Probably not.
But maybe you’ll get lucky and purchase a Russian camera that was made on a “good day” in Russia by a craftsmen who took pride in their work instead of a worker simply making his daily camera quota.
Soviet Union camera quality can be scary and irregular. When I was studying Russian, our professors taught us that the Russian people tried to avoid anything manufactured towards the end of the month in the Soviet Union. Why? Because Russians knew their fellow workers were rushing to make their production quotas for the month. Sloppy quality was the result.
Purchased 4 Russian Rangefinders
Yes, I admit it. I spent some of my company bonus on buying one Zorki 6, one Kiev 4M, and two Fed cameras (Fed 2 and Fed 3) during my Covid-19 WFH (Work from Home) period. In another blog post I’ll go into details on some of those cameras. Let’s talk about your checklist. (Learn from my experience.)
Russian Film Camera Purchase Checklist
Camera Vendor
I prefer a vendor who specializes in cameras. I don’t want to purchase from a vendor who’s selling watches and Soviet Union mementos and one or two cameras.
Detailed Description
Does the vendor say the camera “works” and that’s it? I want a vendor who describes the lens, shutter speed accuracy, nicks on the camera, etc. If a vendor spends 3 paragraphs in a listing describing the original Russian factories (one was an orphanage), that does you no good. Vendors need to describe the camera condition in detail.
Vendor Rating
I can purchase Russian cameras from eBay, Etsy, and OfferUp. I am sure there are other sites. Does the vendor specialize in Russian cameras, or all kinds of Soviet memorabilia? Their rating is for all their products, not just their camera sales.
Camera in Working Condition
Do you want a Zenit Sniper Camera (I found one in Los Angeles on OfferUp) for display or do you want a “working camera”. Spend the time to ask the vendor if the camera is in working condition. Matt at Matt’s Camera can fix old cameras but I personally cannot.
Shipping Package
One of my Russian cameras came without a box. My wife was shocked. She said, “Did they ship it from Russia without a box?” Yes they did.
A camera in a case wrapped with layers of paper and padding. They did their best but I would have paid for a “box shipment”. Ask the vendor to prove they ship in a good box with padding. Some Russians and other Slavic countries can’t even afford a good box for shipment (cuts down on their profit I guess).
Shipping Method and Time
I am still waiting for my Fed 2 ordered almost 8 weeks ago from Russia. I ordered a 2nd camera from the vendor using a different shipping method (maybe $10 more) and it came in 2 weeks. Pay more for a better shipping method. And by the way, after the camera clears Russian custom house, I lost all tracking on one camera. Ask the vendor how he/she can expedite their shipping method and delivery time.
Should you buy a Russian rangefinder from Russia?
Did I mention I traveled Russia for 6 weeks back when it was the Soviet Union? Did I mention how much I enjoyed speaking in Russian with Russians? Nice people.
That’s why I wanted to buy a few more Russian cameras. But let’s get to the big question: Should I buy the Russian rangefinder on eBay or Etsy when I know their camera quality is uneven, the good cameras are now 60 years old, and shipping a camera from Russia to the U.S. during Covid-19 is a risky endeavor. Should I buy a Russian rangefinder?
Use my Russian rangefinder checklist before you make your purchase. If the Russian camera you’re looking at from Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, (anywhere) passes my checklist, go to the next step.
Visit Matt’s Camera website. If you’re as talented as Matt is with camera repairs you might end up enjoying the Russian rangefinder you purchase.
Purchase wisely. Let me know if my Russian rangefinder purchase checklist helped you with your purchase. Thanks for visiting What is a Film Camera today.