Jocko
09-16-2006, 05:47
Today I bought a copy of the Amateur Photographer camera guide, published in June 1960.
Two Soviet RF are listed - the Kiev 4 (£58 19s 6d) and Zorki 6, the latter with a I-50 (£23 12s 7d). By comparison, a Leica IIIg with f2.8 elmar cost £88.11s and a Contax III with f2 Sonnar £122 19s 11d.
It's normally said that the Kiev sold in the USSR for roughly 4/5 weeks wages and that this held good for most serious Soviet cameras. What I find interesting is that this was also true in the UK. The same magazine has job advertisements for experienced senior salesmen (£60 per month), qualified scientific photographers (starting at £21 p.m, rising to £35) and similar posts anywhere in between.
Even with postage, those cameras are very cheap today!
Cheers, Ian
Two Soviet RF are listed - the Kiev 4 (£58 19s 6d) and Zorki 6, the latter with a I-50 (£23 12s 7d). By comparison, a Leica IIIg with f2.8 elmar cost £88.11s and a Contax III with f2 Sonnar £122 19s 11d.
It's normally said that the Kiev sold in the USSR for roughly 4/5 weeks wages and that this held good for most serious Soviet cameras. What I find interesting is that this was also true in the UK. The same magazine has job advertisements for experienced senior salesmen (£60 per month), qualified scientific photographers (starting at £21 p.m, rising to £35) and similar posts anywhere in between.
Even with postage, those cameras are very cheap today!
Cheers, Ian