What's wrong with my Kiev??

why do you need to reassemble an assembled camera? are you planning on taking it to pieces?
oscroft. I understand your points, but for my sanity i'm going to ignore them.


raftman - you're missing out then! :D
 
In fact, I apologise to anyone on this thread that I've offended. It appears I'm using it as an outlet for other things right now that are in no way related.


I'm sorry. You all have pretty clear views and opinions, and as I said I respect them, but I don't necessarily agree. In that sense I'd hope you will all stop being so blunt, and learn tact. Because without it feathers only rile up, no-one smiles
 
Kievs can be a bit of a tough sell. If you buy a nice one from a place like Fedka, you'd likely never be able to get that price when you try to resell it.

I bought a Kiev from Fedka - had it CLA'd by Yuri's technician and had the covering changed and then bought a Menopta lens for it. All told - perhaps I have $160 put into the camera. (The CLA was $90). Perhaps a lot of money for a Kiev, but, to my mind, not a bad amount of money for what is a bullet-proof rangefinder camera.

I knew I would never get it back if I ever tried to sell the camera - or even half of it back. And I can't. It's just more than people want to pay for a Kiev - fortunately, I don't mind being "stuck" with it even if I don't use it as much as I should.

Good luck, ash!
 
I recently picked up two Kiev 4 series bodies, one "a" and one "am". The "a" came from FrankS and is really splendid. I gave it to a friend for Christmas as she loves it. Pretty even frame spacing - good enough for the mini-lab and me to scan.

I picked up a black 4am on *bay for myself after the good experience with the 4a. It had massive frame spacing issues: 9mm at the start of the roll to slightly overlapping by the end. A simple twist of the takeup spool retaining screw to loosen it a bit and everything is fine. The spacing is even and falls mostly between sprocket holes. I'm no camera technician and the info is readily available on the Internet.

The Kiev 4am now travels in my bag/briefcase 100% of the time. I bring the Leica M6 out a lot, but for day to day banging about I'd rather do it with a $75 setup that takes mighty fine pictures for the price.

My understanding and experience is that Kievs were not built to Leica, Nikon or later Contax RF standards - but neither do they demand the prices! A good user $75-100 camera can go a long way with TLC and a CLA. Given that the price of entry for a Leica body and 50mm lens is ~$1500 used these Kievs can be a real bargain (in addition to other brands.)

Still, one cannot expect to regain the purchase and CLA value of a Kiev camera - no matter how usable it is. When you can have a 4a with 50mm Jupiter shipped from Russia for $45 it is hard to justify selling one for $125 after you have paid for a CLA... Kiev, Fed and Zorki are great as users but not so great as long term financial investments.

Just $0.02 from a content Kiev and Leica user.
 
In fact, I apologise to anyone on this thread that I've offended. It appears I'm using it as an outlet for other things right now that are in no way related.
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Fair enough Ash, and sorry if I came across a bit harshly - as you suggest, in a text-only medium such as this it is impossible to get the visual body-language clues that contribute so much to everyday conversation.

And I really am pleased that you did get a satisfactory deal for your Kiev in the end.

Best wishes,
 
Gregg has mentioned a solution to the Kiev frame spacing issue and I thought I'd add my experience with this. On the pre "m" series Kievs, you can slacken the screw on the fork that drives the take-up spool, but it still needs to be fairly tight to ensure that it doesn't unscrew when you rewind the film. This won't necessarily happen with the first roll of film but it does eventually.
I found that removing the screw, fork and the many associated spacing washers on a 1969 and two 1975 Kievs revealed a lot of dirt/blackened grease which was basically sticking everything together. I cleaned all of the washers etc with isopropanol, put a VERY THIN layer of sewing machine oil on each (I don't know if that's a good idea but it worked) and reassembled everything with the screw fairly tight and the result...? Perfect (2 mm), consistent frame spacing on three cameras! I have a feeling that the dirt problem could well be more important than the tightness of the screw. Remembering the order of the washers is a different matter...!!
 
Mark Wood said:
Gregg has mentioned a solution to the Kiev frame spacing issue and I thought I'd add my experience with this. On the pre "m" series Kievs, you can slacken the screw on the fork that drives the take-up spool, but it still needs to be fairly tight to ensure that it doesn't unscrew when you rewind the film. This won't necessarily happen with the first roll of film but it does eventually.
I found that removing the screw, fork and the many associated spacing washers on a 1969 and two 1975 Kievs revealed a lot of dirt/blackened grease which was basically sticking everything together. I cleaned all of the washers etc with isopropanol, put a VERY THIN layer of sewing machine oil on each (I don't know if that's a good idea but it worked) and reassembled everything with the screw fairly tight and the result...? Perfect (2 mm), consistent frame spacing on three cameras! I have a feeling that the dirt problem could well be more important than the tightness of the screw. Remembering the order of the washers is a different matter...!!
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Aha, very interesting, I will have a lok at my 4am this weekend and try that out.

Thanks

Matt
 
I'm not sure how the 4am fixed take-up spool is put together as I was working with earlier cameras with the "drop out and lose it" variety. I guess there must be a similar system to enable the fixed spool to slip. My Kievs seem to have spent the last few months with the shutters set to "B" and a pencil stuck through the lens mount to mark the spacing!

I don't know whether I've got the right solution or not but it seems to work - I don't want to be held responsible for broken cameras full of oil...!
 
With the 4am there is a plate (and shims) at the bottom of the fixed take-up spool that is secured by 3 screws. Remove those three screws and lift the plate/shims up. The fixed spool then removes like any other and reveals what looks to me like the "classic" take-up fork found on earlier Kievs. From there you can either loosen the screw inside the take-up fork 1-2 turns or remove the screw completely to disassemble the fork and washers for a clean and lube as described by Mark Wood previously.
 
Brian, it's been argued that the essential strength of the original Contax design is proven by the fact that most Kievs do indeed work - generally :)

Incidentally, if my experience holds good, there is no possibility of import duties if you buy from Oleg, who is always a sound bet.

Cheers, Ian
 
Brain

Ash's Kiev is quite cheap if you can tolerate the leather wear, and Contax front plate. His frame spacing problems are pretty typical. You would need a hood...

Ash seems to buy expensive and sell cheap, it must be good to be young...

Noel
 
Jocko said:
Brian, it's been argued that the essential strength of the original Contax design is proven by the fact that most Kievs do indeed work - generally :)

Incidentally, if my experience holds good, there is no possibility of import duties if you buy from Oleg, who is always a sound bet.

Cheers, Ian
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Ian,
You are quite right about Oleg,I have dealt with him twice,once for a service,and secondly for a purchase,and not paid duty on either occasion,although the values were not high.Well worth the thought.

Cheers,
Brian.
 
If your interested in a Kiev 4 with meter Brian I have one sat doing nothing on the desk ,even comes with its original box , English manual and passport and is a 1964 vintage model , The meter even reacts to light :eek: though I need to check it against one of my other meters to see if it's anything like accurate .
PM me if your interested ;)



Paul
 
Screwy said:
If your interested in a Kiev 4 with meter Brian I have one sat doing nothing on the desk ,even comes with its original box , English manual and passport and is a 1964 vintage model , The meter even reacts to light :eek: though I need to check it against one of my other meters to see if it's anything like accurate .
PM me if your interested ;)



Paul
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Paul,
Good to deal with you.I am opening a new door with this one!;)
Cheers,
Brian.
 
Hey Noel, I've got to shift 3 of mine, take yer pick (no yellow jobs I'm afraid, but i nearly got one done in wine red snake....hmmm )
 
greyhoundman said:
Not a bad thread, once you ferret out the good info. :)
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Furthermore, some Kiev selling activity energy is arising. From "what is wrong with my Kiev" it is turning into the opposite, what is good with Kievs.

I feel like I want to open my coat at the street and show the pending Kiev gear for sale.

:D

PS,
Yet for all my expanded or overexpanded Kiev gear I am hardly using, I am not going to sell anything at all, only upgrade with more. Therefore, that opening of my coat may be nothing else than an exhibisionist deviation.

A camera for each situation, no camera for all, my Kiev time will come. The Kievs have many cons alongside many pros. Departing from this gem system, for me, will be nothing less than an act of madness.

Russ Pinchbeck, with his wonderful Kiev Survival Site, has engraved the writing in the wall.

PS II,
Jocko, where are you ? have you became an abolitionist ?
 
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Hey friend Ruben,
Is it GAS [gear acquisition syndrome]?

When I was interested in OM-1, I bought one more than I really needed.

I'm really enjoying the Leica M2 again and have ordered the CV 25/4 Skopar,
in silver to save $30-.

If you sell some of the RF's you are not using, you might enjoy a Bessa :D
Whatever you decide, we like you just as you are.
Ciao, mike
 
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