Krasnagorsk?

[EyeSpy88]

I usually see them for sale online as a kit which seems like a great way to get started in 16mm. I'm talking about the Thread-Mount version. What are some advantages and disadvantages of the Krasnagorsk-3? Pros vs Cons, should I get one?

-Jeremy

[Andreas Wideroe]

Hi Jeremy and welcome to the forum!

The Krasnogorsk camera is a great camera and in my opinion is a perfect starting point for shooting 16mm. I bought my K-3 (as they are also called) about 10 years ago and I have never had problems with it. It works great for normal shooting, is easy to use and has a nice lense.

The manual says: "Built as rugged as a T-72 Tank and as precise as the
MIR space station, the K-3 will give you many years of reliable use."

Here is a link to the manual in English:
http://www.k3camera.com/k3/k3pdfs/2008- ... manual.pdf

The camera is springloaded meaning you don´t need batteries. Wind it up like an old clock.

Pros:

Cheap - you get a brand new camera! (mine cost about $100)
Excellent for getting to know 16mm
Spring winded
Steady images

Cons:

Heavy
Not useful for timelapse due to light leakage
1:1.37 only, Standard 16mm
Makes a bit of noise when filming

All the cons are really nothing to worry about in my opinion.

Another camera that is said to be great for learning is the Canon Scoopic. I never tried it myself, but there are people on the forum who has.

Best of luck and keep posting!

Best regards,
Andreas

[EyeSpy88]

Andreas, thank you for the warm welcome. And thank you for the reply. I had heard about the Canon Scoopic but hadn't really given it much consideration as I know nothing about this camera. This is something I will have to look into. You mentioned that there would be a light-leak with the K-3 when used for time lapse, what would cause this? Thanks again for your help and any advice in the future.

Regards,
-Jeremy

[Los3_led]

Hi

In my opinion there is one disadvantage for the M42 threaded version of the Krasnogorsk-3. There is nearly no way to get a proper wide angle lens. The Meteor lens shipped with the camera at its widest zoom setting (17mm) has a field of view like something around 60mm for 24*36mm film. I have bought a Belomo Peleng 8mm, which gives you a nice wide angle (like 28mm for 24*36mm) but distorting the image a bit. If you buy a Krasnogorsk Bayonet version, you can use the MIR-11 12.5mm/f2.2 lens (but no other M42 lenses). I have also tried a M77 wide angle screw-on-adapter but I couldn't get the image in focus with it on the Meteor lens.

On the other way, yes, the K-3 has very stable image, very stable aperture and the Meteor lens is very fast and sharp.

Greetings

[EyeSpy88]

Hi

In my opinion there is one disadvantage for the M42 threaded version of the Krasnogorsk-3. There is nearly no way to get a proper wide angle lens. The Meteor lens shipped with the camera at its widest zoom setting (17mm) has a field of view like something around 60mm for 24*36mm film. I have bought a Belomo Peleng 8mm, which gives you a nice wide angle (like 28mm for 24*36mm) but distorting the image a bit. If you buy a Krasnogorsk Bayonet version, you can use the MIR-11 12.5mm/f2.2 lens (but no other M42 lenses). I have also tried a M77 wide angle screw-on-adapter but I couldn't get the image in focus with it on the Meteor lens.

On the other way, yes, the K-3 has very stable image, very stable aperture and the Meteor lens is very fast and sharp.

Greetings

I hadn't heard anything about there being a problem with getting a wide-angle lens. I just assumed there was a wide-angle attachment one could screw on the lens. Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Regards
Jeremy

[Los3_led]

Well, at least this one does not work: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/ZOMEI-Ul ... 57940.html

It does work on my Canon camera but i cannot focus with it on the Meteor lens. Maybe some other attachments could work, but I didn't try. If you find one that works, please let me know!

[unsanity]

I use a 24mm Vivitar M42 lens with a converter for Canon that gets me down to about 10mm on my K3. Reasonably sharp when stopped down. I am still experimenting with it.

Julian.