My first Kiev

[vanyagor]

Hurra! My first Kiev 4a arrived today. I'm really impressed. I like the design, weight, smaller lenses size, rangefinder-viefinder combination much more than on my Zorkis and feds. Not to mention shutter action, focusing with the wheel, bayonet vs screwmount, nicer bag and nicer lens cap 🙂

It arrived with Jupiter 8m, Jupiter 3 and Jupiter 12. Operation seems smooth, shutter quiet. Lether cover have been obviously replaced (and missing in one place). Take up spool is missing 😕

For some reason it is not so convenient for me to reach to the focusing wheel (I keep blocking rangefinder window when I do so). Also right hand grip interferes with rangefinder window, guss I will find a way to go around that.

I'll try to post pictures soon

 

[rolleistef]

hi Ivan,
Glad you like it! You've got an awful lot of lenses... J3, J12! Especially the J3 that rates very much at the moment.
For the take up spool : take an ilford or fuji spool, and cut the film so that you get a central leader... it works very well, no need to DIY a spool!
for the camera holding : you need to get the "Contax Grip" :
first and second finger above (with the 1 finger for releasing and the 2nd for focusing) and the 3 and 4th under the rangefinder "bump"

1st___
2nd----\_______O______
|
|____________________
3rd
4th
|
|
Hope my little sketch will help!
have fun
stéphane

 

[vanyagor]

Thanks Stephane. Btw, what means DIY ? And where can I get Ilford or Fuju spool? (although I'd prefere to get Kiev original spool somewhere)
.

Hm with my rather small and not so flexible fingers I have some troubles to use this "Contax Hold". But I guess it is just a matter of time...

 

[darkkavenger]

This is how you should hold the camera 🙂

 

[Keith]

don't worry ... when I first got mine I was damneed if i could hold the thing without blocking the rangefinder window. Once you master the contax hold it all becomes zen! 😀

 

[wyk_penguin]

You'll easily get the diagrams for making a DIY take-up spool with some Googling. Basicly it's just sawing a take-up spool in half, half way through.😉

 

[rolleistef]

DIY = Do it yourself. It became a verb in the english language (to DIY, I DIYed it etc)
You can get a film spool :
-either at a photo lab, taking the same face as the cat in Shrek 2 "please... could I have a Ilford cassette spool??"
-either you process a b&w film by yourself, and you keep the spool one you have finished... It doesn't work with kodak ones as the film is taped on it, while it's hold by a small hook on Ilford's.
The third solution is buying an original spool, but it costs around 6€+ shipping on ebay... :S
http://cgi.ebay.fr/take-up-spool-me...ryZ69574QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Ty Max, a photo is always better than a clumsy sketch... 🙂

 

[cbass]

Ivan, congratulations on your new camera. I think you will be very happy with the Kiev, even more so thanks to your collection of nice lenses.

Like you, I am also having trouble mastering the "Contax Grip" with my Kiev-4b. I find that it's possible to hold the camera more "normally" at first if you choose to focus with the lens barrel instead of the body wheel. I tend to use the wheel only when I need a tiny focus adjustment.

Being new to the Kievs myself I am wondering what is the difference between the Jupiter-8 and Jupiter-8M lenses?

 

[rolleistef]

from what I know, the J8m is a slightly re-calculated version of the J8. Isn't there also fewer groups or elements?

 

[reagan]

This is how you should hold the camera 🙂

Geez Louise! In the pic on the right, I think that lady invented the "Contax Claw"... 😱 followed by "Contax Cramps." (Great shots though. I love old camera manuals.)

 

[brachal]

from what I know, the J8m is a slightly re-calculated version of the J8. Isn't there also fewer groups or elements?

I've read that two of the elements in the J8 were combined for the J8M, but can't swear to it. The BIG difference is the J8M has click stops. It's not right in front of me, but I think the J8 is very slightly smaller than the 8M as well.

 

[nzeeman]

vanyagor congrats for your new kiev and reeealy great set of lenses. i think you will enjoy them all. your next stop is kiev II. 😀

btw i havent noticed any differences between j8 and j8m. but i should do some real test and check that out.

 

[arbib]

It arrived with Jupiter 8m, Jupiter 3 and Jupiter 12. Operation seems smooth, shutter quiet. Lether cover have been obviously replaced

(and missing in one place). Take up spool is missing 😕

Link to Alex-Photo KIEV TAKE UP SPOOL

$7.00 USD plus S/H

 

[arbib]

I too, have bought (In Nov.) my first Kiev (4a) With 35/2.8, 50/2, 85/2 (J12, J8m, J9). It is a nice solid RF for sure. If you don't have instructions, I have a PDF I found from Googling. (923k) I can send them to you if you need it.

are you familar with the Winding/change shutter speed order. to pervent shutter damage?? ALways wind shutter FIRST!!! Then lift the shutter knob and rotate the DOT to OVER the dseired speed. Drop the knob in place over new shutter speed.

Sorry if you know this already...😱

It is fun camera. And the lens's you have will produce great photo's too.

For under $100.00 you can find a nice 35-135, or 28-135 framing finder, I have a T.O.C Universal (looks like a Nikon RF universal with a large front element and paralax correction (Horizontal only).

See my RFF Gallery for some BW photo's with all lens's. (J12, J8m, J9)

Enjoy.