Mockva-5

Comrades:

 

The People's Special Commissar for the Procurement of Photographic

Equipment has provided me with a "new" 1959 Mockva-5 camera. With

this professional instrument, built by the hard-working Soviet People,

I endevour to make Comrade Krushchev proud.

 

It needs a few small tune-up items to be addressed before I load film,

but I think its going to take time to get used to the handling. (right

side viewfinder, left side shutter release, weight distribution) I'll

give it a fair shake and see how I feel in a few months.<div></div>

Its certainly a heavy beast!<div></div>

I call my Ikonta 521/16 a pocket camera. I think I need a "collectivized pocket" to carry the Moskva that way!<div></div>

Pocketable in your dreams!<div></div>

and yes, Craig was kind enough to provide the 6x6 mask, though I don't think I'll be making much use of it.

 

105mm on 6x6 focusing to 1.5m is still not really in "head shot" territory.

Hey, I know that Ruskie! Looks like I tossed in a free 3/8 to 1/4 adapter as well.

 

:)

 

Good luck and enjoy!

 

Craig

If anyone has an idea how to fix the vertical alignment of the rangefinder, drop me an email.

Mockba 5s are nice cameras, as long as the lens and focal plane are parallel. Well, even if they aren't. I wouldn't worry too much about the vertical alignment - mine never was but lining things up in a stack got the image sharply in focus. Consider using the 6x6 as it uses the best part of that lens, which can be very good. And I removed the handstrap and replaced it with a Leica CL type strap so I could shoulder the camera - like a magic bag.

The coupled rangefinder on the Moskva 5 seemed like a neat idea to me until I actually started trying to use it. It's fine for shots where you can take your time but for "grab shots" I prefer the "guess-focus and stop-down" approach.

 

Speaking of which, anyone know a good way to fix the lens-film plane alignment on a Moskva?

Jordan,

 

Do you refer to the setting lens filmplane distance (infinity setting) or parallelism?

 

There doesn't really appear to be an adjustment for the latter and I do see how it could become an issue with wear at the point where the struts engage the standard. My Moskva-5 standard is fairly solid but it is possible to wobble it a little with my finger. The standard on my Ikonta 521/16 locks down rock solid. I would check the collimation in all 4 corners and the centre with a scribed ground glass target in the camera's film plane and an SLR as Mike Elek has so elequently described. If the standard is straight, then it should be in focus everywhere in the same place, within the depth of field of the lens at maximum aperture.

 

Jorn, I think Craig has already shown us through his posts that this one is is a good one. His negs looked great! I agree 100% about guess focusing, in fact have little choice with my Ikonta, though sometimes it would be nice to have the rangefinder for close-up shots. If I'm going to tear the camera down for some repairs (YES), I'd like to try and get the rangefinder set right.

 

Maybe someone will want to trade it for a broken Super Ikonta :)

This is a "character" camera. I have one but I don't like to use it much. I find the rangefinder works fine, but the separate rangefinder and viewfinder windows are a pain. Results are good and I think the 6x6 mask probably gets the best out of it, but then shooting 6x6 is much easier with an old TLR.

<begin Boris Badenov accent>

 

Tovarisch! Is good to hear that your requisition has been honored, and in only 46 years -- may be new record for Soviet efficiency! Likely you find camera fits nicely in outer pocket when you dress for Siberian winter, though will be quite difficult to operate with heavy mittens; watch for skin sticking to bare metal when temperature is below -40. The suggestion by Jorn is good one, though my Mockba-5 has "ever vigilant" case that includes long neck strap.

 

You are correct, camera is heavy, to build up manly strength of athletic Soviet photographers. If find difficult to hold camera steady, some vodka will calm nerves and steady hands -- and warm nose and ears, too!

 

If is mal-alignment in rangefinder or lens standard, can only be due to abuse by running-dog capitalist lackeys hiding like worms within Perfect State; all products of Soviet People are perfect like state and communist system. Just as Soviet rocket boosters are superior to running-dog capitalist fireworks from Canaveral, so Mockba-5 is superior to Japanese and German cameras used in America to disguise lack of American camera industry capable to produce such compact marvels of optics as Soviet Mockba, Fed, and Kiev.

<i>I find the rangefinder works fine, but the separate rangefinder and viewfinder windows are a pain.</i> - good enough for Leica until 1950's :)

 

<p><i>Results are good and I think the 6x6 mask probably gets the best out of it, but then shooting 6x6 is much easier with an old TLR.</i> - exactly. Its not going to be better than my Rolleiflex 2.8; my Ikonta (Tessar) we will see.

 

<p>Tovarisch! Will find and throw capitalist worms in Lubyanka! Camera will see good use in cold of KaSSR (Canada).

"I believe my liver to be diseased." - F. Dos.

Somebody switch off the "Boris Badenov accent" tag please! :D

 

Nice gear, Mike. The russians have big winters and they need big coats for that. Big coats come with big pockets.

We have some pretty big winters in some parts of the KaSSR too. I once had to evacuate from a hotel fire alarm at -45C in Edmonton AB. Needless to say, I checked the hall to make sure I had time to dress-up, unlike some of the less well-balanced guests!

Mike, the problem with my camera is what Jorn describes in his very first sentence. The film plane is not perpendicular to the lens axis. I can see this in my contact sheets even at f/8 apertures. I could kick myself -- this is my second Moskva, the first one (which was wonderful and in great condition) sold several years ago.

 

I may see what I can do in terms of adjustments since right now my Moskva is just collecting dust.

 

My only other comment is that you should be careful with the 6x6 mask, mine scratched my film horribly. They are easy to bend out of shape when installing. I think this camera also benefits from being wound on just before taking a picture to keep tension on the film -- to help keep it flat.

SO you have view camera type "movements" in your 6x9 folder, Jordan. Great to hear!:)

No kidding Csab. World's cheapest view-camera... all I need now is the ground glass and some way to actually control the lens tilt. :)

The 6x6 mask I have is pretty rusty. I think I will strip it and repaint before even attempting to use it.

posted too soon...

 

The other benefit to winding on just before shooting is that opening the camera can cause a vacuum that will suck the film off the film plane and give you flatness issues.

Mike, I've heard that (vacuum theory) a number of times, but never seen any actual evidence of it.

 

That said, however, all of my bellows cameras, when they came to me, would deposit lots of dust on the film when opened, for at least 2-3 rolls of film, as junk that had collected in the bellows, expecting a long and quiet retirement, was suddenly disturbed when I put the camera back to work. Eventually, it clears out -- my Moskva hasn't generated enough dust to notice in a year or so. Depositing this dust on the film would surely be improved by winding on just before exposure instead of just after (since dust on the film after exposure doesn't matter much, as long as it washes off in processing -- at worst, dust on the film at printing or scanning will print white, which can be spotted -- but dust on the film when the shutter opens will cause a clear spot that prints black). Unfortunately, almost 40 years of habit, winding on after exposure, makes it a virtual certainty I'd get 12 shots on an 8 exposure roll (and still skip at least one frame) if I tried that...

Yes, dust. I make a point to vacuum the inside of my bellows cameras from time to time. I'm sure that its quite impossible to eliminate all of it.