Hello board

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Peter and I am passionate about FSU gear.
In about 2003 my father borrowed me his Zorki 4 with rigid I50, it was love at first sight! Since then I hoarded a few cameras and lenses but probably wouldn’t call myself a real collector (in comparison to some of you guys [:D]). I try small repairs and even shoot with my FSU gear [;)] - at least with some cameras and lenses.
I already knew Aidas‘ excellent site and a few others but haven’t come across this site until recently. It was Vlad‘s appearance on the classic lenses podcast that led me to ussrphoto.com - two excellent appearances with a lot of good stories and information!

Best regards
Peter

Welcome Peter!

Glad that my appearance promoted the site somewhat [:D]. There isn't much traffic here lately as most people use social media nowadays but this still stays a great archive resource so there's a treasure-trove of information deep down in the forums. Enjoy!

Best regards,
Vlad.

Thanks Vlad!
I‘m not into social media at all and am glad that I‘ve found a forum strictly dedicated to soviet stuff. Despite that there’s a treasure trove of information I‘ll try to do my best at contributing useful stuff to the forums. I don’t mind a lot of traffic. Keep up the good work!

Really happy to count a new member too! Welcome, Peter!
Hope you will open lots of threads followed by lots of discussions![:)]

Amitiés. Jacques.

I would say not only social media, but also the political situation is not favorable right now. Here in the latest NATO-member country the amount of FSU-gear for sale is now next to nothing. In Estonia the FSU-nostalgia shops had -20% discount last time I visited.

Best regards,
Juhani

Hello and welcome to the forum, Peter.

I don't know about the rest of the UK, but the second-hand camera shop I go to still has some FSU gear in. I went in the other day to return a right-angle viewfinder for a non-fsu camera that I recently bought because I couldn't "get on" with it - having to re-set the dioptre correction every time I put it on the camera (at least with the zorki 4k you can tape the correction lever into place) and the "wobbly boat" feeling when looking through it, worse than with a waist level finder, lol put me off it. Anyway they still some zorkis, feds and lenses in. Possibly not quite as meany as the previous time I went in. On the other hand, they didn't seem to have quite so many cheap non-fsu rangefinders in as they did last time .

Hello everyone

I am a new member here and am posting in order to introduce myself:

https://i.ibb.co/F4PZF2f/COPY-Copy.jpg

I am Ian and I from the UK. I live in Cornwall with my partner. I have been interested in photography since the early 1970's and my small collection of cameras and lenses are all vintage. I prefer manual cameras with no electronics.

I have always loved Soviet manufactured photography equipment. I like how robust and quirky it is in comparison to the mainstream.

I own two Zorki 1's, both fitted with Industar 22 lenses - though I have an immaculate and newly services Jupiter 8 that I use with them sometimes. I also have an 'a' series Kiev 4 also fitted with a Jupiter 8. This is a 1979 model and in the new year I hope to track down a good 1960's example.

Here is a photo of my favourite Zorki (hope that the link works!)

https://i.ibb.co/vdpYbzn/Z1.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/Jdj8kNm/Screenshot-20231223-224714-Whats-App.jpg

Kind regards
Ian

Welcome Ian! 2 Zorkis is a great start, after reading this forum, I have a feeling you wills start expand your Soviet collection, [:D]

Best regards,
Vlad

Hello and welcome to the forum Ian. It's probably a little quieter than some forums, but there are members here who could probably tell you the name of the person who put the screws into any of your cameras. They can also probably tell you the name of the foundry where the metal ores for those screws was refined.

Well, maybe not, lol, but there are members here who have a lot of knowledge about FSU stuff.

While this is an FSU forum, it is possible to mention non-FSU cameras, but only if they are Leica or Contax cameras of which the FSU cameras are copies, and even then probably only to compare them to each other.

Welcome mate, as Sean said. It’s quiet but the knowledge of members still active is something. And even the banks of knowledge of members past is expansive.

Great place.