would depend when the camera was made. Those made from 1967 or later are likely to be found with printed speeds like those the Z-4K. The first two digits of the camera's serial number would indicate year of manufacture. This numbering system, however, doesn't apply to FED cameras.

Jay

 

[Jocko]

Outfitter, I fully agree with Jay's assessment, and personally prefer FED's to Zorkis. Yet I would add one small proviso: I've tended to find that later (especially post-Soviet) FED 5Cs are noticably less well built than previous models and seem prone to light leaks, even when new from the factory.

All the best, Ian

 

[mike goldberg]

Hi...
I have a much loved Fed-2b bought with Exc- Grade from Fedka.
ALL camera functions work perfectly, including RF at Infinity and
close focus; also ALL shutter speeds are [more or less] right on.
Further there are NO light leaks. This Fed-2b is from the late 1950's;
it has "ears" for strap lugs, syncs flash at 1/25, and has no self-timer.

I invested several hours in cleaning it up to MY standard, and a mini-
squirt of contact spray with just a bit of light oil in it, was used on the
moving wheels & gears [NOT the shutter] to make winding smoother.
Before closing the camera, all inner surfaces were wiped with a cloth,
lightly sprayed with 50/50 alcohol and water.

This Fed-2 cost $65- and is a pleasure to use.
A word of caution via Brian Sweeney:
Do NOT use m39 Leica screwmount and CV lenses on a Fed-2!
It seems that the Ruskies made the "tongue" at the top of the lens
mount of the Body, in such a way so as to support the use of FSU
lenses. Lenses made to the Leica standard, will NOT focus properly.

In any event, good luck.
mike

 

[outfitter]

One must assume properly made a functioning camera otherwise there is no use discussing either Zorki or Fed. I agree that neither mark is any more prone to QC problems than the other (save for the printed speed markings) even though Zorki was supposed to be the premium line for export.

I was responding to the question Zorki 4 vs Fed 5. For me the choice of Zorki vs Fed rests with how well the rangefinder works with my eyesight. Zorki 3, 3M, 4 (I have the early one with the frame around the viewfinder window), 5 and 6 are great although the Zorki 3, 3M and 4 are a bit vague in framing the image. The Fed 2 (I use a three digit serial number prototype with the square RF spot), Fed 3 (I prefer the knob wind version as it has a higher quality feel) and Fed 4 all have good RF but my Fed 5B not only feels cheesy but has a dim image as the ringefinder window is tiny.

That said I spent the day street shooting with a Zorki 1 which is a joy to use (but not to load) even with the squinty RF. Well I cheated and used an Orion 15 lens set at the hyperfocal distance and the turret viewfinder. I even used a Zeiss Biogon 21mm with an adaptor but the weight and balance was not too good.

Michael

 

[ZorkiKat]

Hi...

Do NOT use m39 Leica screwmount and CV lenses on a Fed-2!
It seems that the Ruskies made the "tongue" at the top of the lens
mount of the Body, in such a way so as to support the use of FSU
lenses. Lenses made to the Leica standard, will NOT focus properly.

In any event, good luck.
mike

Mike

Some non-soviet LTM lenses can be used on FED and Zorki. It would be the lenses which have tongue-shaped coupling cams instead of full barrel types which cannot be, and should not be used.

I have used Summitars, Elmar (both 50 and 90), Canon/Serenar 28, 35, and 50mm lenses in many FED and Zorki cameras of various models. I suppose, (not having any CV lenses) that CV lenses with similar coupling cams will mount too. In fact, the 28 I use with my FED and Zorki is a Canon. This lens functions without fail on any FED (except the NKVDs) and Zorki I've put it on, as it would on any Leica or Canon or Epson.


The lenses which I know which should not be used in FED or Zorki are the Summaron 35, Hektor 135, and Canon/Serenar 85, 105, and 135 lenses.


Some FED, particularly the prewar and immediate post war FED-1 and very early FED-2 which would pose problems when used with non-soviet LTM lenses. In fact, many of the later Industar and Jupiter lenses would have fitting problems on these too.

The non-soviet lenses will focus properly if the camera is properly adjusted in terms of working distance and rangefinder calibration for both infinity and near settings. The worst that can be expected in these setups is having the markings of the non-soviet lens stop on either side or even the bottom, instead on top, where it can be read easily.


The Soviet "Leicas" did not come with a tongue- instead they had a slope shaped sensor instead of the roller type found in Leica, Canon, and other Leica type cameras. It is this which makes the use of certain lenses impossible.
Jay

 

[totifoto]

Thanx for all the reply´s.
I just bought a Fed-3 on e-bay for 30$. If it works well and I like it I will probably go for the jupiter 8 on it. now it has the standard 2.8