Fair price for a Kiev 3

[p.giannakis]

Hi guys,

I have found on the local market a Kiev 3 rangefinder with a jupiter 8 lens. The camera is in fair condition, a bit bitten up but seems to work ok except from the lightmeter that seems to be off. The seller asks for 30 pounds (original case included). Is it a fair price? Are there any issues that i should be checking before buying the camera.

Thank yopu guys.

 

[sevo]

The price would be ok to good, if it is a 3. Most things in a Kiev can be fixed - check for corrosion (which can't be fixed) and missing parts (I've seen too many 3's that missed relevant parts of the shutter, having been butchered as Contax donors).

 

[mike_j]

I really think that the models of both Contax and Kiev with exposure meters are best avoided. Great, even revolutionary, in their time but now they are almost all, at best, inaccurate and at worst, useless. The cameras look much nicer and handle much better without them.

May I suggest that, unless you are a collector with the aim of buying a particular model, that you keep an eye out for a nice earlyish 4A. There are plenty around that have had little use and will give excellent service. Mine, complete with case, filters and TOE book all looking like new cost under £25 on ebay and has totally replaced the Contax as a 'user' camera.

I would be a little careful about buying from Ukraine, the UK cameras were checked and sorted (to some extent) by TOE in this country before being sold.

TOE were Technical and Optical Equipment (London) Ltd who I believe were the sole import agents for USSR cameras in the UK

 

[wolves3012]

The price isn't excessive, although that depends just how beaten-up it is - it could be argued a beaten-up camera worked well enough to be used. It can also be argued it's not been cared for, take your pick.

I tend to go along with the post above though - as a user the Kiev 4a, without meter, is a better choice and likely to be cheaper.

 

[Steve M.]

I think the price is low. He should pay you more to take the camera 🙂

 

[dll927]

I agree with mike j about the meters. They were an older type, and any accuracy would be coincidental. Besides, I happen to think the Kievs without meters are better-looking cameras.

 

[p.giannakis]

Thank you very much guys for your replies, i do feel that the price is a bit steep but they do look wonderful those cameras.

 

[kievman]

I say buy it, The one with meters dont suffer from light leaks like the meterless ones. The problem with a 3a is the age. If it has not had the shutter ribbons replace yet, it will soon, and that will set you back at least 40 or 50 pounds. so buy it with that fact in mind. That said, I like the VF on my 3a (which needs the shutter ribbons replace BTW) the best of all my Kievs, and I have 5 of them. -Best kievman

 

[fanshaw]

I say buy it, The one with meters dont suffer from light leaks like the meterless ones.

That's interesting. Why is that?

 

[DanOnRoute66]

In my experience (and I've owned and considered owning a lot of Kiev cameras), the bit more you'd pay for a Kiev-IIa is worth it. The meter on a 3 most likely is dead or on its way out, anyway, so why carry around dead weight? The meterless Kievs are lighter and look better. A handheld meter is much more accurate and less expensive than trying to repair a meter on a 3.

 

[40oz]

The meters on my Kiev 4 work fine, as accurate as any of my other cameras and my Calcu-Flash. It just doesn't have the range of the newer designs.

If you like the camera, put a roll of film through it before buying. If nothing else, you can get it for the lens and source another body or get this one repaired. That's if this body has an issue. Whether the meter is accurate or not only matters if the body works/doesn't leak and you can just as easily find a meterless body that works and doesn't leak. IOW, you are buying it as a box for the lens, not for a meter.