View Full Version : Wabi-Sabi or the Discrete Charm of the FSU Camera
Our Friend Mike Goldberg recently commented of the "aloneness" of photography. Most people seemed to like it.
That would have been no surprise to the great artists of the Renaissance, to whom Melancholia was the essential basis of all creative work. But it seems to me that FSU users have a special melancholy, a perverse solitude all our own...
With the exception of one camera (from Alex-photo) I have never bought an FSU which worked "from the box". All needed a CLA, and some much more. So why does the fascination remain - why does each package bring with it hopes we know will be disappointed no later than the return of the first negatives? Why do we even persist in using hopelessly obsolete cameras? Almost anything else would be preferable - but persist we do.
"Bokeh" may or may not have enriched our photographic vocabulary, but another Japanese term - Wabi-Sabi - seems to me to explain the whole enigma of FSU enthusiasm - perhaps even the charm of all RFs. The feeling was familiar but the word was new to me and I thought the concept might interest others :) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi
Cheers, Ian
Thanks a lot for that interesting post, Ian. I didn't know the word either and I'm most grateful that you drew my attention on it.
I can't help adding that ... mate, you're not lucky!!
With the exception of one camera (from Alex-photo) I have never bought an FSU which worked "from the box". All needed a CLA, and some much more.
Only one? definitely you're not lucky. I haven't had one single problem with my purchases; my FSU camera were spot on.
Best,
Marc
Mixed bag for me - many have worked well and I have one Zorki 4 in mint condition. Others have had to go straight off to Oleg.
I don't really know if it's authentic or not but Phillip K. Dick's novel "The Man in the High Castle" develops a number of ideas about the visual and aesthetic quailites of physical objects, particularly those produced by a fallen great power in it's heyday. It could almost feature a Zorki or a Zenit.
For me initially the appeal of USSR made cameras was visual. They looked so exotic to me - the product of different eyes and different ways of seeing and I got very excited by this until I discovered how many were copies of western designs.
For me the appeal currently is partly ideological - these cameras were made for use rather than consumption, so they were well made and constructed so they could be maintained and would therefore have long lives. This seems like a very respectful and correct attitude in an age where it is cheaper to buy new than repair.
They are also tokens of engineering and manufacturing ingenuity in a system that was not always frieindly to manufacturing high quality goods.
wolves3012
08-28-2007, 12:21
For me the joys of FSUs is that they're (relatively) simple, they make me think about things before I press that button (except when I forget to set the aperture or some such!) and there's a pleasure in taking pictures with a cheap camera that turns out results far beyond its price justifies.
Since I'm also something of a perfectionist and compulsive tinkerer I also spend time setting them up properly. As regards working out-of-the-box, I don't mind if they need some fettling. Most of mine turned up in a usable condition, even if not perfect. Some demanded CLA, or a bit of tweaking, before I was happy to put a film through. Only two have turned out to need anything significant doing, one having curtains that have lost patches of rubber coating and another that has obviously been bodged by someone.
I think Bill M. coined the term wabi-sabi here first some years ago. :)
I think Bill M. coined the term wabi-sabi here first some years ago. :)
Gosh, so he did, three years ago! Which just goes to prove the point - memories fade, certainties crumble and the giants of yesterday are lost in the dwarves of tomorrow...
We are as dust :)
Cheers, Ian
Confused: "discrete" or "discreet"?
mtbbrian
08-30-2007, 10:56
I don't know anything about the FSU camera, but this aestetic is certainly true for toy camera photography.
Is this camera as low tech as a toy camera?
Brian
Confused: "discrete" or "discreet"?
Hallo Mukul!
Both! The title was a little play on Bunel's film and I meant it to suggest that Wabi-Sabi perhaps summed up the discreet (unspoken, subtle) appeal of FSUs and their discrete (distinct, characteristic) charm.
Just a tiny joke :)
Very Tiny! :)
Cheers, Ian
zuikologist
08-30-2007, 11:12
Jocko - nice thread developing here. I think some of the charm of FSU cameras might be the possibility that you might get one that works and when it does it is great - a connection to Leicadom for a fraction of the price, but with the thrill of a gamble thrown in.
I don't know anything about the FSU camera, but this aestetic is certainly true for toy camera photography.
Is this camera as low tech as a toy camera?
Brian
Hi Brian - I'm sorry If my original post was misleading - FSU (Former Soviet Union) is a term widely used to denote cameras made in the USSR and the residual photographic industries of the post-soviet era.
The quality of such cameras can vary hugely and many are very old, often leading to a rather unique experience, but they exert a powerful fascination :)
Cheers, Ian
mtbbrian
08-30-2007, 11:20
Hi Brian - I'm sorry If my original post was misleading - FSU (Former Soviet Union) is a term widely used to denote cameras made in the USSR and the residual photographic industries of the post-soviet era.
The quality of such cameras can vary hugely and many are very old, often leading to a rather unique experience, but they exert a powerful fascination :)
Cheers, Ian
That makes sense!
I have looked into some of these FSU cameras before, Kiev MFs mostly, but have never heard wabi-sabi used to describe them.
From what I have seen in this post, wabi-sabi could apply, at least in terms of quality and reliability.
Along with my V-lander R2A, I shoot Holgas, so wab-sabi is something I am rather aware of.
Thanks!
Brian
shadowfox
08-30-2007, 11:56
I don't know anything about the FSU camera, but this aestetic is certainly true for toy camera photography.
Is this camera as low tech as a toy camera?
Brian
These cameras are fun, rich in history (both tragic and charming), and they are *not* toys :D
Jocko - nice thread developing here. I think some of the charm of FSU cameras might be the possibility that you might get one that works and when it does it is great - a connection to Leicadom for a fraction of the price, but with the thrill of a gamble thrown in.
Absolutely zuikologist - and somehow it's that knowledge of potential failure that's half the magic. In a way perhaps that explains the romance which still attaches to the idea of the USSR itself. We know the goal will not be reached, but that wonders and horrors will occur on the path. Such cameras, in their crudity, their genius, their beauty, disappointments and occasional miraculous perfection are strangely like life - strangely human......
Cheers, Ian
I've never used a FSU camera but after reading this thread and seeing an old article by Ivor Matanle in AP, I am tempted to give it a go. I was wondering about a Contax look a like. A built in meter would be nice. Could someone suggest a suitable model? Kiev maybe?
Thanks.
--
Monz
wolves3012
08-30-2007, 14:40
I've never used a FSU camera but after reading this thread and seeing an old article by Ivor Matanle in AP, I am tempted to give it a go. I was wondering about a Contax look a like. A built in meter would be nice. Could someone suggest a suitable model? Kiev maybe?
Thanks.
--
Monz
Contax look-alike with a meter narrows it down to a Kiev 3/3A/4/4M. A 4 or 4M is the cheapest/commonest option if you're not sure whether you'll like one...happy hunting.
wolves3012
08-30-2007, 14:47
a connection to Leicadom for a fraction of the price, but with the thrill of a gamble thrown in. Not the appeal for me. I may possibly buy a Leica at some stage but not because I worship at the altar. If I do it'll be an older one that's cheap enough; I can neither afford nor justify the prices newer models can command. I don't aspire to Leica glass any more than I do to (say) a Rolls Royce.
Before anyone hires the hit-man for my heresy, I'd point out that it's a personal viewpoint and if someone else believes they are The Camera, I don't decry that...
Right, Ian. Now to find my Bourgeois MicroHumourScoponar.
Monzur, Wolves said it. All I can add is that it won't be easy to find a properly working meter: they're selenium. And yes, you'll need to have a finger or two amputated if you can't learn The Contax Grip.
zuikologist
08-31-2007, 01:31
Absolutely zuikologist - and somehow it's that knowledge of potential failure that's half the magic. In a way perhaps that explains the romance which still attaches to the idea of the USSR itself. We know the goal will not be reached, but that wonders and horrors will occur on the path. Such cameras, in their crudity, their genius, their beauty, disappointments and occasional miraculous perfection are strangely like life - strangely human......
Cheers, Ian
Ian - you summarised it better than I could. Life is like an FSU rangefinder : )
Contax look-alike with a meter narrows it down to a Kiev 3/3A/4/4M. A 4 or 4M is the cheapest/commonest option if you're not sure whether you'll like one...happy hunting.
Thanks wolves3012. Looks like I'll be doing some hunting at the next Wolverhampton Camera Fair (30th Sept I think)! All the best.
--
Monz
Right, Ian. Now to find my Bourgeois MicroHumourScoponar.
Monzur, Wolves said it. All I can add is that it won't be easy to find a properly working meter: they're selenium. And yes, you'll need to have a finger or two amputated if you can't learn The Contax Grip.
Hello Mukul,
What is the "Contax Grip?" I know that focussing is with a knurled wheel but that is about all I know.
--
Monz
Absolutely zuikologist - and somehow it's that knowledge of potential failure that's half the magic. In a way perhaps that explains the romance which still attaches to the idea of the USSR itself. We know the goal will not be reached, but that wonders and horrors will occur on the path. Such cameras, in their crudity, their genius, their beauty, disappointments and occasional miraculous perfection are strangely like life - strangely human......
Cheers, Ian
Nicely put Ian
:)
there's a book on wabi-sabi by Leonard Koren:
http://www.amazon.com/Wabi-Sabi-Artists-Designers-Poets-Philosophers/dp/1880656124
.. which I've really enjoyed reading. or , rather, browsing through in a freed state of mind ;)
Hello Mukul,
What is the "Contax Grip?" I know that focussing is with a knurled wheel but that is about all I know.
--
Monz
Hallo Monz - I hope Mukel will allow me to answer this, as I have a funny picture to hand :)
In an attempt to avoid infringing Leitz patents, the Contax, the original basis of the Kiev, does things rather differently, which in turn means that you hold the camera in a slightly different way. Essentially the middle finger of the right hand is braced below the rangefinder window/focusing wheel, which are situated in an extension of the faceplate along the top "left" of the camera (seen from the front). The forefinger then slips above the faceplate to operate the focusing wheel.
This sounds more complicated than it really is - it is simply the natural way to hold a Contax. The result is a very stable grip on the camera.
I enclose a comparative (and somewhat dubious :) ) .demonstration of the holds by the great H.S. Newcombe - a Leica enthusiast (and it shows!)
Incidentally, Monz - an excellent introduction to the Kiev here: http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/zconrfKiev.htm
Cheers, Ian
To me the fascination of FSU cameras is directly related to my childhood ... as a young boy the most intriguing country on the world map of the school atlas was the soviet union. Shrouded in mystery and much maligned by the western world with enigmatic leaders and supposed brutal regimes that threatened the western way of life ... if but for the USA! For some reason the red threat loomed large in the minds of children being fed a diet of anti communism hysteria from across the globe in a safe little haven like New Zealand in the fifties.
When I hold one of these often slightly crude mechanical marvels in my hands it takes me back to times and attitudes long gone ... but strongly recollected! :)
When I hold one of these often slightly crude mechanical marvels in my hands it takes me back to times and attitudes long gone ... but strongly recollected! :)
I really empathise with that - although in a slightly different way :) when I was 14 or so I had a map of the USSR on my bedroom wall, alongside the Kate Bush posters :) They were both symbols an undiscovered country, the mysterious, intangible other, eternal focus of fantasy and threat... and so endlessly fascinating.
Ah to be a lad again! :rolleyes:
Cheers, Ian :)
shadowfox
08-31-2007, 08:19
To me the fascination of FSU cameras is directly related to my childhood ... as a young boy the most intriguing country on the world map of the school atlas was the soviet union. Shrouded in mystery and much maligned by the western world with enigmatic leaders and supposed brutal regimes that threatened the western way of life ... if but for the USA! For some reason the red threat loomed large in the minds of children being fed a diet of anti communism hysteria from across the globe in a safe little haven like New Zealand in the fifties.
When I hold one of these often slightly crude mechanical marvels in my hands it takes me back to times and attitudes long gone ... but strongly recollected! :)
Keith, I finally find a perfect thread to comment on your latest signature, which with your permission is frozen for posterity here so you can change it later on (or until the next RFF database restore :) )
I sold my Contax IIa because the Kiev feels better in my hands.
This sentence summarizes what I feel also. The feelings that I have for these FSU cameras are admittedly deeper than superficial, thanks to films like Dr. Zhivago, I am also drawn to the enigmatic charm of that part of the world. A BIG part nonetheless.
The imperfection and the lack of finesse on these cameras strangely (or not, according to Wabi-Sabi principle) enhance their charms. I often imagined if my Kiev or Fed were made by a soul who is lost in his or her own thoughts, grinding away their existence, or blissfully strolling through life.
The lenses may have at one time reflected the wrinkled old face, full of bitter-sweet life or a pimple-less face of a youth brimming with hope for the acceptance of his/her puppy love.
And now, those same old glasses reflect my eyes or those of my daughter's who still tries unsuccessfully to trigger the shutter on the Fed :p
Ian, thanks for a thought provoking thread. :D
Ian this is a great thread btw. I have always heard the term Wabi-Sabi but never gave a second thought to it's meaning. I like this statement from the wiki-pedia.
Andrew Juniper claims, "if an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi." I supose the object "being the camera" does this for me. Photography is to me a very spiritual enrichment, a jurney in which, when walking along with my camera I feel connected. I and the camera are one with each other. I know that when i'm out alone with my camera my mood is at peace. I guess it's like meditation. My journing around with my camera is my meditation. I never thought of it like that before but I guess thats what it is. I have high blood pressure and come to think of it my bp is at it's lowest after a good outing with my camera because I feel so relaxed and satisified with myself. So I like this Wabi- Sabi experience that I hold in my hands.:)
wolves3012
08-31-2007, 10:24
Thanks wolves3012. Looks like I'll be doing some hunting at the next Wolverhampton Camera Fair (30th Sept I think)! All the best.
--
Monz
I thought they'd stopped doing those fairs. I live (literally) a few minutes walk away if you wanted to say hi. I have all major FED/Zorki models, bar a Z-3, and a couple of Kievs. You could try one for "fit" before you go....
Will, GB, I think you put it perfectly. Years ago I remember coming across the idea that
photography was inately tragic because it always dealt with the lost past, etc, etc - and that struck me as - to say the least - very overstated.
The idea of Wabi-sabi, by contrast, really appealed to me. Somehow the idea of the acknowledgment of failure, chance, the vanity of human wishes and the transitory nature of things seems to emphasise compassion, a fuller appreciation of beauty and a gentle ironic detachment - an understanding - that I think underlies much photography, and is profoundly valuable in itself.
Cheers, Ian
Hallo Monz - I hope Mukel will allow me to answer this, as I have a funny picture to hand :)
In an attempt to avoid infringing Leitz patents, the Contax, the original basis of the Kiev, does things rather differently, which in turn means that you hold the camera in a slightly different way. Essentially the middle finger of the right hand is braced below the rangefinder window/focusing wheel, which are situated in an extension of the faceplate along the top "left" of the camera (seen from the front). The forefinger then slips above the faceplate to operate the focusing wheel.
This sounds more complicated than it really is - it is simply the natural way to hold a Contax. The result is a very stable grip on the camera.
I enclose a comparative (and somewhat dubious :) ) .demonstration of the holds by the great H.S. Newcombe - a Leica enthusiast (and it shows!)
Incidentally, Monz - an excellent introduction to the Kiev here: http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/zconrfKiev.htm
Cheers, Ian
Thanks Ian. The "Contax Grip" looks doable. However, the gentleman in the attached picture seems to be grimacing as if he is finding the experience uncomfortable!
--
Monz
I thought they'd stopped doing those fairs. I live (literally) a few minutes walk away if you wanted to say hi. I have all major FED/Zorki models, bar a Z-3, and a couple of Kievs. You could try one for "fit" before you go....
Hi wolves3012,
These fairs are still going strong! They have a summer break (when regulars go through a "cold turkey" period) and resume in September. I saw an advert for the next Wolverhampton Show on Sunday 30th September in a recent issue of Amateur Photographer. See you there!
--
Monz
Interesting thread.
My Wabi-Sabi photograph: a kite made of a polythene bag (Wabi) got caught on a tree branch (Sabi)...or I must have got it all wrong ;)
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/4833015-lg.jpg
vBulletin® v3.6.8, Copyright ©2000-2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.