Jupiter 9, 90mm f/2, Sonnar copy

Industar 22, 50mm f/3.5, collapsible Tessar copy (uncoated?)

Both taken on Kodak Gold 100…I’m very happy with the Jupiter-9, the Industar-22 has some flare issues, but it’s to be expected. The colour rendition I’m happy with, so I’m all good to go ahead in black and white.
Also as you could perhaps tell, my scanner needs a bit of a clean in some cases, but it resides in a rural area so it’s not half surprising.

I managed to get this copy at a reasonable price from an APUG member (the APUG classifieds can be just as tempting as eBay sometimes). It came with front and back caps, plus the factory standard plastic lens case. Making it the first lens case I’ve actually owned personally, which is kinda neat. I’m pretty sure you could drive over it and it wouldn’t break, so that’s handy.
After I ordered it I went about decking it out with accessories. By virtue of ebaying things from china, it all arrived at once, and I now have this:
-Jupiter 9 85/2 Lens [Serial: 7702579, so manufactured in 1977]
-49mm snap cap
-49-52mm step up ring (I’ve got a set of 52mm filters)
-49mm UV filter
-Leica M to screw mount adapter, to get it on my R2A
-Leica M Back cap

I admit accessorising isn’t usually my first priority, but it never hurts, and I already had to buy the M Mount Adapter. So anyway, after unpacking all this and checking the infinity focus, I popped in a roll of Kodak Gold 100 (an oddly underrated film), and wandered about my neighborhood with it for a bit, taking all your stereotypical wide-open-shots-of-flowers. I’ll get it developed and uploaded soon, but all seems to be in order so far.

I’ve no new complaints about my Bessa, but I have to reaffirm that it is terribly useful to have on hand. I just shove it in my bag and pull it out when required, works fine. Quick and easy.
-It’s shutter lock is taking a little getting used to – on my FM2n it’s just a matter of pulling the film advance away from the body and the shutter is unlocked. On the R2A, you have to flick a little switch around the shutter release. I’ll get it eventually, but it throws off my usual automatic operation. Everything else is pretty much a spot on match with the FM2n, and it’s really a personal complaint than anything. Unless you do things exactly how I do, you probably wont even notice it. Buuut if Cosina would like to make the shutter lock the same as the FM2n, I wouldn’t mind.

I commented earlier about the “leather” on the body, and while I like the rest of the camera this still irks me a bit. With the solid feel of the rest of the camera, the plastic of the body covering detracts somewhat.
But then I ran across this! Cameraleather.com, and it’s [page on the Bessas]. Apparently I’m not the only one with this qualm. You can get a new covering mailed to you for under $50.

Update! I emailed [Mainline Photo] about their 2 year Voigtlander warranty and how it relates to changing the cosmetics of the camera.

Hi Alex,

No worries go for it. Send us some photos of the finished product.
Your full warranty will still apply.

Kind Regards

Scott Vanthoff

I’m sort of considering some accessories now. The nice part of a modern camera system is that you can buy things new, and accessories haven’t yet become the target of collectors more than users. A trigger winder will set you back around $200, and a soft release maybe $20. I’m considering both. A side grip is only $75-ish, but I think you might as well get the winder and add some extra functionality.

Era Pan 100:

-The metering reminds me of the Canon EF bodies, but it’s a bit new to me not to be able to see the aperture figure in the viewfinder. Apparently the Bessa R2M/R3M/R4M’s have a metering system closer to my FM2n.

-I’ve experienced some “white-out” with the metering figures in the bottom of the viewfinder, but I think it just needs fresh batteries, or I’m still not used to looking 100% front on into the viewfinder. Doesn’t happen too often.

-Aperture Priority exposure is lovely to have.

-My lock on the rewind crank doesnt lock. This locking switch is meant to stop the rewind crank from lifting freely and risking opening the back. The rewind crank doesnt lift freely, but it doesnt lock either. I took it back to PhotoCo Camera House and they offered to either return it and get it repaired for me, or look after me on a future purchase. I opted for the latter, and worked out a deal for the new 35mm f/1.4 MC M-mount lens when I have the money. It’s not a fatal flaw, just cosmetic and a little bit irksome.

So I’m still pretty happy, like I said it compliments my FM2n perfectly. I got some good shots on the Era Pan 100 I have left today, I’ll get them developed and scanned this weekend. Also I’ll have the first roll of colour photos I got back today scanned and uploaded.
I’m very happy with the Canon 50mm f/1.8 too.

So keep an eye out for part 3~

Kodak-Branded SLR – 6th of march, 2007

‘Vivitar has plans to develop a Kodak SLR camera similar to the Vivitar V3000s,’ said Vivitar UK CEO Abbas Bhanji who added: ‘The planned KV100 is, at the moment, at the development stages and once released will be aimed at educational institutes who specialise in traditional photography.’ …

… Initial predictions of the death of film have been somewhat premature, according to Joel Proegler, general manager of Film Capture at Eastman Kodak who told us: ‘Kodak has focused on the digital message for the past four years. As we come out of that transition, one thing is very clear: film is a very profitable part of the business’.

[source]

Now, a simple case of re-branding an existing camera? Perhaps, but if it’s “in development”, perhaps not. Some quick research turns up the specs on the Vivitar V3000 – it’s sort of a modern Pentax K1000 with a plastic body. Pentax K mount, manual everything, built in light meter, split prism finder – really a solid basic SLR. Vivitar has never been a camera manufacturer, but has sold cameras under it’s brand since the 1970’s – so where this is actually being manufactured, I don’t know.
But, disregarding the speculation that will ensue – There will be a new Kodak brand, K mount, Manual SLR coming to the market. It’s aimed at educational institutions, and I’d expect it to be around 200-300USD.

Ilford in Japan
Japan likes film, and a fair few photographers quite like Ilford, so reports of Ilford pulling out of the japanese market upset a fair few people. Chugai Graphics released a statement, which you can find [here, in Japanese]. I don’t read Japanese, but those who do have pointed out what the beef was.
Essentially, Harman wanted Chugai to carry their range of Harman Inkjet products, as well as the Ilford Photo range (Remember, Harman is the parent company of Ilford Photo). Chugai already carry the old Ilford line of Inkjet papers (From Ilford Imaging, seperate to Ilford Photo.), and they apparently couldn’t handle products from two competing companies. Disagreement arose, and there was apparently some bad blood between the companies, and Chugai made an announcement before Ilford/Harman.

However, A new distributor has been appointed – CyberGraphics/Oriental, are now the distributor for Ilford in Japan. There’s even a Ilford Photo website for japan now: www.ilfordphoto.jp/

Simon has informally made the announcement:

Sorry to get to this late : HARMAN technology Limited have indeed appointed Cyber Graphics as its new and exclusive distributor in Japan. I am also pleased to announce that the full and comprehensive initial stocking order for our new distributor is on the water and we do not expect any stock outs whatsover to occur. A full press release will follow in the next few days.

Mr. Simon Galley [source]

So there you go. Ilford Photo are still in Japan, and it seems they’re happy about the new arrangement.

New camera from Fuji
This is big news, and I haven’t had time to report on it. Fuji have shown the prototype of a new folding medium format camera at PMA 2008, in Las Vegas.
It’s been affectionately dubbed, “That new Fuji Folder” – usually followed by a few sentences about mortgaging a house to buy one if that’s what it takes.
Pricing has been the biggest point of speculation – with anything from 500-2000USD suggested.

But, down to the cool stuff:
-It’s name is the GF670
-Rangefinder coupled 80mm lens f/3.5 lens
-Metal construction
-Manual film advance
-Both black and chrome finish available
-Shutter Speed is 1/500 to B
-Exposure compensation in 1/3 stops, 2 stops each way

The Speculation
-TTL light meter?
-Focal plane shutter or leaf (in the lens) shutter?
-flash sync at all speeds?
-Auto exposure? (There is an “A” on the shutter speed dial)

Some Photos:

Some Links:
-Initial Report
-The first images
-A video of the camera
-Czech blog, some more phots

David Bram got this response from Fuji USA:

“We wish to inform you that the new portable medium-format film camera displayed at the recent PMA 2008 Show is a prototype and currently not available. At this point in time, there is no additional information on the technical specifications, pricing, or release date for this prototype. “

[Check out David Bram's blog]

A lot of people got this same reply. It’s a generic response, which suggests they’re getting a hell of a lot of inquiries about this camera. That’s a good thing.

As others have pointed out, a lot is price dependent. If it’s too expensive, why wouldn’t you just buy a Mamiya 7? 6×7 is often touted as Ideal Format, the aspect ratio fits perfectly onto a 8×10 sheet of paper. I’d prefer 6×6 or 6×9, and there’s a lot of speculation about maybe more than one version if there’s enough demand. Maybe even a version with a wide angle lens?
This has been debated on various forums for quite a while, and we’ll just have to wait and see. Everyone has their personal preferences . Personally, I’ll consider one if it’s in ther 500-1200USD range.
Also, Cosina’s speculated to have their hand in this as well. Expect more at fotokina in September.

So that’s the state of traditional photography today. We’ve been left waiting for more from Fuji and Kodak, and I’ll report back as we get it.

In my position, cheap is appealing. But, what do you lose?
As I mentioned before, Russian cameras are wonderful if you get a good one. Quality control is, admittedly, not too awesome. Frame spacing problems are common, off shutter speeds a routine concern, and that cute little quirk where you have to cock the shutter before you set the shutter speed or you’ll break some part of it is just something to keep in mind. They’re quirky, and in the same way you can call a house a “handyman’s dream”, you can call some Russian models a “tinker’s dream”. They’re cheap enough you can go through three learning how they work. I am, admittedly, a tinker.

But, if you can get through these problems you will have a perfectly usable, inexpensive, and well-equipped camera. Russian lenses can be very impressive and perfectly comparable to their German and Japanese counterparts too – here is an example here for a 1959 Jupiter-3 50mm f/1.5 lens with a 1986 front element:
1959 J3 with 1986 Front Element – anachronist_user, flickr

Mr. Sweeny, as well as making lens testing look rather pretty, has written an article on servicing a J-3 lens. Available on the [Pentax-Manuals site] under “repairs”, or [direct link here (.pdf)]. It’s pretty interesting reading.

So, as you can see, you can’t discredit Russian camera and lenses. The most widely known Russian cameras are Leica copies, Rangefinders made throughout the mid 20th century. They began as simple Leica copies, but as they progressed their made their own innovations and started to come into their own, to the point that you couldn’t call them Leica copies more than you could call a Canon a Nikon copy. But, they are known collectively as Russian Leica Copies.
There are quite a lot of them – the most common brands are Zorki, Fed and Kiev.

The Zorki cameras were made by the KMZ factory, “Krasnogorskiy Mekhanicheskiy Zavod”, in Krasnogorsk, Russia. [You can find the company history here]. The most popular (and most usable) was the [Zorki 4].

FED Cameras were made by, obviously, the FED Factory, in the Ukraine. They started copying the Leica in 1934, and were in business right through to around 1990. They made some very interesting designs, but film loading is notably a bit odd and complicated, similar to the original Leicas.

Kiev Rangefinders were actually Contax copies, and use the Contax lens mount. They were produced by the Arsenal factory in Kiev until the 1980’s, but they still make other cameras today. They also made the Jupiter series lenses. As a historical aside, much of the Contax factory was taken from Germany after the war and brought back to Russia, so they may be considered more than just Contax copies.

So those are the most common Russian Rangefinders. They all have their own quirks, and around half a dozen different models to each brand, so there really is something for everyone. And with the advent of eBay, anyone can own one – but again, it is the luck of the draw with what you get. Anyone who ever got a dud lens or body is putting them on eBay too – so the odds have gotten slightly worse.

You can take the guess work and disappointment out of it though, either by making your own repairs and adjustments or sending it to someone who can do it for you. Oleg Khalyavin Photocameras, or [OK Photocameras] can repair many Russian Rangefinders, servicing them and bringing them up to scratch, or sell you one they have in inventory for a good price. Buying from a reputable source guards against a lot of the problems you may run into.

But what if you don’t want a Rangefinder? What about an SLR?
Well, the KMZ Factory has you covered here too. The Zenit series of cameras evolved out the Zorki Rangefinder, and even used the same M39 screw mount. These lenses are not at all compatible with rangefinders because their design needed to accommodate the extra space needed for the SLR’s mirror. They later progressed to the M42 mount, and then the (Pentax devised and supported) K-mount – there’s a lot of lenses that you can attach to these models, so they’re a decent investment. You can [find more here, on camerapedia]. KMZ ceased camera manufacturing in 2005, but there’s plenty of these cameras around second hand, or New-Old-Stock.

But Medium Format, I hear you ask? As in, 120 film? BIG negatives? From Russia?
Yep, [the Kiev-Arsenal] factory also makes medium format cameras. The Kiev 88/88CM, and the Kiev 60.

The Kiev 88 is essentially a clone of the original Hasselblad 1600F/1000F. It has a similar screw lens mount (designated “Kiev B”), but lens compatibility is suspect at best. It’s your standard medium format SLR, it has a body, film back, lens and finder. As you can see, the image above is branded ARAX, I’ll explain that in a moment.
The Kiev 88 became the Kiev 88CM in 1999, adding the ability to use Pentacon 6 lenses.

The Kiev 6, and later Kiev 60, are copies of the Pentacon 6, Made in Germany by Pentacon. So, it’s a Russian copy of a German camera again – but in this case, the Russian copy has outlived it’s German counterpart. This camera also uses the [Pentacon-6 Lens Mount].
The Kiev 6 had support for 220 format, but this was dropped with the revised Kiev 60. Despite this, all the other advantages and better quality build of the revised design make it the one to look for. You can tell them apart easily enough – on the original Kiev 6, the shutter release is on the left, on the 60 is is on the right.
Quirky Russians.

There are is also a common after-market modification of these cameras, the Kiev 645 – reworking the camera to take 4.5×6 photos instead of 6×6. I might add that because the film rolls left to right, the frame is in portrait format instead of landscape like on most (all other?) cameras of this format.

But the same problem of quality control comes back up again – it’s hit and miss, even with buying straight from the Kiev factory you’re not guaranteed a perfect camera. Remember, these cameras are still available new, the Arsenal factory is alive and well in Russia – [check out their home page here]. But looking at the prices, you can get a new Kiev 88 kit for half the price of a used Hasselblad. You can understand their following – despite their issues, they’re still a viable and much loved camera.
When you get them working how you want, of course – That’s where after-market companies come into it. [ARAX] seems to offer the best deal. They pretty much do a complete rebuild on the camera. In the case of the Kiev 88:
-Rebuild shutter, replace metal shutter with a black cloth focal plane curtain shutter. Side shutter release button installed.
-Mirror lock-up function stalled
-Pentacon 6 Lens mount installed (replacing Kiev B mount)
-Special tripod plate fitted
-New, brighter focusing screen
-Newly designed film advance crank
-Frame spacing and film advance mechanism corrected.
-New paint job, light absorbing paint inside, ARAX logo

You can find the full process [here], and the work on the [Kiev 60] and [Kiev 88CM].

All in all, it’s a pretty impressive job they do, really a whole rebuild and test to make sure it works properly. Also, there’s a 1 Year guarantee to back it up. After all that their prices are still very appealing. While there seem to be plenty of second hand medium format outfits, designs like the Kiev 60 are still very unique. Remember the Pentacon 6 lens mount means Carl Zeiss lenses are available too, so if you need reassurance of lens availability there it is. Not that the Kiev lenses are anything to turn your nose up at – and, a [40mm medium format fisheye] for less than 300US? I’m there.

Well, still out of my price range unless I starve and don’t pay rent for a while, but definitely something to keep in mind. Russia makes great cameras, both in the past and in the present, they’re just…special. If you put in the time to learn their quirks, correct their faults and use them well, you’ll have a unique friend with you for a long time to come. Remember, all those Zorkis have lasted half a century, and the only thing wrong with some of them is they don’t really work.

Voigtlander Bessa R4A and M models

Since then I’ve quietly wanted a new Rangefinder camera, preferable with TTL metering, trigger winding, full manual operations and interchangeable lenses. The two most popular lens mounts for rangefinders are the Leica Thread Mount (also known as LTM, screw mount, S mount or M39), and it’s successor, the Leica M mount. LTM lenses can be adapted to M mount cameras perfectly, and thus an M mount camera has the largest number of available lenses of any rangefinder.

But why a rangefinder? What advantage does it offer over a regular old SLR? This is really the first question you should ask if you already have an SLR, like I do. They do look very pretty, but that isn’t much of a reason.
There’s a wider selection of unique (and decidedly odd) lenses, spanning the greater part of the 20th century. They offer a slimmer camera, without the need for a mirror box as in an SLR it’s more compact. And this is one of their greatest advantages – they look like crappy old tourist cameras at first glance. They’re fantastic for candid, quiet work – people will notice an SLR more, and an SLR with a big lens is just intimidating. It could even get you some nasty glances, these days.
A Rangefinder with a slightly wide lens, like a 35mm, is fantastic for candid photojournalism-type work. It’s barely noticeable, and the shutters are quiet (without the mirror “slap” you get in an SLR, as the mirror flips up).
My old Canonet had a 40mm lens and this is exactly what I used it for, and it was great. The Rangefinder focus spot takes some getting used to, and it was horribly dim on my Canonet, but it’s an efficient focusing system.

Due to what’s being heralded as a “Rangefinder Renaissance” in recent years, you can get a decent new Rangefinder at a reasonable price. That means the functionality of a Leica, without the prestige price point. The Voigtlander brand has been revived by Cosina of Japan (who also manufacture Nikon’s FM10), to give some competition to Leica as a Rangefinder Manufacturer. They’re also making a line of great quality (as well as affordable), lenses.

This is where my fawning comes into it. There are three Voigtlander Bessas available in the standard Leica M mount, and each model with two variations.
The Bessa R2, R3, and R4.
These each come in Manual and Automatic models. The M cameras have a fully mechanical shutter (if the battery dies, the shutter still fires), and the A cameras have an electronic shutter and Aperture Priority shooting. Set the aperture and the camera will automatically select the shutter speed. Battery dies, the camera’s dead.
I’m incredibly fond of manual operations, I don’t like the idea of cameras being entirely battery dependent. This is part of my I love my Nikon FM2n so much.
But, I have to admit Aperture priority comes in handy when you’re shooting quick.

Taken on an EOS 300x using Aperture priority.

So I’m currently leaning towards an A model, with an M to supplement it. TWO bodies? Well, one can dream.
But I’ll get the A first, for the “just in case” of having Aperture priority as an option. And I expect I’ll be using it in cities (candid), where batteries are available, so I’m not too worried about the power thing.

But then which model? They’re all very similar, with some key differences; Finder Magnification and Framelines.
Framelines:
R2 – 35/50/75/90
R3 – 40/50/75/90
R4 – 21/25/28/35/50

Finder Magnifications:
R2 – .7
R3 – 1.0
R4 – .52

Framelines take care of showing where the edge of the frame is in the viewfinder. If you’re using a 50mm lens, use 50mm framelines, so you can compose the photograph. If you’re using 35mm, use 35mm framelines. Or, if you’re using an R3, use an auxiliary viewfinder in the flash shoe, with 35mm framelines. It’s worth pointing out that the R4 has the widest frame lines of any rangefinder on the market, or produced ever. Neat huh.
The Finder Magnifications indicate the magnification of the viewfinder – think of it as how wide the viewfinder is. 1.0, on the R3, means you can shoot with both eyes open, with one looking through the viewfinder. Useful, apparently.

These are the major differences. Apart from this, they all have the same metal construction and shutters (between the M and A models), throughout this generation.

So, out of the current R generation of Cosina Voigtlander (CV) Cameras, I’d rather like an R4A. Aperture Priority with wide angle lenses – sounds fun to me.
I’d take an R3M to supplement it too, happily.

Currently, the R4A is available from CameraQuest For $669USD. Factoring in postage and currency conversion, this is about $800AUD.
Mainline Photo in Sydney is also the Australian importer and distributor for these cameras. An R4A comes to $995AUD ($895AUD for the R3M), but it’s likely to get to you quicker and you have an Australian warranty. If I could afford it, I’d prefer to buy from Mainline Photo.
Currently though, it looks like I have a lot of saving to do no matter how I swing it. I’ve purchased a Canon 50mm f/1.8 Lens and an M adapter, so at least I have a lens when I do get it.

For more information on Voigtlander RF’s and lenses
Check out CameraQuest. They really have everything you’d ever like to know about Rangefinders, and this brand in particular.
http://www.cameraquest.com/