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#1
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
Hi all,
I'm an advanced photography student who is looking to try something different from my old Pentax Me super for the upcoming semester's class work. I saw a fellow student's prints taken off a Holga and was quite impressed with the quality of the negative, even if I was profoundly not impressed by the quality of the lens. I am looking for a very cheap way to get into the medium but have a higher-quality camera than the Holga. I was interested in the Lubitel 166 because it's so darn cheap, but after reading up on it, it seems that a Lubitel is scarcely better than a Holga. I raised my price range a little more (still under a hundred dollars, though) and after researching for a week on the web, the Moscva-5 looks like a good compromise to me. What do you guys think of the Moscva as a very low-level intro camera for a broke college student? Any opinions much appreciated. Thanks! Trevor Longino -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
#2
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
see http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/budget.html and mf/value.html for camera best buys ;-) personally, I'd suggest deciding what kind of camera will best fit your needs first (mf/features.html ) and then looking at budget alternatives. There are budget models for all MF camera types, and prices now are very low compared to just a few years ago as folks go to digital and sell cheap! on the moskva 5, see comments at russian camera mailing list archives - see beststuff.com for mailing list signup etc. see mf/folder.html etc. I tend to recommend the moskva 5 to somebody with a reliable MF kit already who wants to explore another format like 6x9cm cheaply and is willing to put up with glitches and lack of modern features in an older folding camera of soviet manufacture, and can fall back on his regular kit for a student on a budget (ahem), there are lots of options that will provide you with a camera you can continue to use or expand to meet your expanding interests in photography or serve as a professional quality backup (e.g., TLR) to a future semipro or pro kit; some of my examples: for $150-ish, you can buy a koni-omega rangefinder (6x7cm) which has interchangeable magazines and backs, plus four interchangeable lens options, plus some of the highest scoring lenses in MF for modest $$; similarly, a new kiev-60 SLR with metering prism will cost about the same with filters (6x6cm), opening up the low cost line of CZJ zeiss jena lenses (including fisheyes etc.) plus cheap closeup options (tubes etc.). For $100-ish, you can also get into a very high quality rolleicord TLR or similar rollei clones (e.g., minolta autocord, ricoh TLRs etc.). see mf/tlr.html for details keep the 35mm kit; you can use MF cheaply for perhaps 80% of general photo shots (portraits, landscapes..), but some exotic stuff is much easier and cheaper on 35mm (zooms, long telephotos..)... hth bobm -- ************************************************** ********************* * Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 * ********************Standard Disclaimers Apply************************* |
#3
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
Trevor Longino wrote:
Hi all, I'm an advanced photography student who is looking to try something different from my old Pentax Me super for the upcoming semester's class work. I saw a fellow student's prints taken off a Holga and was quite impressed with the quality of the negative, even if I was profoundly not impressed by the quality of the lens. Medium format it is then. One cheap way to do this is with an old Polaroid 250 Automatic, and the Polaroid 665 P/N film, which gives you a negative to work with. Of course, that might be a bit large a negative for many enlargers, unless you do just contact prints. I am looking for a very cheap way to get into the medium but have a higher-quality camera than the Holga. I was interested in the Lubitel 166 because it's so darn cheap, but after reading up on it, it seems that a Lubitel is scarcely better than a Holga. I raised my price range a little more (still under a hundred dollars, though) and after researching for a week on the web, the Moscva-5 looks like a good compromise to me. What do you guys think of the Moscva as a very low-level intro camera for a broke college student? With any of the folder type of cameras, or old cameras in general, it would help to know how to do some simple repairs. There are few of these that are fixed to really good working condition, though if you search carefully, you might find some. Try to find one were the individual has actually used it to take photos, so at least you can hope for a good starting point. Any opinions much appreciated. Thanks! Trevor Longino I have several old AGFA folding cameras. After much work on all of them, I have all of them working. I got lucky to find a large cache of unused replacement bellows, and was able to replace the bad one, and still have some spares. Auxiliary rangefinders are also available at low cost to fit in the accessory shoe, and allow for somewhat accurate focusing. Really minimal tools are needed to get these working. When they do work, they are really very nice, and much better results than from a Holga. If you want to try simple repairs, and get you own medium format camera for under $100, there are some great repair resources on the internet, and on this news group. You could also spend a bit more and get into a Yashica, Mamiya, or Rolleiflex TLR. These vary in quality, but many were rugged and durable. Repairs are much tougher than with folder cameras, since there are more parts. Ciao! Gordon Moat A G Studio http://www.allgstudio.com |
#4
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
Trevor Longino wrote:
Hi all, I am looking for a very cheap way to get into the medium but have a higher-quality camera than the Holga. I was interested in the Lubitel 166 because it's so darn cheap, but after reading up on it, it seems that a Lubitel is scarcely better than a Holga. That's not my experience. I flocked the inside of my Lubitel 166B with self-adhesive flock paper from Efstonscience. It now has good contrast. The lens needs to be stopped down to f/11 or smaller to avoid fuzzy corners. Mine shows no light leaks. It has five shutter speeds which are roughly a stop apart. Pictures taken with small apertures look like they were taken with a decent camera. Your mileage may vary. I raised my price range a little more (still under a hundred dollars, though) and after researching for a week on the web, the Moscva-5 looks like a good compromise to me. What do you guys think of the Moscva as a very low-level intro camera for a broke college student? If you are using it as a 6x9 camera rather than as a 6x6 with the insert, it may suffer from film flatness problems which are very common with old 6x9 folding cameras. If the rails on which the bellows extend are bent, then the camera is pretty much a lost cause. On the plus side, the rangefinder is very precise. The shutter is a copy of an old Compur and will be accurate. The lens may (or may not) be good by the standards of front-cell focusing tessar type lenses. The lens on mine seems to be pretty decently usable at f/5.6 at least for 6x6 format. If you want a Moskva, finding a good seller is important. I think your chances would be pretty good if you bought from Oleg Khalgavin www.okvintagecamera.com or from Cupog on Ebay. I have dealt with both of these people and they appear to deserve their good reputations. You might consider a Flexaret TLR. The models IV and later plus the Standard, have a Belar lens which is a Tessar type which should be useful at f/8 or even f/5.6. The earlier ones with the Mirar (Cooke triplet type) should be ok, but will need to be stopped down quite a bit. Cupog on Ebay would be a very good source for these, the bidding sometimes goes a little high because of his reputation, but it is probably worth it. The models IV, IVa, V, Va and the Standard often go for 50 dollars from Cupog. The later models VI and VII tend to fetch twice that or more. Peter. -- |
#5
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
Trevor Longino wrote:
Hi all, I raised my price range a little more (still under a hundred dollars, though) and after researching for a week on the web, the Moscva-5 looks like a good compromise to me. Several things going against it. First is 6X9. On the face of it, sounds like a good idea but most 6X9 folders have problems with film flatness, to the point where prints made from a 6X4.5 folder look better. Even when both camera's have the same type lens. Also many have problems covering 6X9, even at small f stops. Second is getting prints made from 6X9 negatives, almost no one does them and they crop them 6X7 to print, them choosing the crop at least for proofs. I have a good 6X9 camera and don't use it that much because of that problem and what do you do with a 6X9 chrome, there are no projectors for them etc. That format was designed for contact printing, hence the larger negative. You get 8 exposures a roll as well. Second you are dealing with an FSU camera, trust me they are FLAKEY. I use kievs etc and while they can produce nice images, they can be frustrating and you'll spend a lot of time just getting it working corectly from my experience. Also the QC of the lenses used seems to be all over the place, some are really good, some are crap. A much better camera from the FSU is the Iskra. A 6X6 folder w/rangefinder and tessar clone lens that all of them seem to be good. The only problem these have is the frame counters can be flakey but since these seem to take great pictures, many were converted to "red window" counters. What I think makes these so good is the whole lens moves to focus rather than being a front cell focusing camera. Look for one already converted to red window counter (a picture of the back will show the red window) and you'll probably get a great little camera for about $75. Be careful as some have also been converted to 6X4.5 and will have the red window at the bottom of the back instead of the center. The first is a 6X4.5, the second is unconverted and I don't see one right now that shows the centered red window that a converted 6X6 would have. Then again you might like a 6X4.5 version since you get 16 on a roll instead of 12? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW Another really great camera is the early Ikonta -A- 520/521, a 6X4.5 folder that could be had with a tessar lens. These can be found for around $100, are very small, light and produce fantastic results. What's odd is the one pictured below doesn't have a body shutter release, my 520 and my 521 both do. The difference between the 520 and 521 is the 521 has double exposure prevention. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0105 421&rd=1 I think the Iskra is probably the best of this lot as far as being a good user for under $100, It has coupled rangefinder viewfinder combo like the $400 late ikontas have and is 6X6 as well. My iskra is better image wise than my late opton tessar ikonta III! Like I said the only issue they seem to have is the frame counter which can be bypassed if it becomes a problem. -- Stacey |
#6
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
Trevor Longino wrote:
Hi all, I'm an advanced photography student who is looking to try something different from my old Pentax Me super for the upcoming semester's class work. I saw a fellow student's prints taken off a Holga and was quite impressed with the quality of the negative, even if I was profoundly not impressed by the quality of the lens. I am looking for a very cheap way to get into the medium but have a higher-quality camera than the Holga. I was interested in the Lubitel 166 because it's so darn cheap, but after reading up on it, it seems that a Lubitel is scarcely better than a Holga. I raised my price range a little more (still under a hundred dollars, though) and after researching for a week on the web, the Moscva-5 looks like a good compromise to me. What do you guys think of the Moscva as a very low-level intro camera for a broke college student? After following the same train of thought for some years and buying and selling lots of stuff I can tell you a few of my findings: - folders have a large negative, but usually all sorts of problems, like flatness problems, wobbly lens mount, light leaks and plain bad lenses, especially when they are front-focussing. - more or less modern russian stuff has additional problems with quality control. Yes, it _is_ possible to find a fine working specimen, but expect to buy and sell several duds before finding it. - Koni-Omegas are fine, but not very easy to find in good condition. Most are professional used outfits with very heavy usage. Same problem exists with Mamiya Universal etc. - TLRs are usually not very problematic. Anything with "Rollei" on it is premium stuff, even a lowly Rolleicord with a Triotar. It pays to look after condition, but usually these things are well cared for (they were expensive enough in their days... the least expensive Rolleicord II with Triotar was worth about two month of work from a industrial worker in 1950, a Rolleiflex from the same period 4-5 month work...). Expect to pay for a CLA. Mamiya TLRs are inexpensive, but rather large and heavy. The optics are fine and plentiful. The first models (C2, C3, C22 and C33) have fixed screens that may be out of focus. To fix it, you have to use a collimator (or some test films) and start fiddeling with shims. The latest models (C220 and C330) are much easier adjustable. All are made like tanks. - All system MF cameras are made for professional usage, but are rather expensive. A good buy these days are Mamiya RB (ProS and ProSD, not Pro) with Sekor-C optics. So, if you want to go medium format cheaply, forget folders and buy a TLR. Martin |
#7
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
"Trevor Longino" wrote in message ...
Hi all, I'm an advanced photography student who is looking to try something different from my old Pentax Me super for the upcoming semester's class work. I saw a fellow student's prints taken off a Holga and was quite impressed with the quality of the negative, even if I was profoundly not impressed by the quality of the lens. I am looking for a very cheap way to get into the medium but have a higher-quality camera than the Holga. I was interested in the Lubitel 166 because it's so darn cheap, but after reading up on it, it seems that a Lubitel is scarcely better than a Holga. I raised my price range a little more (still under a hundred dollars, though) and after researching for a week on the web, the Moscva-5 looks like a good compromise to me. What do you guys think of the Moscva as a very low-level intro camera for a broke college student? Any opinions much appreciated. Thanks! Trevor Longino The Moskva-5 is a poorly-made Russian copy of the German Zeiss Super-Ikonta C camera. Supposedly made with the same machinery got from Germany as compensation after WWII, I can only conclude that they dropped this machinery several times on the flight back to Russia. That combined with the amount of Vodka required to keep a steady hand when assembling, then the results are predictable. The camera case is very good, however. If you get a good example of this camera then count yourself lucky. The optics, if they function, should be fine. Now, if you want a *really* cheap camera, and a reliable one to boot, then then there is always the Zeiss Ikon folding cameras with the Novar lens. You will have to make sure you are getting the format you want such as 6x6 because there are a lot of Zeiss Ikon cameras out there. These cameras are seriously cheap and yet give good results (when stopped down). |
#8
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
Stacey wrote:
... That format was designed for contact printing, hence the larger negative. That may be true for box brownies, but the high-end 6x9 folders are a different story. You don't put a Tessar on a camera if you only need contact prints. -- Lassi |
#9
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
RolandRB wrote:
... The Moskva-5 is a poorly-made Russian copy of the German Zeiss Super-Ikonta C camera. Supposedly made with the same machinery got from Germany as compensation after WWII, I can only conclude that they dropped this machinery several times on the flight back to Russia. That is an unfair thing to say. The original Moskva had some original German parts, but AFAIK the machines weren't moved from Germany (Contax was, but Ikonta wasn't). The Moskva 2 is an all-Soviet camera. After that they started developing it to their own needs, and the Moskva 5 has many non-Zeiss improvements. But in quality control the Soviets can't match Zeiss. If the camera is in mint condition, it is probably dead, and has been dead since it left the factory (which explains the mint condition). Only cameras with wear marks work, or at lesat have worked at some point in time. My Moskva 2 works fine, and the lens is good. OTOH, the only Zeiss folder I've ever had went back to the seller, because it had a light leak in its body. -- Lassi |
#10
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Moscva 5--decent student camera?
"Stacey" wrote in message
... lens. Also many have problems covering 6X9, even at small f stops. Second is getting prints made from 6X9 negatives, almost no one does them and they It depends on the minilab used. Here in Athens, some minilabs do prints from 6x9, either from slides or from print films. I have a Fuji GSW690 III and I *love* it (still hunting for a GW690 III...) a good 6X9 camera and don't use it that much because of that problem and what do you do with a 6X9 chrome, there are no projectors for them etc. Well, there's not a real need for a projection from a 6x9 slide, is there? :-) An idea I'm toying with is a hand-made projector (like someone that was given by Mamiya when they were pushing their 7 RF), but the biggest problem is: how do you keep flat such a slide? (answer: you practically cannot) That format was designed for contact printing, hence the larger negative. You get 8 exposures a roll as well. If you use 220 film, double that amount. And the camera bag isn't that easily filled with 3-4 220 rolls (I tend to shoot much more 35mm rolls). One small problem with the Fuji is the lack of speeds higher than 1/500 - I shoot trains, and sometimes when I shoot broadsides of 100+ km/h trains, it's not enough to freeze the action. I know, I'm a bit unorthodox for a MF shooter, as I shoot mostly moving stuff... (OK, I shoot buildings and landscapes too). Wish that Fuji would introduce a Fujica 690 II, all mechanical (desirable auto-exposure, but not needed), with interchangeable lenses (even that is debatable) up to 200mm at least and max. speed 1/1000, with leaf shutters (hey, I can dream, can't I? :-)) ) The GX680 is too heavy and unwieldy for field photography, from what I've heard/seen. OK, I know I drifted off topic - all this discussion is a bit irrelevant for a photography student - forgive me! :-) Back to your sceduled discussion, N.F. |
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