FED and Zorki Soviet Era Rangefinders

On today's vlog episode I'm digging back into the "camera closet" by request to look at some soviet era, Russian rangefinder cameras.
If you'd like to see what images look like from these cameras, I put together a gallery of Zorki and FED images on Flickr: goo.gl/Mo16i
These things are fairly easy to find and not very expensive. Lots of fun to collect.
I must apologize - I'm more of a photographer than a camera buff so it is possible that I've got some information wrong about these cameras. Feel free to add corrections below in the comments. Even better - leave a video response - particularly if you have one of these cameras to show.
FEDs and Zorkis, though very similar were produced in 2 different factories. FEDs were produced between 1934 and 1990 at Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky - Zorki's between 1948 and 1978 at the Krasnogosrsk Mechanical Factory.
The cameras I've shown in this video are a FED 1, a Zorki 1, a FED 3 and a FED 5b.
On my channel you will find videos about photography, cinematography, post processing tutorials for Capture One, Lightroom and Photoshop, photo assignments that YOU can participate in, the Artist Series and of course me vlogging about my personal life. The Artist Series is an ongoing set of videos I produce as documentaries on living photographers. I am extremely passionate about photography and video and my goal in making these videos is to share my passion and enthusiasm with you! Don’t forget to subscribe and make sure to hit the like button and share this video if you enjoyed it!
Ted Forbes
The Art of Photography
2830 S. Hulen, Studio 133
Fort Worth, TX 76109
US of A

[@RiveTheRat]

I'm Russian and nobody in ex-USSR calls them F-E-D, evetone says "Fed"

[@seasondyes1990]

i really like the little sense of humor you through i into your detailed and educative videos, please keep up with the awesome work

[@GONZOFAM7]

Watched this a couple months ago and ordered a FED IIIA. It came in today. It's very cool and smaller than I expected, I like that. My kit came with two filters yellow and orange and original box. I have to adjust for infinity then off to shoot. Thanks for another great video from way back.

[@EpictheEpicest]

Soviet cameras always have very angular, industrial designs. They don't have the elegance or the preciseness of German or French build quality or the space-age look of Japanese, but they were built for rugged, every day use and they were built to last. Zenits are the only cameras I am happy to let my kids use as I know they will never break them.

[@duck1946]

Hi Ted only recently discovered your channel, excellent! i have a FED 4 L , purchased new in 1978,i only shot transparency film with it ,the lens is the Industar 50mm 2.8, this gave superb results ,i only used Ektachrome My daughter used it at school during her art courses,she loved it too! I havnt used it for a few years and the selenium light meter is not functioning correctly (good job i have a Wetern Master v back up ) but regularly run a blank through it to make sure it all works as i do with other cameras in my small collection, been out today and run 24 exposures through my Olympus Trip 35,another little gem.Next time the FED !!.

[@blackbirdpie217]

I have news for you man. You are a camera collector.

[@nickfernandez7358]

Dave B yeah, having bins full of cameras kinda makes you a collector, though maybe not an expert

[@GONZOFAM7]

Collectors have display shelves hoarders have plastic bins. 😊📸📸

[@manfat3000]

Long Time Subscriber - Brought a FED 4 today - Thank you endlessly for such great vlogs and reviews.

[@paulg7002]

Great video. Tons of fun. I first bought a FED4 and I just picked up a FED2. Wonderful cameras!

[@almazplusmaria]

FED is a high quality Russian camera, it was hard to get one back in the days, very rugged also. Its not really leica but you can call it Russian leica quality camera, just cheaper price.

[@doggi31]

Hi Ted! Thanks for making this video after I made the request. I've just gotten my FED2 from the bay and I just can't seem to let go of it!

[@neilpiper9889]

I have Fed 2, Zorki C and a Zorki 4K and they all work fine. Zorki 4K is the best. The Jupiter 8 50mm f2 lens is awesome.

[@MatteoPreziosoPH]

As we speak, I'm just cleaning a Zorki "1933 Leica IIc" imitation. It still doesn't work, but it's so much fun to have this little unreliable gem in your own hands. I'll give it a good CLA soon (from the same technician who fixed my Rolleiflex 6003 Pro, who can't wait to do the work.) Very good video, I really enjoy our work.

[@puupipo]

It's great that there are photographers on KZbin who really care more about the photography itself than the latest and most technically advanced gear. Many KZbin-photographers say that they don't care much about the equipment but then the next video they put up is a gear review... Glad you're not one of them! Keep up the good work and greetings from Finland!

[@AlexCruceru]

This is perfect! I just got a Fed 5c and I needed this tutorial about this ragefinder. I am used to my Zenit E type of focusing and this will be a game changer.

[@parranoic]

I have a Fed 3 and it's awesome, almost all the pictures from my childhood were shot using it and they are decent. Also I have a CMEHA that looks pretty nice too.

[@milesian1]

I really love these faux Leicas, warts and all. And they're a great value. I misplaced my Fed-2 and Zorki-4 in an overseas move. No problem, they were easily replaced for under 75 bucks, including decent an Industar-26 lens. Since the box containing my missing cameras finally showed itself, I now own two Fed-2's, a Zorki-4, Zorki C (S), and two Kiev-4's (Contax copies). The Zorki C is the most beautiful and cool looking, but my favorite to use is the Fed-2.

[@bronkowal8092]

Coupled rangefinder means the lens itself is coupled to the camera's built in rangefinder, not that the viewfinder and rangefinder are in the same eyepiece.

[@ideologger]

Bron Kowal +1

[@lrochfort]

I was about to say that too. Good video otherwise though. Personally I would recommend the FED 2 or Zorki 6. Although as he says, the Zorki 3 is a very nice camera, they command a premium price somewhat.

[@1peterq]

+1. Combination of RF and VF gives combined VF not coupled.

[@milandragojlovich5500]

You are doing great! I enjoy watching/learning... Keep it up; I know, not easy; very valuable...

[@Charger425]

Excellent video. Have a growing collection of Zenit's, Zorki's and have just bought a FED 2D on eBay in mint condition.

[@jburgie]

Hi Ted. Good roundup of the FED & Zorki line. You might want to mention, when talking about old cameras, that there are pretty good exposure meter apps available for the iPhone, etc. Even if an old camera has a working exposure meter, they can be suspect after 30 years or so.

[@MohdSuhaimiHozaini]

Thanks for the good video. I'll be getting my Fed5 these 2 weeks. You mentioned about the metal view finder that can scratch spectacle lens. Any workaround that I can do? Should I dab some shoe goo to rubberized the metal part? Thanks.

[@johnirby493]

The rangefinder is coupled to the lens. When the lens is focused, the rangefinder is aligned.

[@thegreatvanziniphotos5976]

Yes. I rem I got a brand new in the box 5c somewhere around the lat 80's early 90's. It was a functional camera to use some old Russian & Canon sm lenses I picked up off & on from ebay & such. Delightful vid.

[@shostakov66]

My favorite, and I have all of these plus some more feds, is the FED 2. It is the best of the lot.

[@piotr803]

shostakov66 what makes it the best of the lot?

[@RichardThorneanorak]

I like the immediacy and enthusiasm and knowledge in your review here. I don't like the look of the film loading on the model that you detached. I have a *Kiev 4a* which I bought new in 1979 for £25. The Kiev and Kiev 4a look a little more modern but the knurled 360 degree wind on was difficult to master. I didn't buy any additional lenses either but I was working in black and white at the time and with a Yellow filter I got some excellent results from the camera. Great cameras for us enthusiasts at that time, short on cash but high on photographic enthusiasm and ready to learn. Thank you, again.

[@RichardThorneanorak]

Thanks for watching william orr ***** David Haylett Bob Bridges *****

[@halo3269]

Well put Joonas, and I totally agree with you. I purchased a FED 4 today and I have to say when talking to the seller in the shop, we compared digital to the last century's rangefinders. The one aspect that really made sense to me is how well made they are compared to todays DSLRs. Updates aren't always going to be available, and technology changes so quickly, that in reality your camera and its software is already yesterdays news.

[@theartofphotography]

Thanks! Greetings to you too! Thanks for the kind words…

[@marknathan7744]

Got myself a Zorki 4k today and looking forward to shooting a roll on it .

[@Magnusscipioiterum]

Sign Off: May all your days be F/16!

[@howardtowler14]

great to watch the blog as i just have got a Zorki-4 for £13 off ebay

[@AlexanderGil]

When dusting off those closet cameras, what could be a good procedure to start using it again? Checking the battery if it has one? Shooting a roll and checking the exposure or light leaks? This might be an idea for a podcast. I have several that I would like to start using again but testing seems the logical approach.

[@Senjak026]

I've been following your channel for a little bit less than a year but I've seen at least two years worth of videos you produced... I'm just getting into vintage lens + digital camera phase and I was pleased to see you did a video on these Russian cameras as I just ordered a Zorki 4 myself.... I might give it a shot too, but I'm currently more interested in coupling old lenses with a new camera, which brings me to a question. Are you by any chance planning on doing a little video on that particular topic. I know you use Sony mirrorless a lot, and from my research these vintage Russian lenses do remarkably well with Alphas. I would just love to see your outlook on that.... Anyway, great job on the videos, old and new. Thanks for all the insight and motivation regarding photography.

[@Bareego]

Would be neat if you could compare the lenses and their optical performance, Zorki, FED, Leica atc

[@1peterq]

All soviet rangefinders shares the same optics so there is no use to compare FED optics with Zorki or with Kiev. Lenses differ more in production years and facilities.

[@TheEPROM9]

I have a FED 1, lovely camera. Takes some beutifull shots. Want to get some old sovet film for it.

[@avikrc18]

Hi Ted.. I have and shoot on a couple of FEDs and kievs. But for one of them the rangefinder never really were aligned, so I have it with my voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 which does not need focusing anyway. I just wanted to add here that for those who want, the fed 5 and the fed 5c has a selanium lightmeter which is really old design but different from what we see in slrs for example and fun to check out..

[@MadnessMethodical]

I just acquired a Argus C3 Matchmatic, would be very curious to learn a bit more about it out of curiousity! I'm going to run some film through it soon. Pretty excited.

[@FoxtrotMikefm]

Hi, I would like to correct a technical detail in your description. The rangefinders that you are referring to as 'uncoupled' are in fact coupled. The term 'uncombined' would be more appropriate. That is, the viewfinder & rangefinder eyepieces are separate, not combined. Each has its own little window. An uncoupled rangefinder is one which is used to establish the subject distance & this value is then set, by the photographer, on the lens' distance scale. There are accessory rangefinders that can be mounted in the shoe of a simple viewfinder camera & used in this way to set the focus. On your FEDs & Zorkis the lenses are 'coupled' to the rangefinder via a cam in the lens mount. Essentially, you are making the two rangefinder images coincide, by turning the focus ring of the lens, thanks to this coupling. I have seen this "uncoupled" misnomer used a lot on KZbin. I hope this clarifies things a little. ;-) ciao, fm.

[@kylehazachode]

Still my favorite video of yours

[@72Disco1998]

I own a Zorki 2c and I was wondering how to check to see if the shutter is working, any help would be most appreciative. Great videos.

[@elh93]

Have you ever used the Kiev 4? I've got one and I really enjoy using it. It is a contax copy and has a combined rangefinder/viewfinder.

[@yamingoat]

"Made by child labor" *buys one immediately*

[@khatuntsovmikhail6223]

yp. Dzherinsky, who was founder ChK (later KGB or modern FSB), establish kinda homeless kids house (for trouble makers, criminals) to helped them to become a better people. some of them become engineers, scientists.

[@dju1999]

@@khatuntsovmikhail6223 Indeed, the pre-WWII factories were established before Stalin, and produced clones of Leica II / III by training orphans and young people taken from the streets, and give them education and training, to become experts in mechanics and optics, in this example (other factories made tractors, drilling machines, etc.., copied from the west) .. Sad that this part of history is largely forgotten.

[@patriziodalessandro1693]

@@dju1999 By "before" Stalin, do you mean in a previous time (i.e. by Tzar Nicholas II) or do you mean place (i.e. "in front of him)? Anyway, you are wrong in both cases.

[@patriziodalessandro1693]

The first labour commune was founded in 1924 by order of OGPU, whose chairman was Feliks Edmudovic (wrong family name spelling). Unfortunately poor old Feliks did not make it to be the founder of the labour commune in New Kharkov in 1927, because he died in 1926. The institution was entitled to him posthumously. In the end NKVD became responsible for managing all jails, correctional houses and similar institutions and the name of the commune transitioned from "УССР" (U for Ukrainskyi) to "СССР" (S for Soviet) to take the final version of Харьковский комбинат НКВД СССР им. Ф. Э. Дзержинского (one of my cameras is engraved with the earlier version: Трудкоммуна НКВД УССР им. Ф. Э. Дзержинского).

[@EL3IMAGERY]

I have a Zorki 6 and I love it. You should touch on the the other available m39 lens from other companies

[@1peterq]

About FED-1 lenses. Russian post-WWII lens production really was based on a Zeiss copies - Tessar, Sonar and Biogon. BUT! There was a pre-war lens 50 mm f2.0 for FED-C (special version of FED-1 with additional 1/1000 shutter speed) and it can be a copy of some Leica lens. But this lens has no coating and extremely rare today.

[@ArminHirmer]

have a Fed1 and a Zorki coming, but only for the lenses. The Fed has the first Industar 10 which was uncoated and will use it on my Sigma SD Quattro and Sigma FPL :D

[@jonlouis2582]

I liked this. I learn a lot here.

[@sgiruc]

Russian Rangefinders are really nice cameras. They are not as cheap as in UK. Old Voigtlanders are usually cheaper than FED or Zorki. Kiev cameras are even more expensive. Yes, they are really lovely cameras. I have FED 4 and Kiev 4 - both working fine, have a nice lenses

[@theartofphotography]

Ha! Thanks Daan!

[@fransa.henriet8345]

Hi, I do like the looks of the camera's

[@linofacioli3344]

Hey man, I loved the video, you know your stuff. I’ve got a FED 4 but I can’t get it to work, would you have any suggestions?

[@beholder2012]

Instead of trying to feed the FED with SD card try to load it with 35mm panchromatic film.

[@rbruce63]

I had a Zenit once before it was stolen, it made nice pictures! Will you ever make a program on Japanese fixed lens coupled rangefinders? My first camera was a Yashica Electro 35 GSN that I had repaired in Colorado and later ii bought a GX and enjoy them thoroughly!

[@Otokichi786]

I learned how to use 35mm cameras starting with a 1938 Leica IIIa, which is a bottom loading unit. Most of the III series Leicas had a loading diagram which worked if you "just followed directions." Modern 135 film tongues require you to trim it for bottom loading cameras, but you aren't a gotta-get-it-a-split-second-or-lose-it 1930's press photographer. I NEVER tore up a roll of 35mm film loading Ye Olde Leica, because this is a "slow down and catch the decisive moment" camera system.

[@razumskiy]

FED-5 has a light sensor that helps you set exposure pair. It has a calculator on "roll thing when you're done with film" thing... yeah.

[@sergeseva]

FED - Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky! Being Russian, I didn't know what FED stood for. Thanks for clarification. This is awesome! I liked your pronunciation, and yes, you got it almost right! Here is the approximate transcription - [Feliks Edmundovich Derzinskij]. You don't need to pronounce [dz] in Dzerzhinsky, just say [de] and you ate al good :o). Good luck with your Russian, and thanks for your Vlog!

[@Animaduniversum]

Just bought a Zorki 4 for 30€. I already have some LTM lenses at home. 28mm 2.8, 35mm 2, 53mm 2.8. Can''t wait.

[@doggi31]

Thank you for the video!

[@ajb1876]

I'm just getting into film photography :) .. I'm so glad I found out about film to digital scanners! :D .. On another note, I won an FED4 camera on ebay for £16.. is that a good deal? I was thinking about getting a zorki too

[@alexli1994]

Will the FED / Zorki lenses from this era fit the Leica M bodies? And will they work?

[@flower-ld5id]

I've been thinking of one of these FEDs for my first film camera. they seem to be fairly cheap and good enough quality

[@astralbraintentacles1212]

All that I have bought from ebay have problems. So I'd recommend one that has as service and non original curtains...

[@RestorationAustralia]

I have the Zorki 4 export version with a black Jupiter 8, awesome camera. Who needs the Leica?

[@beholder2012]

Snobs? :D

[@victorwhitby4401]

How about the kiuev copy of the contax with or without a light meter and lens adaptor from 55 to 35 and 55 to 80. Regards

[@OutOfReachOfficial]

I just got a zorki 1 and its i. Beautiful condition but when I wind it and try to fire the shutter it dosent seem to fire? It worries me because I think I spent a little to much on it:/. What could be the problem I've always heard that they have really quiet shutters but I don't even hear it. So if anybody knows what could be wrong or if you know what is wrong please get back with me .

[@docc1123]

i'm thinking about a fed 2 also for some b&w photogra[phy. they are inexpensive and similar to leica but at 10th the priice. the lack of a meter can be a problem but i've used sunny 16 before. i have a minolta srt 202 with a broken meter and it shoots fine with sunny 16. great presentation as always. keep it up.

[@ishmurzin]

Wanted to point it out too. A *coupled rangefinder* is the one that couples the determination of the distance with the focusing of the lens.

[@theartofphotography]

thanks!

[@berlinsprayer14]

I wanted a rangefinder so i opted for the canonets. good build quality and a good lens, but not quite the leica. Could you maybe do some introduction to 4x5 video (cheaper cameras enlargers and all) and ,not sure if you've done it yet, composition, compositional tools what you look for in compositions Thanks for the commitment! :)

[@Aab4ever123]

Hello Ted :) I have watched this many times now, I really love it. Could you please do a favor? Post a picture of the fed 1 and the zorki 3 side by side for size comparison. Thanks or as we in Danish: Tak :)

[@jaewoongyoon8904]

I bought a "Zprki 6" from the Ukraine on Ebay. No TTL metering. The sprockets sometimes grind the film and the rear film door opens by accident. Fun stuff. The pictures comes out ok. I gave it away to a friend.

[@JohnSmith-ch2od]

I decided to buy one the moment I heard it's named after comrade Dzerzhinsky.

[@KingGameReview]

I gave up using my FED because it's a pain to use. The rangefinder is constantly getting out of calibration and I have to take it apart and re-calibrate it every few shots. The film rewind is messed up and I have to take part of the top of the camera apart to get that to work... Also, it has a crazy weird light leak or something that only effects the center portion of the film plane. Mine's yellow and green...I don't use it anymore.

[@astralbraintentacles1212]

Sounds broken.

[@Maj275]

My father got some tim ago an actual Leica IIIa and on this, it's the same like FED 1 with loading film. But I have to say, with open shuttercurtain and no lens it's much easier, because you can guide the film thru the opening.

[@victorwhitby4401]

Hi ted how about a look at the american argue and the Roberts and the supreme optical comoanty liuca copy saw one of these in Manchester UK about 5 years ago. Regards sorrow about the spelliung

[@TheCommanderMAD]

I would be curious to see how you personally set up a shoot (in your free time). I'm not sure how to explain this or ask but here goes. Let's say you're driving around and perhaps something catches your eye, how do you try to capture the essence of what you see? Or perhaps lets say you wanted to shoot a particular landscape. What motivates your creativity? I guess what I'm really asking is if you can take us along for the ride (vlog it) when you go to shoot something.

[@TheRobertSt]

I really do like your Chanel, although the picture content is a bit 'the same all the time', a common mistake of many KZbin channels. Btw. I have seen your cat walking around in the background, do you have any photos of him/her that you care to share?

[@EdgarFreytes]

Its says in the gallery that I dont have permission to the the private page

[@Supadenno]

Does all the Feds use the same lenses/ do they all different mount?

[@beholder2012]

All the newer FEDs (I believe from FED 3 up, probably?) use M39 mount.

[@tplyons5459]

FEDs were made because the government stopped importation of alot of products because of money going out of the country and little coming in. The first FEDs were copies of the original Leica with no range finder. After that it was a copy of the Leica 2. Your version of the Zorki-3 is quite rare these days. Finally the FED-5A and C have light meters in them. The I-61 lens that come with them are quite sharp made from radio Thoriated glass thorium in it. Oddly my first 8x10 lens was a 305mm Kodak Aero Ektar made from the same glass. For a giggle I use one of my I-61 lenses on my Canon 7 body

[@kevintechsync]

hey what film did you use ?

[@jazzmeltsface]

So i found 2x cameras hidden in the attic of my house, one was a FED3, but written in russian though. i guess, is this worth anything? both perfect condition. Other is a Zenith, also written in russian. Thanks!

[@astralbraintentacles1212]

No not worth heaps, especially without a service.

[@TheCulinsky]

Howdy :) I own a FED 5 (no additional letters). This model has a meter and is a great camera! FED comes with industar lenses (55mm), so if you try jupiter lens (50mm) - you MUST adjust the rangefinder for the new lens, other way you'll get your shots out of focus (that's a 15 min. work and i'll be glad to help on that). Kiev 4 has a meter too but they aren't M39. Zorky don't have meters, though they really look cute :) Russian cameras are really accessible and Jupiter 8 is a sharp lens with sweet bokeh. Bodies may are a Leica copy, but lenses are Carl Zeiss copies, so you'll be glad, do believe me. The price, the quality really inspires you to take pictures with joy and without any regrets or concerns :) Wish you all health and peace.

[@GiPelagio]

Hey man! Been a long time since your comment, but hope you can help me, I'm thinking about getting a FED 3, would you know if there's any differences between this model and yours(FED 5)? btw: have you still got your FED? Like it? Anyways, it will be my first analog and I'm trying to orient myself into the probable piece I'll be using! Thanks

[@user-ml2tp8no6m]

Thanks

[@patriziodalessandro1693]

Hello. You are wrong about children not working in the commune. Read the theory in the book of Pogrebinsky about how a labour commune can change people - and by people I mean petty thieves and homeless kids. This was a correctional institure where the "guests" had to study and work to "elevate" themselves (see also Gorky's kids colonies and the book The Road To Life of Makarenko, the first director of the Kharkov commune). The design of the FED 3,5/50 is a very close relative of that of the Elmar. They look more like "modified" Cooke triplets (with the rear lens made of two lenses glued together) and have nothing to share with a Sonnar scheme. Maybe you confused the FED 50mm f/3,5 scheme with the FED 50mm f/2 scheme?

[@shinyparts]

Do you have any Zenits?

[@paulomoreira007]

Hi, nice of you to bring FSU cameras to the vlog. I just think you went a little too fast and there are a few innacuracies. First, the Leica Elmar is a copy of the Zeiss Tessar, just like the Industar, Schneider Xenar, D Zuiko lenses etc. The Tessar design is the bare minimum for a qulity lens, so there are no noticeable differences between the Industar and the rest, save for the Industar 61 L/N with its lanthanum glass. Normally Jupiter lenses were not standard in FED cameras.

[@victorwhitby4401]

Hi how about a summery. of the less expensive German cameras of the 1950 erette was one with a prontor shutter and a schnifer Jena lens

[@thetree7403]

To clarify the difference between the FED types. FED 5 has both a light meter and the ability to correct for bad eyesight, so You don't need glasses. The 5b does not have the light meter, and the 5c has the light meter but no eyesight compensation

[@googlepissoff5776]

What about the 5V?

[@steveg8322]

Example photos from the cameras that are reviewed, please.

[@Mucklegipe]

Have you ever used a Zenit photo sniper?

[@theartofphotography]

Never had a Kiev 4 - I've heard cool things though.

[@fczSevenzero]

The Keiv cameras are copies of the German Contax cameras

[@Komsomol1979]

You almost got the russian text right. :) "D" in "FED" stand for "Dzerzhynski", not "Dzherzinski", but I see why it's hard to pronounce.

[@skateboris]

just got my zorki 4k from ebay and i was so excited until i realised the person who sold it to me had not cocked the shutter before changing shutter speeds :( Now i have to get that fixed..Nice video though :)

[@mueslimuncher1950]

A separate window for rangefinder and viewfinder does not mean the rangefinder is uncoupled. If it was, a seperate wheel would be used for the rangefinder, to measure the distance, which would then be applied to the focus on the lens.

[@ajb1876]

The camera also came with 53 2.8 lens

[@nukecoke87]

I have a Zorki-4 and a Fed-2. I gave up the Z4 because I can't see the frames with my eye glasses on. Even without glasses, I need to stick my eye really tightly to the eyepiece to see the whole frame. Don't have such problems with Fed-2. What a pity, Z4's viewfinder has Leica-level brightness.

[@secularnevrosis]

+nukecoke87 If you have the Zorki-4 you should have the diopter adjustment for the viewfinder..try it, if it works. I have to agree that the viewfinder isnt very bright. One alternative is to get a turret viewfinder for the cold-shoe.

[@danierinash7952]

+nukecoke87 Diopter on the zorki 4 helps but the viewfinder is a bit tricky, even with great eyesight and the diopter set for your eyes it's pretty hard to tell where the edges of the frame is. That's my experience anyway. It's a solid camera and I've found Zorkis to be more reliable than FEDs, FED shutter curtains seem to have a tendency for disintegrating and ending up with a few pinholes.

[@nukecoke87]

I too find the build of Zorkis to be better. I like Zorki-1 and 6 and carried a Zorki-1 everyday. With collapsible lens it fits in jacket pocket very well. However after using it under freezing temperature for a while cracks started to show on the curtains rubberized surface. Maybe it has something to do with low temperature, maybe it's just normal ageing problem, hard to tell. I picked up a Kiev-4a and use it as a winter camera.

[@nekoth]

Interestingly, Zenit is closely related to those fake Leicas. And first Zenits - were SLR cameras build on Zorkiy foundation, they had L39 lenses, although, with a tweaked lenses. So we had 2 versions of the same lens - one for rangefinders (with a barrel) and one for L39 SLR (pancake)

[@markharris5771]

If you get a good FSU camera, with the lenses they were made for, they are brilliant...if you get a good one. I love my Zorki 4K, especially when loaded with TMax (sorry TriX lovers), it has to be one of my favourite 35mm cameras. I broke the rules with mine and bought one that looked in perfect condition, I did this because the printed numbers easily wear off, they say though that you should buy one that looks used because the ones that look better may be prone to breaking down. Mine however had a full CLA before I bought and a full 12 months guarantee from Scotland, so like me in the UK, and the lens is spotless. At £45 I feel I got a bargain and if I worked it out I'm sure it would come to about 10p a printable negative, my digital works out much more.

[@beholder2012]

"Poor man's Leica and Voigtlaender" :D good rangefinders, anyway.

[@philhodgkinson1460]

I have 5 Russian cameras 2 Zenit 2 Zorki 4s and a FED 2 which I really love good development of Leica ii.

[@victorwhitby4401]

Hi ted how about a look at the moire minor German makers balda erette modack made in Germany ilford spiertsmaster viiglander Vito illuco etc. Regards

[@felixromero5907]

I would like to see your photography work......

[@davidstrom5505]

kiev 4a review ???