Author name: Ian Whitney

The Moskva V camera with focusing attachment engaged

5 Frames with a Moskva 5

After using my Voigtlander Bessa 66 a bunch, I was excited to try more 120 folding cameras. I had my eyes on a Zeiss Super Ikonta, but when I spotted a Moskva 5 — complete with 6×6 mask — for less than half the price, I clicked the buy button without hesitation.

Well… maybe a little hesitation. The Moskva 5 is the Soviet version of the Zeiss Super Ikonta, and Soviet versions of cameras are known for their idiosyncrasies. Some might call them ‘faults’. Some might be less kind. You never quite know what you’re going to get. The seller was reputable and had tested the camera, but I still felt like I was taking a chance.

5 Frames with a Voigtlander Bessa 66 and Lomography Berlin – By Ian Whitney

I inherited my grandfather’s Voigtlander Bessa 66 from my parents around 2010, along with a collection of 35mm equipment that had belonged to my dad and me. My grandfather had stopped using the camera before I was born, so I’d never seen the Voigtlander before. I was quite taken with it. I loved its compact size and its clever folding bellows mechanism. But using it turned out to be more challenging! I shot a few rolls of T-MAX and nearly everything ended up way overexposed. So I set the camera aside.

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