Looking for a MIR.!!!

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

I am on the lookout for a nice Zorki Mir in working order, from an RFF'r,and have placed an Ad. in the Classifieds to prove it ;)

So please help if you can.

Cheers,
Brian.

[wolves3012]

Would that be to replace the one you sold on a certain auction site? ;-)

Moral: Don't sell cameras, just buy :-)

[giovatony]

A few weeks ago when I was totally ignorant about FSU`s (I`m just plain ignorant now) I was talked out of the Mir because it was a Zorky 4 without the slow shutter speeds.
However, I have yet to use a slower shutter speed than 1/25. I`ve seen a few on Ebay from reputable sellers for $35. (shipping is of course $22-$35)
I might get one myself someday just to say I have one.
The name Mir stamped on the camera invites interest.
Regardless, if the shutter speeds on a Mir are silkscreened , I`d not be too interested after all.
John

[Kim Coxon]

I may be wrong but the silkscreening came about half way through the $K production. As far as I know all the 4's and the Mir's have engraved numbers. Many say the Mir is more reliable than the 4 because of the lack of the slow speeds. (Less to get gummed up). If I had kept just one of the FSU cmaeras I have had, it would have been the Mir with the J8.

Kim

A few weeks ago when I was totally ignorant about FSU`s (I`m just plain ignorant now) I was talked out of the Mir because it was a Zorky 4 without the slow shutter speeds.
However, I have yet to use a slower shutter speed than 1/25. I`ve seen a few on Ebay from reputable sellers for $35. (shipping is of course $22-$35)
I might get one myself someday just to say I have one.
The name Mir stamped on the camera invites interest.
Regardless, if the shutter speeds on a Mir are silkscreened , I`d not be too interested after all.
John

[giovatony]

Well John, you'd be better off with a 4, an early one with the numbers engraved.
A nice black one like this:


53921

Oooh! The black Zork 4 is gorgeous.

I already have (2) Zorky 4`s in my collection.
One is almost new (numbers engraved) and the other is a real beater (silkscreened numbers well worn ) that still works fine and was given to me to get me started with FSU`s.
I`m hooked bad.
I have rarely used my digital SLR in many weeks.
John
.

[xayraa33]

Oleg had two Mirs for sale on his site.

[Kim Coxon]

I must have been lucky with the 4's I had then. :o

I did have a 4K with engraved dials! (However, I did cheat and swapped to top parts from a junker 4. :D )

Kim

[nikonhswebmaster]

Well John, you'd be better off with a 4, an early one with the numbers engraved.
A nice black one like this:
53921

Without starting one those threads where everyone goes nuts... Is it possible for a mortal like me to actually buy one these cameras in good working order, without fear I will have to take a lesson from Ruben on repair?

I have truly sworn off repairing cameras, but I would like to own a Nice FSU camera just for fun. I know I can get an answer from you without posturing, so this question may not be for everyone.

[xayraa33]

Without starting one those threads where everyone goes nuts... Is it possible for a mortal like me to actually buy one these cameras in good working order, without fear I will have to take a lesson from Ruben on repair?

I have truly sworn off repairing cameras, but I would like to own a Nice FSU camera just for fun. I know I can get an answer from you without posturing, so this question may not be for everyone.


Oleg normally CLAs the cameras he sells, and is quite good working on the classic Barnack type shuttered cameras like the Zorki and Fed.

[nikonhswebmaster]

Thanks guys, I also received a number of nice email suggestions about these bodies. I am now in the mulling it over mode.

I have to admit that 4 really caught my eye, I am such a black camera sucker.

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

Would that be to replace the one you sold on a certain auction site? ;-)

Moral: Don't sell cameras, just buy :-)

You hit the nail on the head---the grass is not always greener :bang:

Although shelfspace problems and mental confusion can arise from too many cameras,but the Mir was my first real venture into FSU,and now I feel sort of lost without one.

Brian.

[kully]

:) Brian

I don't have any FSU any more but I know what you mean.

nikonhswebmaster: Get one from Oleg, I had Brian's Mir for a while and it was lovely to use. Much better than the unknown stuff I've been fleetingly tempted by at camera shows.

If I was to have another FSU body though... It'd be the Fed-2, the Mir was just a little too large for me.

EDIT: Crikey, Brian, you're up late/early!

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

:) Brian

I don't have any FSU any more but I know what you mean.

nikonhswebmaster: Get one from Oleg, I had Brian's Mir for a while and it was lovely to use. Much better than the unknown stuff I've been fleetingly tempted by at camera shows.

If I was to have another FSU body though... It'd be the Fed-2, the Mir was just a little too large for me.

EDIT: Crikey, Brian, you're up late/early!

Hi Kully,
As I teeter headlong through my 60's:bang: ,I've developed a touch of occasional insomnia---four hours kip,and I have to get up.Can be boring at 4 in the morning.

'Our' Mir is somewhere in Italy now,Solved the light leak and should go well for the latest keeper.Probably should have kept it.
I have accumulated a beautiful set of lenses,J8,J12,I61L/D,and now only a 'modern' Fed 5B to go with them.I too admire the Fed 2,but perhaps the larger viewfinder on the Mir is better in the long term, in view of my advancing decreptitude(is that in the dictionary?---but you get my drift)

All the best for 2008.:)

Brian.

[zhang xk]

I must have been lucky with the 4's I had then. :o

I did have a 4K with engraved dials! (However, I did cheat and swapped to top parts from a junker 4. :D )

Kim

There are original 4Ks with engraved numbers, I have found four.:) I also added strap lugs to one of them.:D

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

I may be wrong but the silkscreening came about half way through the $K production. As far as I know all the 4's and the Mir's have engraved numbers. Many say the Mir is more reliable than the 4 because of the lack of the slow speeds. (Less to get gummed up). If I had kept just one of the FSU cmaeras I have had, it would have been the Mir with the J8.

Kim

Hello Kim,
I well remember the pictures you sent me of your Mir,it was a beautiful,pristine camera,and convinced me to get one for myself:)

All the very best for the New Year,:)

Brian.

[zhang xk]

There are two versions of Mir. The earlier one has frames around the windows.

[wolves3012]

Talking of buying and selling Wolves, you don't want to sell your Zorki 3M by any chance? Or maybe a trade for something really sexy?
Sorry Pitxu, I've only had it a couple of weeks and it's the last FED/Zorki to complete the collection, so no chance I'm afraid. Complete the collection? What am I talking about...I don't have a Mir or a Zorki 2 yet!

[wolves3012]

I may be wrong but the silkscreening came about half way through the $K production. As far as I know all the 4's and the Mir's have engraved numbers. Many say the Mir is more reliable than the 4 because of the lack of the slow speeds. (Less to get gummed up). If I had kept just one of the FSU cmaeras I have had, it would have been the Mir with the J8.

Kim
Kim,

The early 4 had strap lugs and engraved speeds and engraved logos. Later ones had no lugs, silk-screened speeds and silk-screened logos. Over the years there was a transition and various combinations exist. I know some 4K examples had engraved speeds but I suspect it's for the reason yours was - it got swapped from a junker 4. Unless someone else knows better, I think the 4K never had factory fitted engraved speeds.

Interesting that you don't refer to them as "painted". That always amuses me - conjures up rows of myopic russians with tiny paintbrushes!

P.S. I PMed you recently - did you not get it??

[wolves3012]

A few weeks ago when I was totally ignorant about FSU`s (I`m just plain ignorant now) I was talked out of the Mir because it was a Zorky 4 without the slow shutter speeds.
However, I have yet to use a slower shutter speed than 1/25. I`ve seen a few on Ebay from reputable sellers for $35. (shipping is of course $22-$35)
I might get one myself someday just to say I have one.
The name Mir stamped on the camera invites interest.
Regardless, if the shutter speeds on a Mir are silkscreened , I`d not be too interested after all.
John
As far as I know, all Mirs have engraved dials, mainly because they are old and pre-silk-screening. I'm open to correction though if that's not right...

[wolves3012]

I seriously doubt that your (or my) collection will ever be complete.....:bang:

Please post a pic of your 3M so that I can at least drool..;)
I'd say you're probably right! Here's the 3M. The lens has a lot of cleaning marks, like the one on my '62 Zorki 4, I'm wondering if they had soft coatings. The two other J-8s I have are black, later ones and are unscratched. The winder is also a bit rough due to worn gears, but it works fine. Might get the cosmetics sorted too, a friend can re-spray the body for me. Hmmm...or is original and worn best?

[wolves3012]

Apologies for veering off the OP's hunt for a MIR, but some other questions popped up in the thread.

I have a '55 J-8 on my 3M, and had a '56 before it. The coatings are hard, "in my Opinion" as good as what is on the Japanese lenses of the day. I've taken apart a 1948 Collapsible Nikkor to clean it, and the coating is hard. Haze came right out. Also took apart the 1955 J-8 to clean and repair it. Sent the 1956 lens in exchange for it, as I was not sure if I could get one back together. These are the tabbed lenses with double-helicals. Turned out that the 1955 lens was missing a screw internally that was causing the helical to slide around and the lens could not focus.

You have to mistreat these lenses to rub off the coating.

The Mir looks like a good choice for a FSU camera. Like any 40~50 year old camera, a CLA is usually in order. And like most of these older cameras, knowing some simple repairs and adjustments is helpful. My Zorki 3M was serviced by Oleg, but still suffered an occasional shutter-jam. This was due to a part jamming up, and some flood-cleaning on the right sprocket was required. I've also done simple repair and adjustments to Nikon RF's and SLR's, Canons, Leica's, and even my old Kodak DSLR. The FSU cameras are not alone in this respect. If you buy a 50 year old Minolta or Nicca Leica Copy, you can expect to have the shutter curtains replaced if they are original. I've got a 1957 Zorki-C with great looking curtains, light tight. My FED 2's did not fare so well.
Brian,

The coatings on the two old J-8s I have aren't worn off, they're covered in what appear to be cleaning marks to the extent I thought they looked like fungus attacks (and that's not entirely dismissed from my mind). Hence wondering if they had soft coatings. Admittedly they are both 20 or more years older and so have had longer to be abused.

Regarding shutter curtains, I bought a FED 5B that had useless curtains, they had areas that had peeled off and stuck to the back of the next "layer" on the drum. This may have been due to sitting unused for years. I also have a '39 FED that has light-tight but deteriorating curtains, they're cracking on the portion that remains on the drum. Other than those two, all my FSUs have curtains that are near-perfect and appear to be original. Several are from as far back as '55. Obviously they don't last forever but mine have fared well.