Do you use your cameras?

Hello all,

There is a recent topic about someone willing to buy a FED 1 or a Zorki 1 to take pictures.

I know that most of you are addicted to soviet gear but do you use it in real life or is it supposed to stay on shelves?

As for me, I am not collecting stuff (no more that half a dozen cameras) and try to use it as often as I can... I recently took pictures with a pre-war FED 1 (no problem, thanks!) even if as a SLR a M42 Praktica is my main weapon.... when I don't use my Zenit 3M!

Next?

Hi Nicholas,

Well I have a collection of over 400 Soviet and Russian cameras, as well as many lenses of all types. Many of these things I'm sure work well enough to take photos. But .... I almost always use a digital Sigma SD-9 or a digital Canon to take photos with. Sometimes I use a Soviet or Russian lens on my digital cameras, but not often. I have used some of my Russian cameras, and with good results, but my digital cameras give better results, in my opinion, .... even though I love my Russian cameras the best!!!

Regards, Bill

Well I pick one up from time to time off my shelf and shoot it just for fun... I do heavily use Horizon-202 because I don't think there is a good digital substitute for it, and I also love takes pictures with Lubitel-166U - the triplet lens give this great retro feel that I need sometimes when visiting places that warrant that look...

I would say though that 98% of my picture taking is Nikon D80 and Canon G10.. film is reserved for special occasions (Horizon-202 for scenic trips for example).

Here are couple shots from Horizon and Lubitel from my trip to Paris.



http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1092009_09530012.jpg


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/1092009_30320001.jpg

Vlad

Nice shot with the Lubitel, Vlad! So then when you had the film developed did you have scans made at the same time? Or did you develop the film and then scan it? And, was it black and white film or color?

Regards, Bill

congratulations , Vlad, especially using Lubitel...
the truth is , for me, in spite of hundred cameras in my collection , like Bill, I use now , only Soviets lenses on my EOS 5D (II) full frame body camera whith success and many surprises
I cannot change Horizont for modern camera....only this camera is perfect for panoramas ...(I do not like stitching digital frames)

Yes I use mostly FSU lenses on my Samsung DSLR but my back up camera is the infamous Almaz 103 which always has film in it, and perhaps surprisingly given its reputation, has never let me down, indeed it has kept going in wet and cold conditions that defeated the Samsung. I also use my various Zenits when I can or feel like it, the 3M is a favourite and the APK too. But to answer the question fully most of my cameras do sit on shelves not being used

Samsung GX-10,too many Russian Lenses, A lot of Zenits, an Almaz 103 a few Yashica,and finally a Minox35GT

ah ah ah...Richard
you are Russian roulette addict , whith Almaz

Hello,
I use a digital camera (Minolta f100) only to take pictures of my cameras (!!!). I stick with b/w film using Kiev 4a, Kiev 2a , Zorki 4, Fed 2...

Best,
Jed

I use both, a Zenit E or my newest camera for more 'artistic' shots and a digital camera for regular snapshots

Just checked it Alain - still working! It is a very late Almaz as well, maybe I have the only one that still works, for now! What is it they say if it works today it probably wont work tomorrow?. Seriously though I really like it as a camera, and its K mount as well. just treat it very carefully

Samsung GX-10,too many Russian Lenses, A lot of Zenits, an Almaz 103 a few Yashica,and finally a Minox35GT

Thank you!

Bill,

Yea the shop I used to develop these also scan these negatives at high res, the medium format gets scanned at about 30 megapixels which is nice. Both these are untouched digitally, yes the film in Lubitel was Kodak B&W I think ISO100 film.

Been trying to use the Helios-44 and Mir-1 lenses on my Nikon D80 with an adapter but I cannot focus on infinity, I have 2 different adapters both do the same thing.. is that the problem with all M42 to Nikon F adapters? Seems like it becomes just 1mm longer when mounted so loses the ability on infinite focus.. does anyone know of a specific adapter to use that would not do that?

Vlad.

no more problem whith my "old" Nikon D 70.
may be your adapt rings made in Equatorial Africa in a old Baobab wood ?

I keep film in a Zorki 3M, CLA'd, and use it with a J-3 or a Wartime Zeiss Sonnar.

Mostly I use the LTM Jupiter lenses on my Canon RF's, and Kiev mount lenses on the Contax and Nikon S3. I like the 1x viewfinder of the Nikon, and have a Menopta 53/1.8 for it- custom shimmed.

If I ever go digital, with a Leica M8 or M9, it will be used with the 1953 KMZ J-3.

I use my soviet cameras from time to time. It is difficult to get film (MF especially)and processing where I live.

To be fair I live in a town with no store, no restaurant and no gas station. The only thing that I have locally is a Post Office, Fire Department and 10 grandchildren next door!( for the curious I live in Crumpton MD)

I do use a lot of my lenses because when I bought a digital camera I bought Pentax. It uses k mount lenses and has a m42 adapter and built in provision to use the older lenses. Or at least most of them!

I will be harsh here(I am an engineer and a retired Project Supervisor). I am unimpressed to say the least with the people that thought that a "half-assed" pop up flash was so important that it needed to interfere with the lens mount! This complaint is true of every digital SLR I have handled and represents one of my pet peves with most engineers. They tend to be so interested with "cutesy" details that they miss the big picture.

I would have told the design team that if people need a flash they need a good one not a half-assed one! If they could not design one that did not interfere with the lens mount, then perhaps they needed to find a job where their talents fitted better!

Nowadays I only use lenses: Kiev-N for my Fuji-S5 and M42-lenses for my Canon-D30.
Latest cameras that I did use have been Almaz-103 (yes, mine is Olegized = works), Kiev-20, Kiev-35A, Zenit-16 and Leningrad. Tells also pretty well what are my favourites!
Before that APK, 12-series, 18 and 19 Zenits and Kievs 15TTL, 19 and 19M. So some of us have same odd taste...

Vlad: M42-lenses on Nikon-mount are not a good idea. Either you can use only tele or you need an adapter with correction lens. Or you loose infinity focus. Naturally a lens can focus beyond infinity as some do due to misalignment (not mirror lenses where it is intendedly).
That is why I have Arsats, Kaleinar and Mir-24 in Kiev/Nikon-mount! And with S5 I get all functions like focus-aid and full metering, plus film-like pictures :)

Best regards,
Juhani

I see, thanks for all your suggestions regarding adapter, I figured that much since both my adapters were not focusing on infinity.. I guess I'll stick to my Kiev SLR Nikon mount lenses then.

Thanks!
Vlad.

Or buy a cheap Canon-DSLR for M42-lenses, you can get them "too cheaply" nowadays, and they go well adapted. Also with an old DSLR you already get a certain retro feeling thanks to a tiny LCD screen and so on.

Best regards,
Juhani

I agree whith Juani...very elegant and cheap way...such a Canon SLR EOS is very low cost in France too (nobody want to keep these "old" camera.

> Also with an old DSLR you already get a certain retro feeling thanks to a tiny LCD screen and so on.

Too Funny. My old DSLR's do not have LCD screens. More like using a film camera, you see the pictures after putting the memory card into the computer or downloading over SCSI interface.

No digital for me, except a small one I bought one year ago to send pictures on the net.
In real life, I use a couple of Canons (T90 and EOS1n) with their lenses. And some Russian cameras, especially one of my Fed S and my TSVVS. I would say 50% Canons/Russian cameras.

Fine, your pictures, Vlad! But beware next time, it's forbidden to take pictures in public places (like the tube, railway stations...) in France. But you are not a terrorist, are you?

Amitiйs. Jacques.

Oh no, then even I am a criminal! But me an Vlad, as we don't understand French and are tourists these rules do not apply? At least if police comes and says something we can answer in our home language, which closes the discussion.

Best regards,
Juhani