Closeup supplementary lenses which attach to the lens are available, but using them is cumbersome. They require the use of separate framing devices and focus is never exact since focusing requires a conversion table where the lens must be set for each closeup focus setting.

The early SLRs’s touted sales claim was the ability to make close-ups… that was their only selling point because everything else about them was a pain to use. Just handle an Exakta or Contax D, or a Contaflex and you’ll see why RF reigned supreme for years before the introduction of the Nikon F or Pentax HV.

Reflex focusing attachments thus became available for this. These devices convert the RF camera into an SLR. The mirror viewfinder is attached to the lens mount. The extra extension allows the lens to focus really close. With extra bellows, the ability to focus really close even becomes greater. Leitz made VISOFLEX. The Soviets decided to fuse the accessory mirror reflex attachment to the camera and created the Zenit.

This one is the not-so-common Mirax Focabell, made by Miranda Camera. Miranda is a now extinct Japanese camera maker. The Focabell was the only(?) accessory they made for the Leica and its copies. Miranda never made Leica copies; they went to making SLRs right away.

This attachment fits the Leica easily. It will usually fit some of the FED or the Zorki, but because of their non-standard lens mounts, the mirror reflex housing does not always line up properly on them.

I’ve only used this attachment once or twice. I don’t even remember what I took with it…

Related Posts:

• HOW NOT TO DESTROY YOUR FED AND ZORKI (A Basic Primer)
• A Simple Tool Substitute for Exakta Repair
• My Second Exakta and the Replacement of its Shutter.
• Filter Basics for Black and White Photography
• What Lens Hood to Use for Industar or Jupiter Lenses?

A filter is called such because it selects (“filters”) components of light, and either absorbs them or transmits them.  For instance, a yellow filter will absorb blue and transmit green and red light.  That is also the reason why it looks yellow.  A filter will absorb its complementary colour and transmit everything else.

Filters are/were commonly used in BW to achieve some contrast in the grey rendering of objects in colour. A panchromatic (all colour sensitive) BW film will render a red object and a green object -if they are of the same luminance- as equal shades of grey.  Using a red filter will let all the reflected red light in and block blues and greens- thus contrast separation is achieved by rendering the red object as light grey and the greens as dark grey in the monochrome picture.

To illustrate this principle, take a look at the following pictures:

1. The Original Scene as Seen in Colour:

2. Shot on BW, Without any Filter: Grey-rendering of hues (note the reds and the blues)

3. Through a Yellow Filter:  Yellow filters have sometimes been called “Cloud Filters”
 

4. Through an Orange Filter:  Contrast between coloured objects, particularly blue/green and red/orange is more pronounced.

5. Through a Deep Red Filter:  More dramatic skies, -darkened blue skies- darkened greens.

6. Through a Blue Filter: Mimicks the effect of the old colour-blind plates from the XIX century.

Note: Skies will darken only when they are truly clear and blue.  Hazy skies, cloudy and grey weather will not show the effect well.

Red and Orange, as well as Deep Yellow Filters will often render skins pallid and sometimes give a ghostly, drained-of-blood appearance to people and portraits.

Green filters are used to achieve a healthy, tanned look (green darkens reds) with people subjects outdoors. A green filter will also darken skies.

Related Posts:

• What Lens Hood to Use for Industar or Jupiter Lenses?
• HOW NOT TO DESTROY YOUR FED AND ZORKI (A Basic Primer)
• (Extreme!) Closeups with a Rangefinder Camera
• Entering from the Bottom: Loading a Leica Properly. (also for FED, Zorki, and Canon RF cameras)

Two types of Soviet-made hoods for these lenses can be found: round and rectangular. 

The rectangular version can only be used for certain types of Jupiter and Industar lenses.  These would be the Jupiter made until the 1960s, and were usually with white aluminium barrels.  These lenses did not have rotating fronts.   Later Jupiter (and Industar?) lenses made from the 1970s onwards  would have rotating fronts.  A rectangular hood would rotate as the lens is focused and would result in various degrees of vignetting.

The round version is for the later Jupiter lenses. Usually these are the black Jupiters.  They should also be the type used for Jupiter lenses on Kiev cameras.  A round hood will always have the same orientation when the lens rotates during focusing so vignetting can never be a problem.

The hoods (diameter 36mm) for collapsible Industar will also fit Elmar lenses.  They are deep enough even for use with Elmar 9 cm lenses.  On a 50mm, they can be too long. 

This hood can easily be DIY’ed with a piece of blackened cardboard tube.  3 cm deep and 36mm wide, no tapering necessary.  This would be good enough in cutting stray light.

These hoods can cause viewfinder blockage.  However an accessory finder can be used.  The finder in this case will be high enough to clear the hood.  With long lenses, extra finders are used anyway.

**rectangular hood courtesy of Jefjac

Related Posts:

• Filter Basics for Black and White Photography
• HOW NOT TO DESTROY YOUR FED AND ZORKI (A Basic Primer)
• (Extreme!) Closeups with a Rangefinder Camera
• Entering from the Bottom: Loading a Leica Properly. (also for FED, Zorki, and Canon RF cameras)

1. Do not force anything.  Despite their price or appearance, any FED or Zorki is a true precision machine that requires careful and proper handling.

2. Do not remove the lens unless necessary.  Most FED and Zorki are Leica type RFs whose lens can be removed.  Some exceptions are found though, like the Zorki 10/11 or the FED Boy, Atlas, or 50.

The instruction manuals for the older FED do not even recommend lens removal, adding a warning that doing so can damage the camera’s rf cam:

If the lens has to be removed, MAKE SURE THAT ITS SET TO 1 METRE.  Do the same when mounting it back.  The cam at the rear of the lens retracts at 1 metre, making the mount clear of any obstruction.

The camera RF cam (the sloped part shown in the picture) has to be at a specific angle.  If this moves, the RF’s focusing accuracy is compromised.  It will no longer focus accurately at close distances.

FED and Zorki rangefinders are adjusted for both infinity and close distances separately.

3. All FED and Zorki Leica types have rotating shutter dials.  Keep fingers or other objects off the dial when firing the shutter. At best, this will cause erratic exposures. At worst, it can make the shutter hang.

4. The speeds on the shutters on these camera are set by lifting and shifting the dials.  Lift first, then set turning the dial.
THIS MUST BE DONE ONLY WHEN THE SHUTTER IS COCKED.

Rotating dials can only be set when the shutter is cocked.  With some models, this would not permit correct shutter speed setting.   On models with SLOW SHUTTER SPEEDS (ZORKI 3, 4, and 4K; FED 3, 4, and 5), turning the shutter dial without cocking WILL DESTROY THE MECHANISM.

Some models do allow changing speeds before or after cocking.  These are models without slow speeds.  Their shutter dials are of the the “double dial” type- an outer dial which can be set, and an inner dial which does not move, and marked with an index arrow. FED-2 (on some versions only), Zorki-5, Zorki-6 and Zenit 3/3M/E/EM/B have this type of dials.

Single and Double speed dials found on two variants of the FED-2.  This dual-dial design was also used by Zorki-5 and -6, Zenit -E, -B, -3, and -3M.

BUT ITS BETTER TO ERR ON THE SAFE SIDE.  ALWAYS COCK BEFORE CHANGING SPEEDS.

5. On some models, do not shift or turn the dial between B and 1/500.  On cameras with slow speeds. the dial turns two ways- one towards 30 and another towards B.  Try to feel where the dial’s movement stops, and do not force it beyond that.

6.  With bottom loading cameras (FED-1, Zorki-1/S/2/2S/5), the film leader must be trimmed properly.  The modern short tongues of today’s films must be recut.  Not a difficult thing to do, but the cut must be correct- tongue is 10- 11cm long, gently tapering, and no cuts between perforations:

There is ONLY ONE WAY TO LOAD A BOTTOM LOADING CAMERA- THE CORRECT WAY:

Some have suggested tricks like inserting cards in the film channel.  THIS IS A STUPID WAY TO LOAD THE CAMERA.  It can damage the mechanism, scratch the pressure plate, and generally slower than the correct method.  Forget about these tricks or claims about them being ‘more efficient’ or ‘easier’.  The inventors who first designed these cameras knew what worked best- how can anyone else say otherwise?  And if the method requires lens removal, insertion of cards, holding shutters open, etc- how could that be faster than the ‘original’ procedure which requires only the removal of the baseplate and take-up spool?

NB: The long leader cut is not needed to load other FED or Zorki whose backs slide off or open for loading.

7. The Zorki-5 shutter MUST NOT BE FIRED without a lens on the camera.  This Zorki has a quirk in the layout of its parts. Without the lens in place, a part of the RF cam goes in the shutter speed control dial and can mesh with the parts.

8. The Shutters on these cameras have cloth blinds/curtains.  Do not touch them.  Also, do not point the camera towards the sun for extended lengths of time.  When lens is focused at infinity (or close to it) a tiny image of the sun is focused on the blind.  This can cause a pinhole to burn on the shutter.

9.DO NOT DISASSEMBLE THE CAMERA.  The temptation is there to make some adjustments.  But unless you know what you are doing, do not go beyond the usual minor cleaning and adjustment procedures.  FED and Zorki can be more difficult to calibrate than a Leica.

10. Do not leave the shutter tensed for long periods of time.  When storing the camera, make sure that the shutter is released.

The above do not apply to Kiev rangefinders.  They are a different breed of animal.

Related Posts:

• (Extreme!) Closeups with a Rangefinder Camera
• Filter Basics for Black and White Photography
• What Lens Hood to Use for Industar or Jupiter Lenses?
• Zenit Naman!