Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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!