Classic Camera Collector

Kiev-4AM (a) The Contax Grip.... Beautiful camera. As you know it is basically the same design as a classic Contax. I received mine in perfect shape from a Russian seller in St-Petersburg. This is the later model, with black rewind knob and Helios-103 as a standard lens. The focusing is extremely precise on these cameras, the rangefinder base is very wide. I was intimidated the first time I focused this camera. To use the rangefinder on the Kiev one must use the "Contax grip" in order not to block the rangefinder windows. BE CAREFUL: On these cameras, you MUST rewind BEFORE changing shutter speed. otherwise you will damage the shutter assembly Kiev-4 AM(a) with Helios-103 lens KIev-4 AM (a)  winder release button  There are many Kiev manuals online but they don't seem to make a distinction between different models, especially the newer Kiev-4 AM. Small changes were made to the camera along the years. To rewind film, there is no button t...

Miranda RE A Capable Japanese Built Camera... A very versatile and professional 35mm film camera. It does have a light meter. The viewfinder can be removed like a Nikon F for example. This was a serious camera in its days, it just never really made to the top of the charts.

Moskva-4 Medium Format Good Lineage! Basically a Zeiss Ikonta copy. And a very good one. The Moskva 4 is one of a family of cameras produced in the USSR after WW2. It follows the 1, 2, and the rare 3 models. It uses a rangefinder mechanism to focus. The focusing ring is on the lens shutter. This one has blue leather covering. Manufacturer KMZ Name Moskva Model 4 Year Type Fixed-lens rangefinder Film 120 (6x9 or 6x6 with mask) Lens Industar-24, 105mm Shutter speeds B-1/250 + self timer Apertures f 3.5 - f 32 Light meter  no

Moskva-5 Medium Format A Sophisticated Medium Format Camera I have used the Moskva for street shooting as well as for tripod photography. I own 3 of them...I was aiming to make a 3-d set-up, with double Moskvas and a double cable release... They are nice cameras. It's great to carry a 6x9 (or 6x6 with a removable mask) medium format camera "in your pocket". The Moskva is the Russian cousin of the the Zeiss Ikonta.  The Moskva is a bit slow to operate because of non-coupled film advance, It is impossible to do multiple exposures because of the lock mechanism. This is too bad. To fix this situation you can disengage the mechanism or buy a Moskva-2 (it doesn't have a lock). I have noticed the coating colour varies from one Moskva to another. From blue to purple. Always impressed with that big coated lens though. If you intend to buy this camera, inquire about the mask, they are quite frequently lost! Manufacturer KMZ Krasnogorsk Name Moskva ...

Konica Auto S2 Big Brother... A larger rangefinder from the 70's. The S2 dwarves cameras like the Olympus 35. This camera has an i ntegrated lens shade which is an unusual feature. It also has a large knob for smooth focusing, also a bit unusual. It can run without a battery in full manual mode, the battery powers the light meter on top . This camera handles nicely and the rangefinder is very bright and very pleasant and easy to use. I really like this camera even if the body is on the large size. Manufacturer Konica Name Auto Model S2 Year -- Type Fixed-lens rangefinder, manual and auromatic modes Film 35mm Lens Hexanon, 45mm 1:1,8 Shutter speeds B-1-1/2-1/4-1/8-1/15-1/30-1/60-1/125-1/250-1/500 Apertures f 1,8 - f 16 Light meter yes

Lomo Smena 8M The Smena Hold ... This a Russian consumer camera made by LOMO. It is mostly constructed of plastic. This Smena 8M was given to me by a friend who knew I collected cameras. Well, I couldn't resist of course and had to run film through it. It was kind of fun going out with this camera. I had the feeling it was just a toy. It as some "programs' or settings for different situations. The Smena is marked with icons around the lens assembly. Cloudy, sunny, landscape, people.... You learn fast enough to use the Smena grip... That is, you have to hold it so the shutter doesn't accidentally hit your finger while travelling up. Funny, no? Well, it hurts.... the exposures. When I received the prints from the lab I was impressed. That little - diminutive - coated T-43 lens turned out to be a big performer. This "toy" can take very nice pictures. There were a few double exposures though. This camera has no lock to prevent double exposures, you can t...

GAF Memo 35 EE What's In A Name? Gaf (General Aniline & Film) is the name Ansco started using after 1967... No wonder it's fairly unknown... Ansco had been making cameras for long time, but I guess this name change never caught on... At any rate, this little camera branded GAF is not bad. It's just not the stuff of legends... Its mode of operation is automatic only, therefore requires a battery at all time. Too bad. It is very similar to the Konica C35 in size, operation, clarity of the viewfinder, but lacks the element of quality... It just doesn't feel and look as good. Manufacturer GAF Name Memo Model 35 EE Year 1970's Type Fixed-lens rangefinder, automatic mode Film 35mm Lens Chinon, 38mm 1:2.7 Shutter speeds Automatic (1/30,1/60,1/125,1/650) Apertures f 2.7 - f 14 Light meter yes