So what about Zorki, et al?

Came across a very "Leicaesque" Zorki with lens, seems in good condition, purportedly operational. Price less than a decent lunch at a country restaurant. The thought of an "expendable" almost like a Leica to bang around with is interesting. Pitfalls, bad stuff? JDM, Others? Heaven knows, I don't need another collection or camera, but...

Came across a very "Leicaesque" Zorki with lens, seems in good condition, purportedly operational. Price less than a decent lunch at a country restaurant. The thought of an "expendable" almost like a Leica to bang around with is interesting. Pitfalls, bad stuff? JDM, Others? Heaven knows, I don't need another collection or camera, but...

Depends which one...they're pretty cheap so it's almost like a disposable camera. (Amongst others) I have the Zorki 6 with a Jupiter-8 lens which has been fun to shoot with and has the hinged back for ease of film loading - some have the Barnack type backs which can be interestingly challenging if not used to it. There is also quite a following for the Zorki 4(k) as well. There are some unique aspects to these cameras - here's a good site that hopefully can help sort the info reasonably well. Soviet cameras Good luck with your potential succumbing to more gear acquisition syndrome.

bert, thanks!

The Soviet rangefinders (and lenses) offer a lot of "bang for the buck." I used to have a Zorki-4 which is a good, solid shooter and has a nice viewfinder, though the knob wind isn't the most comfortable to use. The later 4K had a film advance lever. Also, the FEDs through the FED-4 are a good choice, and I have an earlier FED-5V which has been a very good camera. Viewfinder is pretty dim, though it isn't really a problem. I might avoid the later FED-5C (5S) models which can be a bit rough in build quality.

I have two Zorki 3M's, the viewfinder is good, curtains were replaced, before I got them. NEVER change shutter speeds before winding the advance- can cause a shutter jam on many of the LTM cameras. Some of the RF cams of Leica lenses will jam up on the Russian cameras, such as the Leica Summarit and others with a thin ring type cam. A Nikkot 5cm F2 will work, I've had the Nikkor 5cm F1.4 jam.

 

The Canon P or Canon 7 would be my choice for a cheap Leica compatible camera. Metal shutter curtains, non-rotating shutter dial, lever advance, great viewfinder. Will work with most Leica mount lenses- the J-12 will get hung up on the light baffles. Prices for good users run under $100.

Hello everyone. Sandy as you know I have been using several FSU Fed-2's or a -3 now for several years and find them solid cameras IF you are certain that a CLA has been done on them within a year or two. I have a Zorki 4 on the mainland which will soon be in use. That Zorki is the 4 model, which has the circular film advance, not the lever crank, which is the 4K model. I have not "enjoyed" the crank feature on my Fed-3, preferring the Fed-2 which has the circular film advance.

An excellent feature of these Feds & the Zorki, is the diopter adjustment lever on the left side of the camera (-2 & Z), where the -3 uses an adjustable eyepiece. My aged eyes require tri focal glasses and with these dioptor adjustments, I can drop the glasses down and prevent them being scratched.

The camera back drop down feature used by these cameras when loading film is an EZ adjustment, & I actually like it compared to juggling the camera on a neck strap & using a swinging back. Also, the Fed-3, and later model #'s, lack the body tabs for a strap which I absolutely require for my work. Zorki's after the 4 are hit n miss with the strap tabs.

Lenses: Most of the Fed & Zorki models arrive with the Industar N-61 prime lens. Smallest f stop is 16. I was able to do excellent work with the Industar but now have Jupiter-8, 50mm lenses on all the cameras. F 22 but with some very good coating on the lens, unlike the N-61, unless you get the L model of that lens.

OK, now the "money" bit. I purchased a "ready to rock n roll" camera (Zorki 4) from a fellow in Canada & it was a junker (torn shutter curtains). My money was refunded from Ebay & he declined to have me return the cameras. I next went & purchased another Zorki 4 from a vendor on Ebay who has some seriously good feedback ratings. Long story short, my two Fed-2/s & a -3 have been purchased from him also. All these cameras have been CLA'd & work like butter. Not Leicas's but solid yeoman rangefinder cameras.

Private email me & I will pass along his Ebay seller name. Aloha Bill

Me again. Current pricing for a CLA'd Fed-2 or Zorki-4 is in the $70-80 range with shipping to the US. The Jupiter-8 lenses run $30-60 with shipping. All my Jupiter's came out of the Russian Fed & I have not had any problems. All purchases thru Ebay. Aloha, Bill

I have a Zorki 4K, FED 2 & 5 scooped up on German flea markets. Issues I noticed: My Jupiter 85mm lenses don't focus properly on anything (including digital Leicas). The Jupiter 35mm seems a bit soft for my taste.

My favorite body is probably the FED 2. Strap lugs solid finish, few shutter speeds but nice to handle. The FED 5 has a tilted hotshoe and the rewinding business sometimes felt odd enough to dig out the changing bag. The silkscreened shutter speeds on the Zorki 4 are fading.

Some folks claim that all Soviet RFs are build to Contax flange distance even those with "L"TM. So I wouldn't expect much compatibility from that stuff.

It seems also hard to find willing repair techs for it.

To me the shooting experience with older bodies seemed OK with mainly 50mm f3.5 lenses used. Dunno; the M 3 & 4-P feel much better and I am somehow more confident about k-mount SLRs as expendable cameras but yes, the Soviet LTM RFs have some appeal, especially if you don't get them for use with interchangeable lenses. - Judge RF brightness yourself and figure out if you are willing and able to live with it. My last carry everywhere all the time film camera was a Retina II.

Oh, and beware of the one with spring driven motor and different frame lines. - It seems hard to find (and keep!) in working condition.

If you don't get a special kick out of wagering film in unknown gear, maybe keep your hands off or ponder dabbling with the longer lenses on a MILC. The older ones of these cameras have probably every right in the world to fall apart tomorrow. And it is unknown if lens and RF will play well together because they are still matched by the factory.

OTOH: They look good and maybe you 'll even get them serviced.

Edited July 16, 2017 by Jochen

By a strange set of circumstances, I have never had a Zorki, branded as such. I do strongly suspect that my gold-&-rosewood Swedish army "Leica" started out as a Zorki.

 

I've always been a FED man myself, as you might guess from my avatar.

 

The Soviet LTM lenses I have all work just fine on my Canon LTM bodies as well as on the FEDs themselves. The Contax-mount lenses for the Kiev likewise work well on the Kievs themselves and on the Contax IIa (less the wide angle, but that is another problem).

Some of my Kiev (contax-mount) Soviet lenses

As I look a bit further into this, psychic danger signals go off in the background. This is fascinating stuff, and very affordable. This experience could be like the old potato chip ad "bet you can't eat (buy) just one!" Have to think about this. Thanks for the input. There is actually a Fed with a knurled lens....

Came across a very "Leicaesque" Zorki with lens, seems in good condition, purportedly operational. Price less than a decent lunch at a country restaurant. The thought of an "expendable" almost like a Leica to bang around with is interesting. Pitfalls, bad stuff? JDM, Others? Heaven knows, I don't need another collection or camera, but...

 

I have a fair amount of direct experience with most of the Zorki series, the earlier Feds, and Kievs.These all proved to be a disappointment to me and I wouldn't consider another (in particular the later manufactured Kievs). The later model cameras, especially, were so shabbily built that they are not worth the effort/expense to fix one - others here will disagree with me. It is more than disappointing to attempt to use a freshly serviced Zorki and to find it has multiple light leaks.

 

It all comes down to camera condition and service history. Unless you are buying from someone trustworthy who can assure you that the camera has had a CLA in the past few years, you must assume that the camera will require service to clean the shutter. It will cost just as much to service a Russian Leica copy as for a genuine Leica (or an LTM Canon).

 

My suggestion is to buy a IIIc or IIc Leica` and have it serviced (a Canon LTM is just as nice - consider the Canon P) and economize by using a Russian lens. The Jupiter 8's are quite good lenses - try to find a black one. The earlier silver-colored ones (aluminum barrels actually) have fine glass but sometimes have congealed (read petrified) lubricant in the helicoid which makes them stiff to focus.

Edited July 16, 2017 by wendell_kelly

Thanks, Wendell!

My experience, with a lot of these, actually, is quite different than wendell's. Only my gold and rosewood 'Leica" was less than optimal.

 

I shot Leica IIIs in the field and found them little different from their mass-produced Soviet copies.

 

Of course, one does need to be cautious about "minty" Soviet Leicas -- they may be that way because they didn't work well right out of the box.

They were sort of like my 1966 Mustang. Assembly and construction was trimmed up by my local Ford dealer, not at the factory.

I've used a "no name" Kiev for many years with the Contax mount 1.4 Nikon 50. Although the viewfinder is squinty and dim, the wide rangefinder base makes it easy to focus. The shutter release is like falling down stairs; you get there but it isn't a pleasant experience. What did help the shutter release was mounting a TA softie release button which gave a much better feel to the release. With the two part body shell it is so easy to load film with no trimming needed. The Kiev dates from 1963 and the Nikon lens and hood from earlier than that.

This experience could be like the old potato chip ad "bet you can't eat (buy) just one!" Have to think about this.

 

It might end up that way, but then again, it also might not. Out of curiosity for rangefinders, I got a Kiev-4a from eBay. There is quite a lot to like about the camera, but I never got it to do reliable correct frame spacing. Probably thanks to my DYI take-up spool. It's also not really smooth.....I got a Kiev-2 afterwards (which was certainly less of a bargain, built better and in better shape), which is very smooth and more reliable (but still shows minor frame spacing issues).

 

I do like the Kiev-2; it feels a solid brick, the Jupiter-8 (that usually comes with it) can deliver just fine, and there is something nice quirky about using it. My shutter release is fine, instant and nice sound. But what I found I do not like is that it's actually quite heavy. The other thing the Kiev helped me realise - rangefinder focussing just doesn't quite work for me. SLRs for me. So, even if FEDs and Zorki's are extremely tempting, I now know I can avoid them and eat none of these potatoes. Plus, I also have a Canon QL17 which works perfectly fine, lighter and more portable and not that much more expensive.

For a reliable LTM camera, the Canon P is probably the choice. Reasonable price, and they tend to work.

(The coupled light meter tends to be less reliable. Mine often works if I tap on it a few times.)

 

But the P doesn't feel like a Leica. For that, the FED and Zorki, or earlier Canon models, are the choice.

Zorki 3m / J8 and Fed IIc / I 61 (?). Both work but could use CLA. Pictures have a slightly soft creamy look that is fine in some instances, annoying in others.

 

I also have a Leica IIIc. The I61 lens mounts easily on all 3 bodies. The J8 mounts perfectly on the Zorki, generally ok on the Fed, but is difficult to mount on the Leica. Interesting.

Reminds me, I bought an LTM lens/body cap set from an eBay seller in China.

 

One side worked fine, the other didn't, so they refunded the whole price. (That is, about USD 5.00)