Kiev Rangefinders---part 2

SCOTFORTHLAD

Slow learner,but keen!
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Final pages--

I find it to be a good read and reference point.

Brian.
 

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Well thanks for posting though only partly true....I had to have my Kiev 4a overhauled as soon as I took it out of its box. Yes it was bought new in 1986!
And in the last years it strted again to develop some intersting quirks but still there is somethin as the best countermeaseuer against my Kiev-priblem was to buy another one!
 
Hello,

this article is highly interesting and useful. I've missed it once published, since AP magazine was not always available here, in Italy.

I have the italian edition of I. Matanle's book on the use of classic cameras and soon went to find an english one, since the translation has some hilarious mistakes.

Back to Kievs, well they have both enthusiastic and disappointed users in the same time. It could be true that -especially since the late '70s- the quality control operated by the workers and the OTK technicians, mostly depended by the amount of vodka they had the night before, but let's never forget that when a Kiev arrives in our hands it was long used (and who knows how) and that from the original property, it passed through flea markets, possibly from the freezing Siberia, to our photographic fairs, etc.

I use a Kiev made in 1968 (and the lens in in 1969), both parts are correctly reported in the "Pasport", sold in 1969 at the Univermag of Rostov-on-Don on July 6th, 1969 and, later, arrived to Venice, Italy, where I bought it when I was a young student. Since those days, it works impeccably. Some of my schoolmates involved with photography, rich enough to show their Nikkormats (excellent cameras, though), laughed at me for my strange and "poor" camera. But hey, that was my hobby and my Kiev was satisfying my taste and its results were also very good (especially using my grandfather's CZJ Contax lenses...).

Another Kiev, bought as new in the '80s in Warsaw, was a disaster, it should have been even with missing parts inside... the man at the shop's counter sadly took the camera back (after having checked that most of the Kievs in stock were defective) and allowed me to save my money, exchanging it with an used (althogh perfectly working), older Kiev, plus two 30 metres spools of OrWo BW films and some filters.

Anyways, I see that cameras from the former USSR have a wide public of enthusiasts: that's why I've found this forum an excellent place!

Thanks again for the invaluable help and best wishes,

Elmar Lang
 
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