Let’s dream a little.

[reagan]

Get out your supernatural micro-tools and get ready to create. I guess this is aimed at folks who either own several various Russian Rangefinders or have researched many different kinds of FSU’s. Here’s the challenge:

If you were going to build the perfect FSU rangefinder, your “Мечта фотоаппарат”, from components of various cameras, what would you include? If you could magically combine your favorite parts and characteristics from any and all Russian made cameras into one custom shooter built to your individual whims and unique specs, what would you need?

[fanshaw]

The viewfinder from the Sokol.

[wolves3012]

The VF brightness of a Zorki 3/4/4K with the other features of a Kiev (meterless) and then preferably make it into a Zorki 1-sized package.

[Crazy Fedya]

Originally Posted by wolves3012

The VF brightness of a Zorki 3/4/4K with the other features of a Kiev (meterless) and then preferably make it into a Zorki 1-sized package.

Bingo!! What he said.

[Keith]

Having only experienced two 35mm FSUs my opinion will be limited!

My two cameras are a Kiev ll and my Fed 2

Where do I start ...

The viewfinder of the Fed is better than the Kiev ... the Fed is still pretty pathetic so that doesn't say much about the Kiev!

The shutter of the Kiev is way superior because it goes up and down instead of horizontally!

The Fed doesn't have a light leak ... the Kiev does and I've yet to figure out the source!

I can use the Fed easily without blacking out the rangefinder with my finger ... that's a real plus! Long term committed Kiev users often have the offending finger surgically removed I hear!

To be truthful if I took all of the best features from these two devices I probably wouldn't have enough to make a complete camera ... I need more FSUs I supect!

[rbiemer]

The over all shape of and the VF from the Zorki 3m, the advance lever from the FED 3, the fixed take up spool from; the FED 5, the "foot" from the Zorki 3, the shutter ccurtain from a Canon 7:, and the black finish from Arax.
Rob

[pakeha]

Ha, Kiev shutter and speed change,Zorki 4 dioptar and rangefinder on the rangefinder base of Fed 2 with Zorki 6 door and wind on.And any clutch other than the Zorki 4.

[rxmd]

The Kiev-5, with the mechanical robustness and size of the FED-2, the light meter from the FED-6TTL, and taking M39 lenses (and for added bonus and quicker lens changing with the "interrupted thread" mount from the Ilford Witness )

[reagan]

I agree, the Zorki.1 is my favorite size. I just feels right. Don’t have a Kiev yet, but I like the idea of the metallic shutter. Is the FED.6 a decent meter?

So stuff the vertical shutter from a KneB into a Zorki.1, stick a Sokol or Zorki.4 RF/VF on top ... with one finger tied behind your back ... paint it black, add FED TTL metering and stick a foot on it ... and wow. That's a pretty cool concept.

I'm breakin' out the tools!!

[rbiemer]

Originally Posted by rxmd

...the light meter from the FED-6TTL...

I wonder how well these would have actually worked?
There are a seriously tiny number of FED 6 cameras around--2 or 3? and it was only a prototype, I think, so while I like the proposed specs that I have seen, I don't know how functional the examples were/are.

But, I do like the idea! Can we get it calibrated in ASA or ISO scales, please?

And since we are "dreaming a little" here, I retract my earlier, regressive, imperialistic suggestion of the Canon 7 shutter curtain in favor of an FSU metal foil shutter curtain. I think one of the other proposed/prototrype 35mm rf cameras had a titanium curtain. Maybe the Komet?

Reagan, let us know when you are ready to ship, please.

Rob