Lubitel 2 a decent shooter?

250swb · Mar 8, 2022

I bought a Lubitel 166 thinking it would be awful but was disappointed to discover it was actually very good.

AgX · Mar 8, 2022

What was the typical clientele for a Lubitel back then? In the USSR or wherever it was sold.
6x6, to get cheap contacts made?

JPD · Mar 8, 2022

Why are you interested in this russian camera, when you can get a pre-war or early 50s Rolleicord with a Zeiss or Schneider lens for not much money?

George Mann · Mar 8, 2022

JPD said:
Why are you interested in this russian camera, when you can get a pre-war or early 50s Rolleicord with a Zeiss or Schneider lens for not much money?

I have yet to see any good ones for an acceptable price.

Marcelo Paniagua · Mar 9, 2022

AgX said:
What was the typical clientele for a Lubitel back then? In the USSR or wherever it was sold.
6x6, to get cheap contacts made?

Based on the camera name (Lubitel is somethig like 'Amateur') I guess it was focused to amateur photographers.

Also, it ancestor, the Komsomolet, was named after the comunist younth organization, so it stand to reason it was focused to amateurs

AgX · Mar 9, 2022

Well that was clear to me, but which amateur? So, a family-man got a Smena and a photo-enthusiastic son* of 15 a Lubitel?

*written to western standard, in the USSR the daughter may have had same chance

henryvk · Mar 9, 2022

JPD said:
Why are you interested in this russian camera, when you can get a pre-war or early 50s Rolleicord with a Zeiss or Schneider lens for not much money?

I find this reasoning self-defeating. You can always pay x amount to get a better camera. Why buy a Rolleicord when you can pay a couple hundred more and get a Rolleiflex? Why get a Rolleiflex when you can get a 6008 for a couple hundred more etc. etc. etc. Plus some people are simply on a budget so it's annoying that people's first reaction is invariably "why not buy more expensive gear x y or z??"

The cheapest Rolleicord I can find in the classifieds is 110€ while the cheapest Lubi is 30€.

The Lubitel is smaller, lighter, easier to repair. A late Lubitel will be 50 years younger than anything pre-war, which btw is almost guaranteed to need at least a CLA if not restoration. I'm not saying the Lubitel is better or anything, they're simply different animals.

JPD · Mar 9, 2022

henryvk said:
I find this reasoning self-defeating. You can always pay x amount to get a better camera. Why buy a Rolleicord when you can pay a couple hundred more and get a Rolleiflex? Why get a Rolleiflex when you can get a 6008 for a couple hundred more etc. etc. etc. Plus some people are simply on a budget so it's annoying that people's first reaction is invariably "why not buy more expensive gear x y or z??"

Not everything is a slippery slope. If you know what kind of quality you are after and the price you are willing to pay, you don't have to settle for less or spend more.

The cheapest Rolleicord I can find in the classifieds is 110€ while the cheapest Lubi is 30€.

The Lubitel is smaller, lighter, easier to repair. A late Lubitel will be 50 years younger than anything pre-war, which btw is almost guaranteed to need at least a CLA if not restoration. I'm not saying the Lubitel is better or anything, they're simply different animals.

I got a pre-war Rolleiflex Automat in mint condition for €60 on Ebay a few years ago. It had a wooden 120-spool inside, so it had not been used for decades. Mirror and shutter in perfect order, and the Tessar is as good as it gets. Sure, I was lucky, but I have also bought several Rolleicords in working condition, sometimes near mint, for below €100. Of course, those really good deals are not daily happenings.

Yashica A with a Yashikor lens is another alternative. Sharp lens, bright fresnel screen and a four speed shutter that almost never needs service. No frame counter that can break because it uses the red window in the back. The Yashica A is of much higher quality than a Lubitel, and can sometimes be found for or below €100.

Yes, Soviet and Chinese cameras can be a lot younger than other alternatives, but they are known to have left the factories already in need for repair or complete overhaul just to work properly.

Marcelo Paniagua · Mar 10, 2022

JPD said:
Not everything is a slippery slope. If you know what kind of quality you are after and the price you are willing to pay, you don't have to settle for less or spend more.

Yes, Soviet and Chinese cameras can be a lot younger than other alternatives, but they are known to have left the factories already in need for repair or complete overhaul just to work properly.

I suppose YMMV but soviet cameras has been a mixed bag for me... same as Leica, Rolleiflex and others. I've received both Leicas and Rolleiflexes that needed repair or overhaul to work properly. On the other hand, I've bought FSU cheap that arrive completly operative and on working order. The best experiences I've had have been with FSU Contax clones and Kiev 6c/60. Had a bit less luck with Kiev 88. Lubitel? Had a working one for some time. The only difference, at least for me, is that Rolleis/Leica have been send to repair, while FSU have been dumped or gaven away and a replacement was found.

I suppose the real trick is finding a good dealer. Talk with them, get to know them and you may be surprised. I've talked with Ukraine and Russia sellers over ebay and got pretty nice deals.

Don't be mistaken, right now I've both a Leica M6 and a Kiev 6c on my desk, both with film. I enjoy both of them.

Dismissing the FSU because "they all came out of the factory in need of repair" is like dismissing Leica/Rollei/Hasselblad because they are so expensive and rich boys toys.

By the way, the Yashica A is a fine camera with a great lens. Really worth considering.

Just my two cents.

George Mann · Mar 10, 2022

I am currently looking at a Tower range focus tlr for a really good price that I may pull the trigger on.

There is also a Yashica A for a fair price that appears to be fully functional.

Just for the record, I usually only look to buy Soviet cameras from Fedka, or OK Vintage Camera.

Marcelo Paniagua · Mar 10, 2022

George Mann said:
I am currently looking at a Tower range focus tlr for a really good price that I may pull the trigger on.

There is also a Yashica A for a fair price that appears to be fully functional.

Just for the record, I usually only look to buy Soviet cameras from Fedka, or OK Vintage Camera.

No idea about Tower. Big fan of Yashica A

JPD · Mar 10, 2022

Marcelo Paniagua said:
Dismissing the FSU because "they all came out of the factory in need of repair" is like dismissing Leica/Rollei/Hasselblad because they are so expensive and rich boys toys.

I don't dismiss the FSU cameras, but saying that despite many of them being younger than some of the affordable Rolleis they are not less prone to have problems.

George Mann said:
I am currently looking at a Tower range focus tlr for a really good price that I may pull the trigger on.

There is also a Yashica A for a fair price that appears to be fully functional.

I vote for the Yashica A, if it has the Yashikor lens. The Yashikor is pleasantly soft at large apertures, perfect for portraiture, and as sharp as the Zeiss Triotar stopped down.

Many Yashica A cameras have never been serviced, because they never needed to be. They just work, work and work, and take great photos.

henryvk · Mar 10, 2022

Tower Reflex is a Sears-branded Rolleicord clone. Probably the same as a Yashica A which is to say solid. Btw why do all those clones share the sharp corner and edges on the bottom front of the body?

The Lubi's main advantage over Yashicords is that it weighs about half and is much more compact. That's why 9 out of 10 times I take the Lubitel over my Yashica.

There is a Lubitel 166+ on German eBay for a very good price. Someone should get it so I don't end up with a second one.

Edit: In my experience Lubitel is not prone to the usual SU spotty QA. The Olympic is known for it's film advance breaking but all the other ones should be very reliable. They certainly can survive falls that would kill any Yashica.

George Mann · Mar 10, 2022

henryvk said:
Tower Reflex is a Sears-branded Rolleicord clone. Probably the same as a Yashica A which is to say solid. Btw why do all those clones share the sharp corner and edges on the bottom front of the body?

The one I am referring to is a German made model with no sharp edges.

henryvk · Mar 10, 2022

George Mann said:
The one I am referring to is a German made model with no sharp edges.

Is it this one? https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/finished-restoring-a-tower-reflex.165896/

or this one https://www.flickr.com/photos/altamiranopics/8355110523

Both kind of neat.

George Mann · Mar 10, 2022

This is what I have been able to find out about the Tower. It's a Bolta Photina II, with a 3 element Roeschlein-Kreuznach Pointar 1:3.5/75 lens.

It has four speeds plus b. 1/25 - 1/50 - 1/100 - 1/200. Apertures f3.5 to f22.

It sold as the Tower Reflex III.

henryvk · Mar 10, 2022

Wait, it's non-focusing i.e. scale focus?

George Mann · Mar 10, 2022

henryvk said:
Wait, it's non-focusing i.e. scale focus?

That's correct.

JPD · Mar 10, 2022

George Mann said:
This is what I have been able to find out about the Tower. It's a Bolta Photina II, with a 3 element Roeschlein-Kreuznach Pointar 1:3.5/75 lens.

It has four speeds plus b. 1/25 - 1/50 - 1/100 - 1/200. Apertures f3.5 to f22.

It sold as the Tower Reflex III.

Roeschlein made low-cost lenses. I see that they also made a focusing Achromat lens for a Bolta Photina that could be a fun lens for artsy photos and a step up from a Holga.

The Yashica A with Yashikor, on the other hand, can give you professional looking results.

henryvk · Mar 10, 2022

My feeling is that the Lubitel's triplet might be better than the Pointar.

The Yashikor is a very good lens. This was taken with my 635 relatively wide open:

George Mann · Mar 10, 2022

I have decided to pass on the Tower, and use the money for some Ektachrome.

SomewhereLost · Mar 12, 2022

xya said:
the Lubitels are a copy of the Voigländer Focusing Brillant or Brillant S, see https://www.oddcameras.com/vogtlaender_brillant_s.htm . The Brillant S is better, but more expensive these days. Once you get used to the spot and with the help of the built-in loupe, focusing is OK, the finder is extremely bright. The best Lubitel is the the 166 Olympic, see https://www.oddcameras.com/lubitel_166_olympic.htm ... if the automatic film transport is working. I bought 3 of these, but had no luck so far. I will insist and one have a working one. The Lubitels are smaller and lighter than all the rest, and yes, smaller and lighter than the Rolleicords. As said, image quality is decent. So IMHO it is a decent shooter.

Should I feel bad for getting the universal over the olympic? I figured the later model would be better and that was the consensus I was following when I pulled the trigger.

xya · Mar 12, 2022

SomewhereLost said:
Should I feel bad for getting the universal over the olympic? I figured the later model would be better and that was the consensus I was following when I pulled the trigger.

No, you shouldn't. As long as you have no problems to see the red window, the Universal is the best value for your money. You get 2 formats and, as you say, the latest technology. As already said, the lens is stiill the same and IMHO it's decent....

Lubitel 2 a decent shooter?

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