Vintage Russian rangefinders are seen as the poor mans Leica and outright copies of the much sought after ‘Red Dot’ brand.

*Above—My Zorki 4k before having the body swapped for one with strap lugs.*

I’ve been playing around with the idea of purchasing a Leica. Joining that elite group of red dot shooters with the ultimate film photographers 35mm camera.

On my list is the M2, M3 or M6. But Leica prices have been rising dramatically recently. Even over the past 12 months since I’ve been looking prices have sky rocketed. It seems as though they increase on a weekly basis, shooting through the hemisphere beyond the reach of most.

Does this price hike do these cameras any favours? Do these admired pieces of engineering cause us to turn up our noses? Are we becoming Leica snobs? A snob because you own one or a snob because you want one. A protest at an inflating price tag? The more expensive they become, the stronger the desire to own one?

I recently read a tweet by Matt Day where he seemed surprise at the rise in dollar of the Leica:

Just now realizing how much M6TTL bodies have gone up in price since I bought mine in 2013. Sheeewwww.
— Matt Day (@MattDayPhoto) July 30, 2020

Yeah, right. Thanks YouTubers!

So what’s the alternative?

Japanese rangefinders are gorgeous. I’ve got the Canon P on my short list. One of the best looking rangefinders with it’s clean lines and minimal fuss.

Russian rangefinders like the Fed or Zorki are said to be outright rip-offs of Leica cameras but these have been on my radar for a while.

So buying a 44 year old Russian camera that doesn’t even need a battery seems like a step backwards. Why buy a camera without a light meter as an everyday shooter when I already have 35mm cameras that take care of everything? I only have to lift the camera up to my eye, compose and shoot. Hell, I don’t even need to look through the viewfinder, shoot front the hip and hope for the best. Click.

So a few weeks ago I picked up a mint 1976 Zorki 4k. The chap I bought it from strips them down and rebuilds them, he even swapped over the body on mine so I could have strap lugs. It might not be a Leica but I still don’t want to drop it. He had a choice of earlier Zorki’s but I went for the 4k with the wind on lever. It’s in mint condition with a bright rangefinder. It came with the Jupiter 8 50mm f2 lens making the body and lens a fast and easy to use combo. The black & white films I have shot so far are clean and crisp with lovely contrast and tone from the lens. It’s a breeze to shoot with.

My only issues if I were to nit pick would be selecting shutter speeds. It’s a tad fiddly and a bit of a faff and you must advance the film before setting the shutter speed or risk damaging the internal mechanism. Having the aperture ring on the outer edge of the lens can be great for quick selection but it can easily be moved without realising. It’s fairly quiet, but I’d prefer the shutter to be a bit quieter. I know it’s minor but the ‘ding’ from the advance lever hitting the body is… meh.

It’s hard to sum up. Would I have taken better photos with a Leica? Doubt it. Would a Leica body and lens give me sharper, better contrast photos? The way I shoot and the look I’m after, probably but then I like a bit grunge. Grain is good, right? Especially when pushing HP5 to 1600.

For the price I paid for the Zorki I think I have a great camera. The lens is sharp enough for the price.

Would I buy a Leica if I win the lottery? Yes, defo. I’m such a snob!

My first roll through the Zorki

The Zorki had been rebuilt so I’m confident the shutter speeds are accurate. It was a bright sunny day so I set my shutter speed to either 1/250th or 1/500th so I could use apertures with a decent depth of field. I’m shooting Ilford HP5+ at box speed.