[Leica] Universal viewfinder turret Russian Contax copy

[philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent)]

Thanks for the info, Marc.


> From: Marc James Small <msmall@infionline.net>
> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 20:44:42 -0400
> To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Universal viewfinder turret Russian Contax copy
> 
> At 09:34 PM 8/23/05 +0200, Philippe Orlent wrote:
>> Does anybody uses it? And is happy with it?
>> I recently acquired ridiculously cheap a Kiev 4AM with a Jupiter 50 and 
>> 35,
>> so I need something cheap but useable to put on top of it :-)
>> I could go for a Sea&Sea or Nikonos VF with a smaller range, too, but 
>> those
>> will look monstruous on it.
>> (I also know the Cosina alternatives, but they cost about 3 times the 
>> price
>> of the camera, so I do not consider that an option)
> 
> Well, for starters, the Soviet/Post-Soviet multiple-frame VF's are from the
> Ukraine and not from Russia, though a Russian plant at Great Rostov did
> make both 35mm and 85mm individual-frame VF units.
> 
> The Prewar Zeiss Ikon 436 viewfinder was cloned by the Soviets at the
> Arenal works in two forms, one for the LTM FED and Zorki Cameras which
> bends to the right as viewed from the rear, and the other, bending to the
> left as viewed from the rear, for the Contax and Kiev RF cameras.  The idea
> was to keep the optical axis of the auxiliary VF over the optical axis of
> the lens.
> 
> Zeiss Ikon made these VF in a range of variations both before and after the
> War but the ones the Soviets decided to copy afforded 28mm, 35mm, 50mm,
> 85mm, and 135mm. 
> 
> The views are clear and clean, the cost is low, and the utility is most
> high.  As others have pointed out, the Leitz IMARECT is a weak
> second-string player compared to this gem.  (And the Postwar West German
> Zeiss Ikon VF is even better, but the Soviets never chose to clone that
> design.)
> 
> I have a number of these both from Zeiss Ikon and from the Arsenal Works in
> the Ukraine and all are of the first water.
> 
> Look for FEDKA's auctions on eBay, as he generally has some of these for
> sale, and tell Yuri I said hello!  (He is both a vendor and a scholar, by
> the way.)
> 
> Best,
> 
> Marc
> 
> msmall@aya.yale.edu
> Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!
> 
> NEW FAX NUMBER:  +540-343-8505
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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