Zorki-Kiev Cameras- Repair and Purchase in the USA

After a favorable year with a Kiev 60, I deiced to go the Russian

rangefinder route for my ?beater? street camera. That way if I

accidentally leave it on the T in Boston, or am robbed in the streets

I won?t be missing a $1,000+ camera. So the other day I purchased a

Zorki 4 from a USA private Seller, but would like to know who in the

USA sells these on a regular basis, and who in the USA fixes them. I

would rather pay the extra for a camera I know is going to work, than

play Russian roulette with 3 bullets in the cylinder. I?d like some

other lenses and a Clean/lube job. Also any one using a Kiev Contax

Copy? They seem really cool and would like to maybe get one of those

soon.

i can't help you with the usa dealer/repair issue, but i can only <b>recommend</b> the

kiev thing! i use a 4am (an '84 model) and i can almost only say good things about it. not

only is the camera a pile of pleasure to use, the lens (helios 50/1.8) seems to deliver

colors like nothing else i have.

David you are seeking a degree of certainty that is just not appropriate to FSU cameras. Many such cameras sold on eBay by USA sellers are dogs they got stuck with and pass on. No repairman in the USA will open any camera for much less than $100. The camera cost $20 on eBay. There are a number of Soviet emerge repairman in the NYC area who can work on this camera including Eddie Smolov (718-622-5373)

 

The only sensible options for a $20 camera IMO are (1) learn to repair yourself - get Maizenberg's book or search the web (some posters on this forum maintain wonderful repair sites); (2) send it to Oleg Khalyavin in Russia (ok@okvintagecamera.com); or (3) buy another.

There was someone in Arizona advertising cla and repair on FSU cameras on ebay recently. Don't know anything about hit other than he claimed to be an experienced repair person. A lot of FSU camera users send they stuff to Oleg, back in Russia, for repair. Takes at least six weeks round trip but he does great work. He has a FED 1 and Zorki 5 of mine right now. Don't know if I would send a Z4 to him. Unless it is one of the very early models before 1960. It's cheaper to just buy another. I would be more confident because it is a U.S. seller, however. Problems, big and small, are a fact of life with FSU gear

David, I agree with what Michael has said. Contact Oleg http://okvintagecamera.com/index.html tell him what you want and say you want it CLA'd as well.

 

Roger