fed 2(b) or zorki 6 or ...

[fish4570]

seems i'll never be able to afford another leica, so i have a craving for a manual rangefinder with some gravitas. could be a canon IIa or III might be affordable, too. but among the FSU products, which do you guys most favor? i'm looking for most reliable ...

[martinsmith99]

I have a FED2. Nice camera, but I wouldn't class as reliable.

What kind of features do you want (meter/manual exposure/interchangeable lenses)? There are so many to chose from it's difficult to recommend. With the prices of Canon RFs at the moment, they look tempting.

[fish4570]

no meter. i don't like batteries. leica screw mount-type is desireable because of lens availibility and cost efficiency. i have a couple of canons (IIa and III) on e-bay watch. the FSU products, i reckon, just fascinate me. but i'll stay away if reliability is an issue. i like a camera to be jeep/pickup truck tough and jeep/pickup truck simple. that's why i like my praktica so much, but i sure can't stow it in a jacket pocket.

could be the minolta a5 that is supposed to arrive soon will have to do for a while. but sigh, all of those FSU screwmount lenses floating out there ...

[fish4570]

the voigtlander bessa r also intrigues me since i discovered its existence on this site and others. the FSU cameras are just so affordable ...

[martinsmith99]

If you do go down the FED/Zorki route, try one from www.fedka.com as these are CLA'd and should cause less issues than the ones on efray.

[scsambrook]

Fed 4L or Zorki 4K are maybe the best bets, especially if bought in the UK and from the time when the importer actually checked them before distribution (I think that's pre- 85, but others may know better). But they're all a bit unpredictable, although they're still cheap enough not to be a disaster.

The Zorki has a better lens and the v/f is great if you don't wear specs. If you do, then it's a nightmare!

Best buy interchangeable lens r/f is the CV Bessa R. Great v/f, a mechanical shutter and a meter that's not part of the operating system. Lightweight as well. Ebay prices for a body seem to run well under £150, less for a scruffy one.Bought mine s/h about 5 years ago and it's never given me a moment's trouble, although when I got it the r/f images were slightly displaced vertically. That's supposed to be a common "fault" but it doesn't affact accuracy and I've never bothered to get it adjusted. The black paint finish comes of quite easily, something which I believe has ben fixed on later models. I'd happily buy another one if I lost mine.

But, and I do understand this factor, it has a very "modern" feel about it that makes it very different to an earlier screw Leica, Canon or whatever else.

[Nesster]

I have a Fed 3 I don't use very much, that I'm thinking of selling. Perhaps it's too modern & ugly But I bought it from a camera repair guy and it's been reliable so far *touch wood* and I have an Industar 61 and Jupiter 12 for it. Turns out the idea of a FSU screw mount was more enticing than the reality for me.

The rules about when I can change shutter speed, plus the warnings about having the sun burn holes in the shutter, plus the reality of not really having interchangeable lenses has meant that I've used leaf shutter fixed lens range finders much more.

[fish4570]

i much prefer manual stuff but i have a weak spot for the little konica c35. i had a new one many years ago, and it was a joy. i have my eye on one in e-bay ...

[fish4570]

just got word the minolta a5 was shipped yesterday. busting a gut here ...

[fish4570]

the minolta a5 i received today will suffice - for a while.

[mflex-on]

This look excellent:
http://fedka.com/catalog/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=566&reviews_id=166

The Zorki 3 has a "classic style" and the rangefinder is far better than on the dull and small FEDs and Zorki-1

[fish4570]

thst is a beautiful speciman ...

[Kamerer]

Zorki-6 is more convenient.

[mflex-on]

[Kamerer]

[fish4570]

among the fsu rangefinders, which has the brightest, easiest to use viewfinder? and which has the most trustworthy shutter?

[Kamerer]

[fish4570]

fed 2b brightest, i have read, and zorki 6 most contrasty ... or is it fed most contrasty, zorki brightest?

[dee]

The most important point is to buy a serviced camera from Oleg or Cupog - this will give the most chance of reliability .

These are old cameras - Zorki 6 is comparitively rare , Fed 2 plentiful , Zorki 4 - exported all over .

I would still suggest Zorki 4 [ early ] with engraved shutter dial , serviced .
Especially with a Jupiter 8 .

Though I love my Kiev II .

[Kamerer]

[Kamerer]

[fish4570]

thanks for the repair advice, kamerer, but my fine motor skills have deteriorated to the point i could not take on most such repairs, even simple ones, so ruggedness is important ...

[fish4570]

do the dioper adjustments really work on the fsu rangefinders? that would be very helpful to my farsighted right eye. and do the early canon rangefinders, and the "p" have diopter levers?

[Kamerer]

[fish4570]

thanks much again, kam.