Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/13

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Russian Leica Copy Heresy
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 14:43:54 -0700

At 10:19 AM 6/13/01 -0700, Frank Filippone wrote:
>Has anyone tried to shoot one of the "Russian" LTM copies that are showing
>up....?  Do they properly accept LTM Lenses?  Are the cameras in tolerance
>when received?  Do they last?
>
>They look like a Leica IIIC of IIIF. Sometimes in gold with audacious
>markings...!

Ah!  Well, you pays your money and you takes your choice.  Pick up a copy
of Princelle's MADE IN USSR for a quick guide to the FED and ZORKI lines
or, even better, wait briefly for the next edition, being translated by the
inestimable and talented C. M. Barringer.  

The Prewar FED line are pretty good cameras, as are the ZORKI's.  The
Postwar FED's aren't quite as nice.  In general terms, the lenses are quite
good:  there are three families of these, first, the Prewar FED lenses,
second, Industars, solid copies of the 5cm Elmar, and the
Jupiter/Orion/Russar lenses, outstanding performers with the normal caveat
about SPS quality control.

And, especially nifty is the Stereo beam-splitter produced for the Zorki-S.
 Reasonably available, reasonably cheap, and it works!

Marc

msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!